Abstract:
A binding assembly for attaching a boot to a snow board, designed in a manner to avoid cavities that can accumulate ice and snow and defeat its operation. The system includes first and second boot mounted bales in the form of rigid loops that extend from each side of the boot soles, and a pair of bindings attached to the snow board. Each binding has a base including elongated, slotted holes located on the circumference of a circle through which bolts are placed to secure the base to the snow board with a friction washer therebetween. The elongated holes allow for rotational adjustment of the binding. A hook-shaped structure extends from one side of the base with the hook facing outward. On the opposite side of the base is a camming structure with a downward and outwardly sloping surface ending in a bale-receiving notch. A spring loaded latch is pivotally mounted outboard and above the notch and includes a lever with a generally outwardly protruding handle on one side of the lever pivot axis, and a bale latching portion on the other side of the pivot. By placing the first bale over the hook and then thrusting the second bale downward against the latching portion and into engagement with the camming structure, the first bale is drawn into engagement with the hook as the second bale is guided by the sloping surface into the notch where it is retained by the latch. In order to release the binding, the user simply rotates the latch upward to free the bales.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to boot binding assemblies, and more particularly to a binding assembly for securing boots to a snow board, including bale elements for attachment to the boots, the elements in turn engageable with a pair of bindings for attachment to the snow board, and the bindings being designed with structural elements that avoid cavities that can accumulate ice and snow. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Since the advent of the snowboard, numerous types of bindings have been invented in order to properly secure a riders boots, but as will be described in the following, these devices leave some problems unsolved. The snowboard is an elongated structure with upturns at one or both ends. It is normally shorter and wider than the more typical snow ski conventionally used in pairs. Instead of having the feet bound on separate skis and pointing forward, they are both bound to a single snow board and usually face generally towards the sides, although some adjustment of their position is a useful feature. At first glance, the use of the board appears similar to a small surf board. A significant difference is that the riders feet are simply placed on a surf board whereas the snow board system requires the riders feet to be bound to the board for maximum maneuverability. Current snow board bindings are of two major categories, for use with soft boots or hard boots. The choice of boot type depends on the riding style, with the soft boot used for freestyle and freeriding, and hard boots for alpine and racing. One type of soft board binding uses two or three straps attached to a plate mounted to the snow board. The straps are wrapped over the instep of the boot, around the ankle and then fastened together with ratcheting buckles. This kind of binding causes severe difficulties for a number of reasons, including the fact that at least one boot must be removed from its binding whenever the skier needs propulsion on level or uphill conditions, such as when making one&#39;s way to a ski lift. In order to emphasize this particular problem, consider a typical scenario. First the rider secures the front foot to the board. In order to do so, one sits in the snow, reaches down to clear snow that has collected in the binding or on the bottom of the boot, and then opens the now loose series of straps and puts the boot in the binding. With gloved hands, one has to engage a series of ratcheting mechanical buckles to secure the front boot. Once the front boot is secured the rider is ready to enter the ski lift to the top of the mountain. Arriving at the top, the rear boot must be mounted to the board in a similar fashion. When the skier reaches the bottom of the hill, the rear boot is released from the binding and the process is repeated, over and over again for every run, which can amount to an average of 40 to 50 times in a day. 
     The problem of exiting from the bindings is not only a nuisance compounded by the cold and clumsiness of gloved hands, but it is also dangerous. During the 1992-1993 season it was reported in the Tahoe area that two snowboarders died from suffocation in the heavy powder. In many such emergency situations it is extremely important to be able to quickly exit from the board in order to gain maneuverability. An additional problem with the strap type of bindings is that pressure from the straps is transferred to the users foot, particularly while riding the lift. This pressure over the day causes muscle fatigue and pain. 
     Attempts have been made to design &#34;step-in&#34; snow board bindings, examples of which will be described in the following discussion. A problem with these attempts is that they consist of complex mechanical apparatus containing pockets and crevices which accumulate ice and snow in a way that causes operational failure or difficulties. 
