Exerciser and walker apparatus

Claim 2

An exerciser and walker apparatus for aiding and permitting multi-directional movement of the user comprising, guide means for guiding the movement of the apparatus, moveable support means carried by said guide means to provide movement along said guide means, mounting means supported by and spaced from said moveable support means for supporting the user therefrom, a harness assembly mounted on said mounting means for accommodating the torso of the user disposed therein, said harness assembly including a chest strap for engagement about the upper extremity of the torso, a waist strap for engagement about the waist of the torso, head and shoulder restraint means, a plurality of front and rear suspension straps interconnecting said chest strap and said waist strap and said head and shoulder restraint means, said front suspension straps interconnecting said chest and waist straps, and said rear suspension straps interconnecting said head and shoulder restraint means with said waist strap such that said front and rear suspension straps cooperate to mutually interconnect said chest and waist straps with said head and shoulder restraint means, the upper ends of said suspension straps being carried by said mounting means and the lower ends of said suspension straps being connected to said waist strap, and a pair of leg straps for interconnection between the rear and front portions of said waist strap respectively thereby to securely position said waist strap about the lower extremity of the torso, and tension means interposed between said moveable support means and said mounting means for counterbalancing the weight of the user carried by said harness assembly, whereby a user positioned within said harness assembly is supported in touching relationship with respect to the ground support surface and is permitted to ambulate in the area generally encompassed by said guide means.

Claim 3

The exerciser and walker apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said guide means comprises a cable supported at the opposed ends thereof by stationary supports and said moveable support means comprises a pulley assembly mOunted on said cable for movement along the length of said cable, said mounting means and said harness assembly being supported by said pulley assembly whereby the user positioned within said harness assembly is disposed in touching relationship with respect to the ground support surface and is capable of ambulatory movement throughout the area generally encompassed by said cable.

Claim 4

The exerciser and walker apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said guide means comprises an I-beam track and said moveable support means comprises a moveable dolly assembly stratling the base of said I-beam and disposed in rolling engagement on the base of said I-beam track thereby to be in rolling moveable engagement along the base of said I-beam track, said dolly assembly having support means thereon and extending below the base of said I-beam track for supporting said mounting means and said harness assembly therefrom whereby the user positioned within said harness assembly is disposed in touching relationship with respect to the ground support surface and is capable of ambulatory movement throughout the area generally encompassed by said I-beam track.

Claim 5

The exerciser and walker apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said I-beam track is mounted on an overhead ceiling structure.

Claim 6

The exerciser and walker apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein various lengths of straight and curved sections of said I-beam track may be joined together to provide a continuous internal track system.

Claim 7

The exerciser and walker apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said guide means comprises a pair of track members disposed in horizontal alignment with respect to one another, each of said track members having moveable means carried thereby for movement along the length thereof, a support member having the opposed ends thereof mounted on a corresponding one of said moveable means whereby said support member is moveable responsive to the movement of said moveable means, and a pulley assembly carried by said support member, said pulley assembly being moveable along the length of said support member, and said mounting means and said harness assembly being supported by said pulley assembly thereby to provide a multi-directional exerciser and walker apparatus.

Claim 8

The exerciser and walker apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein each of said track members comprises an inverted U-shaped channel having a lateral flange extending inwardly from each of the lower edges of the legs of said U-shaped channels thereby to form an open slot along the length thereof.

Claim 9

The exerciser and walker apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said moveable means comprises a dolly assembly positioned for rolling movement within said U-shaped channel, said dolly assembly including a mounting plate extending downwardly therefrom through said open slot for supporting a respective end of said support members whereby said support member s moveably responsive to the rolling movement of said dolly assemblies.

Claim 10

The exerciser and walker apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said mounting means comprises a hanger bar having first connector means disposed centrally therein for connecting said hanger bar to said moveable support means, and second connector means disposed along the opposed ends of said hanger bar for supporting said harness assembly therefrom.

Claim 11

The exerciser and walker apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said first connector means comprises an inverted U-shaped section and said second connector means comprises an upturned hook structure disposed at each of the opposed ends of said hanger bar.

Claim 12

The exerciser and walker apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said tension means comprises a plurality of tension springs interposed between said moveable support means and said mounting means for counterbalancing the load carried by said harness assembly.

Claim 13

The exerciser and walker apparatus as set forth in claim 1, which further includes an Upper spring mounting plate for disengageably carrying the upper ends of said springs, whereby tension springs of various lengths may be utilized for counterbalancing various loads carried by said harness assembly.

Claim 14

An exerciser and walker apparatus for aiding and permitting a multi-directional movement of the user thereof comprising, and I-beam track for guiding the movement of the apparatus, a moveable dolly assembly straddling the base of said I-beam track and disposed for entrolling engagement on the base of said I-beam track thereby to be in rolling moveable engagement along the base of said I-beam track, a support bar mounted on said dolly assembly for supporting the weight carried by said apparatus, a hanger bar supported by and spaced from said support bar for supporting the user therefrom, a plurality of tension springs interposed between said support bar and said hanger bar, said tension springs being connected to said support bar at one end thereof and said tension springs being connected to said hanger bar at the opposed end thereof, a harness assembly mounted on said hanger bar for accommodating the torso of the user disposed therein, said harness assembly including a chest strap for engagement about the upper extremity of the torso, a waist strap for engagement about the waist of the torso, head and shoulder restraint means, a plurality of front and rear suspension straps interconnecting said chest strap, said waist strap, and said head and shoulder restraint means, said front suspension straps interconnecting said chest and waist straps, and said rear suspension straps interconnecting said head and shoulder restraint means with said waist strap such that said front and rear suspension straps cooperate to mutually interconnect said chest and waist straps with said head and shoulder restraint means, the upper ends of said suspension straps being carried by said hanger bar and lower ends of said suspension straps being connected to said waist strap, and a pair of leg straps for interconnection between the rear and front portions respectively of said waist strap thereby to secure and position said waist strap about the lower extremity of the torso, whereby a user positioned within said harness assembly is supported in touching relationship with respect to the ground support surface, the weight of the user being counterbalanced by said tension springs thereby to permit the user to ambulate in the area generally encompassed by the I-beam track.

