Free-falling, self-locking adjustable tip assembly

A tip assembly for free sliding mounting on a safety belt, the tip assembly comprising:

• a tongue plate for connection to a buckle, the tongue plate having lateral edges,
• snubber slide means slidably engaged with the tongue plate for gripping the belt,
• the snubber slide means being slidable on the tongue plate to a belt gripping position when the tip assembly is mounted on a belt that is under tension and the tongue plate is connected to the buckle,
• the snubber slide means being slidable to a position that will allow sliding of the tip assembly downwardly along the belt when the belt is in a vertical position and the tongue plate is disconnected from the buckle, and
• the snubber slide means having an opening through which the belt passes, and dampening means located between at least part of the portions of the tongue plate and the snubber slide means that engage one another channel-shaped regions at the lateral edges of the snubber slide means receiving the lateral edges of the tongue plate, the dampening means being located in at least one of the channel-shaped regions of the snubber slide means adjacent a corresponding lateral edge of the tongue plate, the dampening means being a spring means, the spring means being a single leaf spring having the general form of a bow-shaped curve, at least one of the channel-shaped regions of the snubber slide means including a notch formed therein at each end of the channel and the spring means including a bent portion at either end thereof for gripping in the notches to retain the spring in location when the snubber slide means is assembled on the tongue plate, the bow-shaped curve portion of the spring thereby being in sliding contact with the corresponding lateral edge of the tongue plate.