     The need for ease of entry and quick exit for safety reasons was discussed above. In addition, one might wonder about a possible need for automatic release from a snow board such as is generally incorporated in the more conventional two ski apparatus. The answer to this is that with conventional snow skis, the users feet are bound to separate skis of lengthy dimensions. In a fall, the possibilities for entanglement and various leverages to the limbs is great. In contrast, both feet are bound to a single relatively short board in the snow board application, a condition that does not contain nearly as much probability of applying damaging leverage to a skiers limbs. Also, one might wonder if the principles used in conventional snow skies would be applied to snow board bindings. The answer again, is that the two applications are significantly different. For example, the conventional snow ski is used along with rigid boots, requiring a different type of binding than that required for use with the soft snow ski boot. Also, the release mechanisms in conventional snow skis dominate their design and are not useful with snow boards because the boots on a snow board are mounted generally transverse to the board length, a condition that can not generate the leverage required to release such a binding. 
     From the above discussion, it is clear that one of the design factors in a successful snow board binding is ease of entry and exit. Other factors include simplicity, low cost and reliability. One example of a binding design that addresses the problem of ease of entry and exit is the disclosure in U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,115 by Pozzobon et al. describing a binding that can be entered with a downward thrust of the foot. The bottom of the boot has cavities to match upwardly protruding captivating extensions attached to the board, one of which is slidably mounted and spring loaded to allow the binding protrusions to snap in place in the boot. One disadvantage of this approach is the presence of the cavity in the bottom of the boot which must be kept free of snow and ice buildup in order to function properly. The binding also has numerous springs and slidable parts which, if not carefully designed and manufactured could be susceptible to moisture penetration and jamming due to ice formation. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,443 by Kincheloe there is disclosed a binding composed of a plate mounted to a board having upturned captivating edges forming a socket. A matching mating plate is attached to the bottom of the boot which the user must then align with the socket and slidably make engagement. The locking mechanism in the socket has concealed crevices potentially allowing penetration of moisture which could freeze and render the release mechanism inoperable, as well as the joints between the sliding plate and socket during operation. 
     Glaser, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,823 discloses a binding having a plate mounted to the board with a fixed position longitudinally oriented socket on one side and an oppositely disposed spring loaded slidable socket on the other side. A plate is attached to the boot in a manner similar to Kincheloe with one edge protruding longitudinally from one side of the boot, and an opposing edge from the other side of the boot. In operation, the user places one edge of the plate in the first socket, and forces the opposing edge downward upon the slidable socket which has a tapered edge so that when the user forces the edge of the plate down against the tapered edge, the socket moves away until the opposing edge snaps into the socket. The disadvantage of this design is that snow and ice can form inside the sockets of the binding plate, making full engagement either impossible or difficult. Also, the slidable spring loaded socket has a multitude of springs and interconnecting parts, which again raise the probability of moisture penetration which could freeze and render the mechanism inoperable. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,073 by Raines, a binding is disclosed which is similar to the Glaser invention in that a plate is again attached to the boot with protruding edges on either side. The binding portion attached to the board consists of a separate socket on one side. On the other side, a socket is formed from a spring loaded hinged cap member that snaps into position over the protruding edge of the boot plate when the user forces the boot plate down into position. A disadvantage of this design is that snow buildup can occur in the socket, particularly the hinged portion, and defeat proper operation. In the event that less than full locking is obtained, the device may appear to be secure but could work loose with upward boot pressure causing unwanted ejection. 
     There is clearly a need for a simple binding mechanism involving few parts that resists the detrimental build up of snow and ice and in which the user can be certain that upon entry, the binding is secure. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved binding for use with snow boards that provides &#34;step-in&#34; easy entry and retains the user on the board until manually disengaged. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a snow board binding that allows for rapid exit. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a binding that has few moving parts and is cost effective to manufacture. 
     It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a binding that is not susceptible to malfunction due to accumulation of ice and snow. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a snow board binding that will not release accidently. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a binding that results in a more uniform distribution of pressure on a users foot. 
     A still further object of the present invention is to provide a secure binding latching mechanism that compensates for binding wear and ice and snow buildup under the boots. 
