Rope Halter Buckle with Floating Cam-lock Center Bar Washer

Abstract

The essence of this invention is the use of the floating cam-lock washer that replaces the center bar on a typical buckle. The buckle base consists of a plate with a figure-eight hole in the center. The non-looped end of the rope halter is inserted from the underside of the buckle and pulled through to the point of adjustment on the horse. The non-looped end of the rope halter is then inserted and pulled through the cam-lock washer and inserted back through the buckle base to exit on the underside of the buckle. The non-looped end of the rope halter is then pulled tight to the top of the buckle with the washer at a 90 degree position to the base of the buckle. To lock the buckle in place, the washer is rotated 90 degrees to a parallel position with the buckle base. To unlock the buckle, the washer is rotated 90 degrees back to a vertical positionthis reduces the pressure of the non-looped end of the rope halter with respect to the buckle base and allows the buckle, on the non-looped end of the rope halter rope, to be easily slid through the base and the floating washer to tighten or loosen the rope halter. The fact that the washer is floating rather than attached makes the adjustment process much easier as the non-looped end of the rope halter does not have to bend through a tight arrangement of fixtures.

This buckle and cam-lock washer combination is also significantly easier to manufacture and less expensive than similar mechanical attachments. The base is a simple plate with a hole cut in it and the washer is a common commercial size and shape. It is the unique relationship between the base and the washer that creates the cam-locking solution to holding the buckle in place and serve as an attachment for the rope halter.

Claims

1. An apparatus for connecting and disconnecting the closed looped end and the unattached straight end of a rope halter, comprising: 1. a base plate that consists of a flat plate of material thick enough to prevent slippage of the base plate on the rope halter with an internal hole of sufficient size and shape to allow the unattached straight rope ends of a rope halter to pass through without obstruction in two directions simultaneously and an external size small enough to pass through the standard sized rope halter closed looped end but large enough to have adequate overhang in relation to the internal hole to restrict the retraction of the base plate from the rope halter loop after the base plate has been pulled through the rope halter loop and with the material strength to resist the dynamic pressure of a large animal on the rope halter without bending or breaking, 2. a washer that consists of a single piece of circular material with an interior hole that is also circular in shape of adequate size to allow the unattached straight ends of a rope halter to pass through without obstruction with sufficient distance between the interior hole and the exterior rim of the washer to act as a cam to lock the buckle to the rope halter when rotated to a position parallel to the top face of the base plate with the material strength to resist the dynamic pressure of a large animal on the rope halter without bending or breaking, 3. a relationship between the base plate of claim 1 and the washer of claim 2 and the unattached straight end of the rope halter that is completed when the base plate of claim 1 is connected to the washer of claim 2 by the unattached straight end of the rope halter when the unattached straight end of the rope halter is pushed up through the interior hole of the base plate then through the interior hole of the washer and back down through the interior hole of the base plate and the rope is tightened to hold the washer tightly against the base plate; the closed looped end and the unattached straight end of a rope halter are then connected by passing the unattached straight end of the rope halter with the attached buckle through the closed looped end of the rope halter until the buckle latches on the closed looped end of the rope halter; the closed looped end and the unattached straight end of a rope halter are disconnected by passing the unattached straight end of the rope halter with the attached buckle back through the closed looped end of the rope halter until the unattached straight end of the rope halter with the attached buckle are disconnected from the closed looped end of the rope halter.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order that this invention may be clearly understood a preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying pictures and drawings:

[0020] As seen in Drawing 1, a rope halter consists of a rope that is tied in a series of knots in a pattern that is intended to encircle a horse's head in such a way as to allow secure attachment of a lead line or restraining line to the horse. The loop at Drawing 1 A is installed around the horse's nose. The two connecting ends of the halter, shown in Drawing 1, are looped around the horse's neck and tied together at Drawing 1 B. The lead line or restraining line is attached at FIG. 1 C.

[0021] Drawing 2 shows the two connecting ends of the halter: the non-looped end of the rope halter and the rope halter loop.

[0022] Drawing 3 shows the knot that is commonly used to connect the two rope ends that secure the halter to the horse. In the past, this knot must be tied and untied each time the halter is installed or removed.

[0023] The essence of this invention is the use of the floating cam-lock washer. The buckle base, shown in Drawing 4, consists of a plate with a figure-eight hole in the center. The cam-lock washer, shown in Drawing 5, is used in conjunction with the buckle base. The non-looped end of the rope halter, shown in Drawing 2, is inserted from the underside of the buckle and pulled through to the point of adjustment on the horse. The non-looped end of the rope halter is then inserted and pulled through the cam-lock washer, shown in Drawing 6 and inserted back through the buckle base to exit on the underside of the buckle. The non-looped end of the rope halter is then pulled tight to the top of the buckle with the washer at a 90 degree position to the base of the buckle, also shown in Drawing 6. To lock the buckle in place, the washer is rotated 90 degrees (which expands the width of the washer as it is the center bar of the buckle) to a parallel position with the buckle base, shown in Drawing 7. To unlock the buckle, the washer is rotated 90 degrees back to a vertical position, shown in Drawing 6this reduces the pressure of the non-looped end of the rope halter with respect to the buckle base and allows the buckle, on the non-looped end of the rope halter rope, to be easily slid through the base and the floating washer to tighten or loosen the rope halter. The fact that the washer is floating rather than attached makes the