US3008250A

US3008250A - Skiing boot

Info

Publication number: US3008250A
Application number: US781323A
Authority: US
Inventors: Herunter Franz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1958-01-22
Filing date: 1958-12-18
Publication date: 1961-11-14
Anticipated expiration: 1978-11-14
Also published as: FR1201505A; AT205886B; CH367081A

Description

Nov. 14, 1961 F- HERUNTER 3,008,250

SKIING BOOT Filed Dec. 18, 1958 IN V EN TOR. FRANZ HERUNTER ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofifice 3,ll8,250 Patented Nov. 14, 1961 3,008,250 SKIING BOOT Franz Herunter, 12 Rooseveitplatz, Vienna, Austria Filed Dec. 18, 1958, Ser. No. 781,323 Claims priority, application Austria Jan. 22, 1%58 2 Claims. (Cl. 36-25) This invention relates to a heel-laced skiing boot having inner and outer uppers. In known skiing boots of this type the heel lacing was arranged on the outer uppers. Such a heel lacing on the outer uppers enables a biasing of the foot in the boot by urging that part of the foot which is above of the heel forwardly, although the effectiveness of such measure is rather doubtful. Various measures such as tension straps and metal hinges in the boot have been adopted in an attempt to improve the fit of the heel in the boot in order to eliminate lost motion between the foot and the boot and thus to improve the control of the ski. These attempts have not had any significant success.

The invention resides substantially in that insuch a heel-laced skiing 'boot having inner and outer uppers the inner uppers are heel-laced inside the outer uppers. By providing the heel-lacing directly on the inner uppers inside the outer uppers, the boot, more particularly the inner uppers, can actually be adapted to the heel in width. Thus any lost motion between the foot and boot can be entirely eliminated and the control of the ski is improved. This enables a perfect fitting at the heel of ready-made boots not made to measure. An advantage which is obtained even with exactly fitting boots made to measure resides in that this heel lacing provided on the inner uppers ensures temporarily a very tight fit at the heel and that this fit may be loosened unless it is required for a downhill run. In connection with skiing boots having inner uppers extending upwardly above the outer uppers it has already been suggested to provide a lacing at the rear at the upper end of the inner uppers. That suggestion, however, does not disclose lacing the inner uppers adjacent to the heel inside the outer uppers and the lacing at the upper end of the inner uppers does not give the desired efiect of improving the fit of the heel in the boot but enables only an improved fit of the boot above the ankle so that the hold of the ankle portion is improved and a penetration of snow into the boot at the top rim of the uppers is prevented. The firmer hold of the ankle part does not improve the control of the ski during a downhill run as is enabled by the lacing of the inner uppers adjacent to the heel as is provided according to the invention.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the construction is such that the inner uppers have adjacent to the heel a vertical slot which terminates below the top edge of the inner uppers and is suitably covered on the inside and which has spaced edges embraced by the sides of U-shaped clip-like eyelets which are known per se, and the curved ends or saddles of which receive the lace and extend approximately parallel to the slot edges in the cavity defined by the slot. This slot provides a cavity in the inner uppers which may be, e.g. 1 /2 to 2 cm. wide and the depth of which corresponds to the thickness of the leather of the inner uppers and in which the lace with the eyes is now accommodated. The depth of this cavity is sufficient to accommodate the lace, consisting, e.g., of a cord or ribbon, in such a manner that it is not compressed even when the boot is closed so that the lace can be retightened even when the boot is closed. These U-shaped eyelets are known per se in connection with inner uppers but have previously been used only on the instep side. Because the U-shaped eyelets minimize the reversing of the lace, there is no dilficulty to retighten the lace when the boot is closed and, e.g., the ends of this lace of the inner uppers may extend outwardly through openings or eyelets in the outer uppers to render these ends accessible. The slot of the inner uppers is preferably covered on the inside by a tongue, which may be cushioned, and which is connected at its upper and lower ends to the inner uppers, but it is free at its longitudinal edges. Thus, the width of the slot may be reduced or increased by the heel lacing without any formation of an unevenness on the inside of the boot, which would adversely affect the fit.

In the skiing boot according to the invention the heel part of the outer uppers may be continuous because this will not adversely affect the manipulation of the heel lacing of the inner uppers. Alternatively, an additional heel lacing may be provided on the outer uppers.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated in the drawing with reference to embodiments shown by way of example.

FIG. 1 is a rear elevation view of the closed skiing boot;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the boot of FIG. 1, with the outer uppers broken away to show the inner uppers;

FIG. 3 is a view in longitudinal section taken along lines III-III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view in horizontal section of the inner uppers taken on line IV-IV of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a rear elevation view of a closed skiing boot in a modified embodiment.

The inner uppers 1 and the outer uppers 2 form in a manner known per se practically two boots arranged one in the other. At the rear, above the heel, the inner uppers have a slot 3, the

edges

4 and 5 of which are spaced from each other. distance between the

edges

4 and 5, may be about 1 /2 to 2 cm. or more. The

slot edges

4 and 5 are embraced by the sides 6 of U-shaped clip-like eyelets 7, the curved ends or saddles 8 of which extend approximately parallel to the

slot edges

4 and 5. As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, lace 9 consisting, e.g., of a waxed cord, extends through these eyelets 10 in the inner uppers, then through holes 11' in a tongue 11 disposed between the inner and outer uppers, and finally through eyelets 12 in the outer uppers. Because this lace is only reversed in a single plane by the U-shaped eyelets 7 and the cavity formed by the slot 3 is so wide that the lace is not or hardly under compression, the lace can easily be retightened from the outside. For the reason this lace may be tightened to reduce the width of the slot 3 and ensure a tight fit of the heel in the boot.

The crossing and recrossing of lace 9 in a single plane permitted by the use of U-shaped eyelets 7, rather than having the lace lie in several planes as in the ordinary lacing arrangement, greatly reduces the force required to tighten the lace. This feature is of particular value since the lace must be tightened from the outside of the outer uppers when the boots are being worn by the skier.

The slot '3 is covered on the inside by a cushioned tongue 13, which is connected at its lower end 14 and its upper end 15 to the inner uppers 1, e.g., by sewing. The side edges 16 of this tongue 13 freely engage the inner uppers so that this tongue will not resist a reduction or increase of the width of the slot 3.

The outer uppers 2 may be continuous at the rear. In an illustrative embodiment shown in FIG. 5 of the drawing, however, these outer uppers are also heel-laced, a lace 17 extending through eyelets 18 in the outer uppers. A heel of the outer uppers may be laced independently of the heel of the inner uppers.

What I claim is:

1. A skiing boot comprising inner and outer uppers, said inner upper having a vertical slot on the rear thereof The width of this slot, i.e., the V I r 3 adjacent the heel spaced from the top thereof, said vertical slot having opposite edges laterally spaced from. each other, eyelet means extending laterally into said slot from said opposite edges, said eyelet means including supporting 7 surfaces lying in said slot to permit independent lacing of said inner upper in the heel region thereof, and means on said outer upper for receiving lace means for constricting the outer upper on the foot of the wearer.

2. A skiing boot as defined in claim 1 in which said slot is provided with a tongue on the inside surface thereof, said tongue being connected at its upper and lower ends to the inner uppers, but being free at its vertical edges.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Golden Oct. 9, 1906 Miller Feb. 9, 1937 FOREXGN PATENTS Germany Sept. 11, 1934 Switzerland Mar. 16, 1950 Austria Oct. 25, 1956