Ski brake

A ski brake having a pedal which is pivotally secured to a mounting member fixedly secured to the upper surface of the ski. The pedal has a pair of elongated and parallel openings extending therethrough along the length of the pedal and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ski. The pedal is biassed to an upright position by a torsion spring wound around an axle to which the pedal is pivotally secured. Additional torsion springs are provided in the openings in the pedal and brake members are received in the opening and through the central portion of these additional torsion springs therein. These additional torsion springs bias the brake arms so that the brake legs are positioned over the upper surface of the ski and laterally inside of vertical planes containing the side edges of the ski. An operating member, such as a flexible strand, is wound around the brake arms with one end thereof being secured to the brake arms. The other end of the strand is secured to the upper surface of the ski, such as through the mounting member. An erecting of the pedal to the upright position will effect a pulling on the strand and a rotating of the brake arms against the force of the additional torsion springs. Thus, the blade portion of the brake arms will swing outside of the lateral edges of the ski into the braking position.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to a ski brake having at least one, preferably two 
braking legs, which is or are pivotal by means of a pedal, stepped down 
upon by a ski boot or by a sole plate, about an axis which extends 
substantially at a right angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of 
the ski from a working position (braking position) against a spring force 
into a retracted position (downhill skiing position). 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
A ski brake of the above-mentioned type is described for example in 
Austrian Pat. No. 303 944 or in the associated U.S. Pat. No. 3,715,126 
(FIGS. 7 to 9). The braking legs are pivotally arranged in this 
conventional construction on the shafts of a yoke, which shafts serve as a 
support for the braking legs and extend parallel with respect to the 
longitudinal axis of the ski, however, the shafts of the braking bar 
remain both in the retracted position and also in the braking position of 
the conventional ski brake above the upper surface of the ski and only the 
arms of the braking legs which serve as braking blades are moved, during a 
pivoting of the ski brake from the retracted position into the braking 
position, laterally outside of the two ski edges. In order to guide the 
arms of the braking legs during a pivoting of the brake from the retracted 
position into the braking position beyond the ski edges, ski-fixed guide 
blocks are associated with each braking leg and cooperate with sloped 
regions on each arm of the braking legs. Furthermore, the braking arms are 
hinged through two extensions to the associated shaft, wherein in the 
retracted position of the ski brake a pair of the extensions rests on a 
stop arranged on the base plate, in order to prevent a rattling of the 
device during skiing. It can be seen that this brake consists of many 
structural parts, thus the manufacture is associated with high manufacture 
and material expenses and the product itself is susceptible to trouble. A 
further disadvantage is that during a pivoting of the ski brake from the 
retracted position into the braking position or vice versa, not only the 
braking legs and the yoke, but the entire housing must be pivoted, which 
operation results automatically in the use of a stronger and thus also 
more expensive spring. Finally, the housing is pivoted in the braking 
position of the ski brake to the base plate, wherein the yoke is 
positioned practically perpendicular with respect to the upper surface of 
the ski. It can easily be seen that a stepping into a ski binding, which 
is equipped with such a brake, is cumbersome. 
The invention has now the purpose of providing a ski brake of the 
above-mentioned type such that together with a pivotally supported plate 
only the position of the braking blades is changed, when the ski brake is 
swung from the braking position into the retracted position or vice versa. 
The set purpose is inventively attained by each braking leg being biassed 
by a torsion spring which urges said braking leg into the retracted 
position, and by a rope, band, a cord or the like being secured to the 
periphery of each braking leg and guided by each braking leg in a 
direction toward the upper surface of the ski and is held down in a, 
possibly common, ski-fixed mounting at least against a lifting off in a 
vertical direction (away from the upper surface of the ski), wherein its 
one subrange can be wound up on the associated braking leg. 
