Automatically releasable heel plate ski binding

Claim 2

In combination with a ski having a front binding for the toe of a skier''s boot adapted to pivot laterally should excessive torsional force be directed to the boot; a heel-binding unit to hold the heel of a boot in close relation to a ski including a boss member attached to said ski, plate means attached to the heel of the boot, said plate means having a central opening therethrough to receive said boss member therein and permitting rotation thereabouts, a pair of retractable tine means extending outwardly from said boss member generally toward the rear of said ski and spaced arcuately from the centerline of the ski as to overlie a portion of said heelplate means and hold the same in close relation to the ski and further retracting to release the boot from the ski upon a predetermined upward force applied to the heel of the boot and at least a pair of openings in said plate means arranged to lie on either side of each of said extending tine means when said heelplate and boss member are in proper engaged relation, said openings being substantially wider than said tine means such that the tine may pass therethrough releasing the heelplate means when the heel means is rotated so as to position said opening directly below said extending pin.

Claim 3

The structure as set forth in claim 1 and the outermost extending end of said tine means being beveled and the portion of the heelplate between said notched openings being cooperatively beveled so as to underlie the bevel of said extending pin when said boss member and plate are in proper engaged relation. 3.. A safety heel binding for a skier''s boot adapted to be used in combination with a boot toe binding mounted on a ski and adapted to pivot laterally upon excess torsional force being applied to the boot, including an arcuate boss member with a cenTral opening therein securely attached to the ski rearward of said toe binding and having at least a pair of extensible tine members extending radially from the periphery thereof toward the rear of the ski and arcuately spaced from a centerline of the ski, said tine members having the inner ends thereof extending radially inward to the central opening of said boss member, resilient spring means associated with said inner ends of said tines to maintain said tines in a normally extended position, a plate member attached to the heel of said boot and having a central opening therethrough to receive said boss member therein and having a portion thereof arranged to normally underlie said extended tines so as to be in close adjacent relation to said ski, at least a pair of notched openings in said plate member on either side of said underlying portion allowing said plate member to be removed from said boss member when rotated so as to position one of said openings directly below one of said tines and further being releasable from said boss member upon the application of a predetermined upward force urging said tines into a retracted position within said boss member.

Claim 4

The structure as set forth in claim 3 and the extending most portions of said tines being beveled so as to overlie the heelplate and hold the same thereunder.

Claim 5

The structure as set forth in claim 4 and the portion of the heelplate underlying said extending tines being inwardly beveled.

Claim 6

The structure as set forth in claim 3 and adjustment means including means to shorten the effective length of said spring means so as to increase the outward urging force applied thereby to said tines.

Claim 7

The structure as set forth in claim 3 and bearing means extending the entire width of said ski interposed between the ski and said boss member, providing a bearing surface for the rotation of said heelplate.

Claim 8

The structure as set forth in claim 3 and cover means associated with said boss member to seal the internal opening therein.