Stilt device

Claim 2

A stilt device for extending a person''s effective leg length and comprising a movable parallelogram frame structure and leg attachment means secured thereto, said frame structure comprising a spaced pair of substantially vertically disposed telescoping strut members, an elongated horizontally disposed foot member pivotally secured to the lower ends of the strut members to allow pivoting thereof within the plane of the frame structure, an elongated horizontally disposed shoe bracket pivotally secured to the upper ends of the strut members to allow pivoting thereof within the plane of the frame structure, vertically disposed yieldable means secured to one strut member, substantially horizontally extending actuator arm rigidly secured to the opposite strut member and operably connected to the said yieldable means for cushioning and restricting the pivotal motion of said frame structure.

Claim 3

A stilt device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the shoe bracket comprises an elongated horizontally disposed flat plate member having a heel stop and an ankle strap at one end thereof and a toe strap at the other end thereof and wherein the leg attachment means comprises an elongated telescoping tube being secured at the lower end thereof to one of the struts of the frame structure intermediate the foot member and the shoe bracket and capable of being moved with the shoe bracket when the struts are extended or retracted, the upper end thereof being provided with a leg pad and strap and lateral adjustment means provided on the frame structure adjacent to the heel stop of the shoe bracket and operably connected to the leg adjustment means for providing lateral adjustment of the leg attach means in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the parallelogram frame structure.

Claim 4

A stilt device as set forth in claim 1 wherein a pair of substantially identical oppositely disposed resilient foot member pads are slidably emplaced from either end of the foot member and secured by means of a transversely extending secondary fastener.

Claim 5

A stilt device as set forth in claim 1 wherein each strut member comprises an elongated outer sleeve membEr pivotally secured at the upper end thereof to the shoe bracket, the lower end thereof being provided with a sleeve insert, locking means provided for securing the said sleeve insert to the lower end of the sleeve member, an elongated inner tube member slidably disposed within the outer sleeve member and in sliding contact with the sleeve insert, the lower end of said inner tube member expanded to approximately the same size as outer sleeve secured to the foot member and the upper end thereof being provided with a spacer sleeve insert in sliding contact with the outer sleeve, spacer sleeve locking means for locking the said spacer sleeve insert to the upper end of the inner tube member, and adjustable fastening bolt means provided in the outer sleeve member and the inner tube member for locking the said inner tube member at a desired location within the outer sleeve member and wherein the lower end of the leg attach means is secured to the lower end of the outer sleeve member of one of the strut members.

Claim 6

A stilt device as set forth in claim 4 wherein the lower ends of each inner tube member is expanded in size and shape to be equivalent to the cross sectional size and shape of the outer sleeve member and wherein substantially identical interchangeable pivot brackets are secured to each end of each strut member.

Claim 7

A stilt device as set forth in claim 4 wherein each inner tube member is provided with a plurality of vertically spaced bores for receiving the fastening bolt means therethrough and stiffening means provided on said inner tube members along said spaced bores to provide greater load carrying capabilities, and wherein each outer sleeve member is provided with a pair of aligned inserts for threadedly receiving the fastening bolts means therethrough.

Claim 8

A stilt device as set forth in claim 4 wherein the sleeve insert comprises a plastic sleeve liner inserted within the lower end of the outer sleeve member and having an outwardly extending flange portion at one end thereof which contacts the lower end of the outer sleeve member and wherein the locking means provided for locking the said sleeve insert into the lower end of the sleeve member comprises at least one outwardly extending nub on the outer surface of the plastic sleeve liner and a corresponding aligned aperture provided in the outer sleeve member for receiving the nub therein.

Claim 9

A stilt device as set forth in claim 4 wherein the spacer sleeve insert comprises a pair of concentrically disposed spaced plastic sleeves, the outer plastic sleeve being disposed around the outer surface of the upper end of the inner tube member and the inner plastic sleeve being inserted within the inner tube member, and annular flange member joining one end of the plastic sleeves together and disposed against the upper end of the inner tube member wherein the spacer sleeve locking means for securing the said spacer sleeve insert to the upper end of the inner tube member comprises at least one inwardly extending nub adjacent to the upper edge thereof provided on the inside surface of the inner tube member and a corresponding aperture provided in the inner plastic sleeve for receiving the said nub therein.

