US3514118A - Ski binding - Google Patents

Description

May 26, 1970 J. 1. BACCHESCHI 3,514,118

SKI BINDING Filed May 29, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JcSEP/v lfinccfissan KMW'L Wis 2 Tron NE/V May 26, 1970 J. I. BACCHESCHI SKI BINDING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 29. 1968 INVENTOR se P/LZ BfiCCf/ESCH/ 74/3 AZTYoF United States Patent 3,514,118 SKI BINDING Joseph I. Baccheschi, 30 Brook St., Torrington, Conn. 06790 Filed May 29, 1968, Ser. No. 740,806 Int. Cl. A63c 9/081 US. Cl. 280-11.35 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to ski bindings in which both ski boot toe and heel engaging units include spring pressed members for holding both toe and heel to the ski, both units are subject to release by vertical forces in excess of their respective spring pressures and the toe unit is also adapted for release through torsional stress applied thereto in excess of the holding power of the toe piece locking mechanism, said toe piece embodying a pivoted member for horizontal swinging movement with respect to the ski.

The object of this invention is to provide a safety binding that properly holds the ski boot to the ski. Both the toe and heel members press down and in On the toe and heel of the boot sole to eliminate any loose relationship between the boot and ski.

A further object is to provide a binding of the characte described in which the heel binding is operably engaged from a vertical position by application of the ski pole spike to a rockable member.

Another object is to provide a device of the character described in which spring pressed members in both heel and toe members are individually subject to predetermined adjustment.

The tensions of the several springs are set by compressing same to the desired degree and locking them at that setting so that force applied to said springs'will overcome the force thereof'and the boot will be released by vertical or horizontal pressure against the heel and toe piece due to a sudden force applied thereto which causes same to disengage from the boot.

A further object is to provide a device of the character described in which the ski boot may be attached to the ski by compressing the heel unit spring by means of the ski pole in connection with a swingable member abutting one end of the spring.

A further object is to provide a swivel mechanism in the toe piece which eliminates the necessity of forward or backward movement of either the toe or heel unit to engage the ski boot.

There are many advantages to my invention in that there are no notches, cams, arms, levers, cables, straps, plates or cleats to catch or hinder the safety operation of the binding.

Further, the binding will fit the right or left boot interchangeably so that the skiis can be interchanged.

While it is contemplated that the toe and heel bind ings be used together, it is possible that either can be used with a toe and heel binding having different characteristics.

The ski engaging portions of the toe and heel units are of the same configuration, which is an asset in the manufacture of same, and they may be set and mounted on the ski with the same jig so that there is no chance of same moving out of adjustment.

A practical embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of my device attached to a ski, the swinging motion of the toe piece being shown in dotted lines, as is the schematic representation of the ski boot in its swung positions.

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- FIG. 2 is a side view on a large scale of the toe piece of FIG. 1 partly broken away.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the form shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 on the same scale as FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is the back or heel piece representing same in side elevation, the motion of some of the parts being represented in dotted lines, and

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the device shown in FIG. 4, both FIGS. 4 and 5 being on the same scale as FIGS. 2 and 3.

As illustrated in the drawings, a section of a ski is denoted by 1 and, aflixed thereto in predetermined location, are toe piece base 2B and the heel piece 3. These normally fit over or engage the sole of a ski boot 4 at toe and heel as shown in FIG. 1.

The toe piece 2 is provided with a base plate 2B to which the piece 2 is pivoted by a pivot 28 and said base plate 2B is affixed to the ski 1 by means of screws denoted collectively by 5.

The toe piece 2 is normally provided with an arcuate toe engaging segment 7 curved or shaped, as clearly seen in FIG. 3. Toe engaging piece 7 is secured to a rota table or swingable block 9 by a screw 25 or it may be formed integral with said block. The rotatable block 9 carrying the element 7 is pivoted on a pin 10, which pin is journalled in the ears 11 and 12 rising from the portion 2 of the toe piece unit. Said block 9 may or may not be provided with a top hole 13 to take a ski pole spike which acts as a lever to swing block 9. The opposite end of the toe unit is provided with a vertical end piece 14 which is cut out at 22 to accommodate one end of a rod 15 and to provide an abutment for a spring 16 which surrounds rod 15 and is compressed thereon by a nut 17 threaded on 15.

Block 9 is provided with a recess 23 to accommodate the opposite end of rod 15 and said rod end is pinned therein by pin 24.

Vertical end piece 14 is bored to accommodate a releasable lock means comprising a spring pressed ball 18, spring 19 and a set'screw20 for compressingthe spring against the ball. It will be noted that the latter projects slightly through element 2 into a depression 30 in base plate 2B to releasably hold the toe piece elements in normal operating position.

Screw 20 is tapped into piece 14 and is provided with a lock nut 21 to mount same in its desired adjusted position as the holding power of the ball 18 depends on the pressure set on spring 19.

In order to limit the vertical rotative movement of the block 9 which carries the element 7, I provide a set screw 26 and its nut 27 immediately below element 7, as shown in FIG. 2.

With respect to the heel piece or unit 3, the arcuate heel engaging segment is denoted by 8, and this may be formed integral with or attached to a rockable base 30 by a screw 34. Base 30 is provided with top hole 31 adapted to receive the spike end of a ski pole (not shown) to rock same and said hole 31 is normally provided with a protective cover 32 pivoted on element 30 at 33, as shown in FIG. 4 to keep same free of snow, ice or other foreign material.

A rod 35 is seated in a recess 45 in a vertical end piece 44 of element 3, which element is normally attached to the ski by screws denoted collectively by 6. These screws are seated in pairs of slots 42 and 43- for initial adjustment of the unit longitudinally with respect to the ski.

The opposite end of rod 35 is pivoted at 38 in a cut-out portion 49 of piece 30.

The swingable piece 30 is pivoted on a pin 41 provided with a cotter pin 46, said pin 41 being journalled in ears 39 and 40 on element 3.

Patented May 26, 1970 fined by a nut 37 threaded on the rod 35 to compress andv hold the compressed spring on the rod 35.

A screw and nut, 47 and 48, respectively, are threaded in the end of element 3 to limit the downward motion of the element 8 imparted thereto by swingable piece 30.

When it is desired to attach the ski boot to the ski, the toe may be engaged first and the tip of the ski pole may then be inserted in the socket 31 in element 30, the cover 32 having been first raised to provide access to the socket 31.

The element 30' is then rocked to its desired position as shown in FIG. 4, the heel of the boot moved under the arcuate heel engaging element 8 and the element 30 released so that it will be urged back by spring 36 to its upright position as shown in the solid lines in FIG. 4. The element 8 will then be exerting a downward and forward pressure on the ski boot, and this will be maintained by the action of the spring 36 against the nut 37 on shaft 35 which is pivoted at 38 in element 30 to rock the latter to its forward position.

If it is desired at any time to adjust the longitudinal relationship between the toe unit and heel unit prior to use, screws 6 can be backed off and the heel element slid forwardly or backwardly to the limits of the slots 42 and 43 and the screws again set. This possibility is illustrated in FIG. 5.

It will be seen from the above, when the units are in use, any force, either horizontal or vertical which may cause injury to the wearer of a ski boot will, if greater than the spring force initially set the units will cause same to move upwardly and in the case of the toe unit laterally also to release the afiected boot from the binding.

It will be seen from the foregoing that I have provided a binding which is light in weight, of simple construction and easily adjustable to a proper fit for any size boot.

Since it is evident that changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, I do not intend to be limited to the specific embodiment herein shown and described, except as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A ski binding comprising the combination with a ski of a toe piece base, a single toe piece pivoted directly on said base for horizontal motion with respect to said base, means for maintaining the toe piece in normal operative position, and a single toe engaging piece pivotally mounted on said toe piece for vertical movement with respect thereto, adjustable means normally biasing said toe engaging piece downwardly, means in said toe engaging piece for receiving manual means for rocking same into and out of toeengaging position, a heel piece adjustably mounted on said ski, a heel engaging piece rockably mounted on said heel piece for vertical arcuate motion with respect thereto, adjusting means normally biasing said heel engaging piece downwardly and toward said toe piece, and means in said rockable piece for receiving manual means to rock said piece in the desired direction.

2. The combination according to claim 1 in which the toe engaging piece is fixed to the toe piece.

3. The combinationaccording to claim 1 in which the adjustable means normally biasing said toe engaging piece downwardly comprise an expansion spring mounted at one end in the toe piece and pivoted on the toe engaging piece.

4. The combination according to claim 1 in which the adjusting means normally biasing the heel engaging piece downwardly and toward said toe piece comprise an expansion spring on a rod based at one end in said heel piece and said rod pivoted at the other end in said rockable heel engaging piece. 1

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,573,955 11/ 1951 Cubberley. 2,851,278 9/ 1958 Berlenbach. 2,867,447 1/ 1959 Mueller. 2,981,547 4/ 196 1 Taggart. 3,325,178 6/ 1967 Reuge et al.

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,418,671 10/ 1965 France. 1,470,835 1/1967 France.

584,108 10/ 1958 Italy.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner J. A. PEKAR, Assistant Examiner

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