Apparatus for performing coordinated walking motions with the spine in an unloaded state

Claim 2

Apparatus to permit a person to perform coordinated motions of walking while maintaining his or her spine in an at least partially free of axial gravitational loaded state, which comprises: a rigid frame including a generally flat platform at the top thereof, said platform having a surface to support said person from the hips superiorly in a supine position with at least reduced gravitational loading axially along said person's spine, said frame having a right side, a left side, an axial centerline, a shoulder end and a hip end, all corresponding to the location of the counterpart portions of said supported person's body; a pair of leg supports, each support pivotally mounted to the hip end of said frame and pivotable in a vertical plane, one support disposed on the right side and one support disposed on the left side of said centerline; a pair of arm exercisers, one disposed on the right side and one disposed on the left side of said centerline, the arm exercisers each consisting essentially of an elongated member positioned substantially perpendicular to the flat platform and having a handgrip disposed at one end thereof, the handgrip being adapted to be engaged by the hand of a person, said arm exercisers being adapted to move in a generally vertical plane and being positioned to maintain the person's natural wrist and elbow angle with the arms substantially unsupported while performing the motion of walking; linkage means for joining said arm exercisers and leg supports to cause the right side arm exerciser and left side leg support to move vertically and synchronously in one direction and the left side arm exerciser and right side leg support to move vertically and synchronously in the other direction when said apparatus is activated; and inertial means, connected to the linkage means for maintaining the synchronous opposed movement of said leg supports and arm exercisers for a period of time while said person remains in said supine position with said spine in said state of at least reduced axial loading.

Claim 3

Apparatus to permit a person to perform coordinated motions of walking while maintaining his or her spine in an at least partially free of axial gravitational loaded state, comprising: a rigid frame including a generally flat platform at the top thereof, said platform having a surface to support said person from the hips superiorly in a supine position with at least reduced gravitational loading axially along said person's spine, said frame having a right side, a left side, an axial centerline, a shoulder end and a hip end, all corresponding to the location of the counterpart portions of said supported person's body; a pair of leg supports, each support pivotally mounted to the hip end of said frame and pivotable in a vertical plane, one support disposed on either side of said centerline, and each support having a lateral hinge therein at the location corresponding to the position of the user's knee; a pair of arm exercisers, one disposed on each side of said centerline, said arm exercisers being connected to the frame by pivots located remotely from the person's arms and being adapted to move in a generally vertical plane allowing the person to freely move his arms, each arm exerciser having means for engaging the person's hands whereby the person's wrists are placed at a natural angle; linkage means pivoted on said frame for joining said arm exercisers and leg supports, said linkage means including a first set of links joining the right side arm exerciser and right side leg support and a second, separate set of links independently joining the left side arm exerciser and left side leg support, said linkage means further including means for interconnecting said first and second sets of links so that the right side arm exerciser and the left side leg support move vertically in one direction while said left side arm exerciser and right side leg support move vertically in the opposite direction; and inertial means for maintaining the synchronous opposed movement of said first and second sets of links for a prolonged period of time while said person remains in said supine position with said spine in said state of at least reduced axial loading.

Claim 4

Apparatus to permit a person to perform coordinated motions of walking while maintaining his or her spine in an at least partially free of axial gravitational loaded state, comprising: a rigid frame including a generally flat platform at the top thereof, said platform having a surface to support said person from the hips superiorly in a supine position with at least reduced gravitational loading axially along said person's spine, said frame having a right side, a left side, an axial centerline, a shoulder end and a hip end, all corresponding to the location of the counterpart portions of said supported person's body; a pair of leg supports, each support pivotally mounted to the hip end of said frame and pivotable in a vertical plane, one support disposed on either side of said centerline, and each support having a lateral hinge therein at the location corresponding to the position of the user's knee; a pair of arm exercisers, one disposed on each side of said centerline, said arm exercisers being connected to the frame by pivots located remotely from the person's arms and being adapted to move in a generally vertical plane allowing the person to freely move his arms, each arm exerciser having means for engaging the person's hands whereby the person's wrists are placed at a natural angle; linkage means pivoted on said frame for joining said arm exercisers and leg supports, said linkage means including a first set of links joining the right side arm exerciser and right side leg support and a second, separate set of links independently joining the left side arm exerciser and left side leg support, said linkage means further including means for interconnecting said first and second sets of links so that the right side arm exerciser and the left side leg support move vertically in one direction while said left side arm exerciser and right side leg support move vertically in the opposite direction; and inertial means for maintaining the synchronous opposed movement of said first and second sets of links for a prolonged period of time while said person remains in said supine position with said spine in said state of at least reduced axial loading.

Claim 5

Apparatus to permit a user to perform coordinated motions of walking while maintaining his or her spine in an at least partially free of axially gravitational loaded state, comprising: a. a rigid frame having a right side, a left side, an axial centerline, a shoulder end and a hip end and including a generally flat two-piece platform at the top thereof, one piece of the platform disposed on either side of the axial centerline of the frame and the pieces being hinged along the axial centerline of the frame, the platform having a surface to support the user from the hips superiorly in a supine position axially along the user's spine with at least reduced gravitational loading; b. a pair of leg supports, each support pivotally mounted to the hip end of the frame and pivotable in a vertical plane, one support disposed on the right side and one support disposed on the left side of the axial centerline; c. a pair of arm exercisers, one disposed on the right side and one disposed on the left side of the axial centerline, the arm exercisers being connected to the frame by pivots located remotely from the person's arms and being adapted to move in a generally vertical plane; d. linkage means pivoted on the frame for joining the arm exercisers and leg supports, the linkage means including a first set of links joining the right side arm exerciser and the right side leg support and a second set of links joining the left side arm exerciser and the left side leg support, and the linkage means further including means for interconnecting the first and second sets of links so that the right side arm exerciser and left side leg support move vertically in one direction and the left side arm exerciser and right side leg support move vertically and synchronously in the opposite direction; e. inertial means for maintaining motion of the linkage means after the linkage means has been activated; and f. means for pivoting each piece of the platform relative to the other piece of the platform, wherein the pieces are pivoted along the hinge upwardly from the frame and simultaneously with the vertical movement of the leg support disposed on the same side of the axial centerline, whereby the user's body is rotated as part of the walking motions.