Claim 10

A stilt device as set forth in claim 4 wherein the yieldable means comprises a spring nesting bracket rigidly secured to the outer sleeve member of one of the strut members, said spring bracket having a pair of inwardly extending vertically spaced attachment plates, an elongated vertically disposed spring rod secured between said attachment plates, an upper spring adjusting plate threadedly secured to the upper end of the spring rod directly below the upper attachment plate and a substantially identical lower spring adjusting plate threadedly secured to the lower end of the rod directly above the lower attachment plate, an upper compression spring disposed around the spring rod, the upper end thereof contactable by the upper spring adjusting plate and a lower compression spring disposed around the spring rod dIrectly above and contactable with the lower spring adjusting plate and wherein the horizontally extending actuator arm is rigidly secured to the outer sleeve member of the opposite strut member, the inner end of the said actuator arm being slidably disposed on the spring rod between the upper compression spring and the lower compression spring whereby when the frame structure is pivoted in one direction, the said actuator arm causes compression of the first spring and when the said frame structure is pivoted in the opposite direction said actuator arm compresses the second spring.

Claim 11

A stilt device as set forth in claim 9 wherein the upper compression spring is constructed to be stiffer than the lower compression spring.

Claim 12

A stilt device as set forth in claim 9 wherein a pair of substantially identical plastic spring guides are disposed around the spring rod and retained in each end of each compression spring.

Claim 13

A stilt device for extending a person''s effective leg length and comprising: a. a first telescoping strut comprising a sleeve member and a cooperating tube member having one end thereof reciprocally disposed within one end of the sleeve member; b. a second telescoping strut comprising a sleeve member and a cooperating tube member having one end thereof reciprocally disposed in one end of said sleeve member, the second strut being disposed parallel to and spaced from said first strut; c. an elongated foot member pivotally secured at each end thereof to the free ends of the tube members of the first and second struts; d. an elongated shoe bracket for attaching to a person''s shoe and having each end thereof pivotally secured to the free ends of the sleeve members of the first and second struts, said shoe bracket being disposed parallel to the foot member; e. yieldable means operably connected to the sleeve member of first strut, and actuator means rigidly connected in the sleeve member of the second strut, said actuator means being operably connected to the yieldable means for cushioning and restructing the pivotal movement of the struts with respect to the foot member and shoe bracket; f. an elongated leg attachment means secured at one end thereof to one of the sleeve members, the opposite end of the leg attachment means being provided with a leg pad whereby upon lengthening or shortening the telescoping struts, the leg attachment means will retain the same relative position with respect to the shoe bracket without any adjustment thereto.

Claim 14

A stilt device for extending a person''s effective leg length and comprising: a. a first telescoping strut comprising a sleeve member and a cooperating tube member having one end thereof reciprocally disposed within one end of the sleeve member; b. a second telescoping strut comprising a sleeve member and a cooperating tube member having one end thereof reciprocally disposed in one end of said sleeve member, the second strut being disposed parallel to and spaced from said first strut; c. an elongated foot member pivotally secured at each end thereof to the free ends of the tube members of the first and second struts; d. an elongated shoe bracket for attaching to a person''s shoe and having each end thereof pivotally secured to the free ends of the sleeve members of the first and second struts, said shoe bracket being disposed parallel to the foot member; e. yieldable means operably connected to the sleeve member of first strut, and actuator means rigidly connected in the sleeve member of the second strut, said actuator means being operably connected to the yieldable means for cushioning and restructing the pivotal movement of the struts with respect to the foot member and shoe bracket; f. an elongated leg attachment means secured at one end thereof to one of the sleeve members, the opposite end of the leg attachment means being provided with a leg pad whereby upon lengthening or shortening the telescoping struts, the leg attachment means will retain the same relative position with respect to the shoe bracket without any adjustment thereto.