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  Adjustable two-legged stilt with catch mechanismUSPTO Application #: 20070027004Title: Adjustable two-legged stilt with catch mechanism Abstract: A two-legged stilt includes a support frame, a foot platform, and a base. The support frame includes first and second parallel leg supports, each having upper and lower sections that are coupled and slide relative to one another whereby a length of each leg support may be varied. The leg supports are pivotably mounted to foot platform and the base for canting of the stilt. Each leg support includes a spring-biased catch that secures the respective leg support sections against relative movement, whereby the length of the leg support may be fixed. A release member is operatively connected to each catch for controlling adjustment of the lengths of the two leg supports while the stilt is worn. (end of abstract) Agent: Tillman Wright, PLLC - Charlotte, NC, US Inventor: Richard Novara USPTO Applicaton #: 20070027004 - Class: 482075000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Exercise Devices, Involving User Translation Or Physical Simulation Thereof, Elevated Walking Device (e.g., Stilts, Etc.) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070027004. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
I. CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] The present application is a nonprovisional of, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119(e) to, each of: Novara U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/594,256, filed Mar. 23, 2005; and Novara U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/596,772, filed Oct. 20, 2005. The entire disclosure of each of these patent applications is hereby incorporated herein by reference. II. COPYRIGHT STATEMENT [0002] All of the material in this patent document is subject to copyright protection under the copyright laws of the United States and of other countries. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. III. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Generally, it is known to provide a stilt that enables a person to undertake construction in high places that otherwise would be hard to reach without vertical assistance. A representative conventional stilt is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,517,586 to Lin, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. [0004] Another conventional stilt similar to that of Lin, and sometimes referred to as a "dry wall stilt," is shown in FIG. 1. The stilt of FIG. 1 comprises a support frame, a foot platform, and a base, all of which form a generally parallel, quadrilateral structure with the support frame forming the sides and the foot platform and the base respectively forming the top and bottom. The support frame includes a first leg support and a second leg support positioned in parallel relation to the first leg support. The first leg support has a first upper leg support section coupled with a first lower leg support section. Similarly, the second leg support has a second upper leg support section coupled with a second lower leg support section. The upper and lower leg support sections are coupled such that relative movement may occur there between to provide for varying lengths of the leg supports and, therefore, varying heights of the stilt. [0005] Connecting plates, a center pin, and external spring members are arranged on the support frame to provide for canting of the support frame. Such canting allows a person using a pair of stilts to walk relatively naturally and comfortably while wearing the stilts. [0006] The upper and lower leg support sections have openings formed therein for receipt of a catch device to fix the length of the leg supports and secure the upper leg support sections against movement relative to the lower leg support sections. Conventional catch devices include a bolt and a screw. With a conventional stilt as shown in FIG. 1, a user must remove the stilt before adjusting the lengths of the leg supports. Unfortunately, such manual length adjustment is cumbersome and time consuming. [0007] In addition, stilts are known that provide for adjustment of the height of the stilts while the stilts are used, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,063 discloses such a representative stilt. However, such stilts do not include canting of the leg supports relative to the foot platform and the base such that a person using the stilts may experience more natural motion when walking or otherwise moving while wearing the stilts. Rather, the leg supports of each such stilt are mounted in fixed disposition relative to the base and foot platform and, thus, provide a rigid movement similar to the sensation of walking on blocks mounted to the soles of one's feet. [0008] Accordingly, it is believed that it would be advantageous to have a two-legged stilt similar to that of FIG. 1, but in which the lengths of the leg supports can be adjusted "on the fly" while a person is using the stilt. [0009] Additionally, a conventional two-legged stilt as shown in FIG. 1 includes a calf support that is mounted to the support frame and which extends vertically from support frame in a direction away from the base. The calf support is disposed adjacent one side of the foot platform so that the calf support extends adjacent the side of a leg of a person using the stilt. It is believed that it would be advantageous to provide a stilt having a calf support that extends adjacent the back of the leg of the person wearing the stilt rather than to a side of the leg of the person wearing the stilt. It is believed that such a stilt may provide for a more comfortable or natural feel during use of the stilt. It further is believed that such a stilt may reduce a torque that otherwise arises in conventional stilts during walking, especially since the upper portion of the calf support typically is secured to the side of the leg by a band or other attachment member in such conventional stilts. IV. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] The present invention includes many aspects and features. A stilt that embodies one or more such aspects or features includes a support frame, a foot platform and a base that, collectively, generally form a parallelogram. The support frame comprises a first leg support having a first upper leg support section and a first elongate lower leg support section. The first upper leg support section is coupled with the first lower leg support section for movement relative there between, whereby a length of the first leg support may be varied. [0011] The support frame further comprises a second leg support positioned in parallel relation to the first leg support and having a second upper leg support section and a second lower leg support section. The second upper leg support section is coupled with the second lower leg support section for movement relative there between, whereby a length of the second leg support may be varied. [0012] The foot platform receives and supports a foot of a person for use of the stilt. The first upper leg support section is connected to the foot platform for rotational movement about a first upper pivot axis. The second upper leg support section is connected to the foot platform for rotational movement about a second upper pivot axis, the second upper pivot axis being disposed in parallel relation to the first upper pivot axis. The base engages and supports the stilt upon a floor. The first lower leg support section is connected to the base for rotational movement about a first lower pivot axis. The second lower leg support section is connected to the base for rotational movement about a second lower pivot axis, the second lower pivot axis being disposed in parallel relation to the first lower pivot axis, the first upper pivot axis, and the second upper pivot axis. [0013] In an aspect of the invention, a two-legged stilt in accordance with the aforementioned construction further includes a design that enables a person to adjust the height of the stilt "on the fly" while the stilt is being used. With respect to this aspect, a feature of the stilt includes a spring-biased catch that secures the first upper leg support section against movement relative to the first lower leg support section, whereby the length of the first leg support may be fixed. More particularly, the stilt preferably has a catch that comprises a rod and the first upper leg support section and the first lower leg support section include corresponding openings through which the rod extends to secure the first upper leg support section against movement relative to the first lower leg support section. In a preferred embodiment, the first upper leg support section and the first lower leg support section include a plurality of corresponding openings through which the rod may extend to fix the length of the first leg support at different respective lengths. [0014] In another feature of this aspect, the two-legged stilt includes a first catch movable between: (1) an engaged position, in which the first catch secures the first upper leg support section against movement relative to the first lower leg support section, whereby the length of the first leg support is fixed; and (2) a disengaged position, in which the first catch does not secure the first upper leg support section against movement relative to the first lower leg support section. [0015] With further regard to this feature, the two-legged stilt also includes a second catch movable between: (1) an engaged position, in which the second catch secures the second upper leg support section against movement relative to the second lower leg support section, whereby the length of the second leg support is fixed; and (2) a disengaged position, in which the second catch does not secure the second upper leg support section against movement relative to the second lower leg support section. [0016] In accordance with this feature, the two-legged stilt further comprises a release member that is movable between first and second positions, the release member being operatively connected to the first catch for moving the first catch between the engaged and disengaged positions with movement of the release member between the first and second positions, and the release member further being operatively connected to the second catch for moving the second catch between the engaged and disengaged positions with movement of the release member between the first and second positions. Preferably, the release member is operatively connected to a catch via a cabling system that includes one or more pre-tensioned, jacketed cables. [0017] In still yet another aspect of the invention, a two-legged stilt in accordance with the aforementioned construction further includes a design in which a calf support extends adjacent the back of the leg of the person wearing the stilt rather than to a side of the leg of the person wearing the stilt. [0018] In another aspect of the invention, each leg support of a two-legged stilt in accordance with the aforementioned construction further includes spring members for biasing of the leg support section apart. The spring members preferably comprise compression springs. [0019] In yet another aspect of the invention, a two-legged stilt in accordance with the aforementioned construction further includes internally located spring members that serve to bias the two-legged stilt into a rectangular configuration in which the two leg supports extend generally orthogonal to the base and foot platform. The spring members preferably comprise torsion springs, each disposed at a coupling of a leg support section to either the base or the foot platform. The two-legged stilt optionally may not include external spring members (such as those illustrated in FIG. 1). [0020] In addition to the aforementioned aspects and features of the present invention, it should be noted that the present invention further includes the various possible combinations of such aspects and features. Continue reading... Full patent description for Adjustable two-legged stilt with catch mechanism Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Adjustable two-legged stilt with catch mechanism patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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