US3612560A

US3612560A - Rear tightener for safety ski binding

Info

Publication number: US3612560A
Application number: US843989A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bernd Payrhammer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Marker International GmbH; Marker International Co
Priority date: 1969-03-07
Filing date: 1969-07-23
Publication date: 1971-10-12
Anticipated expiration: 1988-10-12
Also published as: DE1923882A1; RO55986A; FR2034708A1; GB1252843A; AT293243B; JPS4923865B1; SE344017B; NO124415B; CH486892A; DE1923882C3; DE1923882B2; AT314396B

Abstract

A boot-pushing member is rotatably mounted on an axle which extends transversely to the longitudinal axis of the ski and parallel to the tread of the ski and forms the web of a U-shaped member having legs which serve as pull rods and have free end portions which, on an axis that is parallel to the web, are pivoted to a plate which is secured to the ski. The boot-pushing member is subjected to the action of a spring, which produces the force for holding down the heel and the contact pressure between the toe portion of the skiing boot and a toe holder and which has one end that engages the axle which carries the boot-pushing member. The boot-pushing member is mounted on the axle by means of a slot and is slidable against the force of the spring so as to reduce the spacing of the sole-holding end of the boot-pushing member from the axle. The boot-pushing member has at least one laterally outwardly directed projection close to the sole-holding end, which projection serves to cooperate with a bracket, which extends inwardly from one leg of the U-shaped member, so that said bracket permits of a rotation of the boot-pushing member only when the sole-holding end has been displaced toward the axle. The sole-holding end lies over the straight line connecting the axle forming the web of the U-shaped member and the pivotal axis of the free end portions of the legs when the projection of the boot-pushing member engages the bracket from below.

Description

United States Patent [7 2] Inventor Bernd Payrliammer Farchaut, Germany [21] Appl. No. 843,989 1 [22] Filed July 23, 1969 [45] Patented Oct. 12, 1971 [73] Assignee l-lannes Marker Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany [32] Priority Mar. 7, 1969, May 9, 1969 [33] Germany [31] G 69 09 278.0-7402 and P 1923 882:5

[54] REAR TIGHTENER FOR SAFETY SKI BINDING 9 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

I 52 us. c1 ..2s0/11. 35 T j 51 1111. c1 A63c 9/00 [50] Field of Search 280/11.35

'HA, 11.35 T, 11.35 TA [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,249,365 5/1966 Beyl 280/11.35 HA 3,418,004 12/1968 Welker.... 280/1 1.35 HA 3,466,057 9/ 1969 Dobler 280/11.35 HA FOREIGN PATENTS 470,190 5/1965 Switzerland 280/1 1.35 l-lA Primary Examiner-Benjamin Hersh Assistant Examiner-Robert R. Song Attorneys-Fleit, Gipple & Jacobson and Stevens, Davis,

Miller & Mosher ABSTRACT: A boot-pushing member is rotatably mounted on an axle which extends transversely to the longitudinal axis of the ski and parallel to the tread of the ski and forms the web of a U-shaped member having legs which serve as pull rods and have free end portions which, on an axis that is parallel to the web, are pivoted to a plate which is secured to the ski. The boot-pushing member is subjected to the action of a spring, which produces the force for holding down the heel and the contact pressure between the toe portion of the skiing boot and a toe holder and which has one end that engages the axle which carries the boot-pushing member. The boot-pushing member is mounted on the axle by means of a slot and is slidable against the force of the spring so as to reduce the spacing of the sole-holding end of the boot-pushing member from the axle. The boot-pushing member has at least one laterally out wardly directed projection close to the sole-holding end, which projection serves to cooperate with a bracket, which extends inwardly from one leg of the U-shaped member, so that said bracket permits of a rotation of the boot-pushing member only when the sole-holding end has been displaced toward the axle. The sole-holding end lies over the straight line connecting the axle forming the web of the U-shaped member and the pivotal axis of the free end portions of the legs when the projection of the boot-pushing member engages the bracket from below.

PATENTEUum 12 um SHEET 10F 2 INVENTOR BERND PAYRHAMMER BY W Q ATTORNEYS PATENTEDUET 1 2 Ian SHEET 2 UF 2 6 l 2 560 lg 4 'NVENTO BERND PAYRHAMMER TORNEY REAR TIGHTENER FOR SAFETY SKI BINDING The present invention relates to a rear tightener for safety ski bindings, which tightener comprises a boot-pushing member, which is rotatably mounted on an axle which extends transversely to the longitudinal axis of the ski and parallel to the tread of the ski and forms the web of a U-shaped member having legs which serve as pull rods. The legs have free end portions which on an axis that is parallel to the web are pivoted to a plate which is secured to the ski, the boot-pushing member being subjected to the action of a spring, which produces the force for holding down the heel and the contact pressure between the toe portion of the skiing boot and a toe holder and which has one end that engages the axle which carries the boot-pushing member.

In a known rear tightener of that type, a prestressed helical compression spring is mounted in the boot-pushing member and through an interposed plungerlike spring abutment acts on the axle, which is provided adjacent to the spring abutment with a flat, which is disposed to be engaged by the spring abutment when the rear tightener is in condition for skiing whereas the spring abutment is forced against the nonflattened portion of the axle when the rear tightener is open. When the rear tightener is in condition for skiing, the sole-holding portion of the boot-pushing member is thus under the action of a moment of force which tends to retain the skiing boot on the ski. The boot-pushing member can be pivotally moved to its open position under the action of an opposing torque which exceeds the movement of force. When the spring abutment has moved from the flat to the nonflattened portion of the axle, virtually no efi'ort is required to swing the boot-pushing member.

This known rear tightener has various disadvantages by which its utility is much reduced. It does not ensure a release exactly in response to a predetermined maximum force and an opposing torque which corresponds to the moment of force is also required for an arbitrary opening of the rear tightener. In the open condition of the device, a person touching it may be injured because in this condition the spring is highly strained and after a certain pivotal movement performed by the bootpushing member virtually under no effort the spring can relax to move the boot-pushing member suddenly to its locking position.

For this reason, it is an object of the invention so to design a rear tightener for safety ski bindings of the kind previously described that is free of the disadvantages of the known rear tightener and is simpler and more reliable in operation than the latter and can be just as economically produced.

The invention relates to a rear tightener for safety ski bindings, which tightener comprises a bootpushing member, which is rotatably mounted on an axle which extends transversely to the longitudinal axis of the ski and parallel to the tread of the ski and forms the web of a U-shaped member having legs which serve as pull rods. The legs have free end portions which on an axis that is parallel to the web are pivoted to a plate which is secured to the ski. The boot-pushing member is subjected to the action of a spring, which produces the force for holding down the heel and the contact pressure between the toe portion of the skiing boot and a toe holder and which has one end that engages the axle which carries the boot-pushing member. In such a rear tightener, the object set forth above is accomplished in that the boot-pushing member is mounted on the axle by means of a slot and is slidable against the force of the spring so as to reduce the spacing of the soleholding end of the boot-pushing member from the axle. The boot-pushing member has at least one laterally outwardly directed projection close to the sole-holding end which pro jection serves to cooperate with a bracket which extends inwardly from one leg of the U-shaped member so that said bracket permits a rotation of the boot-pushing member only when the sole-holding end has been displaced toward the axle. The sole-holding end lies over the straight line connecting the axle forming the web of the U-shaped member and the pivotal axis of the free end portions of the legs when the projection of the boot-pushing member engages the bracket from below.

For reasons of design and strength, it is desirable to provide two projections on opposite sides of the boot-pushing member and to provide two brackets on respective legs of the U- shaped member.

In a preferred embodiment of the rear tightener according to the invention, the spring comprises a helical compression spring, which is mounted in a longitudinal bore, which opens into a slot and is provided with a screw thread in its outer end portion and contains a screw plug serving as a spring abutment.

