US2152181A

US2152181A - Toe iron

Info

Publication number: US2152181A
Application number: US212923A
Authority: US
Inventors: Elliott Theodore
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1938-06-10
Filing date: 1938-06-10
Publication date: 1939-03-28
Anticipated expiration: 1956-03-28

Description

T. ELLIOTT March 28, 1939.

TOE IRON Filed June 10, 1958 INVENTOR Theodore Elliott ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 28, 1939 UNITED PATENT" OFFICE IRON Theodore Elliott, Winchester, Mass. 7 I Application June "10, 1938, Serial No. 212,923

: Claims.

This invention relates to the .art ,of skiing and is particularly .concerned with the problem of suitably attaching the skiers shoe to the ski.

In attaching shoes to skis, the requirements 5 are simple. The shoe must be so held thatit may be readily flexed .as the skier takes a forward step but at the same time it must be secured in such a way that there will be no lateral motion between the shoe and the ski. This is essential .if

proper control is to .be had. In addition, the area on which the sole of the shoe rests must be ample to prevent distortion of the sole.

It is customary to provide a clamping means .of some sort to hold the forward part of the shoe 5 sole firmly in position on .theski while it is urged forwardly by some sort .of flexible binder, fastener or strap means which .at the same time permits raising of the heel. Oneof the commonest forms of toe clamping means or toe irons, as

they are commonly called, is .a channel-shaped member having its sides converging forwardly. In thischannel the sole of the shoe maybe wedged and :held in position by the forward pressing binder means about the heel. A strap usually runs the shoe toe to prevent the shoe from slipping upwardly out of position.

Due to "the varying-sizes and shapes of skiers shoes, it has been found desirable to make the toe irons adjustable laterally so that they may fit various size shoes.

One of the objects of my invention is, therefore, to provide a toe iron which may be adjusted to fit shoes of various sizes and shapes and at the same time provide the firm and adequate support that is essential.

Another object of my invention is to provide a toe iron which may be adjusted in small increments easily and without undue loss of time.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a toe iron which not only has the foregoing advantages but also is made simplyand ruggedly so that it may withstand the severest useto which it may be put.

These and. other advantages of my invention will appear as the description proceeds with the aid of the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a plan-view of my toe iron as it appears installed on a ski. Fig. 2 is an elevation of my toe iron looking from the rear. 1

Fig. 3 is a section .on the line 3-13 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 14 is a plan view-of my toeironshowingone cover plate and one side plate removed. .Eig. :5 i512. plan viewof one of the cover. Plates.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the cover plate shown in Fig. .5.

Referring .now to Fig. 1, ,2 is a ski of the usual construction to which my toe iron is to .be secured. The toe iron consists of but'five parts, ,a base 5 plate A, the side plates 6 and 2.8, .and the cover plates l0 andzlZ.

Base .plate 4 at its forward and-rear edges has upturnedfianges .l4 and I6 which, on their inner edges, are provided with notches or teeth L8 and 1p 20.

These teeth may extend continuously from .one side of the base plate .to the. other .or .theypmay :be discontinuous as shown in Fig. 1. It is merely necessary that there be sufiicient teeth to 'pro- 15 vide. thedesired range of adjustment. Base plate 4 is preferably madeof fairly :heavygauge metal, sufiiciently strong to withstandany loads that maybe applied, and for best results should be plated or .of stainless steel, as should all of the 20 parts.

' "The side plates 6 and :8 are constructed :to \be mounted on the :base .plateA within the

upturned flanges

14 and 16. Each side plate, as can be readily seen from the .drawing, is made of sheet 2 metal formed at substantially a right angle .to provide a horizontal portion 22 which is in .engagement with the .base plate anda substantially vertical side Wall ,24 against which the-sideof the shoe is wedged. 30

V The horizontal portion :22 of each side plate has its front and rear edges provided with notches or .teeth.2,6 and 28 which .are adapted to engage with teeth l8 and 20 of the base plate- Teeth 2,6 .and.28, however,3are formed ,on arcsof acircle 3 the diameter of which is equal .to the distance between flanges I4 and 16. Bythis arrangement, it is obvious that side plates .6 and .8 may be set in a large number of different positions between flanges .14 and H5, and still by virtue'of the en- 40 gagement with the teeth be held-securely against lateral movements.

This construction makes it possible for side walls 24 to be moved closer together or farther apart as desired, and at the same time the angu- 45 larity of each wall may be varied, individually.

In-base plate4 there are a plurality of holes 30 through which securing screws are adapted to pass. The horizontal portions 22 of'the-side plates 6 and "8 have been cut away, as at 132, .to provide 5 ample range of lateral movement with respect to the screws.

Overlying the horizontalportions 22 of theside plates, which in turn are resting on the base-plate 4, are the two cover plates lll'and l2. These 55 cover plates are complementary and the forward and rear ends have downwardly turned flanges 38 and 4|! which assist in securing the cover plates against longitudinal movement. The two cover plates together form a trapezoidal supporting surface of suflicient area to adequately support that part of the sole directly under the foot. The edges of the sole, in very large shoes, which might overhang the sides of the cover are under no direct vertical load and hence there is no distortion.

Each cover plate is perforated with holes corresponding to holes 30 in the base plate and the holes so formed have the metal bent downwardly as at 4| to provide rigidity as well as a countersunk area to take the head of an ordinary flathead screw. 7, V

After positioning the horizontal portions 22 as desired with respect to base plate 4, the cover plates l0 and 2 may be laid thereover to substantially cover the horizontal portions and may be secured by the introduction of screws through the registering holes in the cover plate and base plate. The side plates 6 and 8 will thereby be firmly fastened against any movement.

The cut-away areas 32 of the

horizontal portions

20 and 22 are large enough so that there will be no engagement with the downwardly formed edges 4| 'of the screw holes of the cover plates. Nor do the edges 4| depend far enough to touch the base plate 4 when the unit is in secured position. That is to say, the horizontal portions 2|] and 22 are heldagainst lateral movement by the, meshing of the teeth l8 and 26 while 55 vertical movement is prohibited by the clamping action of base plate4 and the two cover plates.

It should also be noted that whenthe horizontal portion 22 of either side plate is adjusted to the most inward position permitted by its accompanying cover plate, no part of the portion 22 will be covered by the other cover plate. That is to say, each horizontal portion 22 and its cover plate are disposed at all times on opposite sides of the line along which the cover plates abut. This is essential if each side plate is to be freely adjustable without disturbing the other.

On the side walls 24 of the side plates 6 and 8 are means for controlling the location of the flexible tensioning means that is customarily used to force the shoe forwardly into the toe iron. A lip 42 is punched outwardly from each of the side walls 24 and this lip provides a stop against which the flexible means will upwardly engage as th heel is raised.

A second provision for engaging the flexible means is supplied in the form of the downwardly bent tabs 44 at the rear of each. of the side walls. Under certain conditions of skiing it is found desirable that the force exerted by the flexible means be directed somewhat lower, and when such conditions prevail, tabs 44 are pressed into use.

In applying my toe iron to the ski, the following procedure is used. The base plate 4 is positioned at the proper location for the ball of the foot and midway between the sides of the ski. The position is noted by marking on the ski through the screw holes in the base plate. At these points small holes may be drilled in the skiis of a size adapted to subsequently receive the screws. I

With the base plate thus located, the side plates 6 and 8 are set thereon in the approximate positions required to accept the skiers shoe. Cover plates IO and I2 are then placed thereover and screws 46 are inserted and screwed firmly in position binding the side plates firmly in place.

With the toe iron thus installed, the user may then insert his shoe and secure it by the. usual flexible tensioning means. If, upon inspection, it appears that the side walls 24 of the toe iron are not spaced a proper distance apart or are at an incorrect angle, adjustment may readily be made by removing first one cover plate, as for example |2', and adjusting side plate 6. Thereafter,

when. cover plate |2 has been resecured cover construction disclosed but only by the appended claims.

' I claimi 1. A toe iron comprising a base plate having oppositely disposed flanges, a pair of side plates having horizontal portions positioned on said base plate and between said flanges, means on said base plate and on said horizontal portions for adjustable engagement therebetween, and a cover plate comprising two parts, one part overlying the horizontal portion of one side plate, the other part overlying the horizontal portion of the other side plate and means for binding said base plate, horizontal portions and cover plates against a ski, whereby one of said cover plates may be removed to permit individual adjustment of one side plate without disturbing saidother side plate.

2. A toe iron comprising a base plate having oppositely disposed flanges, a pair of side plates having horizontal portions adapted to be positionedon said base plate, means for adjustable engagement between said base plate flanges and said horizontal portions, and anindividual cover plate for each of said horizontal portions for independently locking each portion between said base plate and said cover plate whereby one side plate may be'adjusted without disturbing the adjustment of said other side plate.

3. A toe iron comprising a baseplate having raised teeth at its front and rear ends, a pair of side plates each having a horizontal portion with teeth on the front and rear edges, said portions adjustably positioned on said base plate with said teeth engaging said raised teeth at both the front and rear, said portions being wholly disposed on either side of a medial line extending between the said raised teeth, and means for independently locking each horizontal portion in position on said base plate comprising a pair of cover plates, said cover plates disposed on opposite sides of said medial line, and together forming a trapezoidal bearing surface, registering holes through said base plate, horizontal portions and cover plates, whereby they may be screwed to a ski and whereby the cover plate and side plate on one side of said medial line may be removed and adjusted without disturbing the setting or securing means of said other side plate.

4. A toe iron comprising a baseplate having integral upturned parallel end flanges with teeth on their opposed faces, a pair of side plates each having a horizontal portion with oppositely disposed ;teeth for engagement with said flange teeth, a pair of complementary cover plates adapted to overlie and bind said horizontal portions when the latter are in position on said base plate, common means for securing said parts together, the engagement between said cover plates and horizontal portions being distributed over a substantial area remote from said securing means, and each horizontal portion being disposed under only one of said cover plates.

5. A toe iron comprising a base plate, a pair of side plates having portions connected thereto adapted to be positioned on said base plate, means whereby said portions may be adjusted in relation to said base plate comprising means oppositely disposed on said base plate and cooperating means on said portions, and an individual cover plate for each of said portions for independently locking each portion between said base plate and said cover plate whereby one side plate may be adjusted without disturbing the adjustment of said other side plate.

THEODORE ELLIO-IT.