Sole holder

A device for engaging and holding a sole of a ski boot, which device includes a sole holder which is adjustable in a vertical direction relative to the ski by means of an adjusting screw and is connected to a ski binding part which is associated therewith. The adjusting screw is secured to the ski binding part and is prevented from lifting off in a vertical direction from the ski while at the same time is swivelably supported on a base plate. The sole holder can, during an automatic release operation (safety release) be swung slightly upwardly from the ski on a side of the ski facing the release side. The sole holder performs a normal pivotal movement with respect to the longitudinal axis of the ski or a combined pivotal and swivel movement about differing pivot axes. Structure is provided for urging the sole holder into a normal ski boot holding position.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to a sole holder which can be adjusted in a vertical 
direction relative to the ski by means of an adjusting screw and is 
connected to a ski binding part which is associated therewith, wherein the 
adjusting screw is secured to the ski binding part so that it is prevented 
from lifting off the ski in a vertical direction relative to the ski. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
A sole holder of the above-mentioned type is described for example in 
German OS No. 2 504 426. In this conventional construction, the sole 
holder is held on an adjusting screw by means of a spiral spring or an 
elastic element acting in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface 
of the ski. Due to the fact that the opening in the region of which the 
adjusting screw substantially perpendicularly extends through the sole 
holder is designed larger than the diameter of the adjusting screw, the 
sole holder also has the possibility of a very limited range of swinging 
movement. 
The just now described embodiment of the known device facilitates a 
recognition at the same time of the first disadvantage of this solution, 
which disadvantage consists of the sole holder having primarily a movement 
in the vertical direction relative to the ski. 
If ice or snow accumulates in the area of the binding on the ski, the skier 
can still enter the binding. The sole holder is then, however, pressed 
onto the ski boot sole by the force of the now initially tensioned spiral 
spring. A swinging of the sole holder away from the upper side of the ski, 
which at any rate is possible only to a very limited degree, becomes less 
and less with an increasing initial tension of the spiral spring. 
The goal of the invention is to avoid the mentioned and further 
disadvantages of known constructions and to provide a sole holder support, 
which during a safety release has as little as possible frictional 
resistance between the ski boot, sole holder and the bent lever. 
The set purpose is inventively attained by a sole holder being able to be 
swung slightly upwardly from the ski during an automatic release operation 
(safety release) on the side facing the release side, wherein the sole 
holder performs a swinging movement perpendicularly with respect to the 
longitudinal axis of the ski or in a combined movement about vertical and 
horizontal axes. 
A particularly preferable embodiment of the invention is characterized by 
the adjusting screw being supported in an elongated slotted hole, the 
length of which extends perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal 
axis of the ski, or having a ball section by means of which it is 
supported in a ball socket, and by the sole holder being moved into the 
normal position or being held in the normal position either by a spring or 
springs an elastic mass or by a combination of springs and shoulders and 
extensions which are secured to the bent levers. As a result, a 
particularly simple structure of the ski binding part is achieved. 
A different inventive construction of a support for a sole holder uses also 
a slotted hole, the length of which extends perpendicularly with respect 
to the longitudinal axis of the ski for guiding the headless end of the 
adjusting screw. In this exemplary embodiment, the adjusting screw is 
moved or held in the normal position by shoulders and extensions, which 
are on the bent lever. If one operates one bent lever, the adjusting screw 
is no longer blocked, on the side facing the operation, by the shoulders 
and the extensions and thus permits the sole holder to slightly swing 
upwardly from the ski on the aforesaid side.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
In FIG. 1 a base plate 2 is mounted on a ski 1 but spaced vertically from 
the ski. Furthermore, the base plate 2 supports on each lateral side 
thereof one bent lever 3. A threaded adjusting screw 4 has a headless end 
and an enlarged head at the opposite end. The screw 4 is supported with 
its headless end on the base plate 2. A cup spring 5 is interpositioned 
between the headless end and the base plate 2. This support is provided so 
that the adjusting screw 4 extends through an opening in the base plate 2, 
which opening is not identified in detail. The headless end of the 
adjusting screw 4 is provided in a gap between the base plate 2 and the 
ski 1. The free bottommost end of the adjusting screw 4 is, after the cup 
spring 5 was earlier mounted thereon, deformed to lock the cup spring 
thereto. Thus a movement of the adjusting screw 4 in a direction 
perpendicular to the upper side of the ski 1a is only possible within the 
limits of elasticity of the cup spring 5. 
A sole holder 6 is threadedly engaged with the adjusting screw 4. In the 
area of the adjusting screw 4, the sole holder 6 has a footlike part 6a, 
which is positioned in the normal position, namely in the nonoperated 
position according to FIG. 1, approximately perpendicularly with respect 
to the upper side of the ski 1a. FIG. 2 illustrates the position of the 
sole holder 6 and of the footlike part 6a and of the adjusting screw 4 
during an operation of these structural parts, namely when the ski boot 
(not shown) performs not only a lateral movement but also a movement which 
is directed upwardly from the upper side of the ski 1a. In the example 
according to FIG. 2, we deal with a release movement of the ski boot in 
the area of the illustrated sole holder 6 in a direction sloped upwardly 
to the right. The sole holder 6 and its footlike part 6a and the adjusting 
screw 4 thus swing in a direction to the left or to the left and forwardly 
(in a direction toward the tip of the ski) and thus release the boot 1, 
which is lifting off from the ski or which is moving away from the ski, 
with a reduced amount of frictional resistance. 
FIG. 3 illustrates a different example of a support for a sole holder 16, 
only the support structure being illustrated, with the aid of an adjusting 
screw 14. The adjusting screw 14 has adjacent its headless lower end a 
small diameter neck 14a, which transfers into an approximately 
hemispherical enlargement 14b at the lowermost end. The adjusting screw 14 
extends through a specially designed opening 15, which will be described 
more in detail below, in a base plate 12. The narrow diameter neck 14a 
lies in the opening 15 and the semispherical enlargement 14b lies beneath 
the base plate 12. The opening 15 has a downwardly facing surface shaped 
to correspond to the shape of the upwardly facing semispherical surface on 
the enlargement 14b. The remaining portion of the opening 15 above the 
downwardly facing surface enlarges conically in a direction toward the 
screw head 14c. A structural part 17 is fixedly connected to the ski 
binding and is provided approximately in the area of the center of the 
length of the adjusting screw 14, which structural part has an opening 18 
therethrough, the diameter of which is substantially larger than the 
diameter of the adjusting screw 14. In order to compensate for the 
difference in diameter between these two structural parts, the 
binding-fixed structural part 17 has an elastic mass 19 fixedly connected 
thereto. In the area between the enlarged head 14c of the adjusting screw 
14 and the binding-fixed structural part 17 there is provided the sole 
holder 16. The sole holder 16 is threadedly coupled to the adjusting screw 
14 and is vertically adjustable by rotating the threaded adjusting screw 
14. In addition, it is possible for the adjusting screw 14 and thus also 
for the sole holder 16, to swing or swivel with the aid of the 
semispherical support surface 14b through an approximately cone-shaped 
space. If the force which loads the sole holder 16 is halted, then the 
sole holder 16 is returned to its initial position illustrated in FIG. 3 
by the elastic mass 19 acting on the adjusting screw 14. 
The exemplary embodiment which is illustrated in FIG. 4 is constructed 
substantially similar to the one according to FIG. 3. However, in place of 
the opening 15 in FIG. 3, an elongated slotted hole 25 is provided, the 
length of which extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the ski. 
An upwardly facing conical surface 24b is provided below the narrow 
diameter neck 24a on the adjusting screw 24. The largest diameter part of 
the conical surface is so large that a removal of the adjusting screw 24 
from the slotted hole 25 is prevented. The pivot point of the adjusting 
screw 24 moves now from the area of the base plate 12 as in the exemplary 
embodiment according to FIG. 3 into the area of the binding-fixed 
structural part 17. The elastic mass 19 permits now a swinging of the 
adjusting screw 24 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 
of the ski. 
The exemplary embodiment which is illustrated in FIG. 5 is substantially 
similar to the exemplary embodiments according to FIGS. 3 and 4. In place 
of the slotted hole 25 according to FIG. 4, an enlarged cylindrical or 
circular opening 35 is provided. The opening 35 is filled with an elastic 
mass 30, which elastic mass 30 grips around a narrow diameter neck 24a of 
the adjusting screw 24 which is received in the opening 35. The 
binding-fixed structural part 17 has, in the area of the adjusting screw 
24, an upwardly opening semispherical surface 38 which has a semispherical 
bearing part 39 received therein. As can be seen from the drawing, the 
semispherical bearing part 39 has a central opening 39a therethrough, 
which serves to receive the adjusting screw 24 therethrough. The bottom 
portion of the semispherical surface 38 has an enlarging opening 38a less 
in diameter than the maximum diameter of the semispherical surface 38. 
During a swinging of the sole holder 16, the adjusting screw 24 can, with 
the aid of the semispherical bearing part 39, swing in the semispherical 
surface 38 and through the space of a cone. Thus the swivel point lies in 
the binding-fixed structural part 17. The elastic mass 30 permits the 
adjusting screw 24 to swing in the area of the base plate 32. When the 
force, which causes the swinging movement, stops acting onto the sole 
holder 16, the sole holder is moved by the elastic mass 30 into its 
original position, namely into its nonoperated position as illustrated in 
FIG. 5. 
In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 6, a threaded adjusting screw 
34 is also provided. The design of the adjusting screw 34 at its end 
remote from the enlarged head 34c is substantially the same as the 
adjusting screw 24 illustrated in FIG. 5. The base plate 3 has also in 
FIG. 6 an opening 35, which is filled with an elastic mass 30 which grips 
around the narrow diameter neck 34a. The adjusting screw 34 is swingably 
supported in a binding-fixed structural part 37 adjacent the head 34c. The 
enlarged head 34c has for this purpose a spherical-segment-shaped bottom 
surface 34d. The spherical-segment-shaped bottom surface 34d of the head 
of the adjusting screw 34 lies in an upwardly opening 
spherical-segment-shaped cup 37a provided in the binding-fixed structural 
part 37. The surface 37a extends in the binding-fixed structural part 37 
to approximately the diameter of the adjusting screw 34. A downwardly 
opening conically-shaped opening 37b extends from the central part of the 
surface 37a in direction of the headless lower end of the adjusting screw 
34. The binding-fixed structural part 37 is rather thick in this exemplary 
embodiment so that the top of the head 34c of the adjusting screw 34 is 
generally flush or slightly below the upper surface of the part 37. The 
sole holder 36 is located in the area between the binding-fixed structural 
part 37 and the base plate 32. The adjusting screw 34 can in this case 
pivot about the head 34c supported on the spherical-segment-shaped surface 
37a. The pivot point is generally in the region of the center of the 
radius for the spherical-segment-shaped surface 37a. The elastic mass 30 
permits the swinging movement of the adjusting screw 34 in any direction 
and effects a return movement of the adjusting screw 34 into the original 
position illustrated in FIG. 6 after the force which acts onto the sole 
holder 36 has been halted. 
FIGS. 7 to 9 illustrate an adjustable lock for a sole holder, wherein the 
illustration and the following description is limited only to the 
characteristics and structural parts which are important to the invention. 
A substantially rectangular base plate 42 having a constant thickness and 
a width which is slightly less than the width of the ski 1 is mounted on 
the upper surface of a ski 1. The base plate 42 has in the area of the 
longitudinal axis of the ski an elongated slotted hole 42a, the length of 
which extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the ski and is 
substantially symmetrical with respect to same. Furthermore, the base 
plate 42 has on each side thereof a hinge pin 42b, the axis of which 
extends perpendicularly with respect to the upper side of the ski 1a. Each 
bent lever 13 is pivotally supported on one of the hinge pins 42b. Each of 
the two bent levers 13 has on its side adjacent the base plate 42 a flat 
shoulder 13a which extends in direction toward the longitudinal center of 
the ski. The thickness of the shoulder 13a corresponds approximately to 
the thickness of the base plate 42. The two shoulders 13a have at their 
mutually adjacent ends adjacent the longitudinal center of the ski an 
extension 13b which extends in a direction toward the tip of the ski. The 
ends of the extensions 13b are rounded; the radius of these shoulders is 
approximately as long as the width of each of the extensions 13b. 
In the normal position, namely when no external force acts onto the bent 
levers 13, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the extensions 13b are located 
approximately above the slotted hole 42a in the base plate 42. Enough 
space remains between the two extensions 13b that a cylindrical part 46b, 
which is arranged on a footlike part 46a of a sole holder (not shown) can 
be received therebetween. The cylindrical part 46b projects into the 
slotted hole 42a of the base plate 42. 
If now a ski boot (not shown) tends to lift off in direction to the right 
and at the same time in an upward direction from the binding, the 
following will happen. The lateral movement of the boot will cause the 
bent lever 13 to swing, as illustrated in FIG. 8, to the right in 
direction away from the ski. As a result, the shoulder 13a will also swing 
in the same direction as the bent lever 13. In addition, the extension 13b 
will be moved from the original position and away from an overlapping 
relation with the slotted hole 42a. It is now possible for the cylindrical 
part 46b, which is provided on the footlike part 46a of a sole holder (not 
shown), to slide in the slotted hole 42a in the direction of the pivoted 
bent lever 13. The aforesaid sliding movement will cause the footlike part 
46a and thus also the sole holder (not shown) to assume a pivoted position 
to in turn cause the sole holder to be slightly lifted off from the ski 1 
in the area of the pivoted bent lever 13. Thus the friction between a ski 
boot (not shown) and the sole holder or the pivoted bent lever 13 is 
considerably reduced. The cylindrical part 46b corresponds to the lower 
end of a screw such as the screws 24 shown in FIG. 4, which screw extends 
through the opening 25. 
When the ski boot (not shown) has totally exited from the ski binding, the 
cylindrical part 46b will be centered as by the return spring force of the 
spring device as illustrated in FIG. 7. The spring device shown in FIG. 7 
includes a vertical plate 60 transversely mounted on the base plate 42 and 
through which vertical plate passes a pair of tension rods 61 about one 
end of each of which is located a compression coil spring 62. The one end 
of the springs 62 abut against the plate 60 and the other end is retained 
by a crosspiece 63 secured to the front end of each of the rods 61. The 
rear end of the rods 61 are each pivotally fixed at 64 to the levers 13. 
Such a spring device continually urges the levers 13 to their ski boot 
holding position shown in FIG. 7. This solution is similar to the spring 
device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,002. As a result, the sole holder 
will also pivot again into the original position and lie parallel with 
respect to the upper side of the ski and be held in this position. 
From FIG. 9, one can see that the sole holder can swing only when the bent 
levers 13 have been operated until they release the cylindrical part 46b. 
The exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 10 to 12 is designed 
substantially similar to the one which has been described above with 
reference to FIGS. 7 to 9. A substantially rectangular base plate 42 of 
constant thickness is mounted on a ski 1, which base plate has in the 
region of the longitudinal axis of the ski an elongated slotted hole 42a, 
the length of which is symmetrical with respect to same and lies 
perpendicular thereto. Each cylindrical hinge pin 42b is laterally spaced 
from the center line of the ski and is secured to the base plate 42 and 
extends perpendicular with respect to the base plate. Each bent lever 13' 
is pivotally supported through a limited range on one of the hinge pins 
42b. 
Each of the two bent levers 13' has on its side adjacent the upper surface 
of the base plate 42 a flat shoulder 13'c which extends in direction 
toward the center of the ski. The vertical thickness of the shoulder 13'a 
corresponds approximately with the vertical thickness of the base plate 
42. The two shoulders 13'c have at their ends which are adjacent the 
center of the ski an extension 13'b which extends in a direction toward 
the tip of the ski. In the original position, namely when no external 
force acts onto the bent levers 13', as is illustrated in FIG. 10, the 
extensions 13'b extend in a direction toward the opposite bent lever 13' 
across a part of the slotted hole 42a. 
As is shown in FIG. 12, the flat shoulder 13'a on the right bent lever 13' 
is doubly bent so that its extension 13'b will lie above the flat shoulder 
13'c associated with the left bent lever 13'. The flat shoulder 13'c which 
is opposite the doubly bent flat shoulder 13'a is substantially 
symmetrical but for the bent section. 
A cylindrical part 46b of the footlike part 46a of a sole holder (not 
shown) is received in an elongated slotted hole 42a. The footlike part 46a 
of the sole holder is constructed so stepped, that in the normal position 
thereof, namely when no force acts onto the bent levers 13', as 
illustrated in FIG. 10, the footlike part 46a rests on the extensions 
13'b. The cylindrical part 46b is held in the central position by means of 
two plate springs 47 being arranged on a hexahedronlike bearing portion 
42c. The cylindrical part 46b is biassed therefore with respect to the top 
of the ski (not shown) from the left and right side respectively. 
If a right bent lever 13', as illustrated in FIG. 11, is operated by a ski 
boot (not shown) so that the ski boot becomes released from the binding, 
the right extension 13'b is swung out from under the footlike part 46a 
(see FIG. 12a), and the right sole holder can thereafter swing in a 
counterclockwise direction. 
The ski boot will slide substantially more easily out of the ski binding 
due to the swinging movement of the sole holder. If the force which acts 
from the ski boot onto the bent lever 13' is halted, then the bent lever 
13' and also the flat shoulder 13'a with the extension 13'b, will return 
to the original position, the extensions 13'b extending beneath the 
footlike part 46a, to assure a safe locking of the sole holders against an 
undesired swinging movement. At the same time the plate spring 47 
belonging to the released side will return to the original position and so 
the cylindrical part 46b has to move to its original central position too. 
The exemplary embodiment which is illustrated in FIGS. 13 to 15 is 
substantially similar in structure to the two exemplary embodiments which 
are illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 12. Therefore, only those structural parts 
which differ from the two aforedescribed exemplary embodiments will be 
described hereinbelow. 
Bent levers 13" are pivotally supported through a limited range on 
cylindrical hinge pins which are secured to and extend perpendicularly 
upwardly from the base plate 42. The bent levers 13" have flat shoulders 
13"a on their sides which are adjacent the base plate 42. The flat 
shoulders 13"a extend in a direction toward the longitudinal axis of the 
ski and terminate in the region of the central longitudinal axis of the 
ski. The shoulders 13"a project at such an angle from the bent lever 13" 
that they, in the nonoperated position thereof, namely when, as shown in 
FIG. 13, no force acts onto the bent levers 13", will lie above an 
elongated slotted hole 42a which is provided in the base plate 42. Each of 
the flat shoulders 13"a has at its end which lies in the area above the 
slotted hole 42a a semispherical recess 13"d. The two mutually adjacent 
semispherical recesses 13"d on the flat shoulders 13"a enclose a 
cylindrical part 46b secured to the footlike part 46a of a sole holder. 
The cylindrical part 46b extends into the slotted hole 42a. The two flat 
shoulders 13"a hold in the normal position thereof, as illustrated in FIG. 
13 and with the aid of the semispherical recesses 13"d the cylindrical 
part 46b approximately in the center of the slotted hole 42a. 
If the right bent lever 13" is moved by a ski boot (not shown) as 
illustrated in FIG. 14, the cylindrical part 46b can slide in the slotted 
hole 42a in a direction toward the operated bent lever 13". This sliding 
movement of the bent lever 13" in the slotted hole 42a facilitates the 
sole holder to swing and cause it to become positioned higher in the 
region of the operated bent lever 13". This reduces the friction between 
the ski boot and the sole holder. If the force which operates the bent 
lever 13" is halted, the lever 13" will return to the position illustrated 
in FIG. 13. During this swinging movement, the cylindrical part 46b will 
also move over the flat shoulders 13"a in the slotted hole 42a into the 
centered position thereof as illustrated in FIG. 13. 
Although particular preferred embodiments of the invention have been 
disclosed in detail for illustrative purposes, it will be recognized that 
variations or modifications of the disclosed apparatus, including the 
rearrangement of parts, lie within the scope of the present invention.