US3278195A

US3278195A - Safety ski binding

Info

Publication number: US3278195A
Application number: US339154A
Authority: US
Inventors: Salomon Georges Pierre Joseph
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-01-22
Filing date: 1964-01-21
Publication date: 1966-10-11
Anticipated expiration: 1983-10-11
Also published as: CH410727A; FR83445E; DE1428964A1

Description

Oct. 11, 1966 G. P. J. SALOMON SAFETY SKI BINDING 11 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 21, 1964 1w FEE Georges I? J. Salomon I N VENTOK Attorney Oct. 11, 1966 G. P. J. SALOMON SAFETY SKI BINDING 11 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 21, 1964 Georges F! J. Salomon INVENTOR.

BY 6. J W

Attorney Fig.5

Oct. 11, 1966 G. P. J; SALOMON SAFETY SKI BINDING 11 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 21, 1954 Georges Pd. Salomon INVENTOR.

Oct. 11, 1966 G. P. J. SALOMON SAFETY SKI BINDING Filed Jan. 21, 1964 11 Sheets-Sheet 4 Georges PJ. Salomon INVENTOR Oct. 11, 1966 e. P. 4. SALOMON SAFETY SKI BINDING 11 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 21, 1964 Georges P. J. Salomon INVENTORL Oct. 11, 1966 G. P. J. SALOMON 3,278,195 SAFETY SKI BINDING Filed Jan. 21, 1964 11 Sheets-Sheet 6 Georges R J. Salomon INVENTOR.

OUA

A ttomey Oct. 11, 1966 G. P. J. SALOMON 3,278,195

SAFETY SKI BINDING Filed Jan. 21, 1964 11 Sheets-Sheet '7 206 138 F1 19 136 115 190 3s j I 150 :128 I 1116 3 191 130 145 Georges P. J. Salomon INVENTOR.

BY a$o$ Attorney INVENTOR.

Attorney Oct. 11, 1966 ca. J. SALOMON SAFETY SKI BINDING Filed Jan. 21, 1964 11 Sheets-Sheet a Fig. 23

Georges RJ. Salomon I l 3 130 11s 12s 16!- i gy.

u 3 n o 4 a M .911! 4 n I 2 l 9 I u. I n n u 2 u 0 ll n 2 4 3 Oct. 11,1966 6. P. J. SALOMON SAFETY SKI BINDING 11 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed Jan. 2.1, 1964 f Fig. 25

Georges I? J. Salomon INVENTOR.

Oct. 11, 1966 e. P. J. SALOMON 3,

SAFETY SKI BINDING Filed Jan. 21, 1964 11 Sheets-Sheet 10 2 Georges PJ. Salomon INVENTOR.

Oct. 11, 1966 G. P. J. SALOMON SAFETY SKI BINDING Filed Jan. 21, 1964 11 Sheets-Sheet 11 6 RN. UONN GEORGES PJ. SALOMON INVENTOR C. I @10 w 5 United States Patent 3,278,195 SAFETY SKI BINDING Georges Pierre Joseph Salomon, 34 Avenue de Loverchy, Annecy, France Filed Jan. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 339,154 Claims priority, application France, Jan. 22, 1963, 922,316; Apr. 10, 1963, 874; Dec. 10, 1963, 957,241 19 Claims. (Cl. 280-1155) My present invention relates to a safety ski binding of the type in which a skiers boot, resting on a runner, is resiliently engaged at its heel and urged forwardly against a suitable toe stop in such manner as to facilitate limited vertical motion of the heel relative to the runner in normal use and to release the boot from the binding in response to a severe stress such as those occurring during a fall.

Prior ski bindings, utilizing cables or straps to embrace the heel under tension, accomplished these tasks only imperfectly in the absence of specially constructed toe clamps designed for releasable engagement with the front part of the boot. The general object of my present invention is to provide, in a ski binding, heel-engaging means affording the desired mobility and safety-release feature without the need for releasable toe clamps.

A more particular object of this invention is to provide a ski binding which, apart from being releasable by abnormal stress, can be conveniently opened during regular use, e.g. with the aid of a pole to avoid the need for the skier to bend down when detaching the boot from the runner.