It has proved particularly desirable to provide an arrangement in which the boot-pushing member extends beyond its axle, the longitudinal bore extends into said extension, and said bore position contains a weak helical compression spring, which bears at one end on the bottom of the bore and at the other end on the axle for the boot-pushing member. As a result, the boot-pushing member will not be freely displaccable on the axle when the rear tightener is in its open position.

Another disadvantage of the known rear tightener which has been previously described is that it comprises no means for indicating the settings of the force for holding down the heel and for the contact pressure so that there is an inevitable margin of uncertainty in this respect. This margin of uncertainty will be eliminated in the rear tightener according to the invention if a spring abutment is provided at least between the axle for the boot-pushing member and a spring and said spring abutment forms an indicator of devices for indicating the setting of the force for holding down the heel and the contact pressure whereas the scales of said devices are provided on the boot-pushing member.

In a development of this feature of the invention, each of the upper and lower walls of the boot-pushing member are suitably provided with a slot which extends in the direction in which the boot-pushing member is displaccable. The scales are provided at the longitudinal edges of said slots and are relatively staggered in the longitudinal direction, and the spring abutment comprises two diametrically opposite extensions, which serve as indicators. That indicating device which is the upper one when the rear tightener is in condition for use serves to indicate the contact pressure. The other indicating device serving to indicate the setting of the force for holding down the heel will be on top when the boot-pushing member has been pivotally moved to a position in which the screw plug is easily accessible, e.g., by a screwdriver, so that it can be screwed in or out to vary the force for holding down the heel.

To hold the boot-pushing member in position on the axle when the rear tightener is in its open position, the axle may be provided with a flat, which is engaged by the weak helical compression spring, preferably with a spring abutment interposed.

An embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example on the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a top plan view showing the rear tightener in condition for skiing.

FIG. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view showing the rear tightener of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows the rear tightener of FIG. l with its boot-pushing member swung out to the rear.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation showing the rear tightener in the same position as in FIG. 3 but partly cut open.

The rear tightener comprises two pull rods ll, 2, by which it is secured to the ski at a suitable heel plate, which is not shown because it is known in various designs. The heel plate may be mounted, e.g., for longitudinal adjustment on a bmeplate, which is secured to the ski. This longitudinal adjustment serves to adjust the rear tightener to skiing boots differing in size and to select the contact pressure applied by the skiing boot against a toe holder.

At those ends which are not secured to the heel plate, the pull rods I, 2 are interconnected by an axle 3, which is nonrotatably riveted in holes of the pull rods. On the axle, a bootpushing member 4 is mounted to be freely rotatable and iongitudinally slidable to a limited extent. For this purpose, the

member 4 has a slot 5. One end of the boot-pushing member constitutes a soleholder 6. As is apparent from FIGS. 2 and 4, the boot-pushing member 4 has a blind hole 7, which is provided with a screw thread in its outer end portion. The blind hole 7 crosses the slot so that the axle 3 extends transversely through the blind hole. A weak helical compression spring 8 is disposed between the axle and the bottom of the blind hole and through an interposed spring abutment 9 bears on a flat formed on the axle 3 (see FIG. 2). On the other side of the axle 3, the blind hole 7 contains a strong helical compression spring 10, which bears on the axle, also with a spring abutment ll interposed. At its other end, this spring bears on a plug 12, which is threaded into the blind hole 7. The outer end face of that plug is formed with a slot 13 for engagement by a screwdriver. The spring abutment 11 comprises two

extensions

14, 15, which are received by respective, diametrically

opposite slots

16 or 17, which are formed in the boot-pushing member 4. That end of the boot-pushing member 4 which is not provided with the soleholder 6 carries a cap 18, which serves at the same time as a handle.

