US20090203504A1

US20090203504A1 - Extension system for mechanical stilts

Info

Publication number: US20090203504A1
Application number: US12/069,394
Authority: US
Inventors: Jerry Wayne Williams; John Paul Ruffini
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-02-11
Filing date: 2008-02-11
Publication date: 2009-08-13

Abstract

An extension is provided for a standard mechanical stilt that is interfitted or telescoped between upper frame members and lower frame members of the standard mechanical stilt to thereby greatly increase the desired working length of the mechanical stilt. The extension consists of the same cross-sectional profiles as the standard stilt. The extension member may be interlocked with the standard stilt at any desired length. The extension frame has shock absorbing springs incorporated therein.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a mechanical stilt or a pair of stilts. The invention is particularly suited for the use by bricklayers, plasterers, painters and others such as drywall construction workers and workers installing ceiling lights or ceiling panels. The above noted endeavors require the workers to work at successively different levels and to have sufficient mobility to be able to move laterally to work zones outside the reach of their arms. The above noted stilts eliminate the use scaffolds or ladders which can cumbersome or expensive and time consuming to use.
Stilts are known that have a certain height requirement and other stilts are known that have extensions built into the same so that different height requirements can be achieved. These extension type of stilts are heavy and are more expensive to obtain and at times still do not reach a certain height requirement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

An object of the invention is to remedy the above noted problems and shortcomings by providing a simple extension frame that can be inserted between the upper and lower sections of a standard stilt which will enable the workman to reach different heights wherever required. This enables the workman to reach different heights that heretofore were impossible to reach even with stilts that have extension built into them.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a prior art representation of a known stilt;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the inventive concept;

FIG. 3 shows the extension in a perspective view;

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the installed extension.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Fig. Illustrates the prior art device in a right and left presentation. It is well known that mechanical stilts consist of upper 1 and lower 2 frames, respectively. The lower frame member typically has two foot pads 3 which are hinged at 4 and 5 to the lower frames 2 and 2 a which are inserted into the upper frame members 1. The upper frame member 2 has a foot platform 6 onto which the worker's foot will be supported when working on a project. There is leg brace 7 which is attached to the upper frame member 2 by way of a leg brace support rod 7 a. The lower frame members 1 a and 2 a have holes 8 and 9 therein which, when the frame members are inserted into the upper frame members 1, will be used to secure the upper and lower frame together in an adjusted location by way of the bolts 10 and screw heads 10 a. The upper frame member 1 typically has a bracket 11 which is located midway between the two opposing brackets 12. Between the two opposing brackets there are located two and lower springs 13 and 14, respectively, which abut against the intermediate bracket 11. These springs act as shock absorbers as the workman moves around his work to different positions or locations and also aid in simulating a regular walk of the workman. The above describes a standard mechanical stilt and will aid in understanding the inventive concept of placing an extension between the upper and lower frame members 1 and 2. The above noted reference characters will be carried forward into the following description of FIGS. 2-4 and the inventive extension described below will start with the numeral or call-out 20.
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the extension 20 prior to an insertion into each of the upper and lower frame members. The extension 20 has two upper frame members 21 and 22 which have such a dimension so that they correspond to the inside dimensions of the upper frame members 1 and 2. It should also be noted at this point that there are prior art stilts wherein the frame members have different profiles. The inventive concept takes into account that the insert will be manufactured and distributed to conform to the known different profiles. The upper frame members 21 and 22 of the insert have holes 21 a and 22 a therein which will be used to adjust the insert at a predetermined height through the use of the adjusting screws 10, 10 a which are already present in the prior are device. The inventive concept of the insert also has two lower receiving members or tubes 23 and 24, respectively, which will inserted over the existing prior art device and frame members 1. The lower frame members or tubes 23 and 24 have screws 25 and 25 a therein which will be used to fasten the lower insert frame members 23 and 24 over the existing upstanding members 1.
The inventive insert has the same shock absorbing system as is found on the prior art stilts. Thus, the insert 20 has the intermediate bracket 28 and the two opposing brackets 29 and 30 and having each of the upper and lower springs 26 and 27 sandwiched between the brackets. The use of the spring 26 and 27 was explained above with references to the springs 13 and 14 as shock absorbers and aids in walking.
FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the inventive insert after having been inserted into a standard stilt including the upper 1 and lower 2 frame members. From this FIG. 4 it can also be seen that there is quite a considerable range of adjustability obtained with the inventive insert. The insert can first be adjusted by changing the lengths between the lower frame members of the inventive insert relative to the lower upstanding frame members 1 a and 2 a and when this length adjustment has played out, one may further adjust the different location on the upper frame members 21 and 22. This inventive concept illustrates the versatility of the overall mechanical stilt because the stilt can be adjusted to lengths never before achieved.

Claims

1. A standard mechanical stilt and extension frame combination, wherein said standard mechanical stilt includes upper and lower frame members which normally interfit with each other and having means thereon for adjusting a length between said upper and lower frame members, said extension frame having upper and lower frame members, said upper frame members having means thereon for interfitting with said upper frame members of said standard mechanical stilt and said extension frame further means thereon for interfitting said lower frame members on said extension frame with said lower frame members on said standard stilt.

2. The standard mechanical stilt and extension frame member combination of claim 1 including spring shock absorbers on said extension frame.

3. The standard mechanical stilt and extension frame member combination of claim 1 including locking means on said interfitting upper and said interfitting lower frame members.

4. The standard mechanical stilt and extension frame member combination, wherein cross-sectional profiles of said standard stilt frame members and said extension frame members match each other.