US3434731A - Safety ski binding - Google Patents

Description

March 25, 1969 E. J. KEELING 3,434,731

SAFETY SKI BINDING Filed Oct. 15. 1964 INVE/VTUR EDWARD J. KEELl/VG United States Patent Ofice 3,434,731 SAFETY SKI BINDING Edward J. Keeling, 1310 Montgomery St., San Francisco, Calif. 94133 Filed Oct. 15, 1964, Ser. No. 404,064 Int. Cl. A63c 9/082 US. Cl. 28011.35 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to safety ski bindings, and, more particularly this invention relates to a releasable and rotatable turntable useful to disconnectably connect a skier to a ski.

The present invention provides a safety ski binding for use in disconnectably connecting the heel portion of a ski boot to a ski and which also allows rotational movement of the ski boot with respect to the ski when the binding is disconnectably connected. In a broad aspect the present invention comprises at least a first member for fixedly mounting on a ski. The first member is provided with engageable means. At least a pair of second members are formed for cooperation with the first member. The second members are joined together at one end and are provided with engaging means for engaging the engageable means of the first member to disconnectably connect the first member with the second members. Means are provided on the second members for operably connecting a ski boot thereto. Resilient means are provided to urge the engaging means of the second members into engagement with the engageable means of the first member to disconnectably connect the members.

It is a particular object of this invention to provide a release turntable of rugged and durable construction and having a minimum of operative parts, which turntable provides a releasable connection of a ski boot to a ski which allows the skier to be released from the ski in the event of a forward fall and which turntable allows rotation of the ski boot with respect to the ski in the event of a twisting fall.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings which are a part of this specification and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a ski boot connected to a ski and is helpful in understanding the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view, with parts broken away for clarity of presentation, and illustrates a preferred embodiment of apparatus assembled in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken at line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken at line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken at line 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken at line 6-6 of FIG. 2.

With reference to the drawing and to FIG. 1 in particular, a ski boot 20 is shown disconnectably connected to a ski 22 by a conventional toe binding means, represented generally by the numeral 24, and the heel binding means of the present invention, represented generally by the numeral 26. The toe of the boot is releasably secured under a lip 28 formed on the toe binding means. Toe

Patented Mar. 25, 1969 binding means of this sort are well known in the art and therefore they will not be further described except to point out that the toe binding will release when a force transverse to the ski causes a twisting force to be applied to the skiers leg. The heel binding means 26 of the present invention cooperates with the toe binding means to releasably secure the ski boot 20 to the ski. The rearward portion of the boot is connected to the heel binding means by suitable means such as thong 2-9 and heel spring means 27. The heel spring means also urges the ski boot forward into the toe binding.

With reference to FIGS. 2-6, the preferred embocliment of apparatus of the present invention will now be described in detail. A first member 30 is provided with appropriate means such as holes 31 to fixedly mount it to a ski. Screws 32 may be used to mount the member 30 on the ski. The first member 30 is provided with engageable means such as groove means 40. The groove means 40 is preferably a circularly extending groove formed in the peripheral wall of the member 30.

At least a pair of second members, such as members 41 and 42, are formed for cooperation with the first member 30. The first member 30 is circular in form and the pair of second members 41 and 42 are formed to fit around the first member 30 and to engage it. The second members have engaging means 43 for engaging the engageable groove means 40 of the first .member 30. For example, the radially extending lugs 43 which are formed to extend into and engage the groove means 40 are a suitable engaging means. The lugs 43 have sloping shoul ders as indicated by 47 and 48 formed so as to provide a camming action with the shoulder 46 of the groove means 40 of the member 30. In this manner the lugs 43 may be engaged in and disengaged from the groove means 40 by a predeterminable downward or upward force.

The pair of second members 41 and 42 are joined together by suitable means. For example the forward portions 50 and 51 of the members 41 and 42 may be formed to overlap each other. A hole is then formed through the overlapping portions and a rivet 54 secured therein. When pivotally connected together in this manner the pair of second members can be clampingly engaged around the first member 30 by means of a force suitably applied at the other end of the members, such as for example by means of resilient means generally indicated by the numeral 60.

Thus the pivotally connected members 41 and 42 are urged by resilient means to a normally closed position about the fixedly mounted member 30. The free ends 61 and 62 of the members 41 and 42 are formed so that the members 41 and 42 may be clampingly engaged around the fixedly mounted member 30. These free ends 61 and 62 are overlapped but are free to slide with respect to each other. The free end of the outside second member (42 of FIG. 2) underlies the free end of the inside second member 41. The outside and inside position is determined by the location of the spring locking means 100the outside being the one of the second members connected to the spring locking means. Shoulders 91 and 92 are provided in the members 42 and 41, respectively, for the free ends to abut against to limit the inward motion of the members 41 and 42. There is preferably very little, if any, free space between the ends 6.1 and 62 and shoulders 9.1 and 92, respectively, when the lugs 43 of the members 41 and 42 are engaged in groove 40.

The resilient means 60 are formed by two tension springs 71 and 72 connected to pin 73 The pin has threaded ends receiving the springs 71 and 72 by means of suitably formed opposing threaded connections 74 and 75 formed in the ends of each spring. In this manner the force exerted by the resilient means 60 may be increased or decreased by rotating pin 73 to increase or decrease the tension on the springs.

