US4040137A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Binding for water ski
Assignee: EP INDUSTRIES Inc
•
Filing: 1976-08-16
•
Granted: 1977-08-09
•
Expires: 1996-08-16
Abstract
Abstract A water ski binding having a heel piece binding with a flexible heel boot held in place with an adjustable heel member. The heel member is U-shaped and has an elongated slot in each leg. The upper part of the slot extends outward to form a shoulder and an insert having a pair of slots fills the elongated slot to permit custom fit of the heel piece. The shoulder formed in the elongated slot varies in width to form a series of recesses each of which will accept an extension of a fastener to positively lock the fastener in place when the heel binder is used as an adjustable member. A front piece binding with a flexible foot restraining boot is rigidly held in place with a shaped member. The shaped member is fastened around the periphery with a series of recessed holes shaped to accept a nut recessed below the outer surface of the rigid member.
Inventors
- 👤 William H. Fetherston
- 👤 Maurice N. Theriault
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 18:59
CPC Classifications
B; B63; B63B; B63B32/00; B63B32/30; B63B32/35
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
89 words
A water ski binding for a heel of a person's foot, said binding having an essentially U-shaped hold down member for a resilient heel boot and having longitudinally extending elongate slots on each leg of the U-shaped member for mounting with longitudinal adjustment to the ski, the new combination comprising: means for filling each of the longitudinally extending elongated slots on each leg of the U-shaped hold down member comprising an insert having means for mounting the hold down member to the water ski through holes in the inserts.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
89 words
A water ski binding for a heel of a person's foot, said binding having an essentially U-shaped hold down member for a resilient heel boot and having longitudinally extending elongate slots on each leg of the U-shaped member for mounting with longitudinal adjustment to the ski, the new combination comprising: means for filling each of the longitudinally extending elongated slots on each leg of the U-shaped hold down member comprising an insert having means for mounting the hold down member to the water ski through holes in the inserts.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
128 words
A water ski binder for a heel of a person's foot, said binding having an essentially U-shaped hold down member for a resilient heel boot and having longitudinally extending elongate slots on each leg of the U-shaped member for mounting with longitudinal adjustment to the ski, the new combination comprising: said U-shaped member having a series of adjoining circular recesses extending part way in from a top of the member with axes of the circular recesses centered in the elongate slot and a diameter of the circles greater than a width of the slot, and a removable insert shaped to fill the elongate slot, said insert having a hole extending therethrough contiguous to each end of the elongate slot and on an axis centered in the elongate slot.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
128 words
A water ski binder for a heel of a person's foot, said binding having an essentially U-shaped hold down member for a resilient heel boot and having longitudinally extending elongate slots on each leg of the U-shaped member for mounting with longitudinal adjustment to the ski, the new combination comprising: said U-shaped member having a series of adjoining circular recesses extending part way in from a top of the member with axes of the circular recesses centered in the elongate slot and a diameter of the circles greater than a width of the slot, and a removable insert shaped to fill the elongate slot, said insert having a hole extending therethrough contiguous to each end of the elongate slot and on an axis centered in the elongate slot.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
A water ski binder for a heel of a person's foot as in claim 1 wherein the holes in the insert extend inward to form a slot, and a series of adjoining countersink holes extend along the top of the slots in the insert.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
110 words
A heel unit for a water ski to adapt an adjustable heel unit to a custom fit heel unit wherein a U-shaped support member has a resilient boot fastened thereto, said support member having an elongated slot extending longitudinally along each leg of the U-shaped member, a fastener extending through the elongated slot to the water ski to permit longitudinal adjustment of the heel unit, the new combination comprising: a shoulder extending around a periphery of the elongated slot, an insert dimensioned to snugly fill a space in the elongated slot from the top to the bottom of the support member, and the insert having a hole adjacent each end.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
110 words
A heel unit for a water ski to adapt an adjustable heel unit to a custom fit heel unit wherein a U-shaped support member has a resilient boot fastened thereto, said support member having an elongated slot extending longitudinally along each leg of the U-shaped member, a fastener extending through the elongated slot to the water ski to permit longitudinal adjustment of the heel unit, the new combination comprising: a shoulder extending around a periphery of the elongated slot, an insert dimensioned to snugly fill a space in the elongated slot from the top to the bottom of the support member, and the insert having a hole adjacent each end.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
A heel unit for a water ski as in claim 4 wherein the hole through the insert extends longitudinally to form a pair of slots, and the insert has a series of contiguous countersink holes centered in the insert slots.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
148 words
A heel unit for interchangeable use as an adjustable heel unit with conversion to a fixed heel unit for custom fit and maximum support wherein a U-shaped support member has a resilient heel boot fastened thereto, said support member having an elongated slot extending longitudinally along each leg of the U-shaped member and a fastener extending through the slot to a water ski to allow longitudinal adjustment of the heel unit with respect to the water ski, the new combination comprising: a series of adjoining outwardly extending arcs of a circle, with axis centered in the elongated slot, arranged symmetrically around the elongated slot to extend part way downward to form a recess around the slot; a removable insert dimensioned to snugly fill the elongated slot, said insert having a hole with axis centered in the elongated slot, said hole contiguous to each end of the elongated slot.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
148 words
A heel unit for interchangeable use as an adjustable heel unit with conversion to a fixed heel unit for custom fit and maximum support wherein a U-shaped support member has a resilient heel boot fastened thereto, said support member having an elongated slot extending longitudinally along each leg of the U-shaped member and a fastener extending through the slot to a water ski to allow longitudinal adjustment of the heel unit with respect to the water ski, the new combination comprising: a series of adjoining outwardly extending arcs of a circle, with axis centered in the elongated slot, arranged symmetrically around the elongated slot to extend part way downward to form a recess around the slot; a removable insert dimensioned to snugly fill the elongated slot, said insert having a hole with axis centered in the elongated slot, said hole contiguous to each end of the elongated slot.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
38 words
A heel unit for a water ski as in claim 6 wherein the holes in the insert extend inward to form a longitudinally extending slot, and a series of adjoining countersink holes are centered in the insert slot.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
93 words
A method of converting an adjustable heel unit for a water ski wherein the heel unit is adjustable with a pair of elongated slots for allowing longitudinal adjustment of the heel unit with the fasteners extending through the slots to the water ski with the steps comprising: removing the fasteners, forming a shoulder by recessing around the elongated slot, filling the elongated slot with an insert having a pair of holes for accepting a pair of fasteners, and fastening the adjustable heel unit to the water ski through the holes in the insert.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
93 words
A method of converting an adjustable heel unit for a water ski wherein the heel unit is adjustable with a pair of elongated slots for allowing longitudinal adjustment of the heel unit with the fasteners extending through the slots to the water ski with the steps comprising: removing the fasteners, forming a shoulder by recessing around the elongated slot, filling the elongated slot with an insert having a pair of holes for accepting a pair of fasteners, and fastening the adjustable heel unit to the water ski through the holes in the insert.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US88668A
Cited
US3097376A
Cited
US667339A
Cited
US686504A
Cited
US2327783A
Cited
US2740972A
Cited
US2933741A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-08-08 | 1981-02-07 | 1981-08-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-08-08 | 1985-02-07 | 1985-08-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-08-08 | 1989-02-07 | 1989-08-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |