Patent Publication Number: US-2002005419-A1

Title: Load transfer apparatus

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] The carrying of significant loads on shoulders of persons impose forces on their shoulders, vertebrae, backs and other structures.  
       [0002] Persons having ailments or problems with shoulder structures or tissues, back ailments, vertebrae problems, etc., suffer difficulties in or are precluded from carrying significant or heavy loads on one or both shoulders.  
       [0003] Adequate devices or arrangements have heretofore not been provided to adequately address the problems of transferring shoulder loads to other portions of a person&#39;s body, such as the hips.  
       [0004] U.S. Pat. No. 796,589 to Maloney relates to an arrangement wherein a load above a shoulder of a person is imposed on a belt depended from an arch member. Such arrangement cannot adequately transfer substantial load from the shoulder to another portion of a user&#39;s body, such as a hip.  
       [0005] The present invention provides a load transfer apparatus wherein a substantially rigid rod extends from above a shoulder of a user to receive a load and extends into engagement with a support member at a hip of the user. Load applied at the shoulder of the user is thus transferred to the hip of the user. A second relatively rigid rod extends above the shoulder of the user and extends diagonally across the back of the user into engagement with a second support member at an opposite hip of the user. A belt about the waist of the user may be utilized to retain a support member.  
       [0006] In one embodiment, a third relatively rigid rod extends over a shoulder opposite from that on which the first rod extends, and extends diagonally across the back of the user into engagement with a support member at the second hip of the users The rods in different forms of the invention terminate near the shoulders of the user, rather than extending downwardly. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of the invention disposed on a person;  
     [0008]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another form of the invention wherein two support members are utilized;  
     [0009]FIG. 3 is a view taken at  3 - 3  in FIG. 2;  
     [0010]FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a support member utilized with the invention;  
     [0011]FIG. 5 is a side view of a support member having a hook;  
     [0012]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of the apparatus of FIG. 1 disposed on a person;  
     [0013]FIG. 7 is a perspective rear view of another form of the apparatus;  
     [0014]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an embodiment having multiple support rods;  
     [0015]FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view of a modified form of the invention wherein rod members have loop end portions disposed about belts on support members;  
     [0016]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a form of the invention showing four support rods with loop portions extending over the shoulder of a user and terminating; and  
     [0017]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a modified form of the invention wherein rod members extend above the shoulder where they are joined and terminate.  
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     [0018] Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the load-transfer device of the invention  10  wherein a brace rod  12  extends over the shoulder of a user with a “plate”  14  mounted thereon to support a load-member, such as a strap of a mail pouch. The rod  12  extends over the shoulder of the user and downwardly with a rear portion  16  to form a loop extending about the shoulder and downwardly at the front and back into a joint connection in a block member  18 , wherein a threaded bolt member  20  is threaded. The bolt member has an eye or loop  22  at its opposite end which is received in a pocket or recess  24  in a metal plate  26  which is secured by fasteners to a leather pad  28 . A second rigid bar  30  has a curved portion  32  to extend over the shoulder of the user, and the bar  30  extends across the back of the user, and has a threaded eye portion  34  at its end for adjustable threaded engagement with a bolt  36  having an eye or loop portion  38  at its end received in a pocket (not shown) of a leather pad  40  which is similar to pad  28 . The threaded engagement of the bolt members  20  and  36  provide for adjustment of the extension of the rods  12  and  16  for a particular user. The pads and the metal plates thereon are preferably contoured to fit the contours of the hips of a user.  
     [0019] With the loop extending over one shoulder of a user and with a second loop extending over the shoulder and across the user&#39;s back, more than 20% of the load applied at the upper portions of the loops is applied at bolt  36  and pad  40 , the remainder being applied at bolts  20  and pads  28 .  
     [0020] A belt  42  is preferably utilized to assist in retaining components and pads  40  in desired positions, particularly when unloaded. The belt may extend through slits  44 ,  46  in the leather pad  40  or hooks  48  may be provided on each pad in engagement with the belt for support (FIG. 5). A strap  50  (FIG. 1) is preferably provided to extend about the user above the belt, and is secured at the front and rear portions of the loop  12 ,  16  to stabilize the components on the person.  
     [0021] In a modified arrangement (not shown), belt  40  can be extended through the loops  22  of the threaded bolts  20  for somewhat improved load support.  
     [0022] Portions of the rods  12 ,  16  are preferably covered with padding, enclosed in nylon sleeves, portions of which are shown at  52  in FIG. 2, thus to provide comfortable engagement with the person of the user to protect the skin from abrasion or other injury, and to prevent clothing damage.  
     [0023] In utilizing the apparatus of the invention, load applied at plate  14  is transmitted or transferred via the rods  12 ,  16  and bolts  20 ,  36  to bags  28 ,  40 , thus to apply the load to the person&#39;s upper hip, the pads and the metal plates  22  preferably contoured for optimum engagement with the upper hip portion of the person. Load applied at load plate  14  above the shoulder is thus transferred from the shoulder area to the hips of the user, substantially eliminating load on the shoulder.  
     [0024]FIG. 7 illustrates a modified form of the apparatus wherein load is applied at load plates  52 ,  54  atop rods  56 ,  58  which extend from the left shoulder of the user downwardly and across the back of the user to engage in pads at the user&#39;s hips as above described.  
     [0025] Referring to FIG. 6, a modified form of the apparatus of the invention is shown as comprising a single loop rod  60  which has a curved portion extending over the shoulder and terminating at  62 , with the front portion of the rod  60  extending to engage a threaded bolt and to transfer the load to a pad  64 . This form of the apparatus is useful for limited loads and is simpler to utilize on the person.  
     [0026] In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 8, rods  66 ,  68  extend over and about the respective left and right shoulders of the user and are secured in the manner indicated in FIG. 3 with a block in which bolts with loop ends are contained in pads  70 ,  72  to support the load at the hips of the user. A second pair of rods  74 ,  76  also extend over each shoulder and have back portions extending diagonally across the back of the user in the manner of rod  30 , as shown in FIG. 2 to illustrate the earlier described embodiment, and applies load transferred from the shoulder&#39;s areas to pads  70 ,  72 .  
     [0027] This embodiment is particularly useful for persons carrying substantial loads on each shoulder or otherwise carrying heavy loads, such as heavy backpacks, military loads, etc.  
     [0028] The apparatus and embodiment shown in FIG. 8 may employ a modified arrangement shown in FIG. 9 wherein the back portions of rods  74 ,  76  are provided with end loop portions which are disposed about bolts into portions  78 ,  80 —are disposed about bolts  82 ,  84 , as shown, thus to transmit load via the bolts to pads  70 ,  72  at the hips of the user.  
     [0029] The embodiment shown in FIG. 9 employs a modified arrangement wherein the back portions of rods  74 ,  76  are provided with end loop portions  78 ,  80  disposed about bolts  82 ,  84 , as shown, thus to transmit load via these bolts to pads  70 ,  72  (FIG. 8) at the hips of the user. In this arrangement, the load is divided about equally between the two sides of the user.  
     [0030] Referring to FIG. 10, two rods  86 ,  88  extend up from respective block members of the type described relative to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 and upwardly with arcuate portions  90 ,  92  extending over the shoulders of the user and terminating just over the shoulders.  
     [0031] A second pair of rods extends from the block members at opposite sides of the user, and diagonally across the back of the user and have arcuate portions (not shown) secured to the arcuate portions  90 ,  92  of rods  88 ,  86  as shown, the end portions of the rods  94 ,  96  are arcuate and terminate just over the shoulders of the user.  
     [0032]FIG. 11 illustrates another embodiment wherein a rod  100  is adapted to extend upwards at the left side of a user and has an arcuate end portions  102  extending over the shoulder, then terminating. A second rod  104  is secured at the opposite side of the user and extends diagonally across the back of the user and is joined at its curved end portion  106  to the curved end portion  102 .  
     [0033] The invention is of substantial assistance to persons having ailments of the back or shoulders by eliminating loads imposed on a back, vertebrae and shoulders. The apparatus of the invention is very useful to persons carrying substantial loads of heavy objects daily, such as postal carriers, construction workers, back packers, students with heavy bookbags, etc.  
     [0034] There have been shown and described embodiments of a load transfer apparatus which fulfill all the objects and advantages sought therefor. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the subject invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering this specification together with the accompanying drawings and claims. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.