Water ski boot and binding

In a ski,

• an elongated runner having a pair of cleats on the dorsal side thereof which are spaced apart longitudinally of the runner to permit a user to place a foot-engaging shoe on the runner in the spaced between the cleats, and
• means on the cleats for clamping the shoe to the runner,
• the clamping means being operable to release the shoe when a predetermined shear force is generated between the runner and the shoe, transverse thereof,
• said clamping means including a displaceable pin on one of the cleats for yieldably biasing the shoe relatively toward the runner, to releasably clamp the shoe thereto, and
• means including a reciprocable actuator on said one cleat for alternately enlarging and reducing the bias on the pin, when the shoe is releasably clamped to the runner,
• the actuator taking the form of a lever which is pivotally mounted on the pin and has a cam at one end thereof that enlarges the bias in one position of the lever, and reduces the bias in another position thereof, and
• the cam being interposed between the pin and a coiled spring which is caged in a thimble, coaxially of the pin, so that in the one position of the lever, the cam loads the spring, and in the other position of the lever, the cam unloads the spring in part.

In a cleat for releasably clamping a foot engaging shoe to a ski runner,

• means defining a housing adapted for positioning upright on the dorsal side of the runner, said housing having an elongated chamber therein which extends along a generally horizontal axis and has a first port at one end thereof opening outwardly of the housing on the axis, and a second port in the top thereof opening outwardly of the housing transverse the axis,
• a pin for releasably clamping the shoe, said pin having relatively proximal and distal end portions thereof mounted in the chamber and the first port, respectively, to be advanced and released relatively outwardly and inwardly of the housing along the axis when clamping and releasing the shoe,
• a coiled spring mounted rearwardly of the pin in the chamber, with a driver interposed therebetween, so that the spring can be compressed and relaxed along the axis at the driver, and
• leveraging means for advancing and releasing the pin including a lever pivotally mounted on the proximal end portion of the pin generally upright in the second port of the housing, for rotation about a fulcrum on the pin transverse the axis, and cam means cooperatively engaged with one another about the fulcrum in the housing to alternately compress and relax the spring when the lever is rotated in opposing angular directions about the fulcrum so that the pin is advance relatively outwardly of the housing when the lever is rotated in one of the opposing angular directions about the fulcrum, and released relatively inwardly of the housing when the lever is rotated in the other of the opposing angular directions about the fulcrum.

In a ski,

• an elongated runner having a pair of cleats on the dorsal side thereof which are spaced apart longitudinally of the runner and adapted so that a user can place a foot-engaging shoe on the runner in the space between the cleats, and releasably clamp the shoe to the runner,
• one of said cleats comprising:
• means defining a housing positioned upright on the dorsal side of the runner, said housing having an elongated chamber therein which extends along a generally horizontal axis and has a first port at one end thereof opening outwardly of the housing on the axis in the direction of the other cleat, and a second port in the top thereof opening outwardly of the housing transverse the axis,
• a pin for releasably clamping the shoe, said pin having relatively proximal and distal end portions thereof mounted in the chamber and the first port, respectively, to be advanced and released relatively outwardly and inwardly of the housing along the axis when clamping and releasing the shoe,
• a coiled spring mounted rearwardly of the pin in the chamber, with a driver interposed therebetween, so that the spring can to be compressed and relaxed along the axis at the driver, and
• leveraging means for advancing and releasing the pin including a lever pivotally mounted on the proximal end portion of the pin generally upright in the second port of the housing, for rotation about a fulcrum on the pin transverse the axis, and cam means cooperatively engaged with one another about the fulcrum in the housing to alternately compress and relax the spring when the lever is rotated in opposing angular directions about the fulcrum so that the pin is advanced relatively outwardly of the housing when the lever is rotated in one of the opposing angular directions about the fulcrum, and released relatively inwardly of the housing when the lever is rotated in the other of the opposing angular directions about the fulcrum.