Adjustable spring-loaded positioning device in safety-ski bindings

Claim 1

AN ADJUSTABLE DETENT DEVICE FOR SAFETY SKI BINDINGS, COMPRISING: A CHEEK MOUNTABLE ON A SKI IN A POSITION FOR ENGAGING THE TOE OF A SKI BOOT, SAID CHEEK BEING PIVOTABLE ABOUT A FIRST AXIS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE SKI AND HAVING RECESS MEANS THEREIN; A HOUSING DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID CHEEK AND HAVING AN ELONGATED PASSAGE THERETHROUGH; A BALL DISPOSED IN SAID PASSAGE AND BEING MOVABLE IN A LENGTHWISE DIRECTION THEREALONG, SAID BALL BEING PARTLY EXTENDABLE THROUGH ONE END OF SAID PASSAGE FOR RECEPTION IN SAID RECESS MEANS TO YIELDABLY PREVENT PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID CHEEK; A COIL SPRING DISPOSED WITHIN SAID PASSAGE AND HAVING ONE END THEREOF ENGAGING SAID BALL FOR URGING SAME TOWARD SAID ONE END OF SAID PASSAGE; A PRESSURE MEMBER ENGAGING THE OTHER END OF SAID SPRING AND MEANS SUPPORTING SAID PRESSURE MEMBER FOR SLIDING MOVEMENT LENGTHWISE OF THE PASSAGE WHEREBY THE COMPRESSION OF SAID SPRING AND THEREBY THE FORCE URGING SAID BALL TOWARD SAID ONE END OF SAID PASSAGE CAN BE ADJUSTED, SAID PRESSURE MEMBER HAVING AN EXTENDED END EXTENDING AWAY FROM SAID HOUSING; OPERATING MEANS FOR EFFECTING SUCH LENGTHWISE MOVEMENT OF THE PRESSURE MEMBER, SAID OPERATING MEANS INCLUDING AN OPERATING MEMBER CONNECTED TO THE EXTENDED END OF SAID PRESSURE MEMBER AND MOUNTED OUTSIDE OF SAID HOUSING FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT THROUGH AN ARC OF LESS THAN 360 DEGRESS AROUND A SECOND AXIS TRANSVERSE OF SAID PASSAGE, SAID SECOND AXIS BEING SPACED FROM THE CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID PRESSURE MEMBER AND SAID OPERATING MEMBER FOR MOVING SAID PRESSURE MEMBER LENGTHWISE FROM ITS MOST REMOTE POSITION WITH RESPECT TO SAID ONE END OF SAID PASSAGE TO ITS CLOSET POSITION IN RESPONSE TO PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID OPERATING MEMBER; AND DETENT MEANS FOR RELEASABLY HOLDING SAID OPERATING MEMBER IN SELECTABLE INTERMEDIATE POSITION BETWEEN THE ENDS OF SAID ARC.