"SKI BINDING FOR ALPINE CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING WITH PHYSIO¬ LOGICAL ARTICULATION" Present state of the art As is well known, the human walking movement consists of putting one foot forward and by bending the hind foot,in the articulation between the metatarsus and phalanges,and pressing on the ground with roughly the front third of the foot, allowing the back of the foot to remain raised so as to permit the body to move forward.

Skiing boots, with their more or less rigid soles, hinder or impede this physiological bending of the foot. In what is called "alpine cross-country skiing", moving upwards on a slope the step is taken with articulation be_ tween boot and ski at a point even further forward than the toe of the boot itself, increasing effort and fatigue and making it impossible to use full muscular power. The invention concerned eliminates the above drawbacks, offering important advantages as will be described below.

Description of the invention

Subject of the invention is a binding for alpine cross-coun try skiing comprising a thin transversal spacer placed, al¬ most perpendicularly, between binding and ski to allow os- 5 cillation of said binding at a distance from the toe of the boot: practically corresponding to the phalange-metatarsus areartof physiological articulation of the foot and, in this way, achieve maximum thrust for the next upward step.

Said' spacer can be tilted up and down on its own hinge as 10. desired to allow the binding and the ski to lie closely to¬ gether for downward runs.

The- binding is connected to the ski by means of a flat, longitudinal spacer whose external front end is articula¬ ted on the front hinge of said binding, while its internal 15 back end articulates on a hinge placed at the summit, of the- transversal spacer. This latter articulates on a se¬ cond hinge, parallel to the first one, mounted on the ski.

When an upward step is being taken the position of the 20 forward boot, practically parallel to the ski, is assured by a flexible stay coupled at one end to the front tip of the- binding and, at the other end, to a support ixed to¬ wards the front of the ski.

In a second type of execution the binding is connected 25 to the ski by means of a flat flexible longitudinal stay made of metal or other material, underneath the binding and passing above the transversal spacer, whose external front end articulates on the front hinge of said binding while the back end is fixed to the ski behind said trans_ 30 versal spacer. In the position for the downward run its alignment with the ski is assured both by a hook fixed to the front of the ski, into the groove of which the front end of the binding fits, and by a locking means at the back, such as one of the known types.

35 In a third type of executioi the binding is connected

by means of a front connecting rod to a support mounted on the ski.

This connecting rod is prevented from assuming an angle greater than that corresponding to maximum backwards os- cillation of the binding, practically coinciding with the binding's parallel alignment to the ski.

For this purpose, close to said connecting rod's lower articulation, small arms or stroke-end stops are fixed to it which make contact with its support and therefore with the ski itself. An elastic means interposed between the connecting rod and the binding tends to lessen the internal angle-between said parts and therefore, due to the reaction of the connecting rod arms which make con¬ tact with the ski, after each forward oscillation when an upward step is taken, the binding tends to be brought back to a position parallel to the ski.

The connecting rod articulates internally by means of a fork mounted at the tip of the binding.

Its downward run position, in line with the ski, is ob- tained by means of lateral pins, or the like, mounted on the fork, parallel to the articulation, at a short dis¬ tance from the fork towards the inside of the binding, and by means of small teeth, or the like, fixed to the ski in a position a short distance from said pins, when the connecting rod is made to align itself with the ski keeping the binding practically perpendicular to said ski.

Therefore by turning the binding round from said perpen¬ dicular position until it is aligned with the ski, the pins, translating round the axis of articulation of'the connecting rod, place themselves under the teeth thus locking the binding at the front, while other even well known means, lock it at the back. The transversal spacer articulates on a support mounted on the binding by screws or other means, and has at its extremity a roller, freely.-moving on a transversal axis,

which constitutes the fulcrum point of binding oscilla¬ tion.

Said roller permits translation, caused by the force com ponent, practically parallel to the ski, of the end of the connecting rod articulated onto the binding.

The longitudinal position on said binding of the support .with roller, can be adjusted to suit the size of the wearer's foot by moving the locking screws to other holes or by other means of adjustment. ^" In a fourth type of execution the transversal spacer ar¬ ticulates on a support mounted on the ski and, like the extremity, it also has a freely moving roller on a trans_ versa! axis, which constitutes the fulcrum point of the binding's oscillation. When proceeding upwards, the transversal spacer is pre¬ ferably fixed in the perpendicular position between the binding and the ski, by means of an elastic fork whose central straight section forms the pin of the hinge fit¬ ted on the extremity of the spacer itself. The two ends of said fork are bent outwards and aligned so that they can be pressed into ¹ two aligned eyelets in a strap fixed to the ski or to a supporting means fixed to the binding.

By detaching said ends of the fork from the eyelets, the spacer can then be tilted to the downward run position.

The central section of the fork can be used as a pin for the rollers included in the two last executions.

The characteristics and purposes of the invention will be made even clearer by the following examples of its ex ecution illustrated by drawings.

Examples of execution

Fig.1 Side view of a boot fitted to the ski with usual bindings with the back foot making an upward step. Fig.2 View of the ski binding, subject of the invention, showing the longitudinal spacer.

Fig.3 Ditto as above in the downward run position.

Fig. Side view of a boot fitted to the ski with the in¬ vented binding while the back foot is making an up_ ward step. Fig.5 Ditto as above while the front foot is making an upward step.

Fig.6 Ditto as above in the downward run position.

Fig.7 View of the ski binding, subject of the invention, showing the longitudinal flexible .stay. Fig.8 View of the ski binding, subject of the invention, showing the front connecting piece.

Fig.9 Ditto as above in the downward run position.

Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically the mean position of the geometrical axis (51) of rotation of a boot (52) with the hind foot taking an upward step, when an ordinary binding (50) is mounted on the ski (54) by means of the strap(53).

Said axis (51) is fa (distance D) from the mean axis (55) of the zone corresponding to physiological articula¬ tion between phalanges and metatarsus . Fig. 2 shows a binding (10) which, according to the pre¬ sent invention, has a front hinge (11) fixed by means of the strap (12) and screws (19) to the front end (32) of the longitudinal spacer (14). The transversal spacer (16) is connected at its summit, by means of the hinge (18) with the longitudinal spacer

(14) and, below, by means of the hinge (17) to the strap

(15) mounted on the ski (13) with screws (20).

The pin for the hinge (18) consists of the central straight section (22) of the elastic fork (21) whose aligned ends (23) (24) bent outwards, fit into the eyelets (25) (26) of the strap (27) mounted by screws (28) on the ski.

To the front of the binding (10), the hook (3C) with a tongue (31) and groove (48) facing inwards, is fixed to the ski by the screws (29) .

The locking device (40) is fixed at the back to the ski.

At the front the double flexible stay (42) connects the binding,by means of the screw (43) _» to the angular support (44) fixed to the ski by means of the screw (45) .

Operation 5 As can be clearly seen in Fig. 4, the articulation of the back boot -taking an upward step in relation to the ski, takes place, with the invented binding, on the geometrical axis (46) at a point practically on the physiological ar¬ ticulation between phalanges and metatarsus.

10. ^' Obviously the angle made by the boot can be completed on the front hinge (11) as with ordinary bindings. The position of the front boot (48), seen in Fig. 5, is however substantially parallel to the ski (49) due to the effect of the stay (42) which reacts to the weight of the

15; skier.

When going downhill the binding (10) lies close to the ski (13) detaching the fork (21) from the eyelets (25) (26), tilting the spacer (16) onto the ski and inserting the extremity (32) of said binding in the groove (48) of

2C the hook (30) as appears in Figures 3 and 6.

This position is kept stable by means of the locking de¬ vice (40) for downhill runs.

Second type of execution

Fig. 7 illustrates a variation consisting in use of the

25 flexible stay (57).

This stay, made of metal or some other material, is held at its front end (62) to the strap (12) by means of the screws (58) and, curving round (63), passes over the spa¬ cer (59) connected, by means of the upper hinge (60),

30 to the central section (22) of the fork (21) and is then fixed underneath the plate (61) by the eyelets (55) (56) for holding the fork to the ski (13'). The spacer articulates on the hinge (17'). Operation is practically identical to that with the long.

