Ski boot carrier

Claim 2

Boot-carrier means, comprising two similar upstanding boot brackets, each bracket having a base and an upstanding longitudinally extending panel integrally connected to one side of said base, heel-engaging means at said base for locating a boot heel when the sole of the boot is applied to the adjacent side of said panel, toe-engaging means carried by said panel for removably retaining the sole against said panel side near the toe end of the boot, flexible strap means including ends secured to the respective upper ends of said brackets with a free flexible length therebetween, and separably engageable means including longitudinally slidably engageable coacting dovetail-slot formations on the opposite sides of the panels of both brackets for selective assembly and disassembly of said brackets to each other, said formations being tapered for longitudinally arrested assembly in one longitudinal direction and at the longitudinal position in which both bases are in longitudinal register, whereby the assembly is self-locking at said position.

Claim 3

Boot-carrier means according to claim 1, wherein the free flexible length of said strap means is in the order of 15 to 25 inches.

Claim 4

Boot-carrier means according to claim 1, wherein the free flexible length of said strap means is substantially 20 inches.

Claim 5

Boot-carrier means according to claim 1, wherein said toe-engaging means includes an adjustable clamp selectively engageable along a span of the length of said panel.

Claim 6

Boot-carrier means according to claim 1, in which detent means coact between said brackets at said second position to engage and retain the same in assembled relation.

Claim 7

Boot-carrier means, comprising two similar upstanding boot brackets, each bracket having a base and an upstanding panel integrally connected to one side of said base, heel-engaging means at said base for locating a boot heel when the sole of the boot is applied to the adjacent side of said panel, toe-engaging means including an adjustable clamp for removably retaining the sole against said panel side near the toe end of the boot, said clamp and said panel having coacting elongated slidably guided means wherein said panel is longitudinally slotted near the upper end of said toe-engaging means including means engaging said panel at the slotted portion thereof, the slotted portion being a single slot extending between open ends at the lateral side edges of said panel, said toe-engaging means comprising a bail with a toe-engaging loop spanning opposite ends of the slot and with integral bail ends entering into and received within the opposite ends of said slot, and separably engageable means on the opposite sides of the panels of both brackets for selective assembly and disassembly of said brackets to each other.

Claim 8

Boot-carrier means, comprising two similar upstanding boot brackets, each bracket having a base and an upstanding panel integrally connected to one side of said base, heel-engaging means at said base for locating a boot heel when the sole of the boot is applied to the adjacent side of said panel, toe-engaging means including an adjustable clamp for removably retaining the sole against said panel side near the toe end of the boot, said clamp and said panel having coacting elongated slidably guided means wherein said panel is longitudinally slotted near the upper end of said toe-engaging means including means engaging said panel at the slotted portion thereof, the slotted portion being a single slot extending between open ends at the lateral side edges of said panel, said toe-engaging means comprising a bail with a toe-engaging loop spanning opposite ends of the slot and with integral bail ends entering into and received within the opposite ends of said slot, and separably engageable means on the opposite sides of the panels of both brackets for selective assembly and disassembly of said brackets to each other.

Claim 9

Boot-carrier means according to claim 6, and including resilient means referenced to said panel and engaging said bail ends to vertically position the bail.

Claim 10

Boot-carrier means according to claim 7, in which the panel reference for said resilient means includes a clamp selectively engageable to said panel along the slotted portion thereof.

Claim 11

Boot-carrier means according to claim 8, in which said clamp includes toothed formations on coacting parts of said panel and clamp.

Claim 12

Boot-carrier means, comprising two similar upstanding boot brackets, each bracket having a base and an upstanding panel integrally connected to one side of said base, heel-engaging means at said base for locating a boot heel when the sole of the boot is applied to the adjacent side of said panel, toe-engaging means carried by said panel for removably retaining the sole against said panel side near the toe end of the boot, and separably engageable means on the opposite sides of the panels of both brackets for selective assembly and disassembly of said brackets to each other, said separably engageable means including longitudinally slidably engageable coacting dovetail and dovetail-slot formations separately provided at the respective upper and lower ends of both of said bracket panels.

Claim 13

Boot-carrier means, comprising two similar upstanding boot brackets, each bracket having a base and an upstanding panel integrally connected to one side of said base, heel-engaging means at said base for locating a boot heel when the sole of the boot is applied to the adjacent side of said panel, toe-engaging means carried by said panel for removably retaining the sole against said panel side near the toe end of the boot, and separably engageable means on the opposite sides of the panels of both brackets for selective assembly and disassembly of said brackets to each other, said separably engageable means including longitudinally slidably engageable coacting dovetail and dovetail-slot formations separately provided at the respective upper and lower ends of both of said bracket panels.

Claim 14

Boot-carrier means according to claim 10, in which said dovetail and dovetail-slot formations are vertically tapered to permit initial engagement with substantial clearance for a longitudinally offset relation of the two panels and to snugly locate said panels against lateral play when the offset is reduced to zero upon aligning said bases.

Claim 15

Boot-carrier means, comprising two similar upstanding boot brackets, each bracket having a base and an upstanding panel integrally connected to one side of said base, heel-engaging means at said base for locating a boot heel when the sole of the boot is applied to the adjacent side of said panel, toe-engaging means carried by said panel for removably retaining the sole against said panel side near the toe end of the boot, and separably engageable means on the opposite sides of the panels of both brackets for selective assembly and disassembly of said brackets to each other, said separably engageable means including longitudinally slidable engageable coacting dovetail and dovetail-slot formations and detent means coacting between said panels to yieldably retain the longitudinal position of complete overlap of said panels.

Claim 16

Boot-carrier means, comprising two similar upstanding boot brackets, each bracket having a base and an upstanding panel integrally connected to one side of said base, heel-engaging means at said base for locating a boot heel when the sole of the boot is applied to the adjacent side of said panel, toe-engaging means carried by said panel for removably retaining the sole against said panel side near the toe end of the boot, and separably engageable means on the opposite sides of the panels of both brackets for selective assembly and disassembly of said brackets to each other, said separably engageable means including longitudinally slidable engageable coacting dovetail and dovetail-slot formations and detent means coacting between said panels to yieldably retain the longitudinal position of complete overlap of said panels.

Claim 17

Boot-carrier means, comprising two similar upstanding boot brackets, each bracket having a base and an upstanding panel integrally connected to one side of said base, heel-engaging means at said base for locating a boot heel when the sole of the boot is applied to the adjacent side of said panel, toe-engaging means carried by said panel for removably retaining the sole against said panel side near the toe end of the boot; said toe-engaging means for each of said brackets comprising a toe-engaging bail, a slide longitudinally guided along the bracket panel, means for selectively clamping said slide to said bracket panel, and means including a resilient member connecting said bail and slide; and separably engageable means on the opposite sides of the panels of both brackets for selective assembly and disassembly of said brackets to each other.

Claim 18

Boot-carrier means, comprising two similar upstanding boot brackets, each bracket having a base and an upstanding panel integrally connected to one side of said base, heel-engaging means at said base for locating a boot heel when the sole of the boot is applied to the adjacent side of said panel, toe-engaging means carried by said panel for removably retaining the sole against said panel side near the toe end of the boot; said toe-engaging means for each of said brackets comprising a toe-engaging bail, a slide longitudinally guided along the bracket panel, means for selectively clamping said slide to said bracket panel, and means including a resilient member connecting said bail and slide; and separably engageable means on the opposite sides of the panels of both brackets for selective assembly and disassembly of said brackets to each other.

Claim 19

Boot-carrier means according to claim 13, in which said clamping means includes a transverse rod located by said slide, and in which saId resilient member is connected between said rod and bail.

Claim 20

Boot-carrier means according to claim 14, in which said slide includes lateral-positioning means for said resilient member.

Claim 21

Boot-carrier means according to claim 13, wherein the general plane of projection of said bail is inclined at an angle in the order of 45* from said panel.