US3345704A

US3345704A - Ski boot fastening

Info

Publication number: US3345704A
Application number: US561782A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kenneth W Binding
Original assignee: Market Forge Co
Current assignee: Market Forge Co
Priority date: 1966-06-30
Filing date: 1966-06-30
Publication date: 1967-10-10
Anticipated expiration: 1984-10-10

Description

Oct. 10, 1967 w N G 3,345,704

SKI BOOT FASTENING Filed June 50, 1966 United States Patent 3,345,704 SKI BOUT FASTENING Kenneth W. Binding, Winchester, Mass, assiguor to Market Forge Company, Everett, Mass a corporation of Massachusetts Filed June 30, 1966, Ser. No. 561,782 7 Claims. (Cl. 2470) This invention relates to toggle fastenings for ski boots, and in particular to toggle assemblies adapted to be substituted for the lacings of ski boots having conventional lace-holding hooks.

In United States Patent No. 3,287,774, dated Nov. 29, 1966 to Kenneth W. Binding et al., on an application filed Nov. 16, 1964, there is shown a toggle assembly of this kind in which there are spring metal jaws engageable with pairs of lacing hooks for anchoring the component parts of the assembly to the boot. This invention has for its purpose to provide pairs of jaws which are adapted to be rigidly fastened to the lacing hooks rather than elastically attached thereto, thereby to withstand greater stresses and shock. Each assembly comprises a loop connected to one jaw of a pair of jaws and a toggle member connected to the other jaw of a pair of jaws. Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for adjustably connecting the loop to the one jaw and for retaining it in a selected position of adjustment without slip. The toggle member contains a plurality of longitudinally spaced notches for receiving the distal end of the loop to enable, by selection of an appropriate notch, obtaining the desired degree of snugness, and another object of the invention is to hold the toggle member and loop in this selected relation to each other to enable releasing the toggle without losing the adjustment.

As herein illustrated, the toggle assembly comprises parts adapted to be anchored to the lace-holding means embodying, respectively, a loop and toggle element operable, by interengagement, to shorten the distance between the lace-holding means; characterized in that each part is independently secured to a pair of adjacent lace-holding means by a pair of jaws designed to receive portions of a pair of the lace-holding means between them. A bolt extends through an opening in one jaw part of each pair into a threaded socket secured to the other jaw of each pair and is operable by rotation to draw the jaws of each pair together. One jaw of each pair of jaws has a flange bent downwardly opposite the outer edges of the heads of the lace-holding hooks and the other jaw of each pair of jaws has a portion abutting the outer sides of the shanks of the lace-holding hooks. A flexible strap connects the loop to one pair of jaws, there being means at one end of the strap securing it to one of the jaws of the pair, and means at the opposite end securing it to the loop. The latter means comprises a length of strap folded through the loop and a cinch encircling the folded portion of the strap. The cinch is slidable along the fold toward the loop and embodies a tooth adapted to engage one of a series of longitudinally spaced holes in the strap to hold it from slipping relative to the loop. The loop is comprised of wire and has spaced parallel lengths joined to each other at one end by a straight length corresponding substantially in width to the strap andabout which the strap is bent, and a bent length joining the other end for receiving the toggle member. The toggle member is pivoted to one of the jaws of the other pair of jaws and a spring is supported under tension between the parallel lengths of the loop and is movable therealong onto the bent length to confine the toggle member between it and the distal end of the bent length thereby to hold the toggle lever with a selected notch engaged with a bent length of the loop. The spring is movable rearwardly on the parallel lengths of the loop to free the toggle member for engagement of a different notch with the loop.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein.

FIG. 1 is a perspective of a ski boot showing three toggle assemblies applied to the instep and ankle portion of the boot;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of one of the toggle assemblies removed from the boot, showing in dot and dash lines the extent of pivotal movement provided for;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the toggle assembly shown in FIG. 2, showing the toggle lever in operative position;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevation showing the toggle lever in the released position;

FIG. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 7 is a section taken on the line 77 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a typical ski boot 10 provided at opposite sides of the instep portion 12 of the upper with rows of lacing hooks 2, each of which comprises an outwardly projecting head 4, a shank 6 and a base 8, the latter being secured to the upper material of the boot by a hollow rivet in conventional fashion.