Two oppositely disposed

brackets

19, 20 having mirror symmetry are mounted on

respective pull rods

1, 2 and adapted to cooperate with

lateral projections

21, 22 of the boot-pushing member 4. As is apparent from H6. 1, the projections engage the brackets from below when the rear tightener is in condition for use. A skiing boot is indicated in dash-dot lines in FIGS. 1 and 2 to facilitate the understanding of the rear tightener.

A rotation of the screw plug 12 causes a displacement of the boot-pushing member 4 on the axle 3 against the force of the helical compression spring 8, which is much weaker than the helical compression spring 10. When the rear tightener is open, as is shown in FIG. 3 and 4, the desired resistance opposing a release and the desired force holding down the heel are thus adjusted. The extension 14 of the spring abutment 11 extends into the slot 16 of the boot-pushing member 4 and serves as an indicator. A scale is provided at the longitudinal edges of the slot on the boot-pushing member 4 and may divide the range of adjustment into four steps, as is indicated by way of example in FIG. 3.

When the skier has set the rear tightener to the desired resistance opposing a release, he may step into the binding and may then check whether the correct pressure is applied by the rear tightener. This check is accomplished by an indicating device, which consists of an extension of the spring abutment l1 and a scale provided on the longitudinal edges of the slot 17 of the boot-pushing member 4 (see FIG. 1). As to the division into steps, this scale is like the one provided on the other side of the boot-pushing member because the contact pressure should vary as a function of the resistance opposing a release.

To apply the binding, the skiing boot is first placed on the ski and is forced against the toe holder. The boot-pushing member 4 of the rear tightener is then raised and its soleholder 6 is inserted into the heel groove of the skiing boot and applied to the sole. The cap 18 at the free end of the boot-pushing member is then swung down so that the spring 10 is stressed and the soleholder is moved to a position over the straight line which connects the axle 3 and the pivotal axle connecting the free end portions of the

pull rods

1, 2 to the heel plate, not shown, and in this position is held by toggle joint action. In this condition, the

projections

21, 22 of the boot-pushing member engage the

brackets

19, 20 of the pull rods and prevent a further rotation of the boot-pushing member. To get out of the binding it is sufficient to raise the boot-pushing member so that the soleholder is disengaged from the sole of the skiing boot. This requires only a small effort, which need not be sufficient to overcome the entire resistance opposing a release.

A safety release will be effected if the soldholder is subjected to the action of an approximately vertically upwardly directed force which is sufficient to stress the spring 10 and displace the boot-pushing member 4 until the

projections

21, 22 are no longer restrained by the

brackets

19, 20. The bootpushing member is then virtually freely rotatable and no longer opposes a lifting of the heel of the skiing boot from the ski. The rear tightener is then ready to engage a boot. The flat formed on the axle 3 and serving to hold the boot-pushing member in position when the rear tightener is open may be provided at a point other than shown in F IG. 2.

What is claimed is:

1. A ski boot rear heel tightener for safety ski bindings adapted to be used with a toe holder, said tightener comprising a U-shaped member, said U-shaped member comprising legs adapted to serve as pull rods and an axle connecting said legs, said axle forming the web of the U-shaped member and extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the ski, a boot-pushing member rotatably mounted on said axle, said boot-pushing member defining a longitudinal bore and having a slot therethrough through which said axle extends, a spring positioned in said boot-pushing member, said spring acting on said boot-pushing member to produce a force for holding down the heel and contact pressure between the toe portion of the ski boot and a toe holder, said spring having one end that engages the axle which carries the boot-pushing member, said boot-pushing member being slidable against the force of said spring so as to reduce the spacing of the sole-holding end of the boot-pushing member from the axle, at least one outwardly directed projection secured to said boot-pushing member, bracket means connected to said legs, said bracket means extending inwardly from said legs to cooperate with each said outwardly directed projection so that said bracket means permits a rotation of said boot-pushing member only when the said sole-holding end has been displaced towards the axle, said sole-holding end lying over the straight line connecting the axle forming the web of the U-shaped member when the outwardly directed projection of said boot-pushing member engages said bracket means from below.

