Cross-country ski binding

A cross-country ski binding for supporting a ski boot having a sole with a boot toe and a boot heel and said boot heel has a lowered position for engaging the ski, comprising a toe iron (10) which is mounted on the top of a ski and includes cheeks (11) and sole catches (12) for accommodating and supporting the boot toe and thereby the ski boot against sideways, forwardly and upwardly directed forces, said toe iron having attachment means for immovably securing the toe iron to the ski, a tension cable unit (14) adapted to be coupled to the toe iron and to be passed about the heel of [the]a ski boot, means (15) associated with said tension cable unit for varying the effective length of the cable, said tension cable unit including a tension spring unit (16, 17) and a relatively solid and rigid bracket having a first end and a second end, a tensioning mechanism (13) coupled to the tension cable unit (14) for securing the boot toe to the toe iron (10) such that during cross-country skiing the boot heel of the skier is adapted to be raised from the lowered position from the ski top with the boot toe fixed within said toe iron and said boot heel resiliently urged to the lowered position by said tension cable, said tensioning mechanism (13) comprising a tightening lever unit (19) being pivotally mounted on said bracket (18) of said tension cable unit (14) and operable to extend said tension cable unit longitudinally of said ski against the action of said spring unit (16, 17) in moving to the lowered position, said tightening lever having a pivot axis (20) parallel to the portion (18) of the tension cable unit (14), wherein said tension spring (16, 17) includes a first spring member (16) and a second spring member (17), said first and second tension spring members each having a first end and a second end, said first end of said first spring member connected to the first end of the rigid bracket (18), said first end of said second spring connected to the second end of said bracket (18), and said spring members each having said second end, said second end of said first spring member including an internally threaded portion, said cable unit having a cable member with a screw bolt (25) connected to said first cable connecting end (24) of the tension cable unit (14) and threaded into said threaded portion to adjust the length of the cable member, said second cable connecting end (27) of the tension cable (14) includes an enlarged member (28) having a connecting piece (26) and said second end of said second spring member being coupled to said enlarged member, and at least one spacer sleeve (29, 30) mounted on the tension cable (14) between the second connecting piece (26) and the enlarged member, and a retaining washer (31) mounted in front of said enlarged member (28) on the second connecting end (27) of the tension cable.