US3672695A

US3672695A - Safety turntable for a ski binding

Info

Publication number: US3672695A
Application number: US238918A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ernest Peter Baukhage
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-11-20
Filing date: 1962-11-20
Publication date: 1972-06-27
Anticipated expiration: 1989-06-27
Also published as: DE1428865A1; AT262117B; US3210090A; CH435076A

Abstract

A safety turntable for a ski binding includes a member fixed to a ski and another member adapted to be attached to a ski with one of the members being cylindrical and the other member having a cylindrical recess for receiving the cylindrical member. The cylindrical portion of one of the members is provided with a circularly extending groove and the other member is provided with movable detent means allowing the two members to rotate relative to one another but permitting disconnection of the members at any angle of rotation. A safety strap for preventing loss of the ski may be attached between the two members.

Description

United States Patentv Baukhage [151 3,672,695 1 June27, 1972 SAFETY TURNTABLE FOR A SKI BINDING [72] Inventor: Ernest Peter Baukhage, 180 Edgewood Ave Mill Valley, Calif. 94941 [22] Filed: Nov. 20, 1962 [21] Appl.No.: 238,918

[52] U.S.Cl. ..280/11.35K

[51] Int.Cl ..A63c 9/082 [58] Field ofsearch ..280/11.35 A,11.13,11.3, 11.36, 280/1137; 9/310 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,836,428 5/1958 Marker ..280/11.35C

2,954,236 9/1960 Osborn ...280/l1.35C

2,955,300 10/1960 Hedlundetal. ..9/31O 3,009,710 11/1961 Marker ...280/11.35C

2,686,059 8/1954 Whitaker.... ...280/11.35A

3,061,325 10/1962 Glass ..280/11.35A

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Primary Examiner-Benjamin Hersh Assistant Examiner-Milton L. Smith Attorney-Edward J Keeling [5 7] ABSTRACT A safety turntable for a ski binding includes a member fixed to a ski and another member adapted to be attached to a ski with one of the members being cylindrical and the other member having a cylindrical recess for receiving the cylindrical member. The cylindrical portion of one of the members is provided with a circularly extending groove and the other member is provided with movable detent means allowing the two members to rotate relative to one another but permitting disconnection of the members at any angle of rotation. A safety strap for preventing loss of the ski may be attached between the two members.

10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUMN 1972 3. 672. 695

sum 2 or 2 1.23 I A-j INVENTOR ERNEST PETER RAUKHAGE I SAFETY TURNTABLE FOR A SKI BINDING This invention relates to methods and apparatus for releasably binding a ski boot to a ski and more particularly this invention relates to a safety turntable for use in disconnectably connecting a ski boot to a ski.

In recent years skiing has become a' major participant sport. As is well known to ski enthusiasts, skiing is a stimulating and exhilarating experience. In alpine skiing high speeds ranging up to 60 to 70miles an hour and more are not uncommon. Even relatively unskilled skiers reach speeds of 20 to 30 miles an hour. Much skiing is done in rough and unpacked snow. Skiing at high speeds and/or in heavy or uneven snow requires that the skier have precise control over his skis.

In order to achieve this control, boots commonly known as ski boots, which fit snugly on the foot and extend up around the ankle are worn by the skier. During the actual ski run the skier must afi'rx the ski boot to the ski in a manner which assures firm connection between the ski and the boot in order to achieve the highest degree 'of control. In the ultimate, the ski, the ski boot, and the skier should become as one so that the ski responds to the slightest pressure from the skier. Therefore it is desirable that the connection between the ski and the skier be firm and have little if any free play.

There is however a limit to the desirability of unitary construction of ski, ski boot, and leg; and this limit occurs when the stresses placed on the leg by the ski reach a stage where damage to the leg results. The modern ski usually ranges from about 5 to 7 feet in length depending on the height and weight of the skier. Since the ski boot is desirably firmly attached to the ski for control, the ski is potentially a large lever arm for transmitting forces to the leg. Although the forces may affect the skier in any direction they may be generally divided into two classes for purposes of discussion. One type occurs when the ski for some reason suddenly stops or slows down causing the skier to take a forward fall over the ski. This type of fall puts great stress on the skiers leg and particularly on the skiers Achilles tendon. The second general class is best describedas a twisting force which occurs when a force is applied in the plane of the ski and across the ski. This type of force can cause a broken leg.

