US3305242A

US3305242A - Safety ski binding

Info

Publication number: US3305242A
Application number: US376774A
Authority: US
Inventors: Marker Hannes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Marker International Co
Priority date: 1964-06-22
Filing date: 1964-06-22
Publication date: 1967-02-21
Anticipated expiration: 1984-02-21

Description

Feb. 21, 1967 H. MARKER 3,305,242

SAFETY SKI BINDING Filed June 22, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 21, 1967 H. MARKER SAFETY SKI BINDING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 22, 1964 2a 21 22 25 23 FIG 3 FIG. 4

United States Patent 3,305,242 SAFETY SK! BINDING Hannes Marker, Alpspitzstrasse 37, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany Filed June 22, 1964, Ser. No. 376,774 8 Claims. (Cl. 280-11.35)

It is known to provide a safety ski binding, which comprises a tightenable tension cable which is split adjacent to or behind the heel, and coupling elements for detachably connecting the ends of this cable, the coupling comprising a spring, which is subjected to the tension of the cable so that the interlocking members of the coupling elements are released when an adjustable spring deflection has been exceeded. In various embodiments of this known safety ski binding, the spring or springs incorporated in the coupling have been designed to accomplish the function of the springs which are arranged in the usual bindings adjacent to the front tightener to ensure that the cable loop is resilient. In these embodiments of the known safety ski binding, the tension forces caused by the closing of the cable tightener and by the lifting of the heel of the boot during skiing are resiliently taken up adjacent to or behind the heel so that there is no move-ment of the cable relative to the down-pulls mounted on the side faces of the ski because the cable may be non-resiliently connected to the front tightener and the latter may be simple in structure and small in size because the front tightener springs are eliminated.

The present invention relates to a further development and improvement of the known safety ski binding. According to the invention the locking member which is not subjected to the cable tension is movably connected to the associated coupling element and is urged into its locking position by a spring device, which has a much lower strain resistance (spring rate) than the spring which is subjected to the cable tension. For this reason the coupling elements when released as a result of a fall may be closed without need for straining either the spring or springs which determine the resiliency of the cable loop, which springs can be strained only with difiiculty because they are necessarily very strong, or for locking the one coupling element in the other by relatively complicated means against any forward or rearward movement in the longitudinal direction of the cable when the coupling is closed, bearing in mind that, in the latter case, an unintended opening of the coupling will not be prevented when the cable is swung out of its normal position. With the improvement according to the invention, only the relatively low strain resistance of the spring acting on the locking member which is not subjected to the cable tension must be overcome to move the other locking member also into the locking position when it is desired to close the coupling. The first-mentioned locking member will then also return to the locking position. In this way the two coupling elements can be connected very easily and very reliably so that an unintended release of the two coupling elements is no longer possible even when the cable loop is relaxed.

In a safety ski binding according to the invention, in which at least one cable end extends within a strong helical compression spring and bears on the rear end of this spring by means of a cable nipple, which is connected to the locking member, which is movable under the action of the cable tension, whereas the front spring end in the closed portion of the coupling bears on a heel yoke, which is intended to engage the heel groove of the skiing boot and is connected to the other cable end, a further development of the invention resides in that the heel yoke comprises a hook for interengaging the front end of the spring, which hook has a central opennig for the passage of the tension cable, the heel yoke having pivoted to 3,305,242 Patented Feb. 21, 1967 it, if desired, a locking member, which is urged by a spring into a locking position. In this embodiment, in which the direction of the cable tension coincides in a particularly favorable manner with the axial direction of the compression spring surrounding the cable, one coupling element is formed only by the helical compression spring itself, the cable end with the cable nipple, and the locking member secured to the cable nipple. Because the other locking member is movably attached to the heel yoke and is resiliently urged to its locking position, it is sufiicient to urge this locking member against the strain resistance of its, closing sprnig out of the closing position when it is desired to close the coupling elements until the front end of the strong helical compression spring has interengaged with the hook and is then retained in this position by the spring-loaded locking member. The heel yoke may have a rearwardly directed, preferably framelike extension, which guides on each of its longitudinal sides a helical compression spring surrounding a cable end and which is provided on its transverse side with a keeper, which is movable against the force of a spring and formed with an opening, into which a locking bolt screw-threaded in the cable nipple of the one cable end protrudes in the locking position. The symmetric spring arrangement, in which the direction of the cable tension and the spring axis coincide on each side, results in a particularly suitable distribution of forces because a deflection of the forces which occur is no longer required in any case and the heel yoke with its extension guiding the springs is simply urged rearwardly when the heel lifts from the ski. The cooperation of the keeper with the locking bolt of the one cable nipple results in a very simple and eifective locking device. The hook intended for interengaging with the front end of the spring may be provided with an inclined run-up surface for the front end of the spring. This affords the advantage that it is sufiicient to introduce the locking bolt into the opening of the keeper and then to push the front end of the spring over the run-up surface until this end is urged into the interengaging position with respect to the hook under the action of the keeper on the rear end of the'spring. The keeper may extend on both sides beyond the transverse side of the extension of the heel yoke and may have a further opening, which receives a sliding bolt guiding the cable nipple of the non-detachable cable end. It is particularly desirable to urge the keeper against the extension of the heel yoke by a rubber spring, which is under the action of a threaded bolt, which is screw-threaded in the framelike extension and cooperates preferably with a pressure plate. According to the invention, at least the detachable cable end may be urged outwardly with respect to the axis of the compression spring associated with it by the eccentric guide face of the hook in the coupled position. This arrangement ensures that a release of the locking bolt by the opening of the keeper, resulting in a corresponding reduction of the length of the compression spring under an excessively high tension, will reliably cause the compression spring to swing outwardly about its point of engagement with the hook so that the spring clears the hook because the tension exerted by the tension cable has an outwardly directed component. Finally, it is advantageous according to the invention if the cable nipples have a considerable length and an outer diameter which is almost as large as the inside diameter of the compression springs because this arrangement ensures a good internal stiffening of the compression springs at least in the rear portion whereas the outer guidance, as has already been mentioned, is effected by the framelike extension of the heel yoke, which extension is provided with corresponding concave side faces.

The invention will be explained more in detail in the following description with reference to the drawing, which shows an embodiment by way of example. In the drawing FIG. 1 is a top plan view showing the illustrative embodiment of the coupling device according to the invention with closed coupling elements,

FIG. 2 shows the coupling of FIG. 1 during the separation of the coupling elements in response to a forward fall of the skier,

FIG. 3 shows the coupling element during the closing of the coupling and FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line IVIV of FIG. 3, the cable ends and springs being omitted.

The heel yoke 1 for engaging the heel groove has a rearwardly directed, trapezoidal extension 2, which is framelike to reduce the weight and has concave longitudinal side portions 3 whereas the rear cross-piece 4- is provided with a longitudinally extending, tapped bore and with a groove, which extends at right angles to the plane of the drawing and has an approximately semicircular contour. The cable ends 5 and 6 are provided with long,

cylindrical cable nipples

7 and 8, which carry at their rear ends spring cups 9 and 10 hearing on the rear ends of the strong

helical compression springs

11 and 12.

The foremost turns of the

compression springs

11 and 12 interengage with hooklike elevations 13 and 14- of the heel yoke 1. These hooklike elevations formed adjacent to the ends of the heel yoke 1 and the ends of the heel yoke 1 are provided with

cable guide slots

15 and 16 for the

cable ends

5 and 6, which extend toward the center of the heel yoke 1 only to such an extent that at least the cable end 5 is urged somewhat outwardly relative to the center line of the helical compression spring 11 so that the tension of the cable tends to swing the helical spring outwardly in the direction of the arrow 17 about the turn interengaged with the hook 13. As is shown in FIG. 4, the hooked

elevations

13 and 14 are rounded to conform to the interior of the

springs

11 and 12 and have slightly inclined run-up

surfaces

18 and 19.

A threaded bolt 20 is screw-threaded in the tapped bore of the cross-piece 4. The head of this bolt cooperates through the intermediary of a pressure plate 21 with a padlike rubber spring 22, which urges the keeper 23 against the rear face of the cross-piece 4. The keeper 23 has at 24 a depression, which corresponds to the transverse groove of the cross-piece 4. Adjacent to this depression, the keeper has an opening, through which the threaded bolt 20 extends.

The cable nipple 7 carries a locking bolt 25, which is screw-threaded in an axial bore and the effective length of which can be varied by screwing the bolt to any desired depth into the tapped axial bore of the cable nipple 7. The keeper 23 is provided with an elongated hole 26, through which the locking bolt protrudes in the locking position, as is shown in FIG. 1. On the other side of the cross-piece 4, the closing plate 23 is provided with another opening 27, in which a riveted Sliding bolt 28 is held to be axially non-displaceable but capable of a limited pivotal movement. The sliding bolt 28 extends into an axial bore of the cable nipple 8 and guides the same during movements of the spring 12 under the action of the cable tension. The sliding pin 28 is so long that it does not leave the axial bore of the nipple 8 even in response to the greatest reduction of the length of the spring 12 which may occur in practice.

The mode of operation of the cable coupling according to the invention is apparent from FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 shows the coupling during its release in response to an excessive tension force in the direction of the

arrows

29 and 30. Depending on the depth to which the locking pin is screwed into the cable nipple 7, the locking pin will disengage the elongated hole 26 after a shorter or longer deformation of the spring 11 and the latter together with the cable end and the nipple will swing outwardly under the action of the laterally outwardly directed component of the force due to the cable tension about the fulcrum edge 31 provided between the runup surface 18 and the opening defined by the hooklike projection 13 and the concave wall surface 3. This fulcrum edge is particularly apparent from FIG. 4. The foremost turn of the spring 11 is thus swung over the hook edge of the hook 13 so that the spring 11 with the cable end 5 and the nipple 7 detaches completely from the heel yoke 1 and its framelike extension 2.

FIG. 3 shows the described embodiment of the coupling device according to the invention during the closing of the two coupling elements when the same were released from each other in the manner just described. For this purpose, the locking pin 25 is initially introduced into the elongated hole 26 and pressure in the direction of the arrow 32 is then exerted on the helical spring 11. As a result, the foremost turn of the helical spring 11 in the longitudinal direction of the ski slides on the run-up surface and by means of the spring cup 9 urges the keeper 23 upwardly. This results in a slight deformation of the rubber spring 22, as is apparent from FIG. 3. As the sliding bolt 28 is held in the opening 27 for a limited pivotal movement, it does not resist the tilting movement of the keeper 23. During this coupling operation, the spring 11 is not resiliently deformed because its strain resistance (spring rate) is much higher than that of the rubber spring 22 and because the spring 11 cannot be compressed at all by hand. As soon as the foremost turn of the spring 11 has moved beyond the hook edge of the hook 13, the pressure of the rubber spring 22 urges the spring 11 downwardly by means of the keeper 23 and the spring cup 9 so that the spring 11 is now in its coupling position whereas the keeper 23 has returned to its normal locking position.

I claim:

1. A safety ski binding comprising, in combination with two rearwardly extending end portions of flexible tension cable adapted to be located on opposite sides of the heel of a ski boot, a yoke having a portion for engaging the heel of a ski boot, keeper member independent of cable tension movably connected to said yoke, coupling means for locking said cable ends to said keeper member and for releasing one of said cable ends in response to a predetermined tension exerted on said cable, said coupling means including a helical compression spring responsive to the tension in said cable mounted at each side of said yoke and mounted about each of said cable ends, and resilient means for urging said keeper member into its locking position wherein it engages said coupling means, said resilient means having a lower spring resistance than said helical springs responsive to cable tension.

2. A safety ski binding as defined in claim 1 wherein said yoke includes hook portions formed on both sides of said heel engaging portion for interengaging with the front end of said springs, a central opening in each said hook for the passage of the tension cable therethrough, a rearwardly extending portion having said keeper member resiliently mounted thereon, and guide means on the lateral sides of said rearwardly extending portion for guiding said helical compression springs mounted on said cable ends.

3. A safety ski binding as defined in claim 2 wherein said coupling means further includes a nipple fastened to each of said cable ends, each of said nipples having a spring cup at its end for bearing on an end of said helical compression spring.

4. A safety ski binding as defined in claim 3 wherein said nipple connected to the releasable cable has a screw threaded axial bore for carrying a locking bolt therein, and said keeper has an aperture therein for receiving said locking bolt in a locked position.

5. A safety ski binding as defined in claim 4 wherein the effective length of said locking bolt is adjustable.

6. A safety ski binding as defined in claim 5 including a riveted sliding bolt, said riveted sliding bolt extending through an axial hole in the end of said other nipple and an aperture in said keeper so as to retain the cable end connected to said nipple in a non-detachable relationship with said keeper.

7. A safety ski binding as defined in claim 2 wherein the openings in the hooks for the passage of the cable ends are positioned so that tension on said cable tends to pivot the helical spring of said releasable cable end outwardly about its associated hook portion.

8. A safety ski binding as defined in claim 7 wherein said resilient means further provides the keeper with a tilting action so as to permit the pivoting of the helical spring mounted on said releasable cable end so that the keeper member automatically returns to its locking position in which it engages the coupling means of said releasable cable end.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Marker, German application Serial No. printed Feb. 9, 1961.

BENJAMIN HERSI-I, Primary Examiner.

MILTON L, SMITH, Examiner.

Claims

1. A SAFETY SKI BINDING COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION WITH TWO REARWARDLY EXTENDING END PORTIONS OF FLEXIBLE TENSION CABLE ADAPTED TO BE LOCATED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE HEEL OF A SKI BOOT, A YOKE HAVING A PORTION FOR ENGAGING THE HEEL OF A SKI BOOT, KEEPER MEMBER INDEPENDENT OF CABLE TENSION MOVABLY CONNECTED TO SAID YOKE, COUPLING MEANS FOR LOCKING SAID CABLE ENDS TO SAID KEEPER MEMBER AND FOR RELEASING ONE OF SAID CABLE ENDS IN RESPONSE TO A PREDETERMINED TENSION EXERTED ON SAID CABLE, SAID COUPLING MEANS INCLUDING A HELICAL COMPRESSION SPRING RESPONSIVE TO THE TENSION IN SAID CABLE MOUNTED