Disclosed is a protector for a clip and line used to suspend aquaculture baskets or like equipment in water. In particular, the protector provides a sacrificial element between the clip and the line that is cheap to manufacture and easy to replace. While an application of the present invention is in oyster cultivation, it could equally well be applied to any process involving the line suspension of an article in water.

An apparatus for securing a pair of trousers about a torso includes a belt buckle for attaching opposite ends of a belt thereto and a compartment. The compartment includes a pair of opposing angled vertical sidewalls for progressively curving a portion of a credit card or a driver's license or a personal identification card or a similarly sized card as the card is urged into the compartment. Friction between edges of the card, in particular where the card is curved or bowed, and a the pair of opposing angled vertical sidewalls that are in contact with the card edges secure the card in position in the compartment until a user urges the card out of the compartment. The compartment is sized to house as many cards as desired.

A pull and release latch including a releasable lock featuring stress preventers and a limit stop. The limit stop prevents the releasable lock from cantilevering too much to the point of breaking or stressing the releasable lock. A unique design allows a male component and a female component to be easily engaged while at the same time the pulling force to release the lock gives the same motion to separate the two components in a direction perpendicular to a cantilever axis.

A survival belt buckle configured to be worn around the user's waist that may make a fire under different environmental conditions. The belt buckle includes a rigid body made of high carbon steel. The body includes a plurality of striking points that when stuck against a flint, chert rock, or quartz produces a spark to ignite dry tinder or other combustible material. On a perimeter edge of the body is a ferrocerium rod that can be used with a steel knife or stone to produce spark. Also, on a perimeter edge of the body is a magnesium bar that produces small shavings that can be ignited. Also, in the rigid body is a magnifying lens used to ignite tinder with sun rays. The belt buckle is waterproof, easily transported and can be use with a knife, hard stone, other metal pieces, or with similar belt buckles worn by others.

A survival belt buckle configured to be worn around the user's waist that may make a fire under different environmental conditions. The belt buckle includes a rigid body made of high carbon steel. The body includes a plurality of striking points that when stuck against a flint, chert rock, or quartz produces a spark to ignite dry tinder or other combustible material. On a perimeter edge of the body is a ferrocerium rod that can be used with a steel knife or stone to produce spark. Also, on a perimeter edge of the body is a magnesium bar that produces small shavings that can be ignited. Also, in the rigid body is a magnifying lens used to ignite tinder with sun rays. The belt buckle is waterproof, easily transported and can be use with a knife, hard stone, other metal pieces, or with similar belt buckles worn by others.

A band latch mechanism that is configured to connect a wristband to a fitness tracker is provided. The band latch mechanism may be configured to be inserted into a cavity of a housing of the fitness tracker and configured so that any metallic body of the band latch mechanism does not contact metallic surfaces of the cavity in order to prevent an electrical ground from being positioned within a keep-out zone of an antenna of the fitness tracker.

A wristband with straps having a fixed-position keeper and a tang buckle with an elongate-hole tang is provided. The elongate hole may permit the tang to slide for a limited distance along the length of the buckle strap, thereby accommodating different wrist sizes and shapes while reducing the possibility of bridging or tang lift in the band.

A wristband with straps having a fixed-position keeper and a tang buckle with an elongate-hole tang is provided. The elongate hole may permit the tang to slide for a limited distance along the length of the buckle strap, thereby accommodating different wrist sizes and shapes while reducing the possibility of bridging or tang lift in the band.

Briefly, the invention provides a one-piece buckle having a protuberance extending in a first direction and at least a second protuberance extending in a second direction opposite the first direction. Also provided is a method for fastening two portions of strap having the steps of mating a protuberance on a buckle with a first set of coaxial holes in a first and second strap portion, wherein the protuberance extends in a first direction, and mating at least one protuberance with a second set of coaxial holes in the first and second strap portions, wherein the at least one protuberance extends in a second direction opposite the first direction.

Briefly, the invention provides a one-piece buckle having a protuberance extending in a first direction and at least a second protuberance extending in a second direction opposite the first direction. Also provided is a method for fastening two portions of strap having the steps of mating a protuberance on a buckle with a first set of coaxial holes in a first and second strap portion, wherein the protuberance extends in a first direction, and mating at least one protuberance with a second set of coaxial holes in the first and second strap portions, wherein the at least one protuberance extends in a second direction opposite the first direction.