US2590097A

US2590097A - Ski binding

Info

Publication number: US2590097A
Application number: US484A
Authority: US
Inventors: Donald A Goodman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1948-01-05
Filing date: 1948-01-05
Publication date: 1952-03-25
Anticipated expiration: 1969-03-25
Also published as: FR978705A; CH282417A

Description

March 25, 1952 A. GOODMAN SKI BINDING 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Jan. 5, 1948 Donald A. Goodman INVENTOR.

March 25, 1952 Filed Jan. 5, 1948 D. A. GOODMAN 2,590,097

SKI BINDING 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 llllliflm Donald A. Goodman INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 25, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SKI BINDING Donald A. Goodman, McCall, Idaho Application January 5, 1948, Serial No. 484

'7 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in ski bindings for holding a ski boot or shoe on a ski.

More specifically, the invention embodies the provision of an endless cable or rope loosely carried by the ski and extending across the toe and heel portions of a boot to firmly hold the boot in position on the ski.

An important object of the invention is to provide cable tightening means including, a pivoted lever to easily and quickly tighten the cable about the boot.

Another object of the invention is to provide guides for the cable at each side of the ski and arranged to exert a downward pulling force at the toe and heel portions of the boot to hold the boot in position.

A further object is to provide adjustable means for the cable according to the size of boot or shoe secured thereby.

A still further object is to construct the cable tightening means with an elastic section adapted to yield to strain subjected to the cable and arranged, when subjected to excessive strain, to release the cable tightening lever and to free the boot from the ski to prevent injury to a skier should a dangerous situation arise.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is strong and durable, efiicient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view with parts broken away and shown in section.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the adjusting means for the cable.

Figure 4 is a similar view illustrating a modified adjustment construction.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on a line 5-5 of Figure 4, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan view showing the automatic releasing action of the cable tightening lever.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a flexible cable having a flexible metal covering 6.

One end of the cable is connected to an expansible coil spring 1 by means of an externally threaded tubular connector 8 threaded in the end of the spring I and having a wrench engaging outer portion 9. An annular groove I0 is formed in the connector 8 outwardly of the polygonal portion 9 and in which an internal flange II at one end of an adjusting nut I2 is rotatably received, the nut l2 being internally threaded for threaded engagement with the cover 6 of the cable.

A cable tightener designated generally at [3 includes an arcuate channel-shaped lever I4 pivoted at one end to the outer end of the spring 7 by means of a connector [5 secured in the spring and having a transverse pin I6 to which the bifurcated end i! of the lever is pivotally attached.

A pair of links l8 are pivoted above and below the lever I4 and project forwardly thereof and are pivotally connected at their front ends to a substantially T-shaped connector l9 secured to the other end of the cable 5, the cable, with its ends connected to the ends of the spring 1 provides an endless flexible member with portions of the cable positioned at the opposite sides of a ski 20 and slidably engaged in hook-shaped guides 2| secured to the sides of the ski.

The cable and spring thus provide a ski binding with its front portion encased in a rubber tubing 22 for engaging the top of a shoe or boot sole 23 at the toe portion thereof and with the spring I at the rear of the binding engaged behind the heel 24 of the shoe or boot.

The binding, at its front and rear end, extends upwardly from the guides 2! as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings whereby to exert a downward pulling force on the boot or shoe to thus firmly hold the same on the top of the ski.

By swinging the lever l4 rearwardly, the cable 5 is tightened, the links l8 being swingable inwardly of the pivot I6 for the lever whereby to lock the lever in its tightened or closed position.

By swinging the lever l4 forwardly, the cable 5 is released to disengage the binding from the boot or shoe.

