Ski and integral boot plate with toe piece and releasable heel binding

The invention relates to a ski of the type for so-called "hot dogging", or fancy skiing on snow and comprises a relatively short ski, preferably made from a suitable plastic material such as a polycarbonate like Lexan and in a clear color. An important element of this ski is the utilization of a boot plate integral with the runner, with a toe piece adjustably mounted with the plate and a manually releasable heel clamp mounted adjacent the rear of the plate having multiple adjustments for proper fitting to a particular ski boot size.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Heretofore, short skis have been available in the prior art but all of 
these skis utilized automatically releasable boot bindings, using a 
separate boot plate and in many instances other separate pieces. The great 
majority of prior skis were of full length which, in some models, may have 
been on the order of seven feet (7'), or more, and which were not 
particularly suited to the type of skiing contemplated for the present 
type of ski. Such skis necessitated the automatic release of the boot 
bindings in the event of mishap in order to prevent, if possible, serious 
injury to the skiers ankles, legs, or otherwise. 
Short skis have been available in the prior art but these give the 
impression of training skis, or skis intended for children. Some such 
short skis were long enough to include a flexible forward portion of the 
runner in front of where the boot mounted on the ski. Other skis of this 
type amounted to nothing more than a flat board, or plate, with an 
upturned toe portion and some included depending side runners. At least 
one such short type of ski included lines attached to the toe portions of 
the skis allegedly for "steering" the skis. It follows that experienced, 
or expert skiers would not be inclined to use such skis which might be 
considered "gimmicks" for the inexperienced. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides a short ski designed for the skilled skier 
and which might be utilized as a practice ski, as well as for fancy skiing 
and it is proposed that this improved ski shall bend more than about 
twenty inches (20") in total length, or thereabout. 
The ski is characterized especially by its integral structure including a 
boot plate integral with the ski runner and an upstanding toe piece 
adjustable on the boot plate adjacent the front of the ski in position to 
engage and clamp to a ski boot on the plate. A special heel clamping 
arrangement also comprises an important element of the ski and includes a 
flexible cable pivotally secured in the rear portion of the boot plate 
with a boot clamp pivotally mounted intermediate the ends of the cable. 
This heel clamp engages the heel portion of the ski boot and is locked by 
turning it past dead center, as represented by its pivotal mount on the 
cable. In this position it exerts both a downward pressure on the heel of 
the boot and a forward pressure to urge the boot into the toe piece. 
The length of the cable is adjustable by means of threaded buckles on the 
opposite ends of the cable and which screw onto fastening members 
pivotally mounted in the rear portion of the boot plate, which enable the 
ski to be adapted to different boots of various sizes. 
The heel clamp also incorporates an important adjustment in the form of a 
screw plug threaded into the clamp adapted to be screwed into the pivotal 
clamp from the rear and passing therethrough to engage the heel of the 
boot and depending upon the adjustment, adapted to vary the over center 
release point of the clamp whereby the ski and clamping arrangement are 
easily adapted to various size ski boots. 
This screw plug adjustment is so located as to avoid interference with the 
"forward lean adjustment" device utilized by many skiers which extends 
from the lower part of the skiers calf to behind the ankle. 
This ski is not automatically releasable under any circumstances, but must 
be released manually by pivoting the heel clamp over dead center to 
release the clamping action. In the event of a severe fall a skier using 
this equipment will not injure a leg, or be hurt otherwise, because the 
ski is of a size that it can be worn under such circumstances without 
incurring the damaging forces encountered where conventional full length 
skis are worn. 
This ski, because of its short length and integral construction is 
particularly adapted to use in trick skiing and is curved upwardly at both 
front and rear ends of the runner on similar radii, further to enhance its 
utilization in this type of skiing. In fact, the ski is balanced as to the 
front and rear extension thereof in relation to the boot plate and boot 
position on the ski, whereby the front and rear overhang can be about 
equal. 
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
The primary purpose of the invention is realized in a relatively short ski, 
of balanced design, having an integral boot plate and runner, an 
adjustable toe piece and with a heel clamping arrangement affording 
adjustment for the over center release point of the heel clamp. 
The principal object of the invention is the provision of a short ski of 
approximately twenty inches (20") in maximum length particularly designed 
for trick skiing. 
An important object of this invention is to provide a ski for trick skiing 
and the like, having an integrally constructed footplate and an adjustable 
toe piece with an upstanding boot clamping portion, whereby all of these 
elements in effect comprise one assembly with the ski runner. 
Another object of the invention is the provision of a short ski of integral 
construction having a heel clamping arrangement including a pivotal heel 
clamp on an adjustable cable and incorporating an adjustment member 
engageable with a boot heel portion to determine the over center release 
position of the heel clamp. 
A further object of the invention is to provide a short ski for trick 
skiing having a heel clamping arrangement which exerts a downward and a 
forward force having turnbuckle adjustments for fitting the clamping 
arrangement to a particular boot size and a separate adjustment for 
determining the overcenter release point for a heel clamp member so 
located as not to interfere with other ski elements.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
In the drawings as shown in FIG. 1, a typical ski boot 10 is illustrated in 
association with the ski 11 of this invention and this boot has a "forward 
lean" feature built in, as distinguished from an adjustment for this 
feature incorporated in many currently marketed This forward lean feature 
is readily recognized in the drawing by the angle of the boot indicated at 
the rear of the boot, as at 12, which angle is built into the structure of 
the boot so that a skier wearing boots of this type must assume the 
semi-crouched position normal to proper skiing technique. 
The ski 11 is made from a suitable plastic material and a polycarbonate 
such as Lexan, has been found to be highly satisfactory. The ski 
preferably is molded from such material in a clear color, although colors, 
or tints, might be added if considered desirable. The ski includes a 
runner 13 which, as shown, is provided with a smooth, flat bottom surface 
and upwardly curved integrally formed front and rear end portions 14 and 
15. These upwardly extending portions 14 and 15 can be curved on similar 
radii and it will be seen that the curved front portion 14 extends 
upwardly to a higher extent than the rear extension 15. This has been 
found to be desirable during forward progress on the ski, especially in 
fresh snow, or powder and particularly when skiing downhill. 
The ski is formed with a platform, or boot plate 16, molded integrally with 
the runner element 13 and which includes a plurality of longitudinally 
extending, integral ribs 17 disposed full length between the front and 
rear upturned portions 14 and 15. Adjacent to the front portions of the 
ribs, the intermediate ribs are provided with a plurality of pairs of 
equally spaced enlargements, or bosses 18, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. 
These bosses 18 have vertically disposed central openings which are 
threaded to receive vertical bolts, or screws 19. The screws 19 fasten an 
adjustable toe piece assembly 20 on the boot plate and may be driven into 
any pair of the longitudinally spaced holes in the bosses 18, depending 
upon the adjusted position of the toe piece assembly relative to a 
particular sized boot. 
The toe piece assembly includes an upstanding block 21 containing vertical 
holes for the screws 19 and adapted to seat on the middle ribs 17 and the 
bosses 18, where it is secured in any one of the selected positions on a 
pair of such bosses and secured thereby by the screws 19. Forwardly 
extending gussets 22 also bear on the central pair of ribs 17 and act to 
reinforce and brace the toe piece assembly against forwardly directed 
forces. The rear face of the block 21 is serreted, as at 23 (see FIG. 2), 
and a toe clamp piece 24 is similarly serreted on its front face, which is 
disposed in opposed relation to the serreted face 23 and secured by a bolt 
25, disposed horizontally and which extends through the vertical wall 26 
of the toe clamp 24 and threaded into the vertical block 21 to bring the 
serreted faces into tight engagement. The opening through the wall 26 for 
the bolt 25 is vertically slotted so that the toe piece 24 can be adjusted 
vertically on the block where it is retained by the engagement of the 
serrations 23. The toe piece also includes a generally horizontally 
disposed boot clamping flange 27 which has a concavely curved front edge 
28 facing the boot 10 so as to fit the rounded toe of the boot and which 
is adapted to engage the sole of the boot to cause the boot to be clamped 
to the boot plate 16 at its front, or toe position. 
Adjacent to the rear portion of the runner 13, the longitudinal ribs 17 are 
traversed by four intersecting ribs 29 extending transversely of the 
longitudinal ribs and which are provided with threaded openings 30 
extending entirely through the ribs 29. These threaded holes 30 provide 
variable anchor pivot points for a boot heel anchor assembly 31. As parts 
of such assembly, angle shaped members 32 are threaded into opposite ends 
of a selected hole 30 adapted to fit a boot size, shown in FIG. 1 as a 
relatively short boot since the angle members 32 are mounted in the 
forward most hole 30. The free end of each of these angle members 32 is 
also threaded and a buckle member 33 is threaded onto each angle member. 
The buckle members 33 are rotatably mounted on opposite ends of a flexible 
cable 34, the buckles 33 affording a means of adjusting the length of the 
cable in accordance with the size of the ski boot 10. The cable 34 extends 
through a heel clamp member 35, as at 36, which represents the pivot 
mounting point for the heel clamp 35. The buckles 33 may be adjusted by 
turning them on the threads of the angle shaped anchor pivot members 32, 
thus shortening, or lengthening the cable 34 in accordance with the boot 
size. 
The heel anchor member 35 includes boot heel engaging lower portion 37 
below the pivot point 36 and a generally upwardly extending free end 
portion 38 above this pivot point. Looking at FIG. 2, particularly the 
broken line illustration, it will be seen that the bottom end of the lower 
portion 37 of the heel clamp is first engaged over the sole of the ski 
boot at the juncture point 39 of the heel with the boot upper and with the 
cable 34 properly adjusted by means of turn buckles 33, is then fulcrumed 
about the pivot point 36 on the cable, which is pivotally anchored at 30 
in the boot plate 16 on the ski runner 13, so that the clamp 36 exerts a 
downward thrust on the ski boot as well as a forward thrust to cause the 
boot to engage more securely under the toe clamp 24. The heel clamp member 
35 fulcrums about the three points 30, 36 and 39 to the fully clamped 
position against the boot heel as shown in the full line position 
indicated in both FIGS. 1 and 2. 
An adjustment plug 40 is threaded entirely through the heel anchor member 
35 above the pivot point 36 represented by the cable 34 and is adapted to 
engage the rear portion of the ski boot heel when the member 35 is in 
fully clamped position. In this position the clamp member is disposed in 
an over-center position with respect to a line passing through the three 
points 30, 36 and 39 so that when the line passes beyond the point 39 the 
force between the points 30 and 36 is beyond dead center and the clamp 
member 35 tends to snap to the fully clamped position against the boot 
heel. 
Many ski boots include a forward lean adjustment arrangement which usually 
extends from the lower part of the skiers calf to a position behind the 
ankle. The adjustment plug 40 is so located as to avoid interference with 
any such arrangement. The adjustment plug 40 enables the over-center 
release point of the clamp 35 to be varied in accordance with ski boots of 
various sizes and may be adjusted merely by inserting a coin, or the like, 
in the slot 41 and rotating the plug through the threaded opening provided 
in the clamp portion 38 until the adjustment is attained as desired by the 
skier. 
From the foregoing it will be seen that there has been provided an 
integrally molded ski of a polycarbonate, having a boot plate as an 
integral part of the ski runner structure with a toe piece assembly 
adjustable longitudinally on the boot plate and adjustable vertically as 
well, together with an adjustable heel clamp arrangement comprised of a 
fulcrumed clamp having an over-center adjustment and pivotally mounted 
relative to the boot plate by an adjustable cable having pivotal mounting 
in the boot plate and in the clamp member.