Patents by Inventor Francois Wirz

Francois Wirz has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5131675
    Abstract: The central binding for a ski with a mounting support having separated elements includes, in its lower part, pins (6,7,8,9) which are intended to cooperate with corresponding bayonet openings (12,16,20) provided within the elements constituting the support, as well as screws (40) which are intended to cooperate with screw threads (10) provided in the elements constituting the support. This support is composed of several separated elements which are mounted on the ski (21) with spaces between them. The elements each include a rigid or semi-rigid upper plate (11,14,17) and a resilient lower plate (13,15,18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1992
    Assignee: Galde AG
    Inventors: Gaston Haldemann, Francois Wirz
  • Patent number: 4735845
    Abstract: A safety binding of a boot on a ski, which comprises two lateral clamps (1) displaceably mounted under the effect of a resilient member between a closed service position, in which the clamps cooperate with the sole of the boot, and an open position. Each lateral clamp is pivoted at the end of an arm (12) on a pivot axle (14) perpendicular to the plan of the ski, said arm being itself pivotaly mounted by its other end on an axle (13) perpendicular to said plan of the ski.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1988
    Assignee: Haldemann AG
    Inventors: Gaston Haldemann, Francois Wirz
  • Patent number: 4657277
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a safety binding of a boot on a ski which comprises two lateral jaws (2) mounted for movement under the force of an elastic member (5) between a closed service position in which these jaws coact with the sole of the boot (C) and an open position. It also comprises structure (3) interacting with the heel of the ski boot and having a sole grip member (29) mounted for movement by the force of the same elastic member between a service position in which this member maintains the rear end of the sole of the boot on the ski and an open position, the whole being so arranged that the opening or the closing of the lateral jaws effects the opening or the closing respectively of the sole grip member, and vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1987
    Assignee: Haldemann A.G.
    Inventors: Gaston Haldemann, Francois Wirz
  • Patent number: 4536006
    Abstract: A ski binding comprising two lateral clamps (4, 4') mounted displaceably under the action of a resilient member parallel to the plane of the ski (3) between a closed position in which the clamps coact with the sole of the boot and an open position. These clamps have when viewed from above a forwardly converging shape flaring rearwardly; the portion of each clamp adapted to coact in closed position with a medial portion of the sole of the boot forms a ramp that makes with the plane of the ski an acute angle increasing from the front (.alpha.) to the rear (.beta.). These clamps are carried by arms pivotally mounted on the ski behind the clamps. The ski boot (8) adapted to be maintained in operative position on a ski by the above binding comprises a sole (9) whose medial portion (10) has lateral edges forming ramps (11) corresponding to those of the clamps of the binding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1983
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1985
    Assignee: Haldemann A.G.
    Inventors: Gaston Haldemann, Francois Wirz
  • Patent number: 4522423
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a safety binding of a boot on a ski comprising two lateral clamps (4) movably mounted under the action of an elastic member (28) parallel to the plane of the ski (3) between a closed position in which the clamps coact with the sole of the boot and an open position. Each clamp (4) is connected to one end of a longitudinally slidable strip (45) by means of articulatedly interconnected rods. The other end of the strip coacts with a crank (29-30) subjected to the action of the resilient member, whereby this crank has two stable positions corresponding to the respective open and closed positions of the clamps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1983
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1985
    Assignee: Haldemann A.G.
    Inventors: Gaston Haldemann, Francois Wirz
  • Patent number: 4521032
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a brake device for skis which comprises two lateral arms (1, 1') resiliently connected to each other by a spring loop (2) and each bearing as a result of this resilient action against an incline (4, 4') forming an angle with the upper surface of the ski and which has an element (6) secured to the ski. The spring loop connecting the two lateral arms serves as a lever and is adapted to be actuated by the boot to control the movement of the arms between an active position, in which they extend below the sole of the ski (7) and are outwardly directed from the latter, and an inactive position, in which they are retracted substantially parallel and above the lateral edges of the ski.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1983
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1985
    Assignee: Haldemann A.G.
    Inventors: Gaston Haldemann, Francois Wirz
  • Patent number: 4250585
    Abstract: Water skis (1) are constructed with a reinforced, foamed-in-place, plastic hull (6) bonded to an aluminum deck (5 l ). The foamed plastic hull (6) is reinforced, usually with a plurality of reinforcing elements (13-17). Preferably, the aluminum deck (5) is directly bonded to foamed plastic hull (6) without the use of any intermediate adhesives. Desirably, the lower surface of aluminum deck (5) is surface activated and primed before use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1979
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1981
    Assignee: Hart Ski Mfg. Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Maurice N. Theriault, Roger C. Teeter, Francois Wirz