Normally such a boot is secured by lace entrained about the hooks. It is the purpose of this invention to substitute for the lace, toggle assemblies to convert the boot from fastening by means of lace, to fastening by means of toggles to obtain the advantages of the latter. The toggle assemblies are like those shown in the aforesaid Patent 3,287,774 but embody the further advantages that they are rigidly secured to the lacing hooks so as to withstand greater stress and shock; that they are more readily adjustable and may be secured against slip in their adjusted position; and that the interengageable components of the toggle means may be held engaged in a particular adjusted position when the toggle is relaxed so that the toggle assemblies may be engaged and reengaged repeatedly without loss of the adjusted position.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a boot provided with three toggle assemblies, two of them being located across the instep and one across the ankle. Each assembly comprises two pairs of

jaws

16 and 18 adapted to be attached, respectively, to a pair of lacing books at opposite sides of the instep or ankle, a loop 20 connected to one pair of jaws 16 by a flexible strap 22 and a toggle lever 24 connected to the other pair of jaws 18.

The jaw clamps 16, as shown in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6, comprise a jaw part 26- for engagement with the heads of a pair of lacing hooks, and :a jaw part 28 for en.- gagement with the shanks of the lacing books. The jaw part 26 has a substantially rectangular portion 30 which is adapted to rest upon the upper surfaces of the heads of the lacing hooks and is long enough to span two such lacing hooks, a portion 32 offset downwardly therefrom and parallel thereto for connection to the strap 22, and a downwardly projecting flange 34 for engagement with the outer flanged edge of the jaw part 28. Midway between the ends of the jaw parts 26 and 28 a screw bolt 38 is mounted in the jaw part 26 for threaded engagement with an internally threaded sleeve 40 secured to the jaw part 28. The jaw part 28 has a lip 28a which abuts the outer sides of the shanks of the lacing hooks and a flange 28b which abuts the flange 34 of the jaw part 26. The

jaw parts

26 and 28 are secured to a pair of lacing hooks by turning the screw bolt in the threaded socket to draw them into clamping engagement with the lacing hooks, as shown in FIGS. and 6.

The jaws 18 comprise a jaw part 42 and a jaw part 44. The jaw part 42 has a rectangular portion 46 for engagement with the upper sides of the heads of the lacing hooks which is long enough to span a pair of lacing hooks, a horizontal flange 48 spaced downwardly and parallel to the portion 46 for engagement with the upper inwardly of the lacing hooks, a downwardly extending flange 50 for engagement with the outer edges of the heads of the lacing hooks, a horizontal portion 52 having a lip 52a adapted to bear against the outer sides of the shanks of the lacing hooks, and a vertical portion 54 having at its upper end a bearing 56 containing a slot 58 in which one end of the toggle lever 24 is rotatably supported by a pivot pin 60. The flange 48, by engagement with the upper inwardly of the lacing hooks, constitutes a stabilizing element which reduces the tipping moment which tends to tip the hooks inwardly toward each other when the toggle is in its operative position. The

jaw parts

42 and 44 are clamped to the lacing hooks by interengagement of a screw bolt 62 in the jaw part 42 with an internally threaded sleeve 64 fastened to the jaw part 44.

The loop is comprised of wire bent to provide spaced parallel lengths 66 joined at one end by a straight length 68 correspondingly substantially in width to the strap and about which the strap is adapted to be folded, as illustrated in FIG. 3, and joined at their other ends by a bent length 70kwhich has its apex at 72 and with which one of a plurality of notches 74 in the toggle member is adapted to be engaged to provide for adjusting the amount of constriction when the toggle is moved into locking or operative position.

The loop 20 is connected to one of the pair of jaws 16, that is to the jaw part 26, by the strap 22, one end of which is fastened to the horizontal flange 32 by a rivet 76 so that the strap end is free to rotate in the plane of the flange about the axis of the rivet. Preferably a metal cap 78 having a downturned flange 80 is placed over the end of the strap and fastened to the horizontal flange 32 by the rivet 76 to reinforce the connection and to prevent distortion of the strap when it is rotated. The strap contains a plurality of holes 84 spaced lengthwise thereof and is folded about the length 68 of the loop. To secure the fold in a selected position, a cinch 86 in the form of a rectangular collar is mounted on the bent portion of the strap and is provided with a tooth 8 which may be engaged with one of the holes. The tooth is bent forwardly so that any pull which tends to displace the free end of the strap engages the tooth more firmly within the hole and hence prevents slipping of the strap.

It is desirable to maintain a selected position of adjustment of the toggle lever with the loop once a given position is found to be comfortable. Accordingly, a retainer in the form of a coiled spring 90 is mounted under tention on the loop 20, each end being provided with a hook 92 encircling the Wire of the loop. The spring is mounted rearwardly of the distal end of the loop so that the togggle lever extends upwardly between the apex of the bent portion 70 and the spring and is yieldably held by the spring with a selected notch engaged with the loop. The tension in the spring tends to move it forwardly onto the converging lengths at the distal end of the loop and thus to hold the toggle lever between it and the apex end of the loop. The spring may be forced back along the parallel lengths of the loop toward the strap to enable readjustment of the lever whenever desired.

