Land vehicles – Skates – Shoe attaching means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-24
2001-05-22
Dickson, Paul N. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Skates
Shoe attaching means
C280S615000, C280S621000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234514
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field
The subject invention is in the field of equipment related to snow skiing, particularly telemark ski harnesses, the apparatus used to detachably attach a ski boot to a cross country ski. More particularly, it is in the field of heel bails, the apparatus in a ski harness which holds the toe of the ski boot in the boot toe retaining portion of the harness.
2. Prior Art
Conventional prior art telemark bindings commonly incorporate tension springs in the heel bail. It is commonly known that these springs can be bent and/or overextended to the point that the binding is unsafe or useless. Further harnesses comprising tension springs and flexible cable tend to allow the user's foot to swing laterally somewhat relative to the ski, with the toe of the boot pivoting in the toe plate. Such lateral freedom, which is undesirable and degrades ski control, increases with conventional harnesses when the tension springs are over stressed. Further, such over stressing also causes the bindings to release too easily.
Accordingly, the primary objective of the subject invention is to provide a heel bail for telemark bindings which facilitates improved ski control and in which the springs cannot be over stressed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The subject invention is a heel bail assembly which comprises rigid tension members, such as rods, compression springs, spring casings and an over-center clip. Two rigid tension members, such as side rods, are pivoted at their forward ends to the toe assembly of a ski harness and the other ends of these rods are threaded into the forward ends of the spring casings. These threaded connections are used to adjust the heel bail assembly. The ends of a third, generally U-shaped member extend into the back ends of the casings and engage the forward ends of the compression springs in the casings. The springs act between the forward ends of the U-shaped member and the back ends of the casings and are compressed as the heel bail assembly is stretched to fit onto the heel of a boot. The over-center clip is pivoted on the back portion of the U-shaped member and acts to stretch the heel bail assembly and to retain it on the boot heel. The invention is described in more detail below, with reference to the attached drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2550018 (1951-04-01), Morrison et al.
patent: 2907574 (1959-10-01), Goy et al.
patent: 3012793 (1961-12-01), Beyl
patent: 5499838 (1996-03-01), Hauglin et al.
patent: 5823563 (1998-10-01), Dubuque
patent: 5893576 (1999-04-01), Hauglin
Dickson Paul N.
Fleming Faye M.
Jenny Robert W.
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