Heretofore the potential danger tothe skier and particularly to the skiers legs has been recognized. Many attempts have been made in designing and constructing bindings for affixing the ski boot to the ski which in the event of an accident will release the ski boot from the ski. A number of these bindings have met with some degree of success. However there is still need for a safety ski binding for disconnectably connecting a ski boot to a ski which binding will firmly affix the skier to the ski to allow a maximum of control by the skier over the ski at high speeds and in heavy snow under acceptable conditions of stress on the skiers legs but which in the event of intolerable stress will release and allow the ski boot and the skiers leg to be safe from the force transmitted by the ski. There is further a need for a binding of such construction as to release the ski boot from the ski when an intolerable stress is applied to the skier in any direction; whether it be a forward fall, a twisting fall, a sideward fall, or a backward fall.

A broad aspect of this invention is to provide a safety turntable for use in disconnectably connecting a ski boot to a ski. The turntable of the present invention is used in combination with a toe portion of a ski binding to releasably affix a ski boot to a ski. In one aspect this invention provides a turntable for use in a ski binding comprising a pair of cooperating members, one of said members adapted to be fixedly mounted to a ski and the other of said members having a portion for operably seating a ski boot, and means disconnectably connecting said members together and allowing relative angular movement between said members, said means permitting said members to be disconnected at any position of relative angular alignment between said members by a predetermined force.

It is a particular object of this invention to provide a safety turntable for disconnectably connecting the heel portion of a ski boot to a ski and which turntable when used in cooperation with a means for securing the toe of the ski boot to the ski will provide a binding which provides a firm solid connection between the ski and ski boot to insure a maximum of control by the skier over the ski under conditions of acceptable stress but which in the event of intolerable stress will release the ski boot and permit the skiers leg to be safe from the effect of the force applied by the ski.

Further objects and advantages of'the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description read in light of the accompanying drawings which are a part of this specification and in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view and illustrates an embodiment of apparatus assembled according to this invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view, with parts broken away for clarity of presentation, and illustrates a preferred embodiment of apparatus in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken at line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a section view taken at line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken at line 55 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a plan view, with parts broken away for clarity, and illustrates an alternative embodiment of apparatus in ac cordance with this invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken at line 7--7 of FIG. 6.

Reference is now made to the drawings and to FIG. 1 in particular which illustrates an embodiment of apparatus assembled in accordance with this invention and which is particularly helpful in understanding the invention. A ski boot 20 is mounted on a ski 22 by means of a ski binding including a toe mounting portion indicated generally by the numeral 24 and a heel mounting portion indicated generally by the numeral 26. The heel portion 26 of the ski binding includes the safety turntable of the present invention and it is indicated generally by the numeral 30. Also illustrated are means for operably securing the ski boot 20 to the safety turntable 30. Suitable means for securing the ski boot 20 to the safety turntable 30 are a long thong and a spring linkage means 34.

The present invention provides a safety turntable 30 for use in binding a ski boot 20 to a ski 22. In accordance with this invention the safety turntable 30 is mounted on a ski 22 and has a portion for operably scaring the heel portion 36 of a ski boot 20. A means 80 is provided for securing the ski boot 20 to the safety turntable. The heel mounting portion 26, including the safety turntable 30, cooperates with a toe mounting portion 24 to operably secure a ski boot to a ski 22. In this respect it is pointed out that there are numerous commercially available toe mounting portions such as the toe mounting portion indicated as 24 in FIG. 1. An automatically releasable safety toe binding portion is described in US. Pat. No. 2,858,137 issued on Oct. 20, 1958 to Hannes Marker. Although it is highly preferred to use a safety type toe binding it is noted that the safety turntable of the present invention is not limited to use with any particular toe binding portion and may be used in combination with any suitable toe mounting and with any suitable means for attaching the safety turntable to the ski boot.

In FIG. 2 a preferred embodiment of apparatus assembled in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in plan view, A portion of the upper part of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 2 has been broken away for clarity of presentation. A first member 40 is adapted to be fixedly mounted to a ski. For example as illustrated in phantom in FIG. 2 the first member 40 is provided with suitable holes 48 for receiving wood screws 41. The screws serve to fixedly mount the first member 40 to the ski. A second member 42 is provided with a relative ly flat surface indicated by the numeral 43 for seating the heel portion of a ski boot. A means is provided for operably binding the ski boot to the second member 42. The first member 40 and the second member 42 are constructed as separated entities but they are capable of cooperating with each other for relative angular motion when operably disconnectably connected in accordance with this invention.

The first member 40 and the second member 42 are so constructed relative to one another so that they cooperate for relative angular movement. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the first member 40 is of generally circular form in plan view. The second member 42 is formed for cooperation with the fist member 40. The second member 42 is adapted to move angularly with respect to the first member 40. A portion of the second member 42 is generally circular in plan viewso as to cooperate with the first member for relative angular movement therewith. This manner of cooperation between the first member 40 which is adapted to be fixedly mounted to a ski and the second member 42 which is adapted to operably seat a ski boot permits a ski boot affixed to said second member to be rotated or moved angularly in a predetermined plane with respect to the ski when the members are disconnectably connected. When operably disconnectably connected together the second member which has a portion for seating a ski boot extends above the first member. That is, the ski boot is held on the second member and it is not permitted to seat on the fixedly mounted first member.

A means is provided for disconnectably connecting the first member 40 and the second member 42. The first member 40 and the second member 42 are disconnectably connected in a manner which permits no free play or wobble between the members when they are connected. The means for disconnectably connecting the first member 40 and the second member 42 permits relative angular movement in a predeterminable plane between the members when they are disconnectably connected. That is, the second member 42 is rotatable about the first member 40 when the first member is fixedly mounted to the ski. It is important to note however that the members are disconnectable at all positions of relative angular alignment. The first member 40 and the second member 42 are disconnectably connected and they may be disconnected by the application of a predetermined force. It is evident therefore that the safety turntable of the present invention will operate upon application of a predetermined force on the skier from any direction.

With further reference to FIG. 2 and to FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5 the preferred embodiment of apparatus in accordance with the present invention will be described in detail. The first member 40 is provided with a groove 44. The groove 44 is adapted to receive a means movable of the second member 42 to disconnectably connect the first member 40 and the second member 42. The means movable of the second member 42 may be for example a plurality ofv spheres 45. The groove is preferably a circularly extending groove having a center at the center of the first member 40 and a radius suitable for cooperation with the second member 42. The groove is of a preselected size and shape, determined by the form of the means movable of the second member 42. The groove receives and retains the means movable of the second member in such a manner as to permit the second member 42 to move angularly in a predetermined plane with respect to the first member 40. Thus the members provide a firm connection for the skier in the disconnectably connected position.

The second member 42 is provided with a means operably connecting the means movable of the second members 42 to the said second member. For example, a plurality of radially spaced-apart chambers 49 which house the spheres 45 and which allow limited reciprocating motion of the spheres 45 are provided in the second member 42. Each of the chambers 49 is provided with an opening or port 46. The ports 46 are formed to permit the spheres to partially extend out of the ports but not to escape from the chambers 49. The ports 46 are positioned to permit the spheres 45 in the second member 42 to extend out and engage in the groove 44 of the first member 40. The ports are formed so that a substantial portion of the spheres 45 may extend through the ports 46 without allowing the spheres 45 to escape out of the chambers 49. When the radially spaced-apart spheres 45 are extended out of the ports 46 and engaged in the groove 44 in the first member 40, a connection is made between the first and second members.

The ports 46 and spheres 45 and groove 44 are proportioned in a manner so that the spheres 45 need not be completely extended to the limit out of the chambers 49 to fit snugly into the groove in the first member 40.

