Belt fastener with pre-set staples

In a belt fastener having an upper and a lower plate joined by arcuate hinge loops and a staple cooperating with the plates to capture an end of a belt between the plates, the combination comprising:

• an upper recessed pocket formed in the upper plate and having a pair of spaced staple supporting apertures at opposite ends of the upper pocket;
• a lower recessed pocket formed in the lower plate and having a pair of staple receiving apertures at opposite ends of the lower pocket with the upper pocket apertures substantially aligned with the lower pocket apertures;
• a staple having a pair of legs with the staple preassembled to the fastener by mounting of the legs in the upper pocket apertures;
• outer edges on the upper plate engaging outer sides of the respective staple legs in a first plane;
• and
• inner edges on the upper plate within the upper plate recessed pockets engaging inner sides of the respective staple legs in a second plane lower than the first plane to provide vertically spaced areas of interference fit to hold the staple legs in an upright pre-set position, the upper pocket apertures having a first predetermined generally rectangular shape including a length and a width with the length of the first rectangular shape being defined by a pair of substantially parallel straight edges and the width of the first rectangular shape being defined by a pair of curved edges connecting the straight edges and each having a first predetermined radius of curvature, and the staple legs having a second predetermined generally rectangular cross-sectional shape including a length and a width with the length of the second rectangular shape being defined by a pair of substantially parallel sides and the width of the second rectangular shape being defined by a pair of curved ends connecting the straight sides and each having a second predetermined radius of curvature less than the curved edges first predetermined radius of curvature.

In a belt fastener having an upper and a lower plate joined by arcuate hinge loops and a staple cooperating with the plates to capture an end of a belt between the plates, the combination comprising:

• an upper recessed pocket formed in the upper plate and having a pair of spaced staple supporting apertures at opposite ends of the upper pocket;
• a lower recessed pocket formed in the lower plate and having a pair of staple receiving apertures at opposite ends of the lower pocket with the upper pocket apertures substantially aligned with the lower pocket apertures;
• a staple having a pair of legs with the staple preassembled to the fastener by mounting of the legs in the upper pocket apertures;
• outer edges on the upper plate engaging outer sides of the respective staple legs in a first plane;
• and
• inner edges on the upper plate within the upper plate recessed pockets engaging inner sides of the respective staple legs in a second plane lower than the first plane to provide vertically spaced areas of interference fit to hold the staple legs in an upright pre-set position, a second recessed pocket being formed in the upper plate with each upper plate pocket having a pair of spaced non-circular staple supporting apertures and a second recessed pocket being formed in the lower plate with each lower plate pocket having a pair of staple receiving apertures aligned with corresponding upper plate staple supporting apertures.

A combination of a pair of staples, a belt end and a belt fastener having an upper plate and a lower plate with the staples being preassembled to the upper plate for attaching the fastener to the belt end, the combination comprising:

• an aperture formed at the opposite ends of each of the pocket bottom recessed walls with the apertures;
• the staples each having a pair of legs and a bight section interconnecting the legs with the bight section having curved portions at the juncture between said bight section and the legs;
• the pair of recessed pockets in the upper plate each having bottom wall portions adjacent the apertures;
• the legs and apertures being sized to provide an interference fit therebetween so that with the legs mounted in the apertures the staples are in an upright pre-set position relative to the plates;
• and
• inner, lower edges about the apertures in the recessed pockets having been deflected by the curved staple portions to form tangs which are embedded in the belt end.

A combination of a pair of staples and a belt fastener having an upper plate and a lower plate with the staples being preassembled to the upper plate for attaching the fastener to a belt end, the combination comprising:

• an aperture formed at the opposite ends of each of the pocket bottom recessed walls with the apertures;
• the staples each having a pair of legs and a bight section interconnecting the legs with the bight section having curved portions at the juncture between said bight section and the legs;
• the pair of recessed pockets in the upper plate each having bottom wall portions adjacent the apertures;
• the legs and apertures being sized to provide an interference fit therebetween so that with the legs mounted in the apertures the staples are in an upright pre-set position relative to the plates;
• and
• inner, lower edges about the apertures in the recessed pockets for being deflected by the curved staple portions to form tangs which are embedded in the belt end, the apertures having a predetermined shape and the legs having a predetermined cross-sectional configuration with a substantially non-circular predetermined shape and configuration.