US3721437A - Walking trainer - Google Patents

Abstract

A training device for a young child, accident victim or such other person who requires assistance in learning to walk. The device, mounted on wheels, suspends the trainee in a harness, with a shock absorber and tension spring acting to counterbalance the suspended harness. The shock absorber action is adjustable to vary the rate of falling so as to correspond to the weight of the trainee, and his degree of attained walking skill.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Skaricic 1March 20, 1973 541 WALKING TRAINER 775,133 11 1904 Gaines ..297 275 2,261,172 11/1941 Maxwell [75] Inventor, Krunoslav Skancic, Toronto, On- 2,625,202 1/1953 Richardson et 3] Canada 3,612,042 10 1971 Fry Assignee: The Raymond Lee Organization Kulkens 1 4 R Inc., New York, NY. Primary ExaminerRichard C. Pinkham [22] plied: March 1972 Assistant ExaminerR. T. Stouffer [21] Appl. No.: 231,629 Attorney-Howard I. Podell [52] US. Cl. ..272/70.3, 5/86, 297/5, [57] ABSTRACT 297/275, 280/87.02 W, 248/123, 248/204, A training device for a young child, accident victim or 248/292 such other person who requires assistance in learning [51] Int. Cl. ..A61h 3/00, A47d 13/04 to walk. The device, mounted on wheels, suspends the [58] Field of Search ..272/70, 70.3, 70.4, 80, 83 R; trainee in a harness, with a shock absorber and tension 5/81, 86, 89; 248/122, 123, 204, 280, 292, spring acting to counterbalance the suspended har- 3 9, 254/8 8 230/37-02 ness. The shock absorber action is adjustable to vary 2 2 5 the rate of falling so as to correspond to the weight of the trainee, and his degree of attained walking skill. [56] References Cited 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 38,028 3/1863 Brown ..297/274 X WALKING TRAINER SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

This invention relates to an apparatus for use in the training of the skill of walking, and particularly for use of young children, accident victims and others who require assistance in learning to walk.

The purpose of this apparatus is to permit a trainee to walk, while suspended in a harness from a wheeled frame, with the suspended harness balanced by an adjustable shock absorber and tension spring to control the rate of falling of the trainee.

The apparatus consists of a frame mounted on three wheels, with a harness for strapping about the trainee suspended from a cable attached to a transverse frame member pivotably spring mounted to the apparatus. The transverse frame member is fitted with a tension spring applying a rotating moment in one direction between the transverse frame member and the main apparatus, with a shock absorber fastened so as to apply a rotating moment in the opposite direction between said transverse member and the apparatus. The reaction of the tension spring and of the shock absorber are adjustable to match the weight and the walking skill of the trainee, suspended in the harness.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING:

The objects and features of the invention may be understood with reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, taken together with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus being used by a trainee walker;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a harness for holding the trainee in the apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side view of the mounting of the transverse frame member of the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side view of an alternate mounting of the transverse frame member of the apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side view of the adjustment device regulating spring tension on the transverse frame member; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side view of an alternate means of regulating spring tension on the transverse frame member of the device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:

Turning now descriptively to the drawing, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates the apparatus 10, mounted on caster wheels l3, l4 and 15, suspending the walker-trainee by means of cable 27 attached to harness about trainee 20.

The apparatus 10 is essentially supported by vertical members 11 and 12 which are welded to upper horizontal member 16 to which pulley 28 is fastened. Suspension cable 27, fastened to the book 26 of harness 25, is fastened to transverse frame member 18 after passing about pulley 28.

Transverse frame member 18 is rotatably mounted by pin to vertical member 12 of the apparatus 10, with the rotation of the transverse frame member 18 about pin 35 balanced in equilibrium by tension spring 31 in one direction of rotation and shock absorber 33 and suspension cable 27 in the other direction. Variation of the moment of forces created by tension spring 31 on transverse frame member 18 is achieved by axial movement of collar 19, to which the tension spring 31 is fastened, along transverse frame member 18 with alternate locations 19A and 19B of collar 19 illustrated in FIG. 1 in dotted lines.