A resilient means is provided to urge the means movable of the second member into the groove provided in the first member. The resilient means urges the spheres 45 out of the chambers 49 of the second member 42 and into the groove 44 of the first member 40 to disconnectably connect the members. The resilient means is adjustable so that the force urging the spheres into the groove can be varied. Therefore the force needed to separate the first member 40 and the second member 42 is adjustable. The resilient means is provided with a means for adjusting the force exerted by the resilient means. A relatively inflexible band 50, freely positioned in channel 52, contacts the rearward portion of each of the spheres 45. The band 50 is spring-mounted by

springs

55 and 56. The

springs

55 and 56 and the band 50 cooperate to urge the spheres 45 out of ports 46 and against the groove 44 in the first member 40. However, it is readily seen that the members may be separated by a predeterminable amount of force applied on the members. When a sufficient amount of force is applied, as for example the force applied to the members in a forward fall by a skier, the second member 42 moves up over the fixedly mounted first member 40. The spheres 45 move back into the chambers 49 and cause band 50 to expand. If the force is strong enough, the second member 42 will snap off the fixed member 40.

The first member 40 and the second member 42 are disconnectably connected together in a manner to allow relative angular movement between the members. In this respect it is not necessary or desirable that the members freely rotate or move angularly with respect to one another. Rather, it is in accordance with this invention that some external force must be applied to overcome the friction between the members and between the rotatable member and the ski to cause relative angular motion between the members. The second member 42 is slidable with respect to the ski and therefore it can move an angularly on the ski.

Thus, in operation, the first member 40 is fixedly mounted to a ski. The second member 42 is disconnectably connected to said first member 40 for relative angular movement therewith. A ski boot holding a skiers foot is seated on the second member 42 and operably connected thereto as will be fully described herein. While skiing, if a force exceeding a predetermined magnitude is exerted on the skiers leg and is transferred to the second member 42, the spheres 45 are pushed against the band 50 and cause the band to force

springs

55 and 56 to compress. In this manner the second member 42 to which the skiers leg is affixed is allowed to separate from the first member 40 to which the ski is affixed.

On the other hand, if a force is applied to the ski which although large in magnitude, does not come in a direction which causes the first and second members to separate as described above but rather which causes a twisting force to be applied to the skiers leg and thereby causes the toe mounting of the ski binding to open and to free the skiers toe from the ski, the second member 42 to which the heel portion of the ski boot is afiixed will be rotated with respect to the first member 40 and to the ski and thus damage to the skiers leg will not occur. It is a particular advantage of the present invention that the skier is protected from falls in which the first and second members will be disconnected and from falls which cause a twisting force to be applied to the ski causing the safety toe portion to release and in which the first and second members move angularly with respect to one another to prevent twisting of the skiers leg.

The adjusting means for adjusting the force exerted by the resilient means on the means movable of the second member will be fully described now. The relatively inflexible band 50 which acts to distribute force evenly on the spheres is provided with

lugs

60 and 61. The

lugs

60 and 61 have holes for slidably receiving a shaft 63. The shaft 63 is rotatably mounted in

bearings

68 and 70 and has threaded portions 65 and 66. A pair of

travelingnuts

71 and 72 are provided with threads mating with the threads on the shaft 63. One nut is provided with left hand threads and the other with right hand threads. The nuts are slotted at 93 and are keyed by suitable means such as keyway 73 to prevent the nuts from rotating as the shaft is rotated. The nuts are thus caused to move toward each other when the shaft 63 is rotated in one direction and away from each other when the shaft 63 is rotated in the opposite direction. A key 101, shown in phantom, fits in a keyhole in the head 102 of the shaft 63 to provide the rotational movement. A spring 55 is positioned in compression between nut 71 and lug 60 and a spring 56 is positioned in compression between lug 61 and nut 72. In this manner the band 50 is allowed to expand if enough force is applied to further compress the springs. The force necessary to compress the springs is adjustable by rotating the shaft 63.

In accordance with this invention means for fixedly binding the ski boot to the second member 42 are provided. In a preferred form the binding means also includes a flexible safety element to flexibly connect the ski boot and the second member 42 to the first member and the ski when for some reason, for example a fall, the first and second members become disconnected. When a skier falls and a safety binding releases, the skier is freed from the ski. If there is no provision made for a flexible element, such as a strap to flexibly connect the skier and the ski, the ski will be free to slide down the mountain. This can result in a serious accident if the loose ski strikes a person further down the mountain, or in a lost ski.