The resilient means 60 may supply all the force necessary to maintain the pivotally mounted members 41 and 42 engaged around fixedly mounted member 30 during normal skiing. It is in accordance with this invention however to permit a portion of this force to be supplied by the heel spring member which is indicated generally by the numeral 27. In any event however there must be a resilient force supplied by a means such as means 60 in addition to the heel spring means 27 so that the pivotally mounted members 41 and 42 will remain securely engaged around the fixedly mounted member 30 when the binding is not being used and the heel spring locking means 100 is opened as illustrated in FIG. 2.

The heel spring means 27 and the heel spring locking means 100 serve the primary function of locking the heel of the ski boot to the pivotally mounted members 41 and 42 and of urging the ski boot forward into the safety toe means 24. In the present invention the heel spring means may also be utilized to urge the pivotally mounted members 41 and 42 into clamping disconnectable engagement with the fixedly mounted member 30. The heel spring means 27 is formed of a resilient member such as spring 80 suitably connected to the pivotally mounted members 41 and 42. and suitable means 100 to lock and unlock the spring. There are many commercially available heel spring means that can be adapted to function in the present invention. It is necessary that the heel spring means have a main spring, such as spring 80; means to adjust the force exerted by the spring, such as suitably threaded rotatable housing members 82, 83, and 64 and their respective threaded mating pins 92, 93, and 94; means to connect the pins 92. and 93 of the heel spring means to each of the pivotally mounted members 41 and 42, such as bolts 84 and 85; locking means such as clamping device 100; and eyes 86 and 87 for holding a thong.

In operation the pivotally mounted members 41 and 42 are snapped in engagement around the fixedly mounted member 30. The skier connects his boot thereto by means of heel spring means 27 and thong 29. The force required to separate the pivotally mounted members 41 and 42 from the fixedly mounted member 30 and to thus free the skiers foot from the ski is suitably adjusted for the individual skier by means of adjusting the resilient means 60 and the heel spring means 27. In this regard the force exerted by the heel spring means on the pivotally mounted members 41 and 42 may be varied by changing the leverage of the heel spring means on the members. This may be accomplished by changing the point of connection of the heel spring means such as is provided by the plurality of holes 90 and 91 in each of the connecting lugs 95 and 195 of the pivotally mounted members 41 and 42. The effective length of the heel spring may also be adjusted by adjusting pin 64. After a suitable adjustment has been made of the pivotally mounted members 41 and 42 will rotate around fixedly mounted member 30 without becoming disconnected when a transverse force twists the skiers leg causing the safety toe to open. However, these members will disconnect from the fixedly mounted member 30 if a forward fall occurs. To reconnect the binding the skier simply aligns the members in coaxial position and steps down to snap the pivotally mounted members around the fixedly mounted member.

I claim:

1. A release turntable for use in a ski binding comprising a first member,

engageable means on said first member,

a pair of second members formed for cooperation with said first member,

means on one of said first member and said pair of second members for connecting a ski boot thereto,

means on the other of said first member and said pair of second members for connecting the ski thereto,

means joining one end of each of the said second members together,

spaced apart lugs unitarily formed on said pair of second members for engaging and disengaging the engageable means of said first member to disconnectably connect the pair of second members with said first member, said spaced apart lugs and said engageable means cooperating to permit angular movement of said pair of said second members with respect to said first member when the members are disconnectably connected and resilient means for urging the spaced apart lugs of said pair of second members into engagement with the engageable means of said first member at angularly spaced locations.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized by adjusting means for adjusting the force exerted by said resilient means.

3 A releasable turntable for use in a ski binding comprising a first member having a generally circular shape for fixedly mounting to a ski,

engageable groove means on said first member,

a pair of second members formed for cooperation with said first member, each of said second members having two ends,

means pivotally connecting one end of each of said second members together,

means for connecting a ski boot to said second members,

angular spaced apart lugs unitarily formed on said pair of second members for engaging and disengaging the engageable groove means of said first member to disconnectably connect the pair of second members with said first member, and spaced apart lugs and said engageable groove means cooperating to permit angular movement of said pair of said second members around said first member when the members are disconnectable connected and resilient means for urging the spaced apart lugs of said pair of second members into engagement with the engageable groove means of said first member.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further characterized by adjusting means for adjusting the force exerted by said resilient means.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 further characterized by the other ends of said pair of second members being in overlapping slideable contact with each other.

6 A release turntable for use in a ski binding com prising a first member for fixedly mounting to a ski,

circularly extending groove means on said first memher,

a pair of second members formed to fit around said first member, each of said second members having two ends,

means connecting on end of each of said second members together,

means on said second members for connecting a ski boot thereto,

angularly spaced apart lugs unitarily formed on said pair of second members for engaging and disengaging the groove means of said first member, said spaced apart lugs and said groove means cooperating to permit angular movement of said pair of said second members around said first member when the spaced apart lugs are engaged in the groove means,

resilient means for urging the other ends of said pair of second members toward each other and the spaced apart lugs of said second members into the groove means of said first member to disconnectably connect 5 6 the pair of second members with the first member, References Cited and adjusting means for adjusting the force exerted by said UNITED PATENTS resilient mealm 3,359,009 12/1967 Hmterholzer.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further characterized in that the other ends of said pair of second members are 5 LE0 FRIAGLIA Pr'mury Exammer' overlapping and slideably engaged with each other. MILTON L. SMITH, Assistant Examiner.

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