2. A rear heel tightener according to claim 1, wherein two laterally outwardly projections are provided on opposite sides of said boot-pushing member and two brackets are provided on the respective legs of said U-shaped member.

3. A rear heel tightener according to claim 1, wherein the spring is a helical compression spring, said helical compression spring being mounted in said longitudinal bore, said lon gitudinal bore being provided with a screw thread at least in its outer end portion to receive a screw plug, said screw plug serving as a spring abutment.

4. A rear heel tightener according to claim 3, wherein the boot-pushing member extends beyond the axle and the longitudinal bore portion contains a weak helical compression spring, said weak helical compression spring bearing at one end on the bottom of said bore and at the other end on said axle for the boot-pushing member.

5. A rear heel tightener according to claim 4, wherein a spring abutment is provided at least between the axle for the boot-pushing member and a spring.

6. A rear heel tightener according to claim 5, wherein said spring abutment forms an indicator means, said indicator means being adapted to include the settings of the force for holding down the heel and the contact pressure, and registering the settings on scales provided on said boot-pushing member.

7. A rear heel tightener according to claim 1, wherein said boot-pushing member comprises a housing, slot means defined by said housing, scale indicia provided on said housing, said scale indicia positioned adjacent the longitudinal edge of said slot means in a substantially staggered arrangement, and a spring abutment mounted in said housing, said spring abutment comprising two diametrically opposed extensions which serve as indicators.

8. A rear heel tightener according to claim 4, wherein the axle is provided with a flat, a weak helical compression spring engaging said axle and an abutment interposed between said axle and said helical spring when said rear tightener is in an open condition to hold the boot-pushing member in position on the axle.

9. A rear heel tightener according to claim 1, wherein said legs have free end portions pivoted to a plate, said pivoted free.

end portions being on an axis parallel to said axle.

Claims

1. A ski boot rear heel tightener for safety ski bindings adapted to be used with a toe holder, said tightener comprising a U-shaped member, said U-shaped member comprising legs adapted to serve as pull rods and an axle connecting said legs, said axle forming the web of the U-shaped member and extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the ski, a boot-pushing member rotatably mounted on said axle, said boot-pushing member defining a longitudinal bore and having a slot therethrough through which said axle extends, a spring positioned in said boot-pushing member, said spring acting on said boot-pushing member to produce a force for holding down the heel and contact pressure between the toe portion of the ski boot and a toe holder, said spring having one end that engages the axle which carRies the bootpushing member, said boot-pushing member being slidable against the force of said spring so as to reduce the spacing of the soleholding end of the boot-pushing member from the axle, at least one outwardly directed projection secured to said boot-pushing member, bracket means connected to said legs, said bracket means extending inwardly from said legs to cooperate with each said outwardly directed projection so that said bracket means permits a rotation of said boot-pushing member only when the said soleholding end has been displaced towards the axle, said soleholding end lying over the straight line connecting the axle forming the web of the U-shaped member when the outwardly directed projection of said boot-pushing member engages said bracket means from below.

3. A rear heel tightener according to claim 1, wherein the spring is a helical compression spring, said helical compression spring being mounted in said longitudinal bore, said longitudinal bore being provided with a screw thread at least in its outer end portion to receive a screw plug, said screw plug serving as a spring abutment.

4. A rear heel tightener according to claim 3, wherein the boot-pushing member extends beyond the axle and the longitudinal bore portion contains a weak helical compression spring, said weak helical compression spring bearing at one end on the bottom of said bore and at the other end on said axle for the boot-pushing member. 5. A rear heel tightener according to claim 4, wherein a spring abutment is provided at least between the axle for the boot-pushing member and a spring.

9. A rear heel tightener according to claim 1, wherein said legs have free end portions pivoted to a plate, said pivoted free end portions being on an axis parallel to said axle.