Safety clamp for ski bindings employing a combined vertical and horizontal swing catch

Claim 2

Safety clamp for ski bindings comprising a spring-loaded lift and rotation locking device, unlockable at overload, including a common latch support and a common catch member releasably engageable with said common catch support for relative movement therebetween in the vertical and horizontal directions; said catch member being designed as a plate-shaped double-arm lever pivotally mounted on a nondeflectable part of the safety clamp; one end of said lever being designed as a feeler dome engaging surface engageable with a control surface of said common catch support; the other arm of said lever engaging a driving pin connected with the deflectable part of the safety clamp.

Claim 3

Safety clamp, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said catch member has a domelike sensing surface thereon in contact with the control surface on said catch support in the engaged position of said catch assembly, and the control surface of said catch support having a vertically arranged arcuate cam configuration extending convexly toward said catch member.

Claim 4

Safety clamp, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the portion of the vertical cam configuration of the control surface projecting the maximum distance from the catch support toward said catch member forming a release point for the engagement between said catch support and said catch member so that as the domelike sensing surface of said catch member passes the release point in the vertical release movement of said catch assembly, the catch assembly is disengaged and said hood member is released from the ski boot.

Claim 5

Safety clamp, as set forth in claim 1, wherein a closing lug attached to said hood member for supporting a ski boot at one of its front or rear end.

Claim 6

Safety clamp, as set forth in claim 4, wherein a vertically adjustable holder member for engaging and holding the sole of a boot disposed vertically above said closing lug, and a nondisplaceable screw mounted in said hood member for adjustably positioning said holder relative to said closing lug.

Claim 7

Safety clamp, as set forth in claim 5, wherein at least one compression spring is arranged in said holder member extending perpendicularly of said screw and extending in the longitudinal direction of the safety clamp for pressing said holder against said screw for preventing accidental turning of said screw.

Claim 8

Safety clamp for ski bindings comprising a support assembly arranged to be mounted on a ski, a hood member pivotally mounted relative to said support assembly and arranged to engage a ski boot in a releasable manner, a spring-loaded catch assembly providing a catch action in the vertical and horizontal directions and arranged to disengage when an overload is exerted thereon for releasing said hood member from the ski boot, said catch assembly comprising a common latch support and a common catch member releasably engageable with said common catch support for relative movement therebetween in the vertical and horizontal directions, one of said catch support and said catch member being secured to said hood member and the other being secured to said support assembly, and said catch support having a recessed curved control surface thereon and when said catch member is engaged with said catch support a portion of its surface is in contact with the recessed surface of said catch support for movement thereon in the vertical and horizontal directions toward a release point formed on the control surface; said catch member having a domelike sensing surface thereon in contact with the control surface on said catch support in the engaged position of said catch assembly, and the control surface of said catch support having a vertically arranged arcuate cam configuration extending convexly toward said catch member; thE portion of the vertical cam configuration of the control surface projecting the maximum distance from the catch support toward said catch member forming a release point for the engagement between said catch support and said catch member so that as the domelike sensing surface of said catch member passes the release point in the vertical release movement of said catch assembly, the catch assembly is disengaged and said hood member is released from the ski boot; and, in the horizontal direction, the control surface of said catch support has a channel-shaped configuration having the sidewalls inclined outwardly from the base of the channel to the outer ends thereof.

Claim 9

Safety clamp for ski bindings comprising a support assembly arranged to be mounted on a ski, a hood member pivotally mounted relative to said support assembly and arranged to engage a ski boot in a releasable manner, a spring-loaded catch assembly providing a catch action in the vertical and horizontal directions and arranged to disengage when an overload is exerted thereon for releasing said hood member from the ski boot, said catch assembly comprising a common latch support and a common catch member releasably engageable with said common catch support for relative movement therebetween in the vertical and horizontal directions, one of said catch support and said catch member being secured to said hood member and the other being secured to said support assembly, and said catch support having a recessed curved control surface thereon and when said catch member is engaged with said catch support a portion of its surface is in contact with the recessed surface of said catch support for movement thereon in the vertical and horizontal directions toward a release point formed on the control surface; said catch member having a domelike sensing surface thereon in contact with the control surface on said catch support in the engaged position of said catch assembly, and the control surface of said catch support having a vertically arranged arcuate cam configuration extending convexly toward said catch member; thE portion of the vertical cam configuration of the control surface projecting the maximum distance from the catch support toward said catch member forming a release point for the engagement between said catch support and said catch member so that as the domelike sensing surface of said catch member passes the release point in the vertical release movement of said catch assembly, the catch assembly is disengaged and said hood member is released from the ski boot; and, in the horizontal direction, the control surface of said catch support has a channel-shaped configuration having the sidewalls inclined outwardly from the base of the channel to the outer ends thereof.

Claim 10

Safety clamp, as set forth in claim 7, wherein the depth of the horizontal channel-shaped cross section of the control surface in said catch support increases from a horizontal plane through the release point in the vertical direction, and the sidewalls of the channel-shaped cross section diminish to zero from the horizontal plane through the vertical release point to the lower end of the control surface.

Claim 11

Safety clamp for ski bindings comprising a support assembly arranged to be mounted on a ski, a hood member pivotally mounted relative to said support assembly and arranged to engage a ski boot in a releasable manner, a spring-loaded catch assembly providing a catch action in the vertical and horizontal directions and arranged to disengage when an overload is exerted thereon for releasing said hood member from the ski boot, said catch assembly comprising a common latch support and a common catch member releasably engageable with said common catch support for relative movement therebetween in the vertical and horizontal directions, one of said catch support and said catch member being secured to said hood member and the other being secured to said support assembly, and said catch support having a recessed curved control surface thereon and when said catch member is engaged with said catch support a portion of its surface is in contact with the recessed surface of said catch support for movement thereon in the vertical and horizontal directions toward a release point formed on the control surface; said catch member being a plate-shaped double-arm lever having the domelike sensing surface disposed at its upper end, said catch member having a first opening therethrough positioned intermediate its upper end and its lower end and having a second opening spaced between the first opening and the lower end of said catch member, a first pivot member extending through the first opening in said catch member and secured to said support assembly, and a second pivot member extending through the second opening in said catch member and secured to said hood member.

Claim 12

Safety clamp for ski bindings comprising a support assembly arranged to be mounted on a ski, a hood member pivotally mounted relative to said support assembly and arranged to engage a ski boot in a releasable manner, a spring-loaded catch assembly providing a catch action in the vertical and horizontal directions and arranged to disengage when an overload is exerted thereon for releasing said hood member from the ski boot, said catch assembly comprising a common latch support and a common catch member releasably engageable with said common catch support for relative movement therebetween in the vertical and horizontal directions, one of said catch support and said catch member being secured to said hood member and the other being secured to said support assembly, and said catch support having a recessed curved control surface thereon and when said catch member is engaged with said catch support a portion of its surface is in contact with the recessed surface of said catch support for movement thereon in the vertical and horizontal directions toward a release point formed on the control surface; said catch member being a plate-shaped double-arm lever having the domelike sensing surface disposed at its upper end, said catch member having a first opening therethrough positioned intermediate its upper end and its lower end and having a second opening spaced between the first opening and the lower end of said catch member, a first pivot member extending through the first opening in said catch member and secured to said support assembly, and a second pivot member extending through the second opening in said catch member and secured to said hood member.

Claim 13

Safety clamp, as set forth in claim 9, wherein the first opening in said catch member has an oblong configuration with the longer dimension of the opening extending in the horizontal direction, and the second opening in said catch member having an irregular shape and having dimensions in the vertical and horizontal direction which are greater than the corresponding dimensions of said second pivot member, and the axis of said first and second pivot members extending transversely of the plane extending through said catch member and support member in the longitudinal direction of the safety clamp.

Claim 14

Safety clamp, as set forth in claim 10, wherein said catch support extends in a upward position when in engagement with said catch member and said catch support has an opening extending therethrough near the lower end thereof, a pivot member extending through and in closely fitting engagement with the opening in said catch support and said pivot member being secured to said support assembly.

Claim 15

Safety clamp, as set forth in claim 11, wherein said support assembly comprises a slide support arranged to be affixed to a ski, a slide mounted on said slide support, and means for displacing said slide relative to said slide support for adjusting the position of the safety clamp on a ski for adapting to various lengths of ski boots.

Claim 16

Safety clamp, as set forth in claim 12, wherein said slide support has a pair of partitions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the ski and extending upwardly from said slide support, said slide having a pair of partitions extending downwardly from the said slide and positioned thereon between said partitions on said slide support, a threaded spindle extending longitudinally through said partitions on said slide support and said slide, a spring extending about said threaded spindle and disposed between said partitions on said slide, and at least one nut mounted on said threaded spindle and secured thereon against rotation and said nut being positioned between said spring and one of said partitions on said slide.

Claim 17

Safety clamp, as set forth in claim 12, wherein a guide is secured to said slide and is arranged to rotate about a vertical axis relative to said slide, said guide being positioned on the opposite side of said catch support from said catch member.

Claim 18

Safety clamp, as set forth in claim 14, wherein a cup-shaped adjusting screw is rotatably mounted in said guide and has a recess therein facing toward said catch support, said catch support having a blind bore therein spaced from and in alignment with the recess in said adjusting screw, and a spring extending in a substantially horizontal position is seated at one end within the blind bore in said catch support at the other end within the recess in said adjusting screw for adjustably spring loading said catch assembly.

Claim 19

Safety clamp, as set forth in claim 14, including a pivot member positioned within said guide member and extending transversely of the longitudinal direction of the safety clamp, and said hood member being pivotally mounted on said pivot member in said guide member so that said pivot member can rotate in a vertical plane about said pivot member.

Claim 20

Safety clamp, as set forth in claim 14, wherein said adjusting screw extends from said guide member inwardly within said hood member, the inner end of said adjusting screw having a circular groove formed about its exterior periphery, a sliding block movably positioned within said groove in said adjusting screw, a tension indicator member rigidly connected to said sliding block, and means on said indicator member for exhibiting the extent of the tension impressed on said spring by said adjusting screw.

Claim 21

Safety clamp, as set forth in claim 17, wherein said hood member has an indicator window therein arranged above said indicator member and a marker formed on said hood member adjacent the indicator window for reading said indicator member.

Claim 22

Safety clamp, as set forth in claim 14, including a lever pivotally secured to said guide for movement in a vertical plane, and a tension member secured at one end to said lever and at its other end to said support member for manually releasing said catch assembly when a downward force is exerted against said lever.

Claim 23

Safety clamp, as set forth in claim 19, wherein said lever has an opening formed in its upper end for receiving the tip of a ski pole for pivoting said lever and releasing said catch support from said catch member through the medium of said tension member.

Claim 24

Safety clamp, as set forth in claim 20, wherein said lever is secured to the same pivot member in said guide member as said hood member, said tension member being secured to said lever at a point intermediate the connection of said lever member to said guide member and the end of said lever member having the opening for receiving the ski pole tip, and said tension member having a rodlike configuration and extending from said lever member to the upper end of said catch support and being pivotally connected thereto.

Claim 25

Safety clamp, as set forth in claim 21, wherein a longitudinally extending connecting member is secured at one end to the upper end of said catch support and at its other end to said hood member.

Claim 26

Safety clamp, as set forth in claim 22, wherein said connecting member is a tension spring.

Claim 27

Safety clamp, as set forth in claim 23, wherein the point of attachment of said tension spring to said hood member is positioned on the rear extension of a curve described by the connection of the other end of said tension member to said catch support when said catch support is displaced during release.