The pivotal attachment of the strap 22 to the clamp 16 enables attaching the assemblies in diagonal position on the boot, that is with the pairs of jaws at opposite ends fastened to diagonally displaced pairs of lacing hooks instead of opposite pairs of lacing hooks. This crossing arrangement provides greater support with fewer assemblies and, in fact, when so arranged makes it unnecessary to lace the inner boot which is provided in a boot of this kind.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A toggle assembly for use with a ski boot, said boot having spaced lace-holding means for drawing the boot tight on the foot, comprising two parts to be anchored to the lace-holding means, one of said parts having connected thereto a loop and the other of said parts having connected thereto a toggle means operable by interengagement with said loop to shorten the distance between the lace-holding means; wherein each of said parts is independently secured to a pair of adjacent lace-holding means by a pair of jaws designed therefor, and a screw bolt interconnecting the jaws operable to draw the jaws into clamping engagement with said lace-holding means, said screw bolt being situated substantially midway between the pair of lace-holding means to which the jaws are clamped.

2. A toggle assembly according to claim 1, wherein each pair of jaws comprises confronting jaw parts for receiving between them the lace-holding means, one of said jaw parts embodying a threaded socket, said bolt extending through an opening in the other jaw part into the socket operable, by rotation, to draw the jaw parts together, and a flange on one of the jaw parts of each pair of the jaw parts to transmit the contractile pull developed by the toggle means to the lace-holding means to draw the parts into snug engagement with the foot.

3. A toggle assembly according to claim 1, wherein said lace-holding means comprise hooks and each of the jaws have parts bearing against the outer and inner sides of the hooks and other parts bearing against each other operable, when the parts are drawn together, to clamp the jaw parts to the hooks.

4. A toggle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lace-holding means are hooks and wherein each pair of jaws comprise confronting jaw parts for receiving between them outwardly bent heads of the hooks, one of each of the jaw parts having a flange bent downwardly at the outer edges of the heads into engagement with the other of the jaw parts, and each of said other of the jaw parts having parts abutting the outer sides of shanks of the hooks.

5. A toggle assembly according to claim 1, wherein a flat flexible strap connects the loop to one pair of jaws, there is means securing one end of the strap to the one pair of jaws, and means at the opposite ends securing it to the loop, said latter means comprising a length of the strap folded through the loop and cinch means encircling the folded portion of the strap, said cinch means being slidable along the fold toward the loop and embodying a tooth to be engaged in one of a plurality of spaced holes in the strap and, by such engagement, to hold the cinch means from slipping relative to the loop.

6. A toggle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the loop is comprised of wire and has spaced parallel lengths joined to each other at one end by a straight length corresponding substantially in width to the strap and about which the strap is bent, and a bent length joining the other ends forming an apex angle Within which the toggle lever is operable, and a spring is supported under tension between the parallel lengths, said spring being movable along the parallel lengths onto the bent length to References Cited confine the toggle lever between it and the apex angle of the bent length thereby to retain the toggle lever in UNITED STATES PATENTS engagement with said apex angle. 236F310 11/1958 24 6'9 7. A toggle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the 5 3,204,307 9/1965 Dunn 24 68 toggle lever has spaced notches lengthwise thereof se- 312591950 7/1966 f f 24 70 lectively engageable with the distal end of the loop, and 3,287,774 11/1966 Bmdmg et a] 2470 wherein a part is mounted on the loop behind the toggle I lever yieldably to hold the lever with a selected notch WILLIAM FELDMAN Prlmmy Exammer' engaged with the loop when the toggle is released. 10 MILTON S. MEHR, Examiner.

Claims

1. A TOGGLE ASSEMBLY FOR USE WITH A SKI BOOT, SAID BOOT HAVING SPACED LACE-HOLDING MEANS FOR DRAWING THE BOOT TIGHT ON THE FOOT, COMPRISING TWO PARTS TO BE ANCHORED TO THE LACE-HOLDING MEANS, ONE OF SAID PARTS HAVING CONNECTED THERETO A LOOP AND THE OTHER OF SAID PARTS HAVING CONNECTED THERETO A TOGGLE MEANS OPERABLE BY INTERENGAGEMENT WITH SAID LOOP TO SHORTEN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE LACE-HOLDING MEANS; WHEREIN EACH OF SAID PARTS IS INDEPENDENTLY SECURED TO A PAIR OF ADJACENT LACE-HOLDING MEANS BY A PAIR OF JAWS DESIGNED THEREFOR, AND A SCREW BOLT INTERCONNECTING THE JAWS OPERABLE TO DRAW THE