Claim 6

Apparatus to permit a user to perform coordinated motions of walking while maintaining his or her spine in an at least partially free of axially gravitational loaded state, comprising: a. a rigid frame having a right side, a left side, an axial centerline, a shoulder end and a hip end and including a generally flat two-piece platform at the top thereof, one piece of the platform disposed on either side of the axial centerline of the frame and the pieces being hinged along the axial centerline of the frame, the platform having a surface to support the user from the hips superiorly in a supine position axially along the user's spine with at least reduced gravitational loading; b. a pair of leg supports, each support pivotally mounted to the hip end of the frame and pivotable in a vertical plane, one support disposed on the right side and one support disposed on the left side of the axial centerline; c. a pair of arm exercisers, one disposed on the right side and one disposed on the left side of the axial centerline, the arm exercisers being connected to the frame by pivots located remotely from the person's arms and being adapted to move in a generally vertical plane; d. linkage means pivoted on the frame for joining the arm exercisers and leg supports, the linkage means including a first set of links joining the right side arm exerciser and the right side leg support and a second set of links joining the left side arm exerciser and the left side leg support, and the linkage means further including means for interconnecting the first and second sets of links so that the right side arm exerciser and left side leg support move vertically in one direction and the left side arm exerciser and right side leg support move vertically and synchronously in the opposite direction; e. inertial means for maintaining motion of the linkage means after the linkage means has been activated; and f. means for pivoting each piece of the platform relative to the other piece of the platform, wherein the pieces are pivoted along the hinge upwardly from the frame and simultaneously with the vertical movement of the leg support disposed on the same side of the axial centerline, whereby the user's body is rotated as part of the walking motions.

Claim 7

Apparatus as in claim 1 or 3 wherein each said leg support is jointed at a position corresponding to the location of said person's knee and further comprising means to cause said leg support to pivot at said joint as said leg support moves vertically such that said person's leg is alternately in extension and flexion.

Claim 8

Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the linkage means is activated when said person manually performs walking motions while said person's legs engage said leg supports or said person's hands engage said handgrips of the arm exercisers.

Claim 9

Apparatus as in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the linkage means is activated by application of an external motive force to said linkage means or to said inertial means.

Claim 10

Apparatus as in claim 5 further comprising retarding means applied to said inertial means to provide force opposing said person's manual performance of said walking motions, whereby said person must exert added force during said performance to overcome said opposing force of said retarding means and maintain said apparatus in operation.

Claim 11

Apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said retarding means is adjustable to provide different amounts of opposing force applied to said inertial means.

Claim 12

Apparatus as in claim 1, 2 or 3 further comprising means to provide massage to said person's spine during said walking motions.

Claim 13

Apparatus as in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said inertial means comprises a flywheel.

Claim 14

Apparatus as in claim 10 further comprising retarding means applied to said flywheel means to provide force opposing said person's manual performance of said walking motions, whereby said person must exert added force during said performance to overcome the opposing force of said retarding means and maintain said apparatus in operation.

Claim 15

Apparatus as in claim 11 wherein said retarding means comprises an adjustable caliper brake to provide different amounts of opposing force applied to said flywheel.

Claim 16

Apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said linkage means is activated by application of an external motive force to said flywheel, said external motive force comprising an electric motor having its drive shaft frictionally engaged with the periphery of said flywheel.

Claim 17

Apparatus as in claim 13 further comprising means for preventing said retarding means from engaging said flywheel while said external motive force is applied to said flywheel.

Claim 18

Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said hand engagement means for said arm exercisers comprise means to secure an infirm user's hands.

Claim 19

Apparatus as in claim 2 further comprising pivoting means to cause said leg support to pivot at said hinge as said leg support moves vertically such that said person's leg is alternately in extension and flexion.

Claim 20

Apparatus as in claim 16 wherein said pivoting means comprises a cable cooperating with said linkage means which is alternately tightened and slackened to pull and release said leg support outwardly of said hinge, causing said leg support to pivot and extend with each cycle of said linkage means.

Claim 21

Apparatus as in claim 17 wherein said extension of said leg support is urged by gravity as said leg support moves downwardly.

Claim 22

Apparatus as in claim 17 wherein said extension of said leg support is urged by a torsion spring cooperating with said hinge when said leg support moves downwardly.

Claim 23

Apparatus as in claim 1, 19 or 3 wherein said platform can be disposed horizontally or at an angle.

Claim 24

Apparatus as in claim 2 further comprising foot strike means at the distal end of each of said leg supports for applying elastic resistance to the ball of said person's foot.

Claim 25

Apparatus as in claim 1, 2 or 3 further comprising means to exert a force in a superior direction against said person's neck intermittently as said walking motions proceed.

Claim 26

Apparatus as in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said frame comprises height adjustment means.

Claim 27

Apparatus as in claim 23 wherein said height adjustment means comprises a telescoping means incorporated into said frame.

Claim 28

Apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising monitor means to visually display information related to said person's walking motions while using said apparatus.

Claim 29

Apparatus as in claim 1 or 3, wherein each leg support comprises knee flexure means for providing natural flexion of the knee during the performance of the motions of walking.

Claim 30

Apparatus as in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein each leg support comprises telescoping means for providing adjustability of the leg support.