A related object is to provide a binding of this type which can also be made to engage the boot in the erect position of the skier, as by a simple stepping upon the runner.

In accordance with this invention I provide a ski binding whose heel-engaging assembly includes two distinct members of different mobility with reference to the runner, ie a preferably slidable retaining member adapted to bear upon the heel in the directions described. The swingable clamping member is so pivoted on a runnerborne support, either directly or through the intermediary of the slidable retaining member, as to be limitedly movable from a normal position close to the runner into an elevated position, against the pressure of its biasing spring, without releasing the engaged heel, such release occurring only after the clamping member has reached this elevated position in which it is free to tilt backwardly so as to swing its ledge-gripping extremity out of contact with the heel.

A more specific feature of the invention resides in a coupling between the two members which synchronizes their motions, upon the clamping member rising past its aforementioned elevated release position, in such manner that the backward swing of the clamping member coincities with the forward slide of the retaining member whereby the latter will, on the one hand, block the release of the heel if the boot has not lifted sufficiently off the runner to clear that member and, on the other hand, a lowering of the boot upon the runner (camming the retaining member to the rear) will cause the clamping member to swing forward so as to engage the heel ledge.

The biasing spring for the clamping member is advantageously so anchored to that member, through the intermediary of a pivoted linkage, as to act upon this linkage with a lever arm whose length progressively decreases upon a rise of the clamping member toward its elevated release position, this change in leverage serving to compensate, in whole or in part, or, if desired, to over compensate for the inherent increase in spring force so that the resultant torque (and, therefore, the downward pressure upon the heel) may be held substantially constant or may even be allowed to diminish as the heel approaches 3,278,195 Patented Get. 11, 1966 the release level. In lieu thereof, or in addition, it is also possible to replace this spring by a plurality of springs of different stiffness arranged in tandem or otherwise disposed to take effect consecutively so as to allow for a limited lifting of the heel against a relatively weak restoring force, as by coaxially disposing a weaker spring of greater length and a stronger spring of shorter length between a spring anchor coupled with the clamping member and another spring anchor mounted on the binding support.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of my invention will become more readily apparent in the following detailed description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevated view, in longitudinal section, of a heel assembly forming part of a ski binding according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view (parts broken away) of the assembly shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing only the downwardly acting clamping mechanism thereof in a normal resting position of an engaged boot on the runner;

FIG. 4 is another view similar to FIG. 1, showing only the forwardly acting retaining mechanism in a position corresponding to that of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5, 7 and 9 are views similar to FIG. 3, showing the clamping mechanism in progressively more elevated positions and in open position;

FIGS. 6, 8 and 10 are views similar to FIG. 4, showing the retaining mechanism in positions respectively corresponding to those of FIGS. 5, 7 and 9;

FIG. 11 is another view similar to FIG. 1, showing the assembly in a position of intentional manual release;

FIGS. 12 and 13 are two fragmentary top views illustrating modifications of the retaining member shown in the preceding figures;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 1, showing another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 15 is a side-elevational view (parts broken away) of the embodiment shown in FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a top view, similar to FIG. 2, of the assembly shown in FIGS. 14 and 15;

FIGS. 17 and 18 are views similar to FIG. 14, showing the assembly in progressively more elevated positions of its clamping member;

FIG. 19 is another view similar to FIG. 14, showing the assembly in open position;

FIG. 20 is a view similar to FIG. 15 in the position of FIG. 19;

FIGS 21 and 22 are fragmentary views generally similar to FIG. 14, showing two modifications of this embodiment;

FIGS. 23 and 24 are views similar to FIGS. 14 and 19, respectively, with reference to a further modification;

FIGS. 25 and 26 show still another embodiment in views similar to FIGS. 23 and 24 respectively;

FIGS. 27 and 28 illustrative yet a further embodiment in views similar to FIGS. 23 and 24;

FIG. 29 is a top plan view of a modified retaining de vice adapted to be used in a heel assembly according to the invention;

FIG. 30 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the XXX-XXX of FIG. 29;

FIG. 31 is a fragmentary view similar to part of FIG. 1, illustrating another modification;

FIG. 32 is a view similar to FIG. 31, showing a still further modification; and

FIG. 33 is an overall top view of a bin-ding incorporating .a heel-engaging according to the invention.

Reference will first be made to FIG. 33, representing an overall view of a ski binding according to the inven tion. A boot 2, having a heel 1, rests on a runner 3 provided with a pair of toe stops 99, of any conventional design, fixedly or adjustably mounted thereon. A base plate 11 forms a sill 64 for the heel 1 and supports two heel-engaging

members

7 and 40, more fully described hereinafter, as well as a release lever 21. Member 7 projects forwardly and upwardly through a cutout in a housing 27 integral with base Ill and is under pressure from a coil spring 24, the strength of this spring being adjustable by an anchor nut 26 which is immobilized against housing 27 by a lock nut 28.

Reference will now be made to FIGS. 1-11 for a more specific description of the

members

7 and 40 together with their respective mounting means. Clamping member 7 has an extremity 63 hearing, in the position illustrated in FIGS. 1-8 and 11, upon a ledge 62 on the rear of heel 1. For claritys sake, this member 7 has been shown only in phantom lines in FIGS. 4, 6, 8 and 10 which illustrate details of the retaining member 40 and its associated components, the latter member having been omitted in FIGS. 3, 5, 7 and 9.

Compression spring 24 has its extremities respectively received in the interior 25 of cup-shaped nut 26 and in the interior 32 of another cup-shaped anchor element 33, the latter being pivotable about a pin 34 rigidly interconnecting a pair of short side arms 35 of which one constitutes an extension of release lever 21. Also integral with the arms 35 are a pair of longer arms 20 whose extremities carry a pair of pins 19 engaging in generally trapezoidal lateral recesses 18 on the exposed sides of the rearwardly bifurcate clamping member 7. Normally, i.e. in the position of FIGS. l-4, the pins 19 bear upon the lower horizontal edges 61 of their respective recesses 18, the spring 24 thus urging the member 7 downwardly toward base 11.

Rising rigidly from that base is an abutment 10 with a vertical guiding surface 9 normally contacting a cooperating vertical surface 8 on a depending projection 75 of member 7. The sides of this member are also provided, in addition to the recesses 18, with generally vertical grooves 12 disposed forwardly of these recesses and accommodating a pair of studs 13 that project inwardly from brackets 14 integral with the casing 27. A short portion 80 of each groove 12 is angled slightly forwardly just above the bottom 81 of the groove.

The retaining member 40 comprises a slightly curved pressure plate 41, bearing horizontally upon the heel 1 in the position of FIGS. 1-4, and a beveled collar 42 forming a camming surface whereby this member may be forced to the rear from a forward position (FIG. 8) by the descending heel when the user steps upon the runner. The member 40 is urged forwardly by a pair of biasing springs 53 supported by horizontal rods 55 which are anchored in lugs 54, rising rigidly from base 1 1, and traverse a pair of sliding lugs 48 which bear horizontally upon a pair of rearwardly extending arms 43, integral with a plate 41, at a region 83 on the curved rear edges of these arms.

The arms 43 are provided with pivot pins 44 received in angled slots 45 in the side walls of housing 27. Each of these slots has a horizontal rear portion 82 and an upwardly slanting front portion 90. A pair of bell-crank levers 49, each pivoted on a stationary pin 50 between a respective arm 43 and the member 7, are integral with the lugs 48 and have forward arms 94 engageable by respective studs 95 projecting laterally from member 7.

In normal use, the heel 1 may move up and down (e.g. during walking) for a certain distance, e.g. between the limits shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6, without disengaging itself from the extremity 63 of clamping member 7. Under these circumstances the retaining member 40 continues to exert forward pressure, as indicated by arrow 47, upon the heel 1 to hold it engaged with the toe stops 99 of FIG. 33, the assembly resuming its normal position as soon as the heel drops back upon the sill 64. The pressure of springs 53 is moderate so as not to create un- 4 due frictional resistance to the vertical motion of the heel.

If a severe stress lifts the heel 1 to the level shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the projection 75 of member 7 clears the tip of abutment 10 preparatorily to swinging clockwise as indicated by arrow 74. At this instant, also, the heel 1 has risen above the pressure plate 40 so that the collar 42 is free to move forwardly and to cam the heel further upwardly. The concomitant forward motion of lugs 48 swings the levers 49 clockwise about their pins 50 so that the arms 94 of these levers free the studs 95 for a clockwise swing of member 7. The latter, therefore, is now able to rotate from the position of FIGS. 7 and 8 into that of FIGS. 9 and 10 (arrow 71) in which the pins 19 come to rest against the originally vertical rear edges of the recesses 18, the pins 13 having meanwhile lodged in the short inclined legs of grooves 12 against their bottom 81. At the same time the pins 44 have moved from the horizontal legs 82 of slots 45 into the sloping legs thereof, with a resulting rising motion of retaining member 40 which is swung clockwise (arrow 84) into the position of FIG. 10 as the lugs 48 come to bear upon the curved rear edges of arms 43 above the points 83. It will be noted that the curved rear edge 78 of projection 75 rolls on the sloping upper edge 77 of abutment 10 during the clockwise motion of member 7 until a shoulder 85 on that member strikes the rear surface 9 of the abutment.

When, in the position shown in FIG. 10, the user presses the heel 1 back onto the runner 3, the swing of member 40 is reversed and the

elements

49 and 7 are rotated counterclockwise (arrows 92, 96) toward their starting position to re-engage the heel.

FIG. 11 illustrates how a position similar to that of FIG. 7, enabling the release of the boot from the binding, is brought about by depressing the lever 21, as indicated by arrow 71, to lift the projection 75 of member 7 above abutment 10. To reverse the procedure, the heel 1 is again brought down upon collar 42 (arrow 60) so as to re-establish the position of FIGS. l-4.

FIG. 12 illustrates a modified retaining member 100 with a strongly curved front surface 101, adapted to engage the heel 1 only at two locations on opposite sides of the median line 102 of the runner.

FIG. 13, a similar retaining member 105 has a front surface 107 recessed at 106, the median line being here indicated at 108.

The retaining devices shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 may be used in lieu of those shown in the preceding or subsequent figures.

The embodiment of FIGS. 14-20 is generally similar to that shown in FIGS. l-ll. It comprises a housing screwed or otherwise fixed to the runner 3; a release lever 118 fulcrumed to the housing at 119 and provided with two forwardly extending short arms 130, bridged by a connecting pin 128, as well as two rearwardly extending longer arms 124 interconnected by a crossbar 206; a retaining member with sloping camming surfaces 195 carried on arms 166, these arms being interconnected by two

horizontal pins

164, 169 which are slidable in

horizontal slots

168, 170 of the housing; and a yoke-shaped clamping member 115 with a ledge-engaging extremity 116 formed by a horizontal shelf which interconnects its two legs, this clamping member being articulated to the pin 128 and having a pivot 135 in the form of a profiled horizontal shaft received in lateral wall slots 137 of the housing 120. Each of the slots 137 has a vertical ascending portion 136 and an arcuate descending portion 138, the latter being centered on the location of the axis of pin 128 in the position of that pin shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, i.e. with the lever 118 pressed down fully upon the housing within the slot of the housing top provided therefor. The shaft 135 has a generally vertical rear face 190, coacting with the vertical rear edges of slot portion 136, and a sloping lower face 191 adapted to rest against the slanted bottoms of these slot portions and to ride on the lower edges of curved slot portions 138.

The biasing springs 161 for the retaining member 160 terminate in shoes 165 bearing upon the pin 164; the rear ends of these springs are anchored to bosses 162 on housing 120. A similar shoe 125 bears upon a cross-pin 123 interconnecting the arms 124 of lever 118 and is engaged to one end of a compression spring 122, the other end of that spring abutting a nut 145 which is threadedly received on a bolt 146 and has a lug 152 playing in a slot 153 of the housing so as to be non-rotatably held therein. The head 147 of bolt 146 projects outwardly from the rear wall of the housing and has the usual screw-driver notch 150 to facilitate its rotation for adjustment of the spring pressure.

