Abstract: A safety binding for cross country skis that is capable of releasing a ski boot when the binding is overstressed by forces acting in any direction. The binding includes a boot mounted toe piece capable of being mounted upon the skier's boot that has a pair of laterally opposed open faced sockets formed therein and a ski piece having a pair of ball-like members mounted upon coating scissor arms. The ball members are laterally receivable within the socket openings when the scissor arms are moved from an open position toward a closed position thereby securing the toe piece to the ski piece. A biasing means acts between the arms of the scissors to urge the ball members into the closed position and thus hold the boot of the skier to the ski with a predetermined amount of force. Overcoming the holding force in any direction will cause the scissors to open and thus release the boot from the ski.

Abstract: A cross country ski binding that includes a toe piece affixed to the boot of a skier which is slidably received within an open sided base section secured to the ski. A rocker bar is rotatably mounted in the base that contains a pair of downwardly extended, contoured lugs that are adapted to be received in openings formed in the top surface of the toe piece. An adjustable biasing means acts upon the rocker bar to pressure the lugs against the front face of the receiving openings. The front wall surface of the toe piece is arrested against the base section and is arranged to pivot laterally in either direction about its two side edges so that the toe piece can be freed from the ski piece in the event the skier overcomes the holding pressure exerted by the lugs upon the toe piece.

Abstract: A safety binding for use in conjunction with cross-country skis that delivers a positive boot to ski action while at the same time having the ability to release in the event the skier experiences a lateral or twisting fall to one side or the other of the skis. The binding includes a toe-piece, mounted upon the front of the boot, that has an extended section which is slidably received within a housing mounted upon the top surface of the ski. The extended section of the toe-piece is held in contact against the rear wall of the housing by means of an detent mechanism having an adjustable spring tension. The side walls of the housing are open so that the toe-piece is able to pivot laterally in either direction about the rear wall of the housing so as to overcome the holding force of the detent and thereby allow the toe-piece to separate from the ski mounted housing.