     Briefly, a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a binding assembly for attaching a boot to a snow board, designed in a manner to avoid cavities that can accumulate ice and snow and defeat its operation. The system includes first and second boot mounted bales in the form of rigid loops that extend from each side of the boot soles, and a pair of bindings attached to the snow board. Each binding has a base including elongated, slotted holes for rotatably adjustable mounting to a snow board with a friction washer therebetween. A loop-shaped hooked structure extends from one side of the base with the hook facing outward. On the opposite side of the base is a loop-shaped structure with upright ends having a downward and outwardly sloping camming surface ending in a bale-receiving notch. A spring loaded latch is pivotally mounted outboard from and above the notch, and includes a lever with a generally outwardly protruding handle on one side of the lever pivot axis, and a bale latching portion on the other side of the pivot. By placing the first bale over the hook and then thrusting the second bale downward against the latching portion and into engagement with the camming structure, the first bale is drawn into engagement with the hook as the second bale is guided by the sloping surface into the notch where it is retained by the latch. The bale latching portion has a cam shaped surface providing secure latching in spite of ice or snow buildup or wear. In order to release the binding, the user simply rotates the latch handle upward, freeing the bales. 
     An advantage of the present invention is that it is easy to enter with only a downward movement of the boot, and to exit with a single motion of a lever fully under user control. 
     A further advantage of the present invention is that due to the loop shaped structures, there are no cavities to accumulate snow and ice to defeat the proper operation of the binding. 
     Another advantage of the present invention is its simplicity of structure allowing for economical manufacture. 
     A further advantage of the present invention is that it results in a more uniformly distributed pressure on the users foot, both during use and in unweighting conditions such as when riding a chair lift, by eliminating the straps of a conventional binding. 
     A still further advantage of the present invention is the provision of a latch that adjusts for wear and ice and snow buildup under the boots. 
    
    
     IN THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 illustrates the use of a preferred embodiment of the present invention for binding a pair of boots to a snow board; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the boot bale and binding illustrated in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the base and latch subassembly illustrated in FIG. 2; 
     FIGS. 4-7 and 7a are a series of transverse cross-sectional views illustrating various positions of the bale relative to the binding during the engagement process; 
     FIG. 8 gives detail of the shape of the latch bale engagement surface; 
     FIG. 9 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the present invention including a latch with a spring loaded rod assembly; 
     FIGS. 10A and 10B show an alternate embodiment of the latch including a pivoted block and handle assembly with the bale positioned for engagement in FIG. 10A and at full locking engagement in FIG. 10B; 
     FIGS. 11A-11C illustrate another embodiment of the latch including a notched wheel with a recess for receiving the bale; and 
     FIG. 12 is an illustration of a latch including a handle attached to the base by a spring. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in use in FIG. 1 wherein boots 10 and 12 are mounted to snow board 14 by way of binding assemblies 16 and 18. The board 14 as shown has an upturned front end 15 and a tail end 17 that optionally may also by turned upward. The boots 10 and 12 are illustrated in the usual transverse position to the length of the board. A skier can quickly and easily release the boots from the bindings by simply pulling upward on the levers 76, 77. Entering the bindings is done by positioning the boot over the binding and stepping downward, causing it to latch into place, a feature fully described in the following detailed description. As will be explained in the following, provision is also provided for adjusting the angle &#34;A&#34; of the boots on the board with toe inward or outward from the strict transverse position shown. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates the details of a preferred embodiment as incorporated in boot 12 and binding assembly 18. Boot 10 and assembly 16 are simply mirror images of the apparatus of FIG. 2 and need not be separately shown. The binding assembly 18 includes a bale assembly 20 and a binding 44. The bale assembly 20 is of approximately rectangular or trapezoidal shape with a front side segment 22 shown somewhat longer than the rear side segment 24, the front and rear segments being interconnected by first and second opposing bale end segments 26 and 28. The length of the front segment 22 relative to the rear segment 24 causes bale segments 26 and 28 to angle out from each other somewhat, the purpose being to orient the segments 26 and 28 substantially parallel to the sides of the boot sole 30. This orientation is preferred for space conserving purposes because any additional protrusions from the boot can be a nuisance when walking. Other orientations are also functional, such as segments 26 and 28 lying parallel to each other, and are included in the spirit of the invention. The bale assembly 20 as shown is bolted to the sole 30 of the boot 12 by a retaining plate 32 secured with bolts 34. The bale assembly 20 is illustrated in position on the boot 12 by the dashed outline on either side of the boot 12 at positions 36 and 38. Of particular note are the substantially rectangular left and right side bale openings 40 and 42. In the preferred embodiment, the bale assemblies 20 are constructed with the segments 26 and 28 having a cylindrical cross section which ensures maximum contact with the binding 44, as will become evident in the following detailed description. The rod structure is an efficient shape, structurally allowing a maximum strength to material gauge ratio. The round cross section is preferred because it is required to make contact with a camming surface and a latch at various angles as it is thrust into the binding, a fact that will be fully illustrated in the figures of the drawing. The bale side segments 22 and 24 perform two important functions, including the creation of a rigid and constant space between the two bale end segments 26 and 28, and providing hold down support for the boot. Other methods of fabricating a retaining plate, bale, and attachment to the sole 30 will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and are included in the spirit of this invention. One alternative would be an integral molded/cast bale and retaining plate captivated within a molded boot sole. 