35 tudinal spacer (14).

Third type of execution -#

Figures 8 and 9 show a variation consisting in oscillation

by the binding (70) on the ski (88) being guided by means of the front connecting piece (71) and the roller (72) supported by the transverse spacer (73). Front articulation (77) of the connecting piece is made by means of the small pins with spacers (79) anchored to the sides (78) of the C-shaped support (74) fixed to the ski with screws (75) .

Rotation of the connecting piece is limited by the end- stroke stops (80). Back articulation (81) takes place by means of the small pins anchored in the fork (76) mounted at the tip of the binding (70).

A small piston (&2),placed longitudinally in the connect¬ ing section, is pressed by the compression spring (83) against the front (84) of the fork (76).

This fork has short arms (85) at 90° turned inwards and supporting the aligned pins (86), but out of line with the axis of articulation (81). The inner ends of the sides of support (74) are .cut in to form the teeth (87).

The distance between the extremity of said teeth and the front articulation is greater than the centre distance between said front articulation and the back articulation of said connecting section, but lesser than said centre distance increased by the misalignment of the pins (86) .

Therefore, turning the binding towards the ski, having first placed it practically perpendicular to the latter, it becomes possible to make the pins (86) go beyond the end of the teeth (87) and insertthem under said teeth as seen in Fig. 9 in order to lock the position of the con¬ necting piece and the end of the binding against the ski in preparation for the downhill run.

The spacer (73) is mounted on the binding (70) by means of the C-shaped support (90), with articulation (91) on the small pins anchored to the sides (92).

At the lower end the spacer. (73) supports, by means of

the eyelets (93) the central section (98) of the elastic fork (94), structure and operation of which are substan¬ tially the same as those of the fork (21) in Figs. 2 and 3, and on which the roller (72) is fitted. The ends (95) of said fork, inserted in the eyelets (96) of the sides (92), hold the spacer in the position shown in Fig. 8, practically perpendicular to the binding. The screws (97) can be screwed into any one of a series ..of holes in the binding aligned longitudinally, to allow : the position of the spacer on the binding to be adjusted and. consequently adjustment of the fulcrum point of os¬ cillation on the ski (88) according to the size of the skie *s foot. Operation Operation is practically the same as described above for the other types.

When an uphill step is taken the binding oscillates by means of the roller (72) on the ski practically at the position of articulation between phalanges and metatar- sus as happens with the bindings in Figs. 4 and 5.

Oscillation however is guided by the connecting piece (71) which causes the binding to make a slight longitu¬ dinal translation on the above-mentioned roller. The end-stroke stops (80), making contact with the sup- port (74) and therefore with the ski, prevent the bind¬ ing from exceeding in its backward movement, the paral¬ lel position in relation to the ski, corresponding to Fig. 5. For the downhill position (Fig. 9) all that is necessary is for the elastic fork to be detached from the eyelets in order to allow the spacer to be tilted parallel to the binding and to the ski.

At the same time the connecting piece (71) is locked against its support thus pressing the pins (86) under- neath the teeth (87) as already described. Iressed by the spring (83) the piston (82) tends, after each oscil- tion in the uphill step, to return the binding parallel

to the ski partly due to the reaction of the end-stroke stops (80) on the connecting piece against the ski.

Advantages

With the ordinary types of bindings, articulation of which during an uphill step is even further forward than the tip of the boot, maximum thrust is exerted practically on the toes only.

With the bindings subject of this invention, articulation between the boot and the ski occurs practically in the zone corresponding to the physiological articulation betwen pha langes and metatarsus and, with the foot back v/hen taking an uphill step, the maximum thrust for forward movement can be obtained.

This thrust is considerably greater, even more than 30%, than that obtainable with Ordinary bindings. jjffort is thus proportionately less while performance and muscular efficiency are much greater.

The easy change-over from the "climbing" position to the

"downward run" position is a further interesting and ex- tremely useful advantage offered by this present invention.

As the applications of the invention have been described as examples only and not limited to these, it is understood that any equivalent application of the inventive concepts described and any product executed and/or in operation in accordance with the characteristics of the invention, will be covered by its field of protection.