Tension spring 31 is fastened to the apparatus by means of pin 32 which fastens the spring 31 to horizontal frame member 16.

The harness 25 is illustrated in FIG. 2. Alternate means of applying counter balance to transverse arm 18 is shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. In FIG. 3, the counterbalance force is applied by weight 44 attached by cable 41 about pulley 42 to collar 19 mounted on transverse frame arm 18. Pulley 42 is rotatably fastened to vertical frame member 12 by pin 43. FIG. 4 illustrates tension spring 45 attached to collar 19 mounted on transverse frame arm 18. The other end of tension spring 45 is attached to pin 46 in bracket 47 rigidly fixed to vertical member 12.

As shown in FIG. 5, collar 19 may be slid along the length of transverse frame arm 18, to vary the effective moment of forces produced on transverse frame arm 18, by means of rotation of shaft 53 which rotates helical gear 52 mating in teeth 51 of transverse frame arm 18. Markings 55 on transverse frame arm 18 may indicate the variation of the force achieved by adjusting the location of collar 19.

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternate means of varying the location of collar 19 on transverse frame arm 18, by means of rotation of gear 56 which mates with teeth 51 in frame arm 18.

In use, the trainee 20 is placed in the harness 25 and the effect of the spring tension of spring 31 or tension 41 or tension spring 45 is adjusted by the shift in location of collar 19 so that the trainee is suspended by sufficient force to hold his weight, but allowing him freedom to move his limbs. Shock absorber 33 is adjusted to the weight of trainee 20 to absorb any sudden loads which might be caused by trainee 20 suddenly losing control and falling.

Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described herein, it is indicated that all matter contained herein is intended as illustrative and not as limiting in scope.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Apparatus for use in the training of the skill of walking, comprising a frame of vertical and horizontal members mounted on castered wheels, a cable, a harness for suspending a walker trainee fastened to said cable, said cable being trained about a free turning pulley fastened in the horizontal frame member above the position of the trainee and said cable being fastened to a transverse frame arm which is pivotally mounted to a vertical frame member, said transverse frame arm being balanced in rotation about said vertical frame member by the force of the cable suspending the walker trainee and the force of a tension spring fastened to said transverse frame arm from the horizontal frame member.

the transverse frame arm to which the tension spring is fastened.

4. The combination recited in claim 3 in which the collar may be slid along the length of the transverse frame arm by means of rotation of a toothed gear which is rotatably fastened to the collar, the teeth of said gear meshing with teeth notched into one edge of the transverse frame arm.

Claims (4)

1. Apparatus for use in the training of the skill of walking, comprising a frame of vertical and horizontal members mounted on castered wheels, a cable, a harness for suspending a walker trainee fastened to said cable, said cable being trained about a free turning pulley fastened in the horizontal frame member above the position of the trainee and said cable being fastened to a transverse frame arm which is pivotally mounted to a vertical frame member, said transverse frame arm being balanced in rotation about said vertical frame member by the force of the cable suspending the walker trainee and the force of a tension spring fastened to said transverse frame arm from the horizontal frame member.

2. The combination recited in claim 1 in which the said transverse frame arm is also restricted in rotational torque by a shock absorber fastened to said transverse frame arm and to a vertical frame member of the apparatus.

3. The combination recited in claim 1 in which the effect of the force of the tension spring in terms of the counter balance torque exerted on said transverse frame arm is varied by means of a sliding collar about the transverse frame arm to which the tension spring is fastened.

4. The combination recited in claim 3 in which the collar may be slid along the length of the transverse frame arm by means of rotation of a toothed gear which is rotatably fastenEd to the collar, the teeth of said gear meshing with teeth notched into one edge of the transverse frame arm.

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