Due to the fact that each braking leg is held biassed by a torsion spring 
in direction of the retracted position, the rope, the band, the cord or 
the like is rolled up at the periphery of each braking leg to a length 
which corresponds with the spacing between the upper surface of the ski or 
a mounting member and the area of the pedal of the ski brake, through 
which the rope, the band, the cord or the like is guided in direction 
toward the mounting member. The force of the torsion spring is thereby 
dimensioned such that it assumes only a secure swinging of the braking 
legs from the braking position into the retracted position, wherein not 
only the friction which occurs during the swinging operation, but also the 
force which is needed for winding up the rope, the band, the cord or the 
like is produced. The spring force which is needed to swing the ski brake 
from the retracted position into the braking position is, however, 
dimensioned so strongly, that it not only effects a secure erecting of the 
ski brake, but simultaneously overcomes the sum of the force of the two 
torsion springs. In this manner, it is assured that while the ski brake is 
swung from the retracted position into the braking position, the 
individual braking legs are loaded by the operating members (rope, band, 
cord or the like) associated therewith--against the force of the 
individual torsion springs--are swung out to an earlier determined angular 
extent, preferably approximately at 90.degree., so that the surfaces of 
the braking blades, which are provided on the free ends of the individual 
braking legs, are active in direction of the braking. In other words: in 
the retracted position, the individual braking blades extend with their 
active surfaces substantially perpendicularly with respect to the upper 
surface of the ski; in the braking position they extend substantially at a 
right angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the ski. The position 
which in the retracted position is identified as "substantially 
perpendicularly" includes here and hereinafter each angle at which the 
individual blades lie inside the lateral edges of the ski associated 
therewith; they can--if this is necessary and is not prevented neither by 
the ski binding parts nor by the ski boot--also rest on the upper surface 
of the ski. This measure is also important for the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
A ski brake which is identified as a whole by the reference numeral 1 is 
pivotally supported about the axis of an axle 3 on the upper surface 2a of 
a ski 2 by means of a ski-fixed mounting member 4. The axle 3 is supported 
in bearing tabs 4a of the mounting member 4. A plate 6, which can be 
operated as a pedal of the ski brake 1 by means of a ski boot (not shown) 
or a sole plate (both indicated by an arrow 13), is pivotally supported on 
the axle 3 on the one side by means of two bearing blocks 6a, which are 
preferably constructed of the same material as is the plate 6. The plate 6 
is, in the present exemplary embodiment, constructed of a plastic 
material; it can also be reinforced with a metal insert or metal 
attachment. The ski brake 1 is biassed by a torsion spring 7, which is 
wound around the axle 3 and is supported with its one end on the upper 
surface 2a of the ski and with its other end on the plate 6. 
The plate 6 has at each of its two sides an elongated opening 6b, the axis 
of which extends in the retracted position of the ski brake 1 parallel 
with respect to the longitudinal axis of the ski 2. Each first end segment 
5a of a braking leg 5, which consists of a multiply bent wire having a 
circular cross section, is inserted into the individual openings 6b of the 
plate 6. This first end segment is followed by a bent wire segment 5b, 
which extends in the retracted position of the ski brake (see FIG. 1) 
substantially perpendicularly with respect to the upper surface 2a of the 
ski, which wire segment passes over through a further bent segment into a 
wire segment 5c which extends substantially parallel with respect to the 
upper surface 2a of the ski, the free end of which segment 5c is 
constructed as a braking spur 8. Each braking spur 8 carries a braking 
blade 12 thereon which preferably consists of a plastic material and which 
is secured against rotation by an extension or key 8a of the braking spur 
8. Thus the position of each braking blade 12 in relationship to the 
braking leg, with which it is associated, is clearly determined. By 
comparing the position of the ski brake 1 according to FIGS. 1 and 2 on 
the other hand and according to FIGS. 3 and 4 on the other hand, the 
operation of the braking legs, braking spurs or braking blades will 
clearly be recognized. In the retracted position of the ski brake 1, the 
two braking legs lie with the associated braking spurs or braking blades 
inside the vertical planes containing the two ski edges; in the braking 
position of the ski brake 1, however, they are rotated at approximately 
90.degree., so that the two braking blades 12 are active with their 
braking surfaces. The ski brake 1 can be effective also when one or both 
braking blades are lost, as might happen in particular on iced-up slopes. 
In the case of powdery snow, in particular in deep snow, the braking 
action is less in this case, because the length of the brake path, 
depending on the condition of the slope, is extended in an undesired 
manner. An unhindered, free run of the now detached ski is, however, also 
in this case prevented. 
To swivel the individual braking legs 5, the following observations are 
made. Each recess 6c is provided in the underside of the plate 6 in the 
region of the individual wire segments 5a of the two braking legs 5, in 
which each torsion spring 10 is arranged. The one end 10a of each torsion 
spring 10 is fixedly inserted into the material of the plate 6 and the 
other end 10b is secured in or on the wire segment 5a of each braking leg 
5. Each torsion spring 10 is thereby under such initial tension that the 
individual braking legs 5 assume the position which is shown in FIGS. 1 
and 2 and which corresponds with the retracted position of the ski brake 
1. 
Each wire segment 5a of the two braking legs 5, which segment 5a is 
associated with the plate 6, can further be loaded by a structural part 
which is generally identified as an operating member, which member may be 
a rope, a band, a cord or the like. The operating member is constructed in 
the present exemplary embodiment as a rope 11, is separately fastened on 
each braking leg segment 5a, is guided through a recess 6d in the plate 6 
and is secured to a holding part 4c of the mounting member 4. Each rope 11 
is, in the retracted position of the ski brake 1, wound up on the 
periphery of the braking leg segment 5a, since each braking leg is swung 
by a stepping down onto the plate 6 by means of a not shown ski boot or by 
means of an also not shown sole plate (in direction of the arrow 13) and 
by the action of the individual torsion springs 10 into the retracted 
position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. If, however, the ski brake 1 is freed 
voluntarily or automatically by removal of the ski boot (now shown) or of 
the sole plate (also not shown), for example during a fall, then the ski 
brake 1 is swung through the action of the strong torsion spring 7 from 
the retracted position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 into the braking 
position illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. Since the rope 11 is fastened in or 
on the mounting member 4 and its length is dimensioned as needed, these 
ropes 11 cause each braking leg 5 to be swung, as already described, about 
90.degree. (toward the outside) against the force of the torsion spring 10 
which loads said braking leg 5. 