A pair of lateral arms 175 flank the housing 120 and have slots 176 accommodating the ends of the profiled pivot shaft 135, these arms being fulcrumed on pins 171 projecting from the sides of the housing. The arms 175 are provided with bifurcations 178 adapted to straddle the pin 169 in the release position illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20.

The spring 122 bears upon the pivoted

linkage

130, 124, through the intermediary of pin 123, in a direction which is substantially horizontal and is so offset from the pivotal axis 119 of that linkage that its lever arm, for the reasons set forth above, is relatively large in the normal position of FIGS. 14 and 15 and progressively decreases as the clamping member 115 rises and the pin 123 correspondingly drops into the positions of FIGS. 17, 18 and 19, 20. Thus, the lever 118 is basically constructed as a toggle member but does not pass through its dead-center position. The stress of spring 122 and the relative position of

junctions

119, 123 and 128 may be so selected that the downward pressure of shelf 116 (arrow 140) is at a maximum in the normal position shown in FIGS. 14 and 15.

From this normal position the heel 1 can be lifted, without releasing the binding, into the intermediate position of FIG. 17 in which the shaft 135 is still guided by the vertical legs 136 of slots 137. This motion causes the lever 118 to swing clockwise (arrow 182) and, as the heel also moves slightly forwardly, permits the springs 161 to advance the pin 169 along the slots 170 into engagement by the bifurcations 178 of arms 175. Arrow 139 (FIG. 14) indicates the counterclockwise rotation of lever 118 when the heel 1 returns to its resting position.

If, as a result of excessive stress, the heel 1 is lifted into the position of FIG. 18, the shaft 135 reaches the junction between the

legs

136 and 138 of slot 136 so that the yoke member 115 can begin to swing clockwise (arrow 185) about pin 128, thereby disengaging the shelf 116 from the heel and allowing the springs 161 to drive the

pins

164, 169 to the forward ends of their slots as soon as the heel clears the retaining member 160; the pin 169, in engagement with arms 175, drives the latter in a clockwise direction (arrow 186) to complete the swing of lever 118. The opposite movement occurs when, in the position of FIGS. 19 and 20, the heel 1 is pressed down upon camming edges 195 to drive the retaining member 160 to the rear; arms 175 and yoke 115 are then swung counterclockwise, as respectively indicated by

arrows

198 and 200, and the shaft 135 enters the vertical slot portions 136 so that spring 122 can complete the restoration of the assembly to normal engaged position. The crossbar 206 of lever 118 is shown formed with an upwardly open recess to facilitate the voluntary release of the binding by insertion of the tip of a ski pole or the like into that recess to depress the lever.

FIG. 21 shows a modification in which the housing 120 is additionally provided with vertical slots 212 traversed by a pin 210 which replaces the pin 128 of FIGS. 14-20, pin 210 being lodged with slight play in short slots 214 of the lever arm 130. This arrangement insures exact vertical guidance for the yoke member 115 ,during its ascending and descending motion.

According to FIG. 22, the

slots

212 and 136 are merged into a single hook-shaped slot 224 with an elongated vertical leg 222 for the guidance of a modified yoke member 220.

The system of FIGS. 23 and 24 is generally similar to that of FIGS. 1420, the principal difference being that the guide slots 137 have been replaced by a horizontal bar 246 spanning the sides of housing 120. Bar 246 has a vertical front face 245 and a sloping rear surface 250 merging therewith at an acute angle along a top edge 253. The clamping yoke 240 is formed with downward-1y sloping rear arms 242 norm-ally bearing with an edge 241 upon the front face 245 of bar 246. In the release position corresponding to that of FIG. 18, the tip 252 of arm 242 clears the edge 263 of bar 246 whereupon the lower edge 248 of that arm slides along sloping surfaces 250 into the retracted position of FIG. 24.

