US2400065A - Ski binding - Google Patents

Description

May M', T946 L. BEERLI 2,400,065 SKI BINDING Filed July 12, 1945 Patented May 14, 1946 L UNITED. STATE sur BINDING j Louis Beerli, Engelberg, Switzerland` Application my *12, 1943, sefialNo. 494,360 f t In Germany Api.'ill1fi,1942 i 1 i This invention relates to ski bindings.` Ski bindings includingiheel straps are known in which forwardly of the toe irons two tighten-` ing levers are arranged which permit of adjusting the ski binding so as to exert decreased ,or increased tension. The same effect'can be ob-` tained by using a single tightener the means of which for engagement with the heel strap is provided with various rests in' which the `released tightening lever can be selectively inserted. l

Further, ski bindings are known which are provided with. twortightening levers arranged forwardly of toe irons and in 'which the heel strap is tightened by means of one Vtightening. lever, whereas the other tightening lever serves for adjusting the position of a'rearwardly disposed retaining means for producing or varying' the diagonal tension, that is, connecting said retaining means with the heel strap or disconnecting same therefrom. y i

It has also already been proposed to arrange two oppositely displaceableclaws on a rail which is displaceable longitudinally of a skiY provided with a ski binding which is devoid of a heel strap and in which the toe irons can be shifted up and down in the vertical direction. These claws. can function to engage with the sole of the boot at the narrowed portions thereof and when the rail is adjusted by a front tightener grasp the sole I of the boot and pull the latter in between the toe irons. In this arrangement the rear end of the. rail is provided with a nose which as the rail is shifted toward the front can be moved into engagement with a stationary guide fastened lto the ski by which means rising of the heel of the boot from the ski is counteracted and a diagonal tension effect is obtained. y The ski binding, according to the present in vention, which includes a tension member4 which is displaceablel in the longitudinal direction of4 the ski and provided with parts adapted for producing or varying a heel depressing tension and for engaging'with one or more abutment. means that are fastened to the ski, and further a connection between a tightening lever and the ten--` sion member permitting of varying the tension exerted on the tension member by means of the tightening lever, is` distinguished in that the parts for producing the heel ,depressing tensionv are ad-` justable by virtue of the influence of a spring.

Advantageously, the said connection is -provided with means permitting of varying the tension acting upon the tension `member instantaneously without readjustment yof 'the tightening lever.

To this end the arrangement'is, advantageous- 1y', such that the tension member is engaged with the abutment means when the tension is relative.-A ly great but is disengagedtherefrom when the tension is relatively small or altogether ceased, so that in changing over to small tension or relief of tension the heel depressing tension isV variedor ceased.

Two embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, by way of example only, in which `f Fig'. lshows'a firstembodiment of the invention in elevation; i

I -Fig.2 `is a top planfview of-Fig' 1 with the heel strap in the `.position of diagonal tensioning;

1Fig. 3Vis a like top-plan view with the heel strap in position of'wallringV with the skis;

Figs. -4 and 5 showv an elevation and atop plan view respectively ofa second embodiment of the invention; l

- Figs. 6v and?? each show a sectional view of a detail with thelatter in a different position, and Figs. 8to 10 are views of modiiied details.

vIn the drawing the numeral I designates a ski 1` having-fixed toe irons 2., A tension member which .provides a heel vstrap and is movable in the longitudinal directionof the ski is in the form of traction-transmitting means such as a flexible solemstrap or rail 3 and consists preferably cfa steel strip. Thisheel strap incorporates also a part 5 in the form of a cable and a heel engaging spring 4. At the rear end rof the rail 3 a yoke 6 is secured which serves for producing a, tension for depressing the heel on its seat hereinafter referred `to as heel seating tension. The .front endsof the cable portions 5 are anchored tothe yoke 6 so that the latter is acted upon by the spring 4. The cable ends may be adjustably connected to the yoke 6 for the purpose of varying the length -of the cable. On the top surface o f the ski two hooks 6 are secured in towhich the yoke E. can enterwhen the sole plate. is shifted toward the front so that the hooks GserVe as abutments for the sole plate to produce the heel seating tension.

, The front end of the rail 3 is fastened to a member 1.which is displaceable longitudinally of a guide 8 which is secured to the ski forwardly of the toe irons 2. The member 1 is provided with two rests 9 and l0 which are arranged behindteach other at different levels and are open in the downward direction (Figs. 6 and 7). A stirrup .-.I l of a tightening lever l2 which is fulcrumed .on the guide 8 is selectively engageable with said rests for the purpose of exerting a rel- .button I3 is associated with the stirrup II.

atively strong or slight pull respectively. A push By placing the stirrup II into the rest 9 the front portion of the sole plate is shifted to such an extent that the heel engaging spring is strongly tensioned and thus a strong pull is exerted on the sole plate so that the yoke 6 comes to lie inside the hooks 6 (Fig. 2). In inserting the stirrup in the rest I the heel engaging spring is lightly loaded so that the tension set up in the sole plate is only slight.

By merely pressing down the button I3 by hand or by means of the ski pole the stirrup I0 can be pushed out of the rest 9 (Fig. 6), whereupon the member 1 is drawn rearward by action of the heel engaging spring 4 and the stirrup II seats in the rest I0. In consequence thereof the yoke 6 disengages from the abutments 6 (Fig. 3) so that it will be seen that the heel seating tension can be terminated abruptly without re quiring the tightening lever I2 to be readjusted.

In its released condition the tightening lever I2 is turned over t0 the rear toward the toe irons 2 and the sole plate 3 is shifted toward the rear to such an extent that the heel engaging spring 4 is completely released so as to make the heel free. If then the tightening lever is operated for tightening the ski binding the rear end of the stirrup II moves into the rest 9 due to the stirrup II tending to share in the rotational movement by effect of friction intentionally produced between the front end' of the stirrup and the tightening lever. In continuing the turning over of the tightening lever toward the front a strong tension is set up in the sole plate as previously referred to while this plate moves into engagement with the abutments 6 so that the sole plate 3 can be raisedno longer and a diagonal tension is produced due to the inclined position assumed by the heel engaging spring 4 and the cable portions 5 which tension increases rapidly if the heel tends to rise from its seat.

The heel strap is then in position for starting to run downhill. If it is required to change over from this position for starting to run downhill into position for walking the exertion of pressure on the button as described above suiilces for bringing about this condition in which the heel can be retracted from the ski with ease while the heel engaging spring remains stressed in an amount suiiicing for retaining the boot in engagement with the toe irons.

If it is desired to retain the boot in position on the ski for walking while the tightening lever I2 is released the button I3 is depressed simultaneously with operating the tightening lever for exerting tension so that the stirrup II interengages with the rest Ill.

Two fiat bars I4 and I5 are firmly connected to the yoke 6, the bar I4 of which underlies the heel of the boot and is pressed down on the ski by the latter so that the yoke 6 being connected with this bar is also kept down for ensuring the reliable interengagement of the yoke with the abutments 6'. By action of the tension exerted on the yoke 6 by the cable 5 the latter is sub` jected to a torque tending to bend up the sole plate. This bending tendency is counteracted by the bar I4 as long as the latter is in bearing engagement with the heel of the boot. If, however, in the position for starting downhill the heel is raised from the ski the pressure exertion on the bar I4 closes. In this case the at bar I5 is pressed down on the ski bypaction of the torque referred to above so that the sole plate remains relieved.

In the position for starting downhill the sole is vigorously pressed in between the toe irons, whereas in the position for walking the pressure is greatly reduced for the reason that the heel engaging spring is relieved to some extent. This fact is of great advantage since the sole of the boot must be free for deflecting during the walking and must then be safeguarded against heavy pressures. Apart from this the friction between the sole of the boot and the side plates of the toe irons is greatly diminished and the movement relative to the latter considerably facilitated by the partial relief of loading of the heel engaging spring.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 5 differs from that precedingly described in that the sole plate is formed by a continuous cable loop I6 and an associated heel engaging spring 4. A cross member I'I which forms a part for producing the heel seating tension is firmly connected to the cable portions extending alongside of the ski on both sides thereof and engages firmly with an abutment I8 like the yoke 6 described in connection with the first embodiment. The cross member Il is adjustable by virtue of the iniiuence of the spring 4.

As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, a cross piece 23 may be provided with an orifice 2I having a slot 20 in its upper part corresponding in width to the thickness of the cable, and a thickening 22 provided on each lateral length of cable can bemoved into and out of engagement with the walls of the orifice.

Further more than two rests may be provided in the member 1, for example, a series of four rests 9, 9', 9" and 9"', as shown in Fig. 10, for obtaining a corresponding number of different conditions of relief of tension of the sole plate. One of these rests, for example the rest 9"', may correspond to the condition of complete relief of tension of this plate, so as to provide for a releasable binding in which the means for relieving the tension are controlled in any suitable manner usual for releasable bindings.

I claim:

l. A binding for holding a boot on a ski in two adjusted conditions comprising, toe irons against which the toe portion of the boot engages in fixed position, a lever mounted on the ski forwardly of the toe irons and having a transversely extending pivot about which it is turnable, traction transmitting means extending rearwardly from the lever, a connection between said lever and said transmitting means including a plurality of differently located abutments and abutment-engaging means adapted to be selectively brought into engagement with either of the abutmentsfor adjusting the traction, means including a spring for applying the traction to the heel of the boot in a forward and downward direction, the amount and direction of application of the traction depending on the position of the engaging means with respect to the abutments, and means operable while the ski is applied to the boot for shifting the engaging means from one abutment to the other without operating the lever.

2. A binding for holding a boot on a ski in two adjusted conditions comprising, toe irons against which the toe portion of the boot engages in fixed position, a lever mounted on the ski forwardly of the toe irons and having a transverselyv extending pivot about which it is turnable, traction transmitting means extending rear- Wardly from the lever, a connection between said lever and said ,transmitting means including a plurality of differently located abutments and a stirrup swingably connected with the lever adapted to be selectively brought into engagements, and a button connected with said stirrup for operation to quickly release the stirrup from an abutment to alter the condition of attachment ment with one or another of the abutments for yJ adjusting the traction, means including a spring for applying the traction to the heel of the boot in a forward and downward direction, the amount and direction of application of the traction depending on the position of the stirrup with 3. A binding for holding a boot on a ski in two adjusted conditions comprising, toe irons against which the Yt'oe portion of the boot engages in fixed position, a lever mounted on the ski forwardly` of the toe irons and having a transversely ex#V tending pivot about which it is turnable, traction transmitting means extending rearwardly from the lever, a connection between said lever and said transmitting means including a plurality of differently located abutments and a stirrup swingably connected with the lever adapted to be selectively brought into engagement with either of the abutments for adjusting the traction, means including a spring for applying the traction to the heel of the boot in a forward and downward direction, the amount and direction of application of the traction depending on the position of the stirrup with respect to the abutof the boot on the ski.

4. A ski binding for holding a boot on a ski in two adjusted conditions comprising, toe irons against which the toe por-tion of the boot engages in fixed position, a lever mounted on the ski forwardly of the toe irons and having `a transversely extending pivot about which it is turnable, traction transmitting means extending rearwardly from the lever, a connection between said lever and said transmitting means including a plurality of diierently located abutments and a stirrup swingably connected with the lever adapted to be selectively brought into engagement with either of the abutments for adjusting the traction, means including a spring for applying the traction to the heel of the boot in a forward and downward direction, the amount and direction of application of the traction depending on the position of the stirrup, means connected with said stirrup for operation to quickly release the stirrup from an abutment, a yoke connected with the traction transmitting means in rear of the toe irons, yoke-engaging means for holding the yoke and traction transmitting means close to the ski when one abutment is engaged by the abutment-engaging means, and for releasing the yoke when said abutment is not engaged by the abutment-engaging means.

LOUIS BEERLI.

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