US3002761A

US3002761A - Walker

Info

Publication number: US3002761A
Application number: US660296A
Authority: US
Inventors: Olle M Sundberg
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1957-05-20
Filing date: 1957-05-20
Publication date: 1961-10-03
Anticipated expiration: 1978-10-03

Description

Oct. 3, 1961 Filed May 20, 1957 O. M. SUNDBERG WALKER 4 Sheets-Sheet l OLLE M. 5aA/05Eee,

INVENTOR.

fir roe/wa Oct. 3, 1961 o. M. SUNDBERG 3,002,761

WALKER Filed May 20, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2:

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WALKER Filed May 20, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 04.45 M. Sam 055 96, INVENTOR.

Oct. 1961 o. M. SUNDBERG 3, ,761

WALKER Filed May 20, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 01.1. E M- SUNDBERG;

IN V EN TOR.

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3,002,761 7 WALKER Olle M. Sundberg, 2730 Peck Ave., San Pedro, Calif. Filed May 20, 1957, Ser. No. 660,296 6 Claims. (Cl. 28i)43.24-)

The present invention relates to walking devices adapted for use by infants, children, and invalids or elderly persons. Such devices generally comprise wheeled structures which will serve to support an individual in the upright position and may be impelled by pushing, or otherwise, in any desired direction while the individual is supported in such position. In the case of walkers for use by infants or children for learning to walk, it is usually desirable to provide a basket or other similar member adapted to contain toys and the like, which the child may wish to transport in the device.

In applicants copending application, Serial No. 349,368, filed April 17, 1953, entitled, Orthopedic Walker, now Patent No. 2,792,874, of which this application is a continuation-in-part, he has described such devices especially adapted for use by invalids, and designed to permit automatic and instantaneous application of braking force to stop the movement of the walker in the event the user becomes unbalanced, thus minimizing or eliminating the chance of injury to the user of the device. In accordance with the present invention, the advantages of the automatic braking action are incorporated in devices especially suited for use by infants or children, as well as the aged or infirm or invalids.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a walking device for use by children and adults alike, having automatic braking means effective when the user becomes unbalanced or when the weight distribution is changed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a walker of the type described which is simple in construction, light in weight, and may be readily transferred from place to place.

Other features of the invention will be apparent and readily understood from the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings and from the description which follows.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective illustrating one form of the invention in a position ready for normal use;

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of the form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in side elevation of the form of the invention which is illustrated in FIG. 1, but with the brakes in engagement with the floor surface;

FIG. 4 is a view in side elevation of a modified form of the invention in the position of normal use;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the device in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational View similar to FIG. 4 but with the brake means in engagement with the floor surface;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of another form of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the device in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary side elevation of one corner of the device of FIG. 7, illustrating the wheel support and brake memb rnited States Patent As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the Walker is formed of a frame member generally designated as 10, preferably of tubular steel or aluminum. The frame is composed of downwardly depending wheel supporting legs or

members

11, 12, 13 and 14, and downwardly depending brake members formed by

legs

15, 16, 17 and 18. Each brake member has a resilient foot formed of rubber or similar material, as shown at 19, 20, 21 and 22. Each wheel supporting member carries a wheel mounted in a free swiveling caster or the like, as shown at 23, 24, 25 and 26. The front and rear ends of the walker are provided with crossbar members for supporting the user. These crossbar members, which, in effect, are part of the frame, may be formed of a plurality of

bars

27, 2S and 29 mounted on

side members

39 and 31, which are, in turn, affixed to legs 19 and 26 by means of screws or bolts. A similar crossbar arrangement is provided for the opposite end of the walker, as at 32, 33 and 34-. The space between the opposite sets of crossbars is provided with a basket 35, which is attached to the outer leg members by means of clips or the like. This basket is for the purpose of holding the childs toys when the walker is in use. The tubular members forming the wheel supporting legs are crossed and pivoted at 36, with a similar pivot at the opposite side. Near the bottom portion of the wheel supporting members,'

spring members

37 and 38 are provided attached to opposite legs by means of hooks, as shown. The springs are arranged so that the tension is exerted in a manner which will tend to pull the legs together. Spring tension adjusting means 39 is provided with a similar means being incorporated at the opposite side. Although, as shown, the frame portion of the walker is defined by the upper portions of the brake and wheel supporting members, a separate frame portion having any desired shape or construction may be utilized, with separate wheel support and brake members being attached thereto.

The length and angular relationships of the wheel supporting legs and the brake legs are so coordinated with the springtension that in normal position the brake feet are spaced from the ground and retained in that position by the spring tension upon the wheel supporting legs, which are drawn together and pivoted so as to keep the brakes from contacting the floor surface during normal use, as shown particularly in FIG. 2. Thus, when the child or other user is pushing the walker under normal conditions, the wheels will function with the brakes out of contact with the floor surface. However, as soon as the user starts to fall or becomes unbalanced and exerts downward pressure on the frame through the crossbar members, leverage will be exerted upon the corresponding wheel supporting legs tending to draw them apart and oppose the tension of the spring members. With the' increased lateral spacing thus resulting between the wheel members, the brake legs are lowered and engage the floor surface, thus stopping forward movement of the walker and exerting a stabilizing force to enable the user to hold on to the walker without moving forward or falling. This is illustrated in FIG. 3. When the downward pull or force is released, the springs will draw the legs together again and raise the brake members from the floor, so that the walker may be used again in the normal manner.

In the form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5

and 6, the walker is formed of tubular steel or aluminum members bent in substantially U-shaped form, so as to form pairs of front and rear wheel supporting members 46 4'1 and 42, 43, each having a swiveled wheel as shown at 44, 45, 46 and 47. These members are crossed and pivoted at 23 and 49 with the upper portions Sit, 51, 52 and 53 forming a supporting frame to which a basket may be attached in the manner similar to that shown in FIG. 1, and which will provide means for the user to hold on to during use. Attached to each wheel supporting leg 42 and 43 are dependent braking leg members, one of which is shown at 5.4, with a resilient brake shoe 55 aflixed to member 42 by means of rivets or the like 56. A similar member (not shown) is attached to 43. Preferably these brake members are formed of U- shaped tubular members with transverse portion 57 serving as a cross brace at the same time. Of course, if desired, the brake members can be attached to the opposite pair of legs or wheel members, or brake members of the same type may be attached to both pairs of legs.

Spring members are provided in order to retain. the opposite pairs of wheel supporting members with the attached spring members in a normally upright position. One of such spring members is shown at 58, with a punched tension adjusting means being provided at 59. A similar spring member (not shown) is attached at the opopsite side in a similar manner. The length of the brake legs are so adjusted with respect to the length of the wheel supporting legs that when they are in the normally upright position under the tension of the spring members, brake shoe 55 is spaced a little from the floor so that the walker is free to move. The pivotal movement of the crossed legs is restricted by means of

plate members

61 and 66, each of which bears protrusions or stops 61, 62 and 63, 64, and corresponding pairs of stops in the opposite position as shown at 65, the other rearwardly positioned elements not being shown. These stops engage the leg members to prevent them from going too far in either direction when the members are forced apart by downward pull against the spring, or drawn together by folding the walker. As shown in FIG. 6, if the child is using the walker when holding on to the cross member between 52 and 53, and if the child then loses his balance pulling down on said cross member,

members

52 and 42 and the counterparts on the opposite side will pivot about bolt member 48 stretching spring member 58 and spreading

wheels

44 and 46 apart. At the same time, brake member 54 will be lowered so that brake shoe 55 will engage the floor. The opposite member will do the same, with the result that the walker will be stabilized and anchored against lateral movement, thus permitting the child to right himself. It will be seen that this results in a four point distribution of the weight with said weight being distributed among the two brake members and the two wheel members.

It is apparent that when the downward weight or pull is released, the spring members will draw the wheel supporting legs close together simultaneously, causing the brake members to be lifted slightly from the floor and distributing the weight of the walker uniformly upon the four wheels.

In the modification of the invention shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, a mobile platform is provided which supports a skeleton frame member forming a pen or enclosure adapted to contain toys or other nursery articles. At the same time, the frame member provides means for supporting an infant who is learning to walk by propelling the unit over a surface. This modification includes a set of four swiveled wheels 61, etc., each of which is mounted on wheel supporting members or bars 63 through suitable fixtures 62. These wheel supporting members are arranged at 90 degree angles at the four corners of the platform and are hinged at 64, etc. Springs 65, etc., are positioned between the platform and the wheel supporting bars adjacent to the corners of the platform and are compressed between socket members 66, etc., so as to normally urge the wheels 61 into contact with the supporting surface by the downwardly acting springs, exerting leverage upon the wheel supporting members which are pivoted at 64 as referred to above. The pen or enclosure which is mounted on the platform is formed of side members 68 and corner posts 69 cross connected by slots or rungs 79.

Each wheel supporting member 63 may support a brake shoe 38a borne on a depending leg 71 at a point beneath each post 69 and adjacent to but spaced from each wheel. Since the wheels 61 are located outwardly of the corners of the platform, it would be difficult, if not quite impossible, for an infant to overturn the unit by propulsive or downwardly applied force. Hence, an infant attempting to walk from a starting erect posture with one of the rails or rungs 70 grasped in his hands could easily and safely propel the unit forwardly. If, in his progress, the infant should trip or stumble or lurch forward or lose his balance, the pressure applied to the structure in an attempt to recover the balance would tend to depress one side of the unit and one or more of the wheel supporting members or bars 63 would 'yield on its hinges 64, thereby moving brake member 71 with its attached shoe 38 downwardly into frictional contact with the supporting surface, thereby preventing lateral movement of the unit until such downward force is relieved.

As is apparent from the foregoing description, several forms of a Walking device are described which are simple yet relatively safe for use by infants, children and invalids, since automatic braking means are provided to prevent continued rolling movement of the device if the user tends to lose his balance or falls. Also, if the child or user wishes to draw himself to an upright position using the walker as a support, the downward force exerted will maintain the brakes in engagement until the user is again in upright position.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

The inventor claims:

1. A walking device comprising a frame adapted to support a person and including a plurality of wheel supporting members pivoted With respect to each other and each having a wheel attached thereto for engagement with a floor surface, a downwardly depending brake member normally spaced from said floor surface rigidly attached to at least one of said wheel supporting members to move therewith and having a portion laterally spaced therefrom, spring means in engagement with at least one wheel supporting member normally maintaining said brake member in spaced relationship to said floor surface whereby downward force exerted against said frame will be transmitted to one of said wheel supporting members counteracting the tension of said spring and thereby causing said one of said supporting members to force said brake member into engagement with said floor surface, said brake member being released from said engagement upon removal of said force, said frame comprising two U-shaped members having downwardly depending legs each forming said wheel supporting members, said U-shaped members being joined together and pivoted at intermediate points.

2. A walking device according to claim 1 wherein a spring is attached to opposite wheel supporting members between the pivot point and the wheel, said spring having tension therein. tending to draw the opposite wheel members together.

3. A walking device according to claim 2 wherein the brake means comprises a pair of downwardly depending members each attaohed to one of the wheel supporting members formed by one of said U-shaped members.

4.- A Walking device according to claim 3 wherein means are provided to limit pivotal movement of said U-shaped members to a predetermined distance in either direction.

5. A walking device including a pair of supporting members, means pivotally interconnecting said members in crossing relation, rollable members on said supporting members adapted to engage a floor surface along which the device is movable, a brake carried by one of said supporting members and adapted to arrest motion of the device along the floor surface, and spring means interconnecting said supporting members to normal-1y retain said brake in an ineffective position.

6. A Walking device including a pair of supporting members, means pivotally interconnecting said members in crossing relation, rollable members on said supporting members adapted to engage a floor surface along which the device is movable, a brake carried by one of said supportnig members and adapted to engage the floor surface, and spring means interconnecting said supporting members to normally retain said brake elevated above the floor surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,967,332 Smith July 24, 1934 2,129,260 Bowser Sept. 6, 1938 2,176,551 Solem Oct. 17, 1939 2,314,478 Brewer Mar. 23, 1943 2,613,389 Cramer Oct. 14, 1952 2,630,961 Burg Mar. 10, 1953 2,792,874 Sunberg May 21, 1957 2,847,057 Holcombe Aug. 12, 1958