GB1188647A - Improvements in or relating to Inter-connected Limb Arrangements - Google Patents

Abstract

1,188,647. Artificial limbs etc.; walking doll. B. HARTLEY. 19 July, 1967 [19 July, 1966; 18 Nov., 1966], Nos. 32326/66 and 51885/66. Headings A5R and A6S. An interconnected walking limb arrangement comprises two limbs articulated from a support structure 18, each limb comprising a quadrilateral linkage of which two longer links of each limb are interconnected by motion transmission means, the two motion transmission means being so interconnected by flexible remote actuating means that movement of one limb in one direction causes movement of the other limb in the opposite direction. As shown in .Figure 1, an artificial leg assembly for a paraplegic to assist walking comprises a metal and leather body harness 18 from which depends two legs each comprising links 1, 2, 3, 4 pivoted together as a parallelogram. The legs are provided with knee and foot receiving parts 15, 16 and are interconnected by control cables 10, 11 so that when one leg is moved forwards the other leg is moved backwards. Blocks 26 may be adjusted in position so as to limit the movement of the cables 10, 11 and hence the length of stride, and the upper parts 17 of the legs may be unlocked (by moving a spring loaded peg 23, Figure 3, not shown) from the body harness and pivoted to allow for sitting. It is stated that the legs of this embodiment may alternatively be interconnected by a hydraulic, pneumatic, or electrical system and that their movement may be servo-assisted, or the control cables may be actuated by a hand lever on walking sticks so that the legs are swung backwards and forwards. In an alternative artificial leg assembly, Figure 7, suitable for a legless person, the legs each comprise parallelogram arranged links 30, 32, 33, 56 and piston and cylinder devices 35, and the legs are interconnected and maintained in relative motion by a pipe (36) connecting the fluid in the two cylinders. Each leg includes an upper part 40, 41, 42 secured to the body harness and locked to the lower part by a pawl 44 holding a pin 45 in a slot 46 when the leg is in the vertical position. Upon the leg being swung forwards (by e.g., motion of the users hip), a cam causes the pawl to release the pin 45 and a roller 39 attached to the piston 37 acts on the part 41 so as to accelerate the leg swing. The part 40, may be unlocked from the link 32 using a knob 51 and pivoted to allow for sitting. Each foot 31 may pivot against a spring (59) relative to the leg about an axis along the length of the foot so that the user may lean over on one leg while swinging forward the other. In a modification, Figure 8 (not shown), the vertical links (71, 72) of each leg diverge slightly towards the foot (or may be of different lengths) so that the toe and heel of each foot is raised during walking. In a further modification, Figure 9 (not shown), the control cable (80, 81) interconnecting the legs is secured to an extension of each leg above the points (84, 85) at which it is pivoted to the body harness structure and the cable is arranged as a loop around the body. The interconnected legs may comprise part of a walking doll (Figures 10-13) or a toy animal and, as in Figure 11, a motorised doll comprises a body part from which depend legs 101 each comprising vertical links 103, 104 pivoted to horizontal plates 100, 105. The legs are interconnected by a pair of cables 109, 110 so that when one leg is swung forwards the other leg swings backwards and an electric motor and gearbox 117 having a crank 119 which engages an oscillating member (121) secured to one of the control cables is able to impart to the legs a walking motion. The doll may be manually held on the ground and when a switch in one of its arms is depressed the motor (energized from a battery 122 propels the doll forwards. A string 123 may be pulled so as to pivot the motor with its crank 119 against a spring 118 away from engagement with the oscillating member (121) so that the doll may be manually propelled forwards on its interconnected legs. A head attached to the body may be connected to the oscillating member so that it nods as the doll is walked forwards. The upper and lower parts 112, 100 of the dolls body are normally held together by spring clips 113 but may be pivoted relative to each other about a rod 111 to allow the doll to sit. In embodiments, one of the control cables may be replaced by a spring (136), Figure 13 (not shown), and the link 103 of each leg may be replaced by a cosmetic fairing (126), Figure 12 (not shown) may be pivoted to the body.