The now described inventive measure has the important advantage over 
conventional ski brakes in that the structural parts which are needed for 
swinging in or out are separate (on the one side the two torsion springs 
10 and on the other side the operating members 11), so that such a 
structural part always need only to fulfill the task assigned to it, 
through which the optimum action of the individual structural parts can be 
achieved. The circumstance, that the torsion spring 7 has to also overcome 
the force of the two torsion springs 10 is of no importance, because the 
force of the torsion spring 7 which effects the braking must be designed 
for a safe braking capability. 
To fasten the individual braking leg segments 5a in the plate 6, the free 
ends of the same can be secured on the plate 6 by means of holding pins, 
holding screws or the like 15. Such designs are actually known for the man 
skilled in the art and, therefore, do not need to be discussed any 
further. For the closed support of the individual torsion springs, a 
sleeve 9 may be arranged in each recess 6c of the plate 6. It is easily 
understandable that, in this case, the rope 11 is also guided through a 
corresponding opening in the sleeve 9. 
The invention is not limited to the illustrated exemplary embodiment. A 
number of modifications, which by all means lie within the scope of the 
invention, exist. For example, the torsion spring can also be designed as 
a straight torsion spring, the one end of which--just as in the case of 
the described wound torsion spring--is secured in the material of the 
plate 6, however, the other end of which engages the second wire segment 
5b. 
A further also inventive modification can consist in the operating member, 
a rope, a band, a cord or the like being constructed as a single 
structural part and said structural part is guided through below the 
mounting member 4. This embodiment has the advantage that only two free 
ends need to be fastened to the individual braking leg segments 5a. A 
still further inventive measure consists in the operating member 11 being 
guided along a groove, slot, or the like, which groove, slot, or the like 
is arranged along a helix on the braking leg segment 5a or on the 
periphery of the sleeve 9, which in this case is swingable together with 
the associated braking leg 5. This embodiment has the advantage that the 
thickness of the rope, band, the cord or the like 11 gives the designer 
lower limits with respect to the dimension of the diameter of the braking 
leg segment 5a or the diameter of the sleeve 9. 
To secure the individual braking legs on the plate 6, it is inventively 
possible to rivet the end of each braking leg segment 5a which extends 
through the plate 6 to the plate 6. The length of the braking leg segment 
5a is in this case to be dimensioned corresponding with this manner of 
operation. A different type of fastening consists inventively in the 
region of each opening 6b, which region is associated with the free end 
region of said braking leg segment 5a of a tapped hole, in which a thread 
on the free end part of the individual braking leg segments 5a is in 
engagement. Since each braking leg 5 is rotated only at 90.degree., a 
falling out of the individual braking legs by a loosening up process is 
impossible. However, it can be preferable in this case, which embodiment 
is also important for the invention, to insert into the individual 
openings 6b of the plate 6 a metal sleeve having a tapped hole therein, to 
prevent a wearing away of the plastic material. It can easily be 
understood that in this case, the metal sleeve is positioned nonrotatably 
in the plate for example by means of a forced fit. 
According to FIG. 5, the free ends 5a' of each braking leg segment 5a are 
pivoted against movement in longitudinal direction of the plate 6. 
FIGS. 6 and 7 show a threaded connection of each braking leg segments 5a. 
According to the FIG. 6 the free ends 5a" of the individual braking leg 
segments 5a are provided with a thread, and wherein the end regions of the 
individual braking leg segments 5a are screwed into tapped holes provided 
in outwardly extending regions 6e of the individual openings of the plate 
6, wherein the tapped holes are provided in the plate preferably in a 
metal sleeve 16, which metal sleeves in turn are inserted into openings 
and are held therein by a forced fit. However, as shown in FIG. 7, the 
metal sleeve 16 can be inserted into the associated opening with a 
clearance so that the opening can be drilled therein for each individual 
braking leg segment 5a". 
FIGS. 8 and 9 show the connection of the operating member 11 in a slot 18 
of a metal sleeve 19. The operating member 11 is held in the slot 18 by 
means of a nipple 21 which is slidably arranged in the slot 18 and held by 
a spacer member 20 which maintains a central positioning of each leg 
segment 5a in the metal sleeve 19. 
Although a particular preferred embodiment of the invention has 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.