Claim 15

An exerciser and walker apparatus for aiding and permitting a multi-directional movement of the user thereof comprising, and I-beam track for guiding the movement of the apparatus, a moveable dolly assembly straddling the base of said I-beam track and disposed for entrolling engagement on the base of said I-beam track thereby to be in rolling moveable engagement along the base of said I-beam track, a support bar mounted on said dolly assembly for supporting the weight carried by said apparatus, a hanger bar supported by and spaced from said support bar for supporting the user therefrom, a plurality of tension springs interposed between said support bar and said hanger bar, said tension springs being connected to said support bar at one end thereof and said tension springs being connected to said hanger bar at the opposed end thereof, a harness assembly mounted on said hanger bar for accommodating the torso of the user disposed therein, said harness assembly including a chest strap for engagement about the upper extremity of the torso, a waist strap for engagement about the waist of the torso, head and shoulder restraint means, a plurality of front and rear suspension straps interconnecting said chest strap, said waist strap, and said head and shoulder restraint means, said front suspension straps interconnecting said chest and waist straps, and said rear suspension straps interconnecting said head and shoulder restraint means with said waist strap such that said front and rear suspension straps cooperate to mutually interconnect said chest and waist straps with said head and shoulder restraint means, the upper ends of said suspension straps being carried by said hanger bar and lower ends of said suspension straps being connected to said waist strap, and a pair of leg straps for interconnection between the rear and front portions respectively of said waist strap thereby to secure and position said waist strap about the lower extremity of the torso, whereby a user positioned within said harness assembly is supported in touching relationship with respect to the ground support surface, the weight of the user being counterbalanced by said tension springs thereby to permit the user to ambulate in the area generally encompassed by the I-beam track.

Claim 16

An exerciser and walker apparatus for aiding and permitting multi-directional movement of the user thereof comprising a pair of track members disposed in horizontal alignment with respect to one another, each of said track members including a dolly assembly carried thereby and positioned for rolling movement along the length thereof, a support member having the opposed ends thereof mounted on a corresponding one of said dolly assemblies whereby said support member is moveable responsive to the movement of said dolly assemblies, a pulley assembly carried by said support member, said pulley assembly being moveable along the length of said support member, a hanger bar supported by and spaced from said support member for supporting the user therefrom, a plurality of tension springs interposed between said support member and said hanger bar, said tension springs being connected to said support member at one end thereof and said tension springs connected to said hanger at the opposed end thereof, a harness assembly mounted on said hanger bar for accommodating the torso of the user disposed therein, said harness assembly including a chest strap for engagement about the upper extremity of the torso, a waist strap for engagement about the waist of the torso, head and shoulder restraint means, a plurality of front and rear suspension straps interconnecting said chest strap, said waist strap, and said head and shoulder restraint means, said front suspension straps interconnecting said chest and waist straps, and said reaR suspension straps interconnecting said head and shoulder restraint means with said waist strap such that said front and rear suspension straps cooperate to mutually interconnect said chest and waist straps with said head and shoulder restraint means, the upper ends of said suspension straps being carried by said hanger bar and lower ends of said suspension straps being connected to said waist strap, and a pair of leg straps for interconnection between the rear and front portions respectively of said waist strap thereby to secure and position said waist strap about the lower extremity of the torso, whereby a user positioned within said harness assembly is supported in touching relationship with respect to the ground support surface, the weight of the user being counterbalanced by said tension springs thereby to permit the user to ambulate in the area generally encompassed by said pair of track members and said support member.

Claim 17

An exerciser and walker apparatus for aiding and permitting multi-directional movement of the user thereof comprising a pair of track members disposed in horizontal alignment with respect to one another, each of said track members including a dolly assembly carried thereby and positioned for rolling movement along the length thereof, a support member having the opposed ends thereof mounted on a corresponding one of said dolly assemblies whereby said support member is moveable responsive to the movement of said dolly assemblies, a pulley assembly carried by said support member, said pulley assembly being moveable along the length of said support member, a hanger bar supported by and spaced from said support member for supporting the user therefrom, a plurality of tension springs interposed between said support member and said hanger bar, said tension springs being connected to said support member at one end thereof and said tension springs connected to said hanger at the opposed end thereof, a harness assembly mounted on said hanger bar for accommodating the torso of the user disposed therein, said harness assembly including a chest strap for engagement about the upper extremity of the torso, a waist strap for engagement about the waist of the torso, head and shoulder restraint means, a plurality of front and rear suspension straps interconnecting said chest strap, said waist strap, and said head and shoulder restraint means, said front suspension straps interconnecting said chest and waist straps, and said reaR suspension straps interconnecting said head and shoulder restraint means with said waist strap such that said front and rear suspension straps cooperate to mutually interconnect said chest and waist straps with said head and shoulder restraint means, the upper ends of said suspension straps being carried by said hanger bar and lower ends of said suspension straps being connected to said waist strap, and a pair of leg straps for interconnection between the rear and front portions respectively of said waist strap thereby to secure and position said waist strap about the lower extremity of the torso, whereby a user positioned within said harness assembly is supported in touching relationship with respect to the ground support surface, the weight of the user being counterbalanced by said tension springs thereby to permit the user to ambulate in the area generally encompassed by said pair of track members and said support member.