Buckle

A buckle for use with a safety harness, said buckle comprising:

• a plurality of slots each for receiving an end of a harness belt section,
• each slot having associated therewith a retainer for engagement with an abutment surface defined by the end of the belt section,
• at least some of said retainers each having associated therewith a respective one of a plurality of first bias means normally to urge the retainers each to reside at a position at which they each engage with a said abutment surface of the end of the belt section following insertion into a slot of the plurality of slots,
• at least one of said retainers being non-retractable and some of said retainers being retractable,
• a plurality of said retractable retainers each having associated therewith a lever which is pivotable against an action of a respective one of the first bias means to move the retainer to a release position at which the retainer is free from engagement with a said abutment surface,
• an actuation member operable to act on each lever whereby each lever is caused to move a retractable retainer to said release position, and
• each said retractable retainer being positioned to act in the slot of the plurality of slots, which has associated therewith ejector means that is arranged positively to eject a belt end from the slot when the retainer at that slot is moved to a release position,
• wherein the each lever is of a first class type.

A buckle for use with a safety harness, said buckle comprising:

• a plurality of slots each for receiving an end of a harness belt section,
• each slot having associated therewith a retainer for engagement with an abutment surface defined by the end of the belt section,
• at least some of said retainers each having associated therewith a respective one of a plurality of first bias means normally to urge the retainers each to reside at a position at which they each engage with a said abutment surface of the end of the belt section following insertion into a slot of the plurality of slots,
• at least one of said retainers being non-retractable and some of said retainers being retractable,
• a plurality of said retractable retainers each having associated therewith a lever which is pivotable against an action of a respective one of the first bias means to move the retainer to a release position at which the retainer is free from engagement with a said abutment surface,
• an actuation member operable to act on each lever whereby each lever is caused to move a retractable retainer to said release position, and
• each said retractable retainer being positioned to act in the slot of the plurality of slots, which has associated therewith ejector means that is arranged positively to eject a belt end from the slot when the retainer at that slot is moved to a release position,
• wherein a release arm is provided, said release arm being angularly rotatable about a central pivot axis parallel with a direction of movement of the actuation member.