Title: Cross-country ski binding

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Abstract: A cross-country ski binding comprises a toe iron which has two side portions, which extend substantially at right angles to the tread and engage at least one portion which projects from the sole of the skiing boot in front of its toe portion. A clamping member serving to retain the projecting portion is pivoted at least at one end to one side portion. In position for use, the clamping member extends transversely to the longitudinal direction of the ski. The clamping member is pivotally movable in a plane which is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the ski. At its other end, the clamping member is adapted to be releasably locked to the other side portion of the toe iron. In a top plan view, the toe iron has a constriction which is disposed in front of the tip of the foot and which is preferably narrower than the foot. The portion which projects from the sole has a recess which registers with the constriction. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A cross-country ski binding comprises a toe iron which has two side portions, which extend substantially at right angles to the tread and engage at least one portion which projects from the sole of the skiing boot in front of its toe portion. A clamping member serving to retain the projecting portion is pivoted at least at one end to one side portion. In position for use, the clamping member extends transversely to the longitudinal direction of the ski. The clamping member is pivotally movable in a plane which is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the ski. At its other end, the clamping member is adapted to be releasably locked to the other side portion of the toe iron. The cross-country ski binding also comprises a toe iron which has upturned longitudinal edge portions. A portion which projects from the sole of a cross-country skiing boot is received between said edge portions. Close to the forward ends of said edge portions, inwardly bulged portions, which face each other, extend from said edge portions. These bulged portions engage recesses in the portion projecting from the sole of the boot. This invention relates to a cross-country ski binding which comprises a toe iron that has two side portions, which extend substantially at right angles to the tread. These side portions engage at least one portion which projects from the sole in front of the toe portion of the skiing boot. A clamping member serves to retain the projecting portion and is pivoted at least at one end to one of the side portions. Known cross-country ski bindings comprise portions for guiding the toe portion of the skiing boot and further comprise a U-shaped member, which at its limb ends is pivoted to the toe guiding members and when swung down is adapted to be fixed in position by means of a racklike lever, which is pivoted to the forward end of the toe iron in the longitudinal center plane. To prevent a slipping toward the rear, the soleplate of the toe iron is provided with upstanding spikes, which are received in holes formed in the underside of the skiing boot adjacent to the portion which projects from the sole. In a similar cross-country ski binding, the skiing boot is fixed in position by studs, which snap in from above. Such bindings are relatively bulky and substantial portions of their lateral guides protrude beyond the longitudinal edges of the skis so that a high friction results in the cross-country trail. Swiss Patent Specification No. 147,184 discloses an angled toe iron, which conforms to the wedgelike shape of the foot, and a narrow guide bar, which is hooked to the toe iron adjacent to the toe portion of the boot and which engages a mating groove formed in a fixture which is attached to the edge of the sole on both sides of the upper of the boot. Because the resulting constriction must be wider than the foot, the ski binding has an excessive width and for this reason cannot be used with inherently narrow cross-country skis. Other known cross-country ski bindings comprise toe irons which are disposed in front of the toe and metatarsal portions of the skiing boot and which have a forward end portion which is boxlike in cross-section and adapted to receive a portion which projects from the sole of the skiing boot. A locking bolt is inserted into said forward end portion and projecting portion from the side to hold the projecting portion in position. Whereas that toe iron is small in bulk and for this reason gives rise to less friction in the cross-country trails and is also lighter in weight, the fixation of the boot is a complicated operation and the locking bolt may become lost. It is an object of the invention to provide a toe iron which has the advantage of the one described last hereinbefore but is free from the disadvantages thereof. In a cross-country ski binding of the kind defined first hereinbefore, this object is accomplished in accordance with the invention in that the clamping member extends in position for use transversely to the longitudinal direction of the ski and is pivotally movable in a plane which is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the ski and the clamping member is adapted to be releasably locked at its other end to the other side portion of the toe iron. According to an additional feature of the invention, the clamping member consists of resilient material and the portion which projects from the sole and/or the clamping member has such a curvature that when the clamping member is swung down and releasably locked in position the spring is so highly stressed that the portion projecting from the sole of the skiing boot cannot slip out under the clamping member. This arrangement eliminates the need for providing additional bolts, pawls or the like locking means, which have been used in known cross-country ski bindings to prevent a slipping of the boot toward the rear. According to another feature of the invention, the toe iron has in a top plan view a constriction, which is disposed in front of the tip of the foot and is preferably narrower than the foot and the portion which projects from the sole has a recess, which registers with the constriction so that retaining means are provided for releasably locking the portion which projects from the sole so that said portion cannot lift from the toe iron. According to an additional feature of the invention, the retaining means for locking the portion which projects from the forward end of the sole comprise a clamping member, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the ski and is pivoted at one end on an axis which extends in the longitudinal direction of the ski, and said clamping member is adapted to be releasably locked at its other end. An additional feature of the ski binding according to the invention resides in that the skier can step into the binding from above so that the skiing boot cannot slip in the forward direction, as in the known bindings, into which the skiing boot is inserted in said forward direction.


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