Wheel mounted walker with foot pedal brake
OwnerWilma J. Daughertyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A walker having a readily adjustable and disassemblable frame is equipped with two wheels in the rear and a centered lead wheel. The lead wheel, which is castored for increased directional stability, is equipped with a brake operated by a foot pedal. When the pedal is depressed, an axle on which the lead wheel rotates is forced toward the front of a pair of elongated slots in a wheel bracket. The top of the wheel then contacts a friction pad to apply a braking force. The user can depress the brake pedal with the toe of one foot without lifting the heel.
Claims5
A walker for providing support for a person who is standing or walking comprising:
- a rigid frame surrounding and defining a space in which said person can stand, said frame comprising a generally U-shaped horizontal lower member open at the rear, a generally U-shaped horizontal upper member open at the rear, a cross-piece that subtends the distance from one side of the lower member to the other, a generally horizontal strut that projects rearwardly from the center of said lower member to said cross-piece, and a plurality of vertical members extending downwardly from said upper member, one of said vertical members being connected to said strut;
- support means attached to said upper member for supporting said person;
- a pair of trailing wheels rotatably attached to said frame and disposed on opposite sides of said space;
- a wheel bracket centered with respect to said trailing wheels and disposed at the front of said space, said bracket including a substantially vertical shaft by which it is pivotably attached to said strut;
- a lead wheel rotatably attached to said bracket;
- and
- brake means for applying a braking force to said lead wheel, said brake means including a pedal for actuation thereof, said pedal extending from said wheel bracket beneath and past said cross-piece at a height that permits engagement thereof by the toe of said persons's foot without lifting the heel of said foot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.