FIGS. 25 and 26 illustrate the possibility of mounting a retaining member 261, generally similar to member 40 of the first embodiment, on a clamping member 262 corresponding to the member 7. Member 262 co-operates in the aforedescribed manner with a stationary abutment 10 rising from base plate 11 of housing 27, its pivotal mounting in that housing and its biasing by a compression spring through the intermediary of a release lever being the same as in FIGS. 1-11 (except for the omission of

elements

49, 50 and and being therefore not further illustrated. The pressure-exerting extremity 285 of member 262 bears downwardly upon a ledge 286 of heel 1 whose rear face 281 is normally in contact with the member 261.

Member 262 is formed with two normally horizontal channels 266 (only one shown) interconnected at the rear by a transverse recess 276; each of these channels slidably accommodates a rod 265 rigid with pressure plate 261. The rear ends of rods 265 are interconnected by a biasing pin 275 receivable in the recess 276 when the pressure plate 261 is in its extreme forward position (FIG. 26). Member 262 also has a cylindrical base 270 partly receiving a compression spring 268 which bears upon the plate 261.

As will be apparent from a comparison of FIGS. 25 and 26, the system here shown operates in substantially the same manner as those previously described in that the member 262 will be able to tilt rearwardly only upon clearing the abutment 10, provided the heel 1 has been lifted off the runner 3 sufficiently to let the member 262 swing upwardly from its normal position. Conversely, 'the user may again set the heel 1 down upon the ski to restore the assembly from the released position of FIG. 26 to the engaged position of FIG. 25.

The system of FIGS. 27 and 28 constitutes, in a sense, a reversal of that of FIGS. 25 and 26 in that the clamping member 290, provided with a ledge-engaging extremity 310, is pivoted on its support 293 through the intermediary of a horizontally slidable retaining member 291. The lateral wings of member 291 are formed with horizontal slots 294 which are traversed by a pair of pins 292 secured to housing 293, these wings being also spanned by a brace 305 forming an abutment for a contact surface 304 of member 290. Pins 302, projecting inwardly from the wings of member 291, engage in a pair of grooves 303 on the sides of member 290, these grooves being similar to the grooves 12 of the first embodiment.

Retaining member 291 is urged horizontally forwardly by a pair of compression springs 298 (only one shown) anchored to the rear housing wall 299. The biasing spring and release lever for member 290, again substantially identical with those previously described, have not been illustrated.

It will be apparent that the member 290 can be tilted backwards, under the control of its biasing spring not shown, only after having risen high enough in a vertical direction (as determined by coacting

formations

302, 303

and 304, 305) to clear the abutment 305, as illustrated in FIG. 28. To reset the binding, heel 1 must be brought down upon the canning surface 308 of member 298 to drive it backwards whereupon the restoring of member 290 to clamping position may be brought about by a forward swing of member 290 about its pivot 302 until its surface 304 is again vertical and aligned with the rear face of brace 305, thereby enabling its biasing spring to lower the lip 310 upon the ledge 286.

FIGS. 29 and 30 show a simplified retaining device adapted to be used in combination with an upwardly slidable and rearwardly tiltable clamping member of the character described above. This device 321 is a resilient blade with bent-up extremities forming a pair of spring clips on opposite sides of the median line 108, each of these clips being generally Z-shaped as best seen in FIG. 30. Thus, the clips comprise shank portions 320, inclined toward each other, and diverging tips 324 so beveled as to facilitate a spreading of the shanks when the heel 1 is brought down upon the member 321. Screws .322 serve to fasten this member to the runner either directly or through the intermediary of an underlying base plate.

In any illustrated embodiment it may, in some instances, be desirable to replace the single biasing spring 24 or 121 of the clamping member with an assembly of springs of different stiffness to provide a limited range of displacement of the clamping member with reference to the runner against a relatively weak spring force, only the further displacement into the release position encountering the resistance of a stronger spring. This has been illustrated in FIG. 31 where the spring anchor 33 is shown provided with a stem 33a engaged by a longer, weaker coil spring 24a that is nested inside a stronger, shorter coil spring 2411, the latter coming into play only upon completion of an initial rearward thrust of anchor 33 against the force of spring 24a alone.

FIG. 31 also illustrates an adjustment for biasing springs 53, similar to that shown in FIGS. 14-20 for the spring 122, which comprises a threaded rod 55a matingly traversing a nut 53a, the latter having a lug 53b received in a slot 11a of housing 11. Rod 55a has a head 55b projecting from the housing for engagement by a screwdriver.

The compression springs biasing the clamping and retaining members may, of course, be replaced by other resilient means such as tension springs. Thus, FIG. 32 illustrates the possibility of substituting a contractile spring 122a for the compression spring 122 shown in FIGS. 14-20. Spring 122a is anchored to a pin 123a in a l-ug 130b integral with release lever 1181: whose short .arm 130a carries the pin 128, and which is pivoted on pin 119, the relative position of the axes of pins .119, 128 and 123a being again so selected as to result in a decreasing lever arm upon a clockwise swing of the element 118a. The tension of spring 122a is shown to be adjustable with the aid of an anchor screw 146a to which the spring is attached, this screw passing through a nut 145a having a lug 152a received in a slot 15311 of housing 120a.

It is to be understood that the invention extends to combinations and substitutions of features from different embodiments, within the limits of compatibility, and that further modifications readily apparent to persons skilled in the art may also be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a safety ski binding adapted releasably to engage the heel of a boot borne by a runner, in combination, a support on said runner; first heel-engaging means mounted on said runner for resiliently bearing upon said heel in a forward direction; second heel-engaging means mounted on said runner for resiliently bearing upon a rear ledge of said heel in a downward direction, said second heel-engaging means comprising a swingable member provided with a ledge-gripping extremity and with pivot means remote from said extremity engaging said support, said pivot means enabling substantially vertical relative displacement between said member and said runner; guide means on said support contacting said member below a predetermined elevated position thereof for preventing rearward swinging of said formation, said member upon reaching said elevated position clearing said guide means for enabling said extremity to release said ledge; and spring means bearing upon said member for resisting its upward movement.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said spring means includes a relatively weak first spring and a relatively strong second spring arranged to take effect successively upon a raising of said member into said elevated position.

3. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said first heel-engaging means comprises blade means forming a pair of spring clips disposed on opposite sides of the median line of the runner, said clips being formed with respective shank portions slanting toward each other and with diverging tips facilitating spreading of said shank portions by a lowering of said heel upon said runner.

4. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said spring means is provided with adjustable anchor means for varying its stress.

5. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said first heel-engaging means comprises a slidable member mounted above said runner for generally horizontal displacement relative thereto and resilient biasing means urging said slidable member forward.

6. The combination defined in claim 5 wherein said members are provided with coacting formations for synchronizing a forward motion of said slidable member with a rearward tilt of said swingable member sufficient to release a heel gripped by said extremity.

7. The combination defined in claim 6 wherein said coacting formations include a swingable arm pivoted on said support, said arm being operatively coupled with one of said members, and a stop on the other of said members engageable by said arms.

8. The combination defined in claim 6 wherein said formations include a rod rigid with said slidable member and a channel in said swingable member slidably accommodating said rod whereby both said members are swingable in unison upon the lifting of an engaged heel of said runner.

9. The combination defined in claim 6 wherein said slidable element is coupled on said support for horizontal camming surface engageable by a descending heel for rearward displacement against the force of said biasing means with concurrent forward swing of said swingable member into gripping engagement with the co-operating heel ledge.

10. The combination defined in claim 5 wherein said support is provided with a guide surface for said slidable member directing same first horizontally and then inclinedly upwardly in the course of its forward motion.

11. The combination defined in claim 5 wherein said slidable element is coupled on said support for horizontal displacement only, said guide means including an abutment on said slidable member, said swingable member being linked with said slidable member by said pivot means and being provided with a depending projection normally engaging said abutment but disengageable therefrom in said elevated position.