     The binding 44 has a base 46 including a frame 48 elevated in the figure to show a gasket 49 providing a friction interface between the frame 48 and board 14 when bolted together by bolts 104 through holes 100 and into tapped holes 102 in the board 14. 
     The frame 48 is shown to have front and rear upward and outwardly arcing hook-shaped members 52 and 54 provided on a first side 56 of base 46 and joined at their tops by a cross bar 58. The hooked members 52 and 54 are configured so as to form bale-receiving recesses 60 and 62. The loop shaped structures formed by the members 52, 54 and cross bar 58 allow for passage of ice and snow through the opening 59. The surfaces of recesses 60 and 62 are designed to be narrow so as to create sufficient pressure against an engaging bale element surface to dislodge any ice or snow deposited thereon. In the preferred embodiment of segments 26, 28, their cross section is circular, resulting in a minimal contact area between each segment 26, 28 and the surfaces 62, 72, a condition resulting in high pressure, causing the segment to efficiently wipe away any ice and snow on the surfaces. On a second side 64 of base 46, approximately opposite the first side 56, the frame 48 is shown bent upwardly and forming a pair of saddle-shaped side members 63, 65, each including an inner upright 66 and an outer upright 68. The inner uprights 66 are joined together at their tops by a cross bar 70 while the outer uprights 68 are joined at their tops by a pivot shaft or pin 69. The outer edges of uprights 66 slope outwardly to form camming surfaces 72 leading into the bale-receiving notches 74. Disposed between uprights 68 and pivotally affixed thereto by pin 69 is a latch 76. 
     The uprights 66, 68, cross bar 70 and shaft 69 form loop structures similar to the members 52, 54 and cross bar 58, to provide a structure absent of any cavities that can accumulate ice and snow, and the narrow camming surfaces 72 provide a high pressure in contact with the bale element 28 to dislodge any ice or snow therefrom. 
     The holes 100 are shown in the form of four accurately shaped slots, positioned along a circumference coaxial with a rotational axis &#34;B&#34;, through which bolts 104 are inserted to secure the frame 48 to the board 14. With the bolts 104 loosened, the frame 48 can be rotated to adjust the orientation angle &#34;A&#34; of the boots 10, 12 as was briefly described in reference to FIG. 1. Although the elongated holes as shown are preferred, the holes 100 could be of any number and of various shapes including numerous bolt clearance holes in the frame 48 along a circumference coaxial with axis &#34;B&#34;, which would provide for incremental adjustments. 
     The embodiment of the present invention described in the various figures presents the preferred construction. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications could be made which retain the spirit of the invention, which is predominantly the loop shaped structures avoiding cavities that could accumulate ice and snow, and the novel cam latch. These modifications are included in the spirit of the invention. For example, although two upright members 66 and hooked shaped members 52 and 54 are shown, a quantity of one or more could be used to serve the purpose of guiding the bale segments into notched recesses, and these variations should be considered as part of the present invention. 