Should the cable 5'be subjected to excessive strain, such as by the twisting of the ski, the spring I will stretch to a point where the forward movement of the spring will straighten the end of the spring at the side of the ski and cause the lever to swing outwardly from the dotted line position to the full line position as shown in Figure 6, past the center of its pivot l6 into its open position and thus release the'boot or shoe from the ski to prevent injury to the skier.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, a modified connection between the spring 25 and cable 26 is provided and includes sleeves 21 spaced longitudinally at the adjacent end of the cable to provide a groove 28 between adjacent sleeves and the externally threaded connector 29 attached to the spring receives the sleeves and the cable and is provided with a transverse opening 30 to receive a fork-shaped locking key 3! to enter the groove 28 and lock the cable in its longitudinally adjusted position in the spring.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by thespirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is;

l. A ski binding comprising an endless flexible member including elastic and inelastic sections adapted for placing over the toe and heel portions respectively of a ski boot, guide means carried by a ski on which the boot is placed, said guide means being positioned adjacent the toe and heel portions of the boot and engaging the flexible member to exert a downward pulling force on both the toe and heel portions of the boot, and a tightening device for said flexible member, said tightening device comprising a lever pivoted to one end of the elastic section and a link connecting the lever to the adjacent end of the inelastic section, said lever being swingable inwardly to move the link beyond the pivot of the lever to lock the lever in its tightening position.

2. A ski binding comprising an endless flexible member including elastic and inelastic sections adapted for placing over the toe and heel portions respectively of a ski boot, guide means carried by a ski on which the boot is placed, said guide means being positions adjacent the toe and heel portions of the boot and engaging the flexible member to exert a downward pulling force on both the toe and heel portions of the boot, and a tightening device for said flexible member, said tightening device comprising a lever pivoted to one end of the elastic section and a link connecting the lever to the adjacent end of the inelastic section, said lever being swingable inwardly to move the link beyond the pivot of the lever to lock the lever in its tightening position, said lever being automatically released upon a predetermined stretching force subjected to the elastic member.

3. A ski binding comprising an endless flexible member including elastic and inelastic sections, means at the side edges of the ski securing the member thereto adjacent the toe and heel portions of a ski boot placed thereon and with the inelastic section positioned at opposite sides of the ski and across the toe of the ski boot and i h ti elastic section extending behind the heel o the boot, and a tightening device connectin one end of the elastic section to one end of the inelastic section to stretch the flexible member circumferentially about the boot, said securing means exerting a downward pull on the flexible member at its toe and heel portions.

4. A ski binding comprising an endless flexible member including elastic and inelastic sections, means at the side edges of the ski securing the member thereto adjacent the toe and heel portions of a ski boot placed thereon and with the inelastic section positioned at opposite sides of the ski and across the toe of the ski boot and with the elastic section extending behind the heel of the boot, and a tightening device connecting one end of the elastic section to one end of the inelastic section to stretch the flexible member circumferentially about the boot, said securing means comprising guides slidably receiving the flexible member and positioned with respect to the boot to exert a downward pulling force on the toe and heel engaging portions of said mem ber.

5. A ski binding comprising an endless flexible member including elastic and inelastic sections adapted for placing circumierentially around a ski boot and over the toe and heel portions respectively thereof, means adjustably connecting one end oi said sections to each other, tightening means connecting the other ends of said sections to each other, and means connecting the flexible member to a ski adjacent the toe and heel portions of the boot and arranged to exert a downward pulling force at the toe and heel engaging portions of the flexible member.

A ski binding comprising a flexible member adapted for placing circumferentially around a ski boot and over the toe and heel portions thereof to hold the latter on a ski, tightening means for the flexible member, and means carried by the ski adjacent the toe and heel portions of the boot and engaging the flexible member to exert a downward pulling force on the toe and heel engagin portion of said flexible member.

"I. A ski binding comprising an endless flexible member including elastic and inelastic sections adapted for placing over the toe and heel portions respectively of a ski boot, guide means carried by a ski on which the boot is placed, said guide means being positioned adjacent the toe and heel portions of the boot and engaging the flexible member to exert a downward pulling force on both the toe and heel portions of the boot, and a tightening device connecting the elastic and inelastic sections of the flexible member to each other.

DONALD A. GOODMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the die of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS