US2590424A - Ski binding - Google Patents

Description

March 25, 1952 K J, LEHMKUHL 2,590,424v

SKI BINDING I Filed Aug. 51,'1948 Patented Mar. 25, 1952 UNITED STATESY PATENT OFFICE SKI BINDING.

Joakim Lehmkuhl, Watertown, Conn.

ApplicaltionAug'ust 31, 1948, Serial No. 47,070 In Norway .uly 18, 1947 A number of different types ofski bindings are known in which this desideratum has been considered, and in which there is provided for what has popularly been termed a .diagonal pull on the heel, but in practice these bindings allow too much movement of the heel in the vertical direction, for which reason they are not very suitable. At the same time these known bindings comprise far too many complicated mechanisms, which in reality are not necessary for obtaining the result aimed at.

The object of this invention is to solve the problem in the simplest possible way, which is obtained by providing the binding with a device adapted to anchor the rear part of the boot to the ski, when desired. Such a device may be constructed in different ways and mayv be used in combination with front-bindings of most different embodiments; a front-binding meaning that part of the binding which is used for attaching or anchoring the toe or front part of the boot to the ski.

The device for anchoring the rear part of the boot to the ski may, in accordance with the invention be used in connection with such bindings where a strap is passed around the boot heel as `well as in connection with bindings where. the

front part of the bootis locked or anchoredto the ski without use of -a rear strap. The Aanchoring device of the invention may be so `attached to the ski that when the boot Vis placed on the ski said device will be situated inthe open space just in front of the-heel, and may comprise a catching member adapted-to engage a suitable holding means provided, say in the heelv of the boot. l

, The anchoring means may be adapted to operate automatically when the boot is inserted into the toe iron of the binding, being secured thereto by being slid forward, such movement of the boot in forward direction engaging holding means in the boot sole or heel. The yanchoring means for the rear part of the boot may, however, also take another form, for example that of a reversible locking mechanism which, without dis placement of the boot in relation to the ski, may be caused to engage or disengage a suitable holding means provided in the boot sole or heel.

In a simple embodiment of the invention an axially extending recess is provided in the heel,

said recess being spanned on its under side by a transverse bridging member, the locking device consisting of a resilient strap or arm that is secured to the ski and so formed and arranged that it will penetrate into said recess in theboot heel, when the boot is positioned in the binding.

Said strap may be displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the ski, and the strap or arm may be arranged to be moved into engagement .with the bridging means of the heel, or below said means without engaging'the same opera tively, as desired.

In general it may be said, that the object of the invention i's to provide for a substantially rigid anchoring of the boot heel to the ski, but under circumstances it may be desirable to have an arrangement of a certain small resiliency, so

' that the boot heel may be raised a few millimeters above the ski, and for this purpose the locking or anchoring means may, according to a further feature of the invention, be made somewhat resilient.

Obviously this may be achieved by diierent embodiments. Thus the toe iron may be extended backwards in the form of a rather rigid arm or strap adapted to engage a holding means at the under side of the boot and near the rear end thereof.

Or a rearwardly extending member may be arranged to be displaced axially by a suitable actuating device so that said member, according to desire, is brought into engagement with suitable means at the under side of the boot, for example'in the heel thereof.

Such member may for example be an arm or a strap of spring steel and extend to the front side of the binding, below the toe iron, being at the front side of the binding attached to a suitable tightener device of type known per se, whereby anchoring of the rear part of the boot to the ski may be caused either by moving the arm or strap forward-the arm or strap having a hook engaging the boot-or by displacing the strap or arm rearwardly, the strap or arm then being engaged with the boot by being introduced into a slot or the like provided at the lower side of the sole, say in the under side of the heel.

The rst mentioned one of these two arrangements, viz. that where the strap or arm is engaged to the boot by being moved forwardly, may easily be combined with means for anchoring the front end of the boot to the ski. Thus the strap may be provided with a suitable lug where the toe iron passes it, which lug passes through a slot in the toe iron and is adapted to be received in a cut-out provided in the lower side of the sole near the front end thereof.

By pulling the strap or arm forward the front end of the boot sole is drawn into the toe iron simultaneously as the rear, hook-like part of the arm or strap engages the heel operatively.

It is also possible to provide separate means for anchoring of the front end and for anchoring the rear end of the boot to the ski. r'ihis may be made by providing two tightening devices in front of the toe irons, one of which tighteners isused for pulling the front end of the boot sole into the toe iron, say by means of a lug as mentioned above, or by means of a hook that is inserted into a loop provided in the snout of the boot sole, Whereas the arm or strap serving to anchor the rear part of the sole to the ski is attached to the other tightener, in such manner that anchoring takes place when the arm or strap is pushed backwards. This arrangement allows for` an easy adjustment of the binding so that the boot may be anchored to the ski only at its front end, or both at its front end and at its rear end.

When a ski binding according to the invention is to be used for promenading the anchoring means for the rear part of the sole is maintained out of engagement with the sole. Where special arrangements are not provided for release of the rear anchoringA this may be eiected .by the person using the binding holding the heel somewhat raised at the moment when the front end of the boot is anchored in the binding.

In another type the same effect is obtained simply by placing the anchoring member for the rear part of the bind in out or free position.

Preferably the under side of the boot, say its heel, is provided with a groove or the like adapted to receive said arm or strap when the latter is in out or free position.

When the binding is to be used for competition sport, such as slalom, steep-hill-rurming, and the like, the heel of the boot is anchored to the ski by pulling the iront end of the boot into the toe iron or by releasing the anchoring member, as described above.

In order that the invention may be easily interpreted and that it will be understood which different embodiments the same may take, the invention will below be described with reference to the drawingswhich disclose several embodil ments by way of example. Hereby are also disclosed special constructive features covered by the invention.

Fig. 1 is a plan view or" an embodiment oi a ski binding in accordance with the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof, a boot being shown in position in the binding.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of an other embodiment of the invention and Fig. 4 is a side view thereof, partly in section, the boot being in position in the binding with the boot heel released from the binding, whereas Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. i but the boot heel is shown anchored to binding and thus also to the ski.

On Figs. l and 2 numeral i designates a ski on which is mounted a toe iron 2 having side uprights 3, d, and having lugs e, S, respectively, thereon for cooperation with the boot sole. Below the toe iron 2 is slidably mounted a steel band 1 carrying a lug B which may be moved axially within'a slot 9 in the toe iron 2. The steel band 'I is attached to a tightening mechanism IQ, by means rof which the band may be drawn forward, in the longitudinal direction of incastri, with great power.

In the boot sole II is provided a cut-out I2 adapted to receive the lug 8; thus when the lug has been positioned in said cut-out I2 it is possible, by means of the tightening device IQ, to pull the boot sole forward so that the sole is held rigidly in position in the toe iron against the uprights 3, 4 thereoi` and below the lugs 5, 6.

According to the invention the toe iron 2 is provided with a rearward extending arm or strap I3, which may be integral with the toe iron or may be a special member secured thereto. This arm or strap I3 consists of a material of a thickness which will not become bent by such stresses as are usual in the ski sport, but at the same time is somewhat resilient, being made from springsteel. As illustrated in Fig. 2 the strap I3 may be introduced into a slot I4 provided in the boot heel, whereby said heel is held down against the surface of the ski.

The heel II of the boot intended for use with this binding is provided with a fiat tubular insert I4 having a slot I4', the insert being positioned between the sole and the heel of the boot. The rear end I5 of the strap I3, during certain skiing maneuvers may be received in the slot Iii. The forward end of the tubular insert, i. e., the end facing the strap I3, is slightly ared to facilitate entry of the strap into the slot I4.

At times it is not desired to so anchor the boot heel to the ski. The boot is then placed in the binding in such manner that the rearmost part I5 of the arm is placed below the heel, in a groove I6 provided therein. The heel is thus divided by the bottom of the tubular member into an upper and lower slot and recess I4 and i6, respectively, the bottom of the tubular member thus becoming a bridging member spanning these spaces.

On Figs. 3, 4 and 5 numeral 2i designates a siii on which is mounted a toe iron 22 having side uprights 23, 24 and lugs 25, 26 for cooperation with a boot sole. Below the toe iron 22 is slidably mounted a strap or arm band 21 carrying a lug 28 which may be moved axially within a slot 25 in thel toe iron 22. The strap or arm 21 is attachedl to a tightening mechanism 30, by means of which the strap may be drawn forward, in the longitudinal direction of the ski, with great power.

In the boot sole 3l is provided a cut-out 32 adapted to receive the lug 28; thus when the lug has been positioned said cut-out 32 it is possible, by means of the tightening device B, to pull the boot sole forward so that the sole is held rigidly in position in the toe iron against glsie 1iiprights 23, 24 thereof and below the lugs According to the invention the strap or arm 21 is extended in rearward direction, towards the boot heel. This arm or strap 21 consists of a material of a thickness which will not become bent by such stresses as are usual in the ski sport, but at the same time it is somewhat resilient, being made from spring steel. The strap or arm 21 may, as shown, be introduced into a slot 34 in. the heel 35. Across said slot 3ft is placed a xed stay 36, and the arm 21 is bent back' on itself to form a hook member 31 adapted to engage the stay 36. l

The arm or strap 21 is also connected to the ski by means of a plate 38, below which the arm is slidably guided, so that the arm only with liiculty can swing somewhat in vertical direc'- ion.

A.l ski binding according to this embodiment of the invention is used as follows:

If it is desired to use the same in such manner that the heel of the boot may be freely raised from the surface of the ski the toe portion of the boot is introduced into the toe iron and at the same time the heel is maintained in such raised position that the hook 31 is at a lower level than the cross stay 36 in the heel. By means of the tightening device 30 the arm or strap 21 then is pulled forward whereby the lug 23 causes the sole to be secured in the toe iron 22, as illustrated on Fig, 4.

The end of arm 21 and the hook 31 then are received in the cut-out 34 in the heel, and have no influence upon the heel movements. If it is desired to anchor the boot heel to the ski the tightening device 30 is moved to open position, that is anticlockwise on Figs. 3-5, whereby the lug 28 and the hook 31 are moved backwards. Pressing now the heel down against the ski and returning the device 30 clockwise, the hook 31 engages over the stay 36 and the boot heel becomes anchored, as shown on Fig. 5.

The plate 38 allows a limited swinging movement of the boot heel vertically. This swinging may be adjusted by placing the plate 38 at different locations longitudinally of the ski, according to the users experience and desire.

I claim:

1. A ski binding for ski shoes of the type having a recess in the sole and a slot in the heel thereof, said binding comprising a plate adapted to be flxedly secured to a ski, said plate having sole edge gripping lugs at the forward end thereof for engaging the sole of a ski shoe, a heel engaging strap at the other end of said plate, a slot in said plate intermediate said gripping and engaging means, an upstanding lug slidable in said slot to engage the recess in the sole of the shoe, and means for drawing said lug forward to lock the shoe and lug in an advanced position to clamp said sole between said edge gripping lugs, said strap simultaneously entering the slot in said heel if the heel is in a lowered position, or passing below said slot if the heel is in a raised position with respect to the ski.

2. A ski binding for ski shoes of the type having a recess in the sole thereof and a slot in the heel thereof with a tubular socket in the heel spanning the slot, said binding comprising a plate adapted to be xed to the ski, said plate having a strap extending rearwardly therefrom, said strap being spaced from theski at its rear end; said plate having sole gripping lugs at each side and a substantially centrally positioned slot; a sole engaging lug slidable in said slot, said lug extending into the sole recess when a ski shoe is placed in the binding; means for drawing said Alug and shoe forward into the binding; the rear end of said strap being adapted to extend into the socket member in said heel to lock the same with respect to the plate for slalom, jumping, running or the like if the heel is ina lowered position with respect to the ski, or adapted to extend under said socket member and into said recess below said socket to allow vertical movement of the heel for promenading or the like if the shoe is in a raised position with respect to the` ski. I

JOAKIM LEHMKUHL.

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

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 65,092 Norway July 27, 1942 118,480 Switzerland Jan. 3, 1927 239,970 Switzerland Mar, 1, 1946 350,596 Italy July 17, 1987

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