A flexible strap 80 which is preferably made of leather is pivotally mounted by suitable means to the upper surface of the member 40 which is to be fixedly mounted to the ski. A suitable means for pivotally mounting the strap 80on the fixedly mounted member 40 includes a grommet 82 which holds the strap 80 and which provides a bearing surface when a bolt 81 mounts the strap on the fixedly mounted member 40. The strap 80 lies flat along the top surface of the fixedly mounted member 40. Since the fixedly mounted first member 40 is slightly lower than the rotatable second member 42 the strap does not interfere with the heel of the ski boot. The rotatable member 42 is higher in cross section than the fixedly mounted member 40 in order that the ski boot can be seated on the rotatable member 42 substantially without touching the fixedly mounted member 40 so as not to interfere with relative angular movement between the two members.

The rotatable second member 42 is provided with a channel 83 to receive the strap 80 so that the strap 80 is recessed below the bottom of the ski boot. The strap slidably extends through an eye member 84 provided on the rotatable member 42 and the strap is operably wrapped around the ski boot. A buckle is provided on either eye member 84 or on a similar eye member (not shown) on the other side of rotatable member 42 for operably connecting the strap 80. When the first and second members are disconnected the strap is a flexible connection between the skier and the ski. Since the strap is pivotally mounted in the center of the fixed member 40 it does not interfere with angular movement between the fixed member 40 and the rotatable second member 42. The rotatable member 42 is provided with a pair of

lugs

85 and 76 which serve as means to connect the ski binding means to the second member 42. The

lugs

85 and 76 are also useful to engage the lower sides of the ski boot and thus aid in firmly mounting the ski boot to the rotatable member 42. A bolt 86 and a nut 87 fixedly mount the eye member 84 on the rotatable member 42. The member 42 may for example be formed of two parts connected in a suitable manner such as by screws 95.

It is contemplated that the strap 80 and the

lugs

85 and 76 can fixedly connect the ski boot to the rotatable member 42. It is preferred however to also utilize a heel spring means to assist in binding the ski boot to the rotatable member 42. The heel spring 34 may be, for example, fixedly connected to eye member 84 and pivotally mounted on lug 85 by a bolt 86, a nut 87, and a washer 88. A similar connection is made to lug 76. The heel spring 34 extends around the back portion of the heel of the ski boot. A means is provided to tension and lock the heel spring. The construction and operation of the heel spring is well known in the art and therefore it will not be described in detail in this specification. A heel spring suitable for use in this invention is fully described in US. Pat. No. 3,009,710 issued Nov. 21, 1961.

To further describe the operation of the strap reference is made to FIG. 1 where a general arrangement of a strap wrapped on a ski boot is shown. The strap when firmly wrapped around the ski boot serves to give a very desirable connection for controlled skiing and it is a particular advantage of this invention to provide a safety turntable so that a long thong may be used as a binding to obtain maximum control and still retain all the advantages of a release binding. In the event that the fixed member 40 and the rotatable member 42 become disconnected as in a fall, the strap remains wrapped around the ski boot and also remains connected to the fixedly mounted member. Thus the ski is flexibly con nected to the ski boot and will not run away. A further advantage provided by the flexible connection provided by strap 80 between the disconnected members, is that while the ski is not fixedly mounted to the ski boot it is still not so loose as to freely thrash around and thus endanger the skier.

When for some reason the disconnectably connected

members

40 and 42 are disconnected and it is desired to reconnect them, it can be seen that the members may be snapped together. The rounded shoulder 11 of fixedly mounted member 40 is helpful in guiding the rotatable member 42 into its proper position and makes it easier to connect the members than to disconnect them. The lower inner edge of the rotatable member 42 may also be beveled as indicated by the numeral 12 to aid in guiding the members together. A special feature in the construction of the chambers 49 containing the spheres 45 makes it easier to snap the first and second members together than it is to disconnect the members. This is advantageous because the two members are most often coupled together using the fingers. The upper wall 90 of each of the chambers housing the spheres is sloped away from the port 46 as shown clearly in FIG. 4. In this manner when the rotatable member 42 is pushed down over the fixedly mounted member 40 when the members are being coupled the spheres 45 will more easily slide back into the chambers because of the relatively less friction between the sphere and sloped wall 90. On the other hand the lower walls 91 of the chambers 49 are not sloped. Therefore the spheres 45 move less easily against the lower wall 91 and a greater force is therefore required to slip the spheres back into the chambers and to thus disconnect the first and second members.

An alternative arrangement of apparatus in accordance with this invention is illustrated in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7. A member for fixedly mounting on a ski is provided with a circularly extending groove 111. A rotatable member is provided for cooperation with the fixedly mountable member 110. The rotatable member 120 is capable of angular movement with respect to the fixedly mountable member 110. A means for disconnectably connecting the rotatable member and the fixedly mountable member is provided. The means for disconnectably connecting the members allows relative angular motion of the members with respect to each other. The rotatable member 120 is provided with a portion 121 for seating a ski boot. Means 122 are provided on the rotatable member 120 for operably connecting a ski boot to the rotatable member 120. The fixedly mountable member 120 is provided with suitable holes for mounting the member on a ski.

Means movable for engaging the circularly extending groove 111 of the fixedly mountable member 110 in a plurality of spaced-apart locations are operably connected to the rotatable member 120. For example piston members 123 are partially extendible through ports 124 of chambers 125. The piston members 123 are adapted for limited reciprocating movement in the chambers 125. Resilient means, such as springs 127, normally urge the piston members to extend out of the ports 124 and into engagement with the circularly extending groove 111 of fixedly mountable member 110 to disconnectably connect the rotatable member 120 to the fixedly mountable member 1 10.

A particular feature of the alternative embodiment of apparatus is provided by the individual adjustment of the force of each spring 127 acting on the piston members 123. The adjustment of each spring 127 is accomplished individually by rotating a plug 130 which has a threaded portion 131. The threaded portion 131 of the plug mates with threads 132 provided in the rear portion of each chamber 125. A keyhole 133 is provided at the rear of each of the plugs 130. When it is desired to adjust the force of a spring a key 140 is inserted into the keyhole 133 and the plug is screwed in the appropriate direction.

The fixedly mountable member 1 10 is provided with a sloping shoulder 142 which assists in smoothly depressing the piston members 123 as the rotatable member 120 is positioned on and disconnectably connected to the fixedly mountable member 110. A means 144 for pivotally mounting a flexible element is provided on member 110.

1 It is apparent that modifications other than those described herein may be made to the apparatus of this invention without departing from the inventive concept.'lt is intended that the invention embrace all equivalents within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A safety turntable for use in a ski binding comprising a first member adapted to be fixedly mounted on a ski, a circularly extending groove in said first member, a second member having a surface for seating the heel portion of a ski boot, means movable operably connected to said second member and extendible into said groove in said first member for disconnectably connecting said second member to said first member, and resilient means in said second member urging said means movable into operable engagement with said groove in said first member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including an adjusting means for adjusting the resilient means to vary the force exerted on said means movable by said resilient means.

3. A safety turntable for use in a ski binding comprising a first member adapted to be fixedly mounted on a ski, a circularly extending groove in said first member, a second member having a surface for seating the heel portion of a ski boot, means movable operably connected to said second member and extendible into said groove in said first member for disconnectably connecting said second member to said first member, resilient means in said second member urging said means movable into operable engagement with said groove in said first member, and means on said second member for operably connecting a ski boot to said second member.

4, A safety turntable for use in disconnectably connecting a ski boot to a ski comprising a first member, means for mounting said first member to a ski, a circularly extending groove in said first member, a second member, a relatively flat portion on said second member for seating the heel portion of a ski boot, a plurality of radially spaced chambers in said second member, port means in said second member communicating with said chambers, means movable in said chambers partially extendible out of said port means for operably engaging said circularly extending groove, and resilient means in said second member normally urging said means movable into said groove to disconnectably connect said first and said second member.

5. The safety turntable of claim 4 including means provided in the members to require a greater force to disconnect the members than to connect the members.

6. The safety turntable of claim 5 where the said means includes a sloping wall in each of the chambers.

7. A safety turntable for use in disconnectably connecting a ski boot to a ski comprising a first member, means for mounting said first member to a ski, a circularly extending groove in said first member, a second member, a relatively flat portion on said second member for seating the heel portion of a ski boot, a plurality of radially spaced chambers in said second member, port means in said second member communicating with said chambers, means movable in said chambers partially extendible out of said port means for operably engaging said circularly extending groove, resilient means normally urging said means movable into said groove to disconnectably connect said first and said second member, and adjusting means for adjusting the force exerted on said means movable by said resilient means.

8 A safety turntable for use in disconnectably connecting a ski boot to a ski comprising a first member, means for fixedly mounting said first member to a ski, a circularly extending groove in said first member, a second member, a relatively flat portion on said second member for seating the heel portion of a ski boot, a plurality of radially spaced chambers in said second member, port means in said second member communicating with said chambers, means movable in said chambers partially extendible out of said port means for operably engaging said circularly extending groove, resilient means normally urging said means movable into said groove to disconnectably connect said first and said second member, adjusting means for adjusting the force exerted on said means movable by said resilient means, and means on said first member for pivotally mounting a flexible element.

9. Apparatus for use in a ski binding comprising at least a pair of members including a first member adapted to be fixedly mounted to a ski and a second member having means for afiixing a ski boot thereto, circularly extending groove means in one of the members, means movable operably connected in the other of the members and extendable into said groove means, resilient means urging said means movable into operable engagement with said groove means to disconnectably connect said members and means for adjusting the force exerted by said resilient means.

10. A safety turntable for use in a ski binding comprising a first member for fixedly mounting on a ski, a second member having a portion for seating on a ski boot, connecting means disconnectably connecting said second member and said first member, connecting means allowing said second member to be disconnected from said first member at any relative angular alignment between the members by a predetermined force, means permitting said second member to move angularly in a predeterminable plane with respect to said ski when the members are disconnectably connected, means provided in the members to require a greater force to disconnect the members than to connect the members, and adjusting means for adjusting the amount of force required to to disconnect said second member from said first memben

Claims

4. A safety turntable for use in disconnectably connecting a ski boot to a ski comprising a first member, means for mounting said first member to a ski, a circularly extending groove in said first member, a second member, a relatively flat portion on said second member for seating the heel portion of a ski boot, a plurality of radially spaced chambers in said second member, port means in said second member communicating with said chambers, means movable in said chambers partially extendible out of said port means for operably engaging said circularly extending groove, and resilient means in said second member normally urging said means movable into said groove to disconnectably connect said first and said second member.

8. A safety turntable for use in disconnectably connecting a ski boot to a ski comprising a first member, means for fixedly mounting said first member to a ski, a circularly extending groove in said first member, a second member, a relatively flat portion on said second member for seating the heel portion of a ski boot, a plurality of radially spaced chambers in said second member, port means in said second member communicating with said chambers, means movable in said chambers partially extendible out of said port means for operably engaging said circularly extending groove, resilient means normally urging said means movable into said groove to disconnectably connect said first and said second member, adjusting means for adjusting the force exerted on said means movable by said resilient means, and means on said first member for pivotally mounting a flexible element.

9. Apparatus for use in a ski binding comprising at least a pair of members including a first member adapted to be fixedly mounted to a ski and a second member having means for affixing a ski boot thereto, circularly extending groove means in one of the members, means movable operably connected in the other of the members and extendable into said groove means, resilient means urging said means movable into operable engagement with said groove means to disconnectably connect said members and means for adjusting the force exerted by said resilient means.

10. A safety turntable for use in a ski binding comprising a first member for fixedly mounting on a ski, a second member having a portion for seating on a ski boot, connecting means disconnectably connecting said second member and said first member, connecting means allowing said second member to be disconnected from said first member at any relative angular alignment between the members by a predetermined force, means permitting said second member to move angularly in a predeterminable plane with respect to said ski when the members are disconnectably connected, means provided in the members to require a greater force to disconnect the members than to connect the members, and adjusting means for adjusting the amount of force required to to disconnect said second member from said first member.