     Referring now to FIG. 3, the latch 76, pin 69 and a spring 88 are shown more clearly in an exploded view. The uprights 68 are joined near their tops by the pin 69. The latch 76 and spring 88 are mounted on the pin 69, the spring 88 pretensioned during assembly, functioning to urge the latch 76 into a position resting on the bale element when engaged in the notch 74, as well be fully explained in the following description. When the bale elements are removed from the binding, as in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cross bar 70 conveniently acts as a stop for the latch 76 resting thereon as shown in FIG. 2. This is an optional feature of the present invention. The spring 88 has hooked ends 90 retained in spring retaining slots 92, and a lever portion 94 bearing against the bottom 96 of the latch 76 in groove 98 when assembled. 
     FIG. 3 also shows the loop shaped structure of cross bar 70 and uprights 66 more clearly, which provide the novel feature of an absence of snow collecting cavities, allowing ice and snow to move freely through the opening 99 under the cross bar 70, and axle 69 and latch 76. 
     The figure additionally shows the frame 48 bolted to the board 14 with the friction washer 49 sandwiched therebetween. 
     FIGS. 4-7 give further detail of the latch 76 and its operation in securing the boot in the binding 44. In general, FIGS. 4-7 illustrate the functional importance of the surfaces 72 in guiding the bale segment 28 downward and outward, guiding its lateral motion so as to allow the bale segment 26 to first rest on surface 122 laterally outside of the hook 52 and cross bar 58, and as the bale segment 28 is forced downward, it is guided first by surface 110 of the latch 76 and then by surface edges 72 laterally outward in a controlled manner, pulling the segment 26 into the hook 52. In further detail now, FIG. 4 shows that the latch 76 has an extension 108 with a trough shaped upper surface 110 and a bale-engaging or latching surface 112. The surface 112 has a compound curvature with a first portion 114 dimensioned at a radius R1 from the rotational axis 116 of the latch 76 defined by the center of the pin 69. The distance R2 to the cross bar is dimensioned somewhat greater than the radius R1 from the axis 116, allowing the extension 108 to move upward and partially past the cross bar 70. The surface 112 has a second portion 118 having a radius R3 from axis 116, R3 being greater than R1. The dimensioning of R2 is further defined so that as the extension 108 is rotated upward, the surface of the lower portion 118 interferes with and rests upon the surface of the cross bar 70, stopping rotation of latch 76 under influence of spring 88. This feature of stopping the latch rotation on the bar 70 is a convenience feature, functioning when the bale segment 28 is removed as shown in FIG. 4. The critical function of the novel dimensioning of the camming surface 112, including the selection of R1 and R3, is for locking the bale segment 28 in the notch 74, as will be explained more fully in the following descriptions. The bale-receiving notch 74 is dimensioned relative to the axis 116 so that when the bale segment 28 is lodged in the notch 74, the second portion 118 of surface 112 is in engagement with the segment 28, locking it in place. Due to the progressively increasing radius of the surface 112 from the axis 116 from R1 to R3, the surface 112 will wedge against the element 28 even if the bale segment 28 is displaced in the notch as a result of ice or snow under the boot or in the notch 74, or in the event of dimensional variations caused by manufacturing tolerances or wear. This important feature will be more fully shown in the following figures of the drawing. As illustrated, the latch 76 also has a handle or lever extension 120 by which a user may rotate the latch counter-clockwise as depicted in FIGS. 4-7 to release the bale segment 28 from the notch 74. 
     FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 illustrate in sequence how the first and second end segments 26 and 28 are engaged and retained by the binding 44. For reference, the bale-shaped dashed lines in each of FIGS. 5-7 are included as indications of the position of the bale position displayed in each preceding figure. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the end segment 26 is first placed over the cross bar 58 connected to hook member 52 through opening 42, and lowered into engagement with the surface 122 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, moving from a first portion as indicated by dashed lines at 117 to a second portion at 119. The boot 12 and bale segment 28 are then rotated in the clockwise direction so that the segment 28 engages surface 110 of latch 76, rotating it counter-clockwise from a position indicated by dashed lines at 121 to a second portion at 123, and to engage cam surface 72. Surface 110 is trough-shaped in the preferred embodiment, which configuration tends to temporarily guide the bale segment 28, keeping it from slipping off to the left of bar 70, and also aiding in transferring the downward thrust of the bale segment 28 to rotational movement of the latch 76. 
     As segment 28 moves downward and outward as shown in FIG. 6 from a position 125 indicated by the dashed lines to a position 127, the cam surface 72 causes the bale to be drawn rightwardly as indicated by arrow 132, so that segment 26 is pulled from position 134 to position 136 into hooked engagement with hook members 52, 54. Note that as segment 28 moves down the surface 72, it also moves past the tip 138 of latch 76 as the latch is rotated out of the way from a first position at 131 to a second position at 133. 
     In FIG. 7, end segment 28 has slipped by the latch tip 138 from position 135 indicated by dashed lines to position 137, and end segments 26 and 28 are shown fully engaged with the binding 44. In this position segment 28 rests fully in the notch 74, and segment 26 is pulled fully into the hooked recess 60. Note that when segment 28 passes the tip 138, the latch moves from position 139 to 141, rotated by spring 88 into its latching position with surface 118 engaging the top of end segment 28. In this position the bale is fully captivated in the binding 44. Any tendency toward upward motion of the segment 26 is resisted by the hooked members 52, 54, and any tendency toward upward motion of the segment 28 is resisted by the latch 76. The location of the axis 116 above and slightly outward from the notch 74 is an important design parameter in securing the segment 28. In this position at 141, any upward force on the second segment 28 will exert a force component against the surface 112 primarily towards the axis 116 which does not tend to rotate the latch 76. Due to the axis being slightly outward from the notch 74, a minor component of force is also exerted tangentially to the surface 112 tending to rotate the latch clockwise, but due to the progressive increase in the distance of the camming surface 112 from the axis 116 as above described, such motion causes the segment to be more firmly compressed between the surface 112 and notch 74 due to the portion of surface 112 with increased radius being forced into contact with the segment 28. Also, the shape of the opening 143 between the surface 112 and surface 72 resists movement of the segment 28. 
     FIG. 7 also shows that if the latch is held in position 139, there is a gap 123 between the segment 28 and surface 112 when the segment is fully engaged in the notch 74. This again is a result of the camming shape of surface 112, and makes it possible for the latch 76 to adjust for variations in the resting portion of the segment 28 in its notch, allowing it to firmly secure the segment 28 even if there is snow or ice under the boot such as at 125 holding it up from the frame 48, or ice in the notch 74 holding the segment up. If the ice or snow compresses after initial latching, the latch will automatically rotate clockwise due to spring 88 forcing the surface 112 to maintain contact with the segment 28. This feature is perhaps more clearly shown in FIG. 7a which shows the binding in a position with a slight gap 127 between the segment 28 and the bottom of the notch 74. 
     FIG. 8 gives a more detailed description of a preferred contour for the cam latch surface 112 showing the upper surface 114 having a much longer radius of curvature than the lower surface 118. Each of the multiplicity of line lengths 145 represents the radius of the surface 112 at the point intersected by the line. It should be noted that this information on the surface 112 curvature is in addition to the description above in relation to FIG. 4 which details the surface 112 position relative to the axis 116. 
     Referring now to FIG. 9 of the drawing, there is shown an alternate form of latch apparatus 140 for captivating the end segment 28 (not shown) within the notch 74. This embodiment includes a block 142 shown in cross-section with bore or other passageway 144 passing therethrough. The block has a bracket 146 extending outward therefrom upon which a lever 148 is hinged and urged by a spring 150 to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow 152. The lever 148 has a first end 154 serving as a handle to enable the user to release the latch, and a second end 156 hinged to a latching pin or bar 158 having a tapered end 160 upon which end segment 28 (not shown) may bear against during the process of engaging the bale with the binding as the end segment 28 moves in a downward direction as indicated by arrow 162, urging the pin 158 rightwardly against the force of the spring 150, and camming along the surface 130 to the rest position 164 in the notch 165. This embodiment may also include the addition of an optional bale-guiding member 166 which would serve to assist in the initial registration of the bale with the binding 44. Other latch configurations for capturing the bale within the notch 165 will no doubt also be apparent to those who are skilled in the art, after having read this disclosure, and are included as within the spirit of the present invention. 
