US3905906A

US3905906A - Anti-friction device for safety ski binding

Info

Publication number: US3905906A
Application number: US398445A
Authority: US
Inventors: James M Edmund
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-09-18
Filing date: 1973-09-18
Publication date: 1975-09-16
Anticipated expiration: 1992-09-16

Abstract

An anti-friction device for safety ski bindings which includes a metallic washer and a first low-friction washer of larger diametric dimension than the metal washer which are held fast by means of a screw; a disc of larger diametric dimension and also provided with low-friction surfaces rests freely slidable on the upper low-friction surface of the second washer while an encapsulating member of resilient material is placed over the disc and washers and has its peripheral edges tucked under the second washer to provide a dirt- and moisture-free assembly.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Edmund [4 1 Sept. 16, 1975 ANTI-FRICTION DEVICE FOR SAFETY SKI BINDING [76] Inventor: James M. Edmund, 5262 Olde Stage Rd., Boulder, Colo. 80302 [22] Filed: Sept. 18, 1973 [21] Appl. No: 398,445

[52] US. Cl 280/11.35 C

[51] Int. Cl. A63C 9/00 [58] Field of Search ..280/11.35 C, 11.35 K, 11.35 R

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,446,511 5/1969 Marker 280/11.35 C

3,448,990 6/1969 Cubberley et al.... 280/1 1.35 C

3,515,402 6/1970 Weiss 280/1135 C 3,578,349 5/1971 Edmund 280/11.35 K

3,689,094 9/1972 Marker et a1. 280/11.35 C

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,558,544 1/1969 France 280/11.35 C

1,478,088 6/1969 Germany 280/11.35 C 2,129,391 12/1971 Germany 280/1 1.35 C

Primary Examiner-David Schonberg Assistant Examiner-Milton L. Smith Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Craig & Antonelli ['57] ABSTRACT An anti-friction device for safety ski bindings which includes a metallic washer and a first low-friction washer of larger diametric dimension than the metal washer which are held fast by means of a screw; a disc of larger diametric dimension and also provided with low-friction surfaces rests freely slidable on the upper low-friction surface of the second washer while an en capsulating member of resilient material is placed over the disc and washers and has its peripheral edges tucked under the second washer to provide a dirtand moisture-free assembly.

25 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures ANTI-FRICTION DEVICE FOR SAFETY SKI BINDING The present invention relates to an anti-friction device for safety ski bindings.

Within the past few years, the significance of friction between the boot and the ski has become ever more apparent. This is true for the reason that a safety ski binding is normally designed and adjusted to release at a predetermined force. However, in case of a fall, for example, in case of a forward fall, the weight of the skier shifts drastically so that a greater amount of the weight is forward on one boot, thereby causing an increase in the friction force and therewith an increase in the thrust necessary to cause release of the ski binding.

Various anti-friction devices have been proposed in the prior art. For example, the US. Pat. No. 3,446,511 to H. Marker describes a sole support for safety ski bindings which utilizes a spring action by the use of springs in such sole support. This construction, however, is not only complicated and relatively costly but also is difficult to install and of questionable reliability in operation.

The U.S. Pat. No. 3,689,094 to H. Marker suggests a sole supporting member consisting of a flexible hollow body which is squeezed flat and filled with a liquid that does not freeze at the temperatures normally encountered during skiing. This arrangement also entails certain disadvantages as regards its reliability in operation since it involves a liquid-filled squeezed body while other embodiments disclosed in this patent are complicated in structure as well as costly in manufacture and assembly.

The US. Pat. No. 3,448,990 to Cubberley et al discloses an anti-friction device which among other disadvantages is not moistureand dirtproof and poses certain problems as regards its reliability of operation.

Finally, the US. Pat. No. 3,515,402 to Weiss represents another type of anti-friction device of relatively complicated construction. 7 r

In contradistinction thereto, the present invention is concerned with providing an anti-friction device that excels by its dirtand moisture-proof design as well as by its simplicity in construction so that both its cost of manufacture and cost of installation can be kept low.

More specifically, the present invention is concerned with an anti-friction device of the type described above which is provided between the toe area of the ski boot sole and the ski plate of a ski binding disclosed, for example, in my prior U.S.' Pat. No. 3,578,349, which greatly enhances the reliability of a twist release when the skier falls in a forwardly twisting manner.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an anti-friction device which obviates by simple means the aforementioned shortcomings and drawbacks encountered in the prior art.

Another object of the present invention resides in an antifriction device for safety-ski bindings which greatly enhances the reliability of operation 'by re ducing the effect of the friction forces when the weight of the skier is shifted in the course of a falll A further object of the present'invention resides an an antifriction device of the type described above which is substantially completely. moistureand dirtproof, yet is simple in structure, easy to install and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which shows, for purposes of illustration only, one embodiment in accordance with the present invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial side elevational view of a ski with a safety ski binding of the type disclosed in my prior US. Pat. No. 3,578,349 and provided with an antifriction device in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial top plan view of a part of the ski with safety release binding of FIG. 1 provided with an anti-friction device in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, through an anti-friction device in accordance with the present invention, taken along line IIIIII of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view, similar to FIG. 3, through another embodiment of an anti-friction device in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference numerals are used throughout the various views to designate like parts, reference numeral 10 designates a ski of any conventional construction. Even though the antifriction device of the present invention can be used with any safety ski binding known in the art in which the toe portion of the boot sole rests on the ski or ski plate, the present invention will be described by reference to a safety ski binding of the type described in my prior US. Pat. No. 3,578,349 to indicate one specific application thereof though, as pointed out above, the present invention is not limited thereto.

Mounted on the ski 10 is a ski plate 20 for the support of the ski boot 30 having a boot sole 31. As described in my aforementioned prior patent, rollers 21 are rotatably secured to the sides of the ski plate 20 which cooperate with a boot plate 32 secured to the bottom surface of the boot s-ole 31 intermediate the heel and toe portion. Levers 23 are pivotally connected to the sides of the ski plate 20 at 24 and include for ward boot plate engaging portions 25 as well as rearwardly extending lever portions cooperating with a spring-loaded release mechanism (not shown) as more fully described in my aforementioned prior patent. The engaging and release action of the levers 23 in conjunction with the boot plate 32 and rollers 21 is described in detail in my aforementioned prior patent so that a description thereof is dispensed with herein for the 20 in a manner to be described more fully hereinafter. V

The anti-friction device of FIG. 3 includes a metal washer 41, for example, a steel washer 41 of a first diametric dimension and provided with an internal bore. A first disk 42 of low-friction material, for example, made of TEF LON, trademark of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. for its brand of polytetrafluoroethylene plastic, and of largerdiametric dimensions than the metal washer 41 has its inner ends 42' extended through the bore 41 so that a screw 43 of conventional flat head type not only centers the metal washer 41 but also holds both the antifriction washer 42 and the metal washer 41 onto the surface of the ski plate 20. A disk 44 of substantially larger outer diametric dimension than the second washer 42 and made of low-friction material, for example, of polytetrafluorethylene is placed over the second washer 42. The outer encapsulating member 45 which consists of appropriate resilient material such as neoprene has its inner ends 45 inverted and extended underneath the second washer 42 so that the entire anti-friction device 40 is held in place and fastened onto the ski plate in a moistureand dirt-proof manner by the fastening action of the screw 20'. Furthermore, the metal washer 41 as well as the anti-friction washer 42 and the anti-friction disc 45 provide an appropriate support structure for the outer resilient encapsulating member 45 which has a certain amount of give due to the particular construction yet is self-centering and self-sealing.

The anti-friction device in accordance with the present invention is assembled as follows. The metal washer 41 and polytetrafluorethylene washer 42 are first fastened onto the ski plate 20 by means of the screw 20'. The outer, encapsulating member 45 which is of a resilient material such as neoprene, is assembled to the other members by spreading the aperture thereof with the fingers and snapping it in place over the antifriction disc 44, firstly, then subsequently over the antifriction washer 42 which had been previously screwed in place together with the associated metal washer 44 on the ski plate 20 whereby the inner end 45 of the encapsulating member 45 engages underneath the antifriction washer 42 in the manner shown in FIG. 3. It should also be noted that the neoprene material can stretch resiliently, thereby permitting the disc 44 to slide on washer 42 with only slight resistance, due to the resilience of the neoprene material and the low friction characteristics of the polytetrafluorethylene surface with which it is in contact.

FIG. 4 illustrates a slightly modified embodiment in which similar parts are designated by the same reference numerals of the 100 series as used in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 which represents a more practical embodiment utilizes a steel washer 141 having a central hole 141 barely large enough to accommodate the screw body 20; the screw head of the flat head type screw 20 fits in a conical hole142' provided in the polytetrafluorethylene washer 142 which is formed for example by counter sinking the conical surface with a cutting tool or by simple displacement of the polytetrafluorethylene material when forcibly turning the screw down against the steel washer. As to the rest, FIG. 4 corresponds to FIG. 3.

It should also be noted that the polytetrafluorethylene material for the

parts

42 or 142 and 44 as well as the neoprene material for the encapsulating member 45 and the steel material for

washer

41 and 141 are merely given as illustrative examples, though other materials of similar or analogous characteristics can be readily used in the present invention. Further more, metal discs and washers or those made of other rigid materials coated with a low-friction material such as polytetrafluorethylene or the like could be employed in the present invention instead ofthe solid polytetrafiuorethylene members as described hereinabove.

As can be readily seen from FIGS. 3 and 4, the antifriction device 40 of the present invention involves relatively few parts which are relatively inexpensive to manufacture and can be easily installed and assembled. Furthermore, since all parts are of circular configuration, they can be readily mass-produced.

In operation, the toe portion of theboot sole3l rests on the antifriction device 40 and therefore is assured a substantially constant friction force during an accident, thus greatly enhancing the reliability of operation of the release feature of the safety binding.

While I have shown and described only one embodiment in accordance with thepresent invention, it is understood that the same is not limited thereto but is susceptible of numerous changes and modifications as known to those skilled in the art. For example, the washers, disks and outer encapsulating member may be made of any other analogous material having similar characteristics. Furthermore, as pointed out above, the anti-friction device 40 may also be used with other safety ski bindings including safety release toe and/or heel support members. Hence, I do not wish to be limited to the details shown and described herein but intend to cover all such changes and modifications as are encompassed by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: V

1. An anti-friction device for supporting the sole of a ski boot on a ski for purposes of minimizing variations in the friction forces under all skiing conditions, comprising a first washer means provided with a substantially centrally located hole, further means having low friction surfaces and of larger diametric dimension than said first washer means and including at least a second washer means, means including a threaded member for holding said first washer means and atleast a part of said further means'fixedly with respect to the ski, and outer encapsulating means of resilient material which has its peripheral edge portions folded over and tucked under the further means to thereby provide a moistureand dirt-proof assembly by the sealing action of the resilient material of the encapsulating means in conjunction with the clamping action of the tightened threaded member. I

2. An anti-friction device according to claim 1, wherein said further means includes a second washer means with low-friction surfaces andof larger diamet ric dimension than said first washer means and a disk means with low-friction surfaces and of still larger diametric dimension than said second washer means, said second washer means beingv held fast by said threaded member.

3. An anti-friction device for skis, according to claim 1, wherein said first washer means essentially consists of a relatively rigid material while the second washer means essentially consists of a material having antifriction properties.

4. An anti friction device according to claim 3, wherein the first washer means is made of steeland the second washer means is made I of polytetrafluoroethylene. V

5. An anti-friction 1 device according to claim 1, wherein a disk means isinterposed between the second washer means and the outer encapsulating means, said disk means beingof largerdiametric dimension than the second washer means.

6. An anti-friction device according to claim 5, wherein the disk means is made of a low-friction material. i

7. An anti-friction device according to claim 5, wherein the disk means is made of polytetrafluoroethylene.

8. An anti-friction device according to claim 7, wherein the outer encapsulating means essentially consists of neoprene.

9. An anti-friction device according to claim 8, wherein all parts of the anti-friction device are substantially circular in configuration.

10. An anti-friction device according to claim 9, wherein the outer edge portions of the encapsulating means are folded under the first washer means approximately in abutting relationship with the first washer means.

11. An anti-friction device according to claim 9, wherein the second washer means is provided with a substantially centrally located hole of lesser diametric dimension than the hole in the first washer means with the inner circumferential edge portions of the second washer means extending through the hole of the first washer means and transmitting the clamping action of the threaded member onto the first washer means.

12. An anti-friction device according to claim 9, wherein the hole of the first washer means is only slightly larger than the threaded portion of the threaded member, and in that the threadedimember has a conically shaped head portion engaging in the hole of complementary configuration provided in said second washer means.

13. An anti-friction device according to claim 1, wherein the second washer means is provided with a substantially centrally located hole of lesser diametric dimension than the hole in the first washer means with the inner circumferential edge portions of the second washer means extending through the hole of the first washer means and transmitting the clamping action of the threaded member onto the first washer means.

14. An anti-friction device according to claim 1, wherein the hole of the first washer means is only slightly larger than the threaded portion of the threaded member, and the threaded member has a conically shaped head portion engaging in the hole of complementary configuration provided in said second washer means.

15. An anti-friction device for supporting the sole of a ski boot on a ski for purposes of minimizing variations in the friction forces under all skiing conditions, comprising a first washer means provided with a substantially centrally located hole, further means having low friction surfaces and of larger diametric dimension than said first washer means and including at least a second washer means, means including a threaded member for holding said first washer means fixedly with respect to the ski, and outer encapsulating means which has its peripheral edge portions folded over and tucked under the further means to thereby provide a moistureand dirt-proof assembly by the sealing action of the material of the encapsulating means in conjunction with the clamping action of the tightened threaded member.

16. An anti-friction device according to claim 15, wherein the outer encapsulating means is made of a resilient material.

17. An anti-friction device according to claim 15, wherein the first washer means is made of steel and the second washer means is made of polytetrafluoroethylene.

18. An antifriction device according to claim 15, wherein a disk means is interposed between the second washer means and the outer encapsulating means, said disk means being of larger diametric dimension than the second washer means.

19. An anti-friction device according to claim 18, wherein the disk means is made of polytetrafluoroethylene.

20. An anti-friction device according to claim 2, wherein said washer means are metal or other rigid material coated with a polytetrafluoroethylene layer.

21. An anti-friction device according to claim 15, wherein said threaded member is threadably connected to a base plate, and wherein said encapsulating means is clamped between said base plate and said further means with the encapsulating means in contact with the base plate.

22. An anti-friction device for supporting the sole of a ski boot on a ski for purposes of minimizing variations in the friction forces under skiing conditions; said device comprising:

a first washer means,

a second washer means with low-friction surfaces,

a disk means with low-friction surfaces,

and holding means for holding said first washer means and second washer means fixedly with respect to the ski with one side of said second washer being supported on said first washer means and the other side of said second washer means supporting said disk means,

wherein said holding means includes a first member extending through openings provided in said first and second washer means,

and wherein said holding means further includes an outer encapsulating means of resilient material which has its peripheral edge portions folded over and tucked under the second washer means to thereby provide a moisture and dirt-proof assembly by the sealing action of the resilient material of the encapsulating means in conjunction with the clamping action of the first member.

23. A device according to claim 22, wherein said first member is a threaded clamping member.

24. A device according to claim 23, wherein said encapsulating means covers said disk means on the side of said disk means facing outwardly of said second washer means.

25. A device according to claim 24, wherein said threaded member is threadedly attached to a base member, and wherein said encapsulating means is clamped between said base member and said second washer means.

Claims

1. AN ANTI-FRACTION DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING THE SOLE OF A SKI BOOT ON A SKI FOR PURPOSES OF MINIMIZING VARIATIONS IN THE FRICTION FORCES UNDER ALL SKIING CONDITIONS, COMPRISING A FIRST WASHER MEANS PROVIDED WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRALLY LOCATED HOLE, FURTHER MEANS HAVING LOW FRICTION SURFACES AND OF LARGER DIAMETRIC DIMENSION THAN SAID FIRST WASHER MEANS AND INCLUDING AT LEAST A SECOND WASHER MEANS, MEANS INCLUDING A THREADED MEMBER FOR HOLDING SAID FIRST WASHER MEANS AND AT LEAST A PART OF SAID FURTHERE MEANS FIXEDLY WITH RESPECT TO THE SKI, AND OUTER ENCAPSULATING MEANS OF RESILIENT MATERIAL WHICH HAS ITS PERIPHERAL EDGE PORTIONS FOLDED OVER AND TUCKED UNDER THE FURTHER MEANS TO THEREBY PROVIDE A MOISTURE- AND DIRTPROOF ASSEMBLY BY THE SEALING ACTION OF THE RESILIENT MTERIAL OF THE ENCAPSAULTAING MEANS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CLAMPING ACTION OF THE TIGHTENED THREADEDED MEMBER.

2. An anti-friction device according to claim 1, wherein said further means includes a second washer means with low-friction surfaces and of larger diametric dimension than said first washer means and a disk means with low-friction surfaces and of still larger diametric dimension than said second washer means, said second washer means being held fast by said threaded member.

3. An anti-friction device for skis, according to claim 1, wherein said first washer means essentially consists of a relatively rigid material while the second washer means essentially consists of a material having anti-friction properties.

4. An anti-friction device according to claim 3, wherein the first washer means is made of steel and the second washer means is made of polytetrafluoroethylene.

5. An anti-friction device according to claim 1, wherein a disk means is interposed between the second washer means and the outer encapsulating means, said disk means being of larger diametric dimension than the second washer means.

6. An anti-friction device according to claim 5, wherein the disk means is made of a low-friction material.

12. An anti-friction device according to claim 9, wherein the hole of the first washer means is only slightly larger than the threaded portion of the threaded member, and in that the threaded member has a conically shaped head portion engaging in the hole of complementary configuration provided in said second washer means.

15. An anti-friction device for supporting the sole of a ski boot on a ski for purposes of minimizing variations in the friction forces under all skiing conditions, comprising a first washer means provided with a substantially centrally located hole, further means having low friction surfaces and of larger diametric dimension than said first washer means and including at least a second washer means, means including a threaded member for holding said first washer means fixedly with respect to the ski, and outer encapsulating means which has its peripheral edge portions folded over and tucked under the further means to thereby provide a moisture- and dirt-proof assembly by the sealing action of the material of the encapsulating means in conjunction with the clamping action of the tightened threaded member.

18. An anti-friction device according to claim 15, wherein a disk means is interposed between the second washer means and the outer encapsulating means, said disk means being of larger diametric dimension than the second washer means.

22. An anti-friction device for supporting the sole of a ski boot on a ski for purposes of minimizing variations in the friction forces under skiing conditions; said device comprising: a first washer means, a second washer means with low-friction surfaces, a disk means with low-friction surfaces, and holding means for holding said first washer means and second washer means fixedly with respect to the ski with one side of said second washer being supported on said first washer means and the other side of said second washer means supporting said disk means, wherein said holding means includes a first member extending through openings provided in said first and second washer means, and wherein said holding means further includes an outer encapsulating means of resilient material which has its peripheral edge portions folded over and tucked under the second washer means to thereby provide a moisture and dirt-proof assembly by the sealing action of the resilient material of the encapsulating means in conjunction with the clamping action of the first member.