12. The combination defined in claim 5 wherein said biasing means comprises a pair of stress-adjustable springs.

13. The combination defined in claim 12 wherein said guide means further include a stud on said support and an angled guide surface on said swingable member in engagement with said stud and so shaped as to direct said swingable member into a rearward tilt upon upward displacement thereof past said elevated position.

14. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said guide means comprises a fixed abutment rising from said runner, said swingable member being provided with a depending projection normally engaging said abutment but disengageable therefrom in said elevated position.

15. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said guide means comprises a wall rigid with said support and provided with a slot having a substantially straight ascending branch and an arcuate descending branch, said swingable member being provided with a stud received in said slot for movement to the junction of said branches upon attainment of said elevated position.

16. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said guide means comprises a profiled cross-bar on said support with a substantially vertical front surface and a downwardly sloping rear surface merging at an acute angle, said swingable member being provided with a downwardly sloping rearward extension normally bearing upon said front surface and positioned to clear said crossbar in said elevated position for rearward movement along said rear surface.

17. In a safety ski binding adapted releasably to engage the heel of a boot borne by a runner, in combination, a support on said runner; first heel-engaging means mounted on said runner for resiliently bearing upon said heel in a forward direction; second heel-engaging means mounted on said runner for resiliently bearing upon a rear ledge of said heel in a downward direction, said second heel-engaging means comprising a swingable member provided with a ledge-gripping extremity and with pivot means remote from said extremity engaging said support, said pivot means enabling substantially vertical relative displacement between said member and said runner; guide means on said support contacting said member below a predetermined elevated position thereof for preventing rearward swinging of said formation, said member upon reaching said elevated position clearing said guide means for enabling said extremity to release said ledge; spring means bearing upon said member for resisting its upward movement; and manually operable lever means articulated to said member for elevating same against the action of said spring means, said lever means being provided with a fulcrum fixed with reference to said runner.

18. In a safety ski binding adapted releasably to engage the heel of a boot borne by a runner, in combination, a support on said runner; first heel-engaging means mounted on said runner for resiliently bearing upon said heel in a forward direction; second heel-engaging means mounted on said runner for resiliently bearing upon a rear ledge of said heel in a downward direction, said second heel-engaging means comprising a swingable member provided with a ledge-gripping extremity and with pivot means remote from said extremity engaging said support, said pivot means enabling substantially vertical relative displacement between said member and said runner; guide means on said support contacting said member below a predetermined elevated position thereof for preventing rearward swinging of said formation, said member upon reaching said elevated position clearing said guide means for enabling said extremity to release said ledge; a base fixed to said runner; a linkage fulcrumed on said base and articulated to said member; spring means bearing upon said linkage for resisting upward movement of said member.

19. The combination defined in claim 18 wherein said spring means bears upon said linkage along a line offset from the fulcrum thereof with a lever arm whose length progressively decreases with increased elevation of said swingable member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

MILTON L. SMITH, Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A SAFETY SKI BINDING ADAPTED RELEASABLY TO ENGAGE THE HEEL OF A BOOT BORNE BY A RUNNER, IN COMBINATION, A SUPPORT ON SAID RUNNER; FIRST HEEL-ENGAGING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID RUNNER FOR RESILIENTLY BEARING UPON SAID HEEL IN A FORWARD DIRECTION; SECOND HEEL-ENGAGING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID RUNNER FOR RESILIENTLY BEARING UPON A REAR LEDGE OF SAID HEEL IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION, SAID SECOND HEEL-ENGAGING MEANS COMPRISING A SWINGABLE MEMBER PROVIDED WITH A LEDGE-GRIPPING EXTREMITY AND WITH PIVOT MEANS REMOTE FROM SAID EXTREMITY ENGAGING SAID SUPPORT, SAID PIVOT MEANS ENABLING SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL RELATIVE DISPLACEMENT BETWEEN SAID MEMBER AND SAID RUNNER; GUIDE MEANS ON SAID SUPPORT CONTACTING MEMBER BELOW A PREDETERMINED ELEVATED POSITION THEREOF FOR PREVENTING REARWARD SWINGING OF SAID FORMATION, SAID MEM-