     Other alternate embodiments of latching mechanisms are shown in FIGS. 10-12. FIGS. 10A and 10B show a binding with an outwardly hooked member 170 for receiving the bale end segment 26. Opposite the hooked member 170 there is a saddle shaped extension 172 extending upward from a base plate 174. The general structure of the hooked member 170, base plate 174 and member 172 is similar to that of FIGS. 2-7, the hooked member 170 and saddle shaped extension 172 each being one of a pair mounted on or formed from the base or frame 174 and joined together by cross bars 176 and 178. For simplicity of depiction, only a planar side view is shown. In a similar manner to the apparatus of FIGS. 2-7, there is a downward and outwardly sloping surface 180 to guide segment 28 and cause segment 26 once contacting surface 204 to be pulled into the hooked recess 182 of hook 170. 
     The latching mechanism includes a captivation block 184 pivotably mounted on pin 186 to a support plate 187, with a semicircular recess 188. A handle 190 is pivotably mounted on pin 192 at a first end to one side of block 184 at a distance from the pin 186. The handle is also pivotably joined to the plate 187 by a doubly pivoted member 194 having a first end 196 joined to the handle 190 by pin 198 and a second end 200 pivotably joined to the plate 187 by pin 202. Once the segment is in the latched portion as shown in FIG. 10B, the handle 190 is restrained by spring 203 from moving up to the release position of FIG. 10A. 
     FIG. 10A shows the block 184 rotated by handle 190, placing recess 188 upward in a position to accept segment 28 therein. A downward movement of the segment 26 places it in contact with surface 204, and a similar downward thrust of segment 28 causes it to be guided by surface 206 into recess 188, causing the rotation of block 184 counter clockwise as viewed in FIG. 10A, which rotation moves handle 190 and member 194 into the position as shown in FIG. 10B, being locked into position in that an upward thrust on segment 28 is resisted by the orientation of the handle 190 and member 194. 
     The apparatus of FIGS. 11A, 11B, and 11C illustrates another latching mechanism. As in FIG. 10A, there is a pair of hooked members 170 extending from a base plate 174 joined by a cross bar 176, and opposing saddle shaped extensions 210 joined by a cross bar 178, the extensions 210 having downward and outwardly extending surfaces 212 for guiding the second bale segment 28. The latch consists of a circular member 214 mounted on axle 216 to a support plate extending from the base 174 but not shown. The circular member has a semicircular cut out 218 for engaging the segment 28, and has a number of locking indents 220 which cause the member 214 to be captivated from moving in a clockwise direction when the prong 222 of a pivotably mounted handle 224 is lodged therein. The handle is pivotably mounted to support 226 by pin 228. A spring 229, similar to spring 88 of FIG. 3 is mounted to handle 224 and axle 228 to urge the prong 222 into the recesses 220. FIGS. 11B and 11C show the bale segments 26, 28 and circular member 214 in an intermediate position and a final locked-in position respectively. 
     FIG. 12 shows a latching mechanism, again working with a saddle shaped member 230 extending up from a base 234 and having a downward and outwardly sloping surface 232. The base 234 has a stop extension 236 for restricting the movement of a resilient, primary spring member 238 upwardly curving from the base 234. A handle 240 is bolted to the member 238 and has an upward and outwardly lying surface 242 forming a wedge shaped opening 244 between the surface 242 and surface 232 for capturing and guiding segment 28 down along the surface 232 until it reaches the bottom 246 of the handle 240, at which point the resilient primary spring 238 snaps back over the segment 28 capturing it in position in semi-circular groove 248. The segment rests on a secondary spring 250 attached to the base and configured for urging the segment upward against the groove 248. 
     Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it will be appreciated that certain alterations and modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore intended that the appended claims be interpreted as covering all such alterations and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.