Ski brake

Claim 1

In a ski brake having two blade members each pivotally mounted on a mounting plate attached to the upper surface of a ski for movement between a braking position wherein said blade members extend transversely of and below the bottom surface of said ski and a retracted position wherein said blade members extend above said upper surface of said ski, the improvement comprising wherein said two blade members are formed from a spring steel wire bent into a U-shape having a pair of legs and a bight portion, said legs of the U forming said two blade members, said spring steel wire being bent back upon itself in each of said two blade members 180° with the terminal end portions of said wire in each of said two blade members being bent inwardly toward each other to form axially aligned axles and end sections extending at an acute angle to the axis of said axles and to a plane defined by said U-shaped wire, wherein said mounting plate has means thereon operatively supporting said axles to render said two blade members pivotal with respect to said ski and control cam means having a contoured surface operatively engaging each of said end sections and flexing said end sections away from a normal relaxed position thereof, said contoured surface having a first segment engaging said end sections when said two blade members are in said braking position, said first segment being sufficiently spaced from said axis so that said wire is flexed the least when in said braking position, said contoured surface having a second segment which is spaced closer to said axis than said first segment to effect a maximum flexing and consequent torsioning of said wire when said two blade members are pivoted to said retracted position, said end sections sliding along said contoured surface between said first and second segments during a pivoting of said two blade members between said braking and retracted positions.