Abstract:
Pedal-wound step-conveying devices employing lever- or diaphragm-type pedal-pressure-receiving mechanisms and epicyclic-gear-train or hydraulic transformers to produce a torque to wind a reinforced elastomeric strip, or a number of generally parallel strips, backwards to produce a forward motion in a pedal-pressure-applying appendage engaged in bipedal or quadruped locomotion. Next, the lifting of the device along with the appendage in bipedal or quadruped locomotion allows the spring-driven unwinding of the strip or strips to ready for the next pedal-pressure application by the appendage to produce another forward motion in the appendage, and so on. Small motors-cum-electric generators mechanically linked to the torque produced by the epicyclic-gear-train or hydraulic transformers augment the torque or convert an undesired torque into electricity for auxiliary purposes, accordingly. A number of reinforced elastomeric strips, respectively winding and unwinding together, are guided by tandem-placed pulleys to generally follow the sideways profile of a pedal-wound step-conveying device.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     Foreign application priority claimed from Indian Patent Application No. 2781/DEL/2005 of Oct. 18, 2005, entitled, ‘Pedal-wound step-conveying devices.’ 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     Not Applicable  
       REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX  
       [0003]     Not Applicable  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     This invention relates to improvement in pedal locomotion by providing devices aimed at utilizing the kinetic energy of normal pedal locomotion for producing a finite translatory motion. All the present-day devices are mostly incomplete and are quite heavy. They also have either no deceleration mechanisms, or have distally located deceleration controls which are cumbersome. There also is a complete absence of any method to foolproof the possibility of a forward roll off with a gathering of momentum with the initial stepping. Chinese patents CN1094649 and CN1101588 respectively utilize chain-operated and pneumatic mechanisms to drive wheels for aiding bipedal locomotion. The basic weakness of an accidental forward roll off remains due to the use of a vane-type motor to drive the wheel or wheels. Due to internal leakage at slow speeds, a vane-type motor can keep rotating as a pump under the influence of an external torque, even when the supply port is closed. The use of a pneumatic mechanism makes the concerned invention susceptible to atmospheric vagaries. An accidental entry of dust and moisture may hasten the deterioration of the pneumatic vane-type motor. Further, even in a mechanical gear- or chain-based device, the torque generated on the slowest-speed shaft could be great enough to damage the gear teeth, and might also lock the gears or the driving levers of the pedals during the accidental forward roll off. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,280,935 and 6,626,442 are with geared mechanical drives and offer no solution to the problem of accidental forward roll off, as they are skating devices, not intended to be completely lifted off ground. Powered roller skates and track shoes with belts and wheels with driving mechanisms are not suitable for a normal bipedal locomotion action resulting in human walking, this is mainly due to the extra weight they tend to add to the weight of the shoes. Although, it is a great advantage for the wearer of such a device to be able to walk normally by lifting the device with the foot, to be able to step normally and safely by placing the foot on an obstacle-free place on the ground. In spite of the limitation just discussed, French patent FR2811585 discloses a hydraulic mechanism of interest. But the inclusion of a check valve (22 in FIG. 2 of the patent disclosure) adds to the free-rolling characteristics of the invented roller skates and makes it equally unsuitable to normal bipedal locomotion. It has also been noted with great concern recently that an increase in the speed of locomotion in human upright posture is unsuitable with regards to the safety to the human body. Pavements and sidewalks are not designed for a speedy human rolling movement. A human body at higher than normal speeds finds it difficult to respond to obstacles by lifting one foot at a time. Only a conscious effort imparted by training can make one achieve this skill. Furthermore, the use of small wheels though makes a skate lightweight, but it also makes it noisy and uncomfortable to ride. On the contrary, large skate wheels make a skate easy to roll but very heavy to lift with normal leg movement associated with human bipedal locomotion. The use of endless tracks or belts with pulleys or rollers, solves the problem of a noisy and rough ride; but dirty road condition can easily get in the gap between the upper and lower section of the belt riding the pulleys or the rollers and jam the movement of the belt to quite some degree, leading to the failure of the forward-rolling mechanism. This situation is aggravated, as the dirt tends to stick to the endless track or the belt and gets thrown on the sole of the shoe, which forms the ceiling of the belted mechanism. Another major problem with this kind of skating or stepping device is the minimum tension requirement, if the endless track is an elastomeric belt; and if the endless track is a caterpillar-like mechanism, dirt gets into the linkages of the track and tends to foul the mechanism. The consequence of which is increased friction and a low mechanical efficiency. An average human being is known to produce nearly a quarter of a horsepower during sustained cycling experiments—leisurely walk produces lesser power. An approximate estimate by theoretical calculations for a 70 kg human is 70 watts. Evidently lowered efficiency in bipedal locomotion conveying devices would make them ineffective, as nearly 50 watts is required to move a 70 kg human resting on a rolling mechanism, at a speed of 5 km per hour.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     Consequent to the present level of prior art discussed hereinabove, there is a need for a device which can solve the following problems and can offer an affordable and disposable artifact to enhance human bipedal locomotion: (1) accidental free roll off with initial stepping, when the whole human body has not gathered sufficient forward momentum; (2) accidental damage to the driving mechanism due to the momentum of the traveling human body; (3) decreasing the weight of the drive mechanism to make it suitable for the lifting action of legs while walking; (4) reducing the treading height to complement the feeling of a normal walk; and (5) to increase road contact without increasing either the number of wheels or the diameter of the wheels. The present invention solves the issues discussed hereinabove uniquely by using a thin non-looped conveyor alternatively winding and unwinding in an oscillatory manner on two rotating spools dynamically secured respectively on the two extremities of the fore-and-aft axis of the bipedal appendage. A left-right alternation of the bipedal center of gravity and the consequent production of kinetic energy which has its source in chemical energy, is utilized to either produce a hydraulic pressure gradient or a torque in the mechanisms of one embodiment of the present invention. A flat-pack enclosure is placed beneath the bottom sides of the bipedal appendages. The flat-pack enclosures have a certain amount of flexibility to distort under the bipedal force alternation at the time of normal bipedal locomotion. The flat-pack enclosures are filled fully with an appropriate hydraulic fluid which alternately flows out under pressure with the bipedal force alternation, to cause movement in a ball-screw-type rotary actuator, the rotations in which are coupled by a number of fixed-axis planet pinions to two rotating large internally geared small spools which cylindrically encase the ball-screw-type rotary actuators and wind two similar and limited lengths of thin reinforced elastomeric conveyors alternately. This hydraulic power action takes place while one of the hydraulic mechanisms of the present invention being described herein bears the bipedal mass variably. This forced winding of the conveyor results in the translatory motion of the involved bipedal appendage bearing the bipedal mass variably. After that, when the bipedal mass is shifted on to the other bipedal appendage, the bipedal appendage undergoing the translatory motion just described is lifted and the front-placed spool with a spring type energy reservoir, starts rotating to unwind the rear-placed spool whose winding action is just described, to wind the elastomeric conveyor on itself. This second winding action takes place when the bipedal appendage is lifted. The action described hereinabove keeps taking place with successive alternation to add translatory motion to hitherto stationary nature of steps in the normal action of bipedal locomotion. A hydraulic flow constrictor is used to restrict the hydraulic fluid flow to the rotary actuator to disable the translatory-motion-providing function of the present embodiment of the invention. In the second embodiment of the present invention, the hydraulics is replaced with torque transforming rotatory planetary compound mechanisms. Multiple planetary gear trains are used in series to amplify the angular movement produced by a nutcracker-like arrangement, the pivot of which is common to the axis of the planetary gear trains. The amplified angular movement is transferred to the conveyor-winding spool by using the arrangement described in the first embodiment of the present invention, namely, a number of fixed-axis planet pinions. The nutcracker-like arrangement converts the bipedal force alternation at the time of normal bipedal locomotion described hereinabove into a small angular movement. The spools on the front end of the bipedal appendages have two identical locking mechanisms to stop the spring-loaded spools from getting unwound; this inhibits the functioning of this embodiment of the present invention as and when required.  
         [0006]     Additionally, a small alternator can also be placed inside any of the spools to partially convert the kinetic energy into electricity for auxiliary use. To further ergonomic enhancement to all the embodiments of the present invention, the thin conveyor as described in the preceding summary, is widthwise split in narrow strips of dissimilar lengths. The inward-facing surfaces of all such strips have lengthwise roller-following ridges to keep riding their respectively allotted small rollers. The two spools are also similarly lengthwise stepped to resemble an hourglass-like figure formed as if by circularly joining stacked rings of different diameters.  
         [0007]     Further usefulness of all the embodiments of the present invention is for the handicapped and the infirm. Without any danger of a fall, they can walk with ease with the use of the embodiments of the present invention explained hereinabove. An interesting and useful application of the present invention is for speeding up quadruped mobility by utilizing the first embodiment of the present invention for the quadrupeds, especially for the animals of burden. Cart-pulling quadrupeds can attain higher speeds by using the devices of the present invention. These devices complement the age-old horseshoe.  
         [0008]     The present invention in various embodiments endeavors to solve the problems present in prior art in following stepwise manner: (1) accidental free roll off with initial stepping, when the whole human body has not gathered sufficient forward momentum is fully contained by making use of a limited length of a track which as a conveyor transports the bipedal appendage resting on it, and rewinds back to start a new conveyor action as soon as the resting bipedal appendage or foot lifts the limited length of the track with all the mechanisms off ground; (2) accidental damage to the driving mechanism due to the momentum of the traveling human body is prevented again by employing the limiting length of the track to function as a conveyor, as soon as the limited length of the track is fully wound and the foot resting on its mechanism is carried forward to the fullest extent, the end of the track stops further winding of the spool and thus limits catastrophic torque generation at the pedaling end of the gear train inside the winding spool; (3) decreasing the weight of the drive mechanism to make it suitable for the lifting action of legs while walking is achieved by reducing the diameter of the rollers, making the conveyor belt thin and integrating the driving and conveying mechanism to the fullest with the footwear, this aim is also achieved by doing away with the top-side roll of the endless track over the rollers or pulleys; (4) reducing the treading height to complement the feeling of a normal walk is done again by doing away with the top-side travel of the endless track over the rollers or pulleys in the present invention; and (5) to increase road contact without increasing either the number of wheels, or the diameter of the wheels, or the friction in the movement of the conveying mechanism, the inward-facing surface of the limited length of the track or the conveyor is non-elastomeric, as no frictional gripping is required from this inward-facing surface; this approach reduces friction between the small rollers and the conveyor. The adhesion of dirt also cannot stick well to the smooth surfaces provided by the small rollers and the inward-facing surface of the conveyor. Additionally, the small rollers are multi-line and with non-coincidental axes of rotation make the external road-contacting surface of the conveyor resemble a section of a large-diameter wheel, thus, increasing the smoothness of bipedal locomotion with the help of the conveyor means of the present invention.  
         [0009]     In one embodiment of the present invention a hydraulically operated oscillating bipedal step-conveying device is integrated as a vehicular arrangement with a footwear device.  
         [0010]     In another form of the present invention, a gear-based, mechanically operated oscillating bipedal step conveying device is integrated as a vehicular arrangement with a footwear device.  
         [0011]     In yet another form of the present invention, a gear-based, mechanically operated oscillating bipedal step conveying device is implemented as a vehicular attachment to a footwear device.  
         [0012]     In a further form of the present invention, a hydraulically operated oscillating bipedal step conveying device with auxiliary electric-generation and electric-drive ability is integrated as a vehicular arrangement with a footwear device.  
         [0013]     In still another form of the present invention, a gear-based, mechanically operated oscillating bipedal step conveying device with auxiliary electric-generation and electric-drive ability is integrated as a vehicular arrangement with a footwear device.  
         [0014]     In an additional form of the present invention, a gear-based, mechanically operated oscillating bipedal step conveying device with auxiliary electric-generation and electric-drive ability is implemented as a vehicular attachment to a footwear device.  
         [0015]     A further common feature of the present invention is a plan and method to route multiple conveyors of dissimilar lengths to follow the curved perimeters of a sole-profiled bottom of all the embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0016]     In an even further embodiment of the present invention, a hydraulically operated oscillating quadruped step conveying device is integrated as an arrangement with an animal footwear device or a horseshoe.  
         [0017]     To assist in the understanding of the present invention recourse is taken to making use of drawings depicting the various functional and constructional aspects of the present invention in conjunction with the section of detailed description of the preferred embodiment.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]     Accompanying drawings on 7 sheets are 11 in number. Except for in schematic representations for an overview, as in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 9 ,  FIG. 10  and  FIG. 11 , all the drawings are stipple shaded to reflect various forms of the different embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0019]      FIG. 1  shows schematically mixed sectional side view of the hydraulically operated embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  shows a bottom view of the hydraulically operated embodiment of the present invention, with a major portion of the conveyor torn away to facilitate the view of the arrangement of the small rollers.  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a partial cut-away view taken along line  21 - 21  in  FIG. 2  showing the partial location of small rollers.  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  is a partial cut-away view taken along line  20 - 20  in  FIG. 1 , where the stretched-out conveyor is broken away from near the ends.  
         [0023]      FIG. 5  shows a mostly schematically mixed, cut-away side view of the mechanically operated gear-train embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0024]      FIG. 6  shows a bottom view of the mechanically operated gear-train embodiment of the present invention, with a major portion of the conveyor torn away to facilitate viewing of the arrangement of the small rollers.  
         [0025]      FIG. 7  is a partial cut-away view taken along line  23 - 23  in  FIG. 6  showing the partial location of small rollers.  
         [0026]      FIG. 8  is a partial cut-away view taken along line  22 - 22  in  FIG. 5 , where the stretched out conveyor is broken away from near the ends.  
         [0027]      FIG. 9  is a schematic bottom view of the multiple-routed conveyor placement plan of the present invention, commonly possible to all the embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0028]      FIG. 10  is a partial diagrammatic sectional view following the pattern of  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 8 , to show the fore-and-aft axis orientation of small rollers to the multiple routed conveyors in the placement plan shown in  FIG. 9 .  
         [0029]      FIG. 11  is the general hydraulic circuit for the hydraulically operated embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0030]     One of the embodiments of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 4  and in  FIG. 11 . In  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 4 , cradle base  111  is a tough thermoplastic structure to hold spool  110  and second spool  113  ( FIG. 1  and  FIG. 4 ) with the rest of the components. Cradle base  111  has mostly equidistance parallel ridges  201  ( FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 ) to rotatably hold rollers  117  ( FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 ) by their spindles  115  ( FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 ). Sole base  101  ( FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3 ) is of elastomeric composition. Sole base  101  provides a resilient base to the appendage, in this case, the foot engaged in bipedal (or quadruped, in other embodiments of the present invention) locomotion. Sole base plate  102  ( FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3 ) acts along with sole bottom plate  116  ( FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3 ) as the upper and lower platens of a regular hydraulic press working in reverse. Flat-pack cavity  103  ( FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 11 ) has a tubular outlet  107  ( FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 11 ) through opening  106  ( FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 11 ) in flanged nipple  105  ( FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3 ). Buffer  305  ( FIG. 3 ), made of sponge rubber, helps locate flange ring  104  ( FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3 ) between sole base plate  102  and sole bottom plate  116 . To reduce the entry of external contaminants into the empty space formed between sole base plate  102  and sole bottom plate  116 , loose O-ring  301  ( FIG. 3 ) is provided underneath a small flange created at the top edge of sole base plate  102 , in the gap between the internal faces of the vertical walls of sole base plate  102  and sole bottom plate  116 . Just below loose O-ring a bearing strip  304  preferably made of a thermoplastic has holes at regular intervals to position small slide balls  302  ( FIG. 3 ). Small slide balls  302  form a sliding bearing together with bearing strip  304  to maintain a uniform sliding clearance between sole base plate  102  and sole bottom plate  116 . Hinge-forming bend  114  ( FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3 ) limits the upward movement of base plate  102  to form a pivotal line for the compression (taking place around region  103 A in  FIG. 3 ) of the hydraulic fluid inside flat-pack cavity  103  to flow under pressure through opening  106  ( FIG. 3 ), tubular outlet  107  into the cavity of the single-rod, single-acting, spring-return hydraulic cylinder made up of cylinder body  417  ( FIG. 11 ), back-side end plate  111 , piston-rod end plate  419 , piston  404  ( FIG. 11 ), piston ring  414  and piston rod  405  ( FIG. 11 ) (all shown with physical clarity in  FIG. 4 ), regulated by a manually operated throttle valve  1110  ( FIG. 11 ) (with a parallel check valve  1109  in  FIG. 11 ) located at the point shown by a simple stopper  108  ( FIG. 4 ). Cylinder body  417  is secured to backside end plate  111  with the help of screws  402  ( FIG. 2  and  FIG. 4 ). Piston rod  405  is formed into a helical-screw or ball-screw rotary actuator by mating axially and helically with a correspondingly grooved and possibly ball-loaded rotor driver sun gear wheel  406  ( FIG. 4  and  FIG. 11 ) rotatably fixed with actuator main bearing  407  ( FIG. 4 ). Actuator main bearing  407  is secured using end-plate head  408  ( FIG. 4 ). End-plate head  408  has a hollow shaft  415  ( FIG. 4 ) for the linear movement of piston rod  405 . End-plate head  408  ( FIG. 4 ) is secured to the second end plate  111  on the piston-rod side with screws  409  ( FIG. 4 ). End-plate head  408  can be modified to accommodate a small dc or brush-less dc BLDC motor to augment the torque generated by the hydraulic system. Conversely, the motor can function as an electric generator when less step conveying is desirable. A small electronic circuitry with semiconductor switches routes the electric power accordingly. Like the manually or pilot-controlled throttle valve discussed hereinbefore, an electronic control in the form of an analogue potentiometer or a digital up-down control with switches is provided on the embodiment of the present invention to externally control the functioning of the motor either as a charger or a torque-augmenting device. A small rechargeable lightweight battery (Li-ion or Ni MH) or an electrolytic capacitor can be used, according to the duration of the augmentation desired in the device of the present invention. Sun gear wheel  406  rotationally drives a number of angularly equidistance small planet gear wheels  109  ( FIG. 1  and  FIG. 4 ) rotatably fixed on appropriate slots in corresponding places in cylinder body  417  which also acts as the fixed satellite carrier in this case. Planet gear wheels  109  together in turn rotationally drive annulus gear wheel follower integrated to spool  110  ( FIG. 1  and  FIG. 4 ). The rotation of spool  110  winds one strip  118  ( FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 9 ) or a number of strips  1018  ( FIG. 10 ) to make strip  118  or strips  1018  move backwards to the direction of bipedal or quadruped locomotion, which in turn conveys the foot forward. Two thin rubber washers  403  ( FIG. 4 ) act as anti-dust gaskets to prevent the entry of dust in the bearing formed between cylinder body  417  and the inner surface of spool  110 . As the leg folds at the knee and the foot is lifted off ground, the device being explained currently also gets off ground; and a spring-return mechanism unwinds strip  118  or a number of strips  1018  ( FIG. 10 ) off spool  110  to coil around second spool  113  ( FIG. 4 ) and in the process effects the spring-return action of the hydraulic cylinder described here; this mechanism consists of two helically wound springs  112  ( FIG. 4  and  FIG. 11 ) placed around end-plate-locating shaft  410  ( FIG. 4 ) with the medial ends linked to end plate locating shaft  410  and either stuck into hole  416  ( FIG. 4 ) or onto a pin fixed into hole  416 , the distal ends of springs  112  linked to second spool  113  ( FIG. 4 ) with the use of holder rings  413  ( FIG. 4  and  FIG. 11 ) and second spool rotatably secured with the use of two ball bearings  412  ( FIG. 4 ). End plate locating shaft  412  is secured to two end plates  111 , using two screws  411  ( FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 ).  
         [0031]     The hydraulic cylinder described in the preceding paragraph has to have the feature of piston  404  from rotating inside cylinder body  417  ( FIG. 4  and  FIG. 11 ). Normally, a guide rod with a rubber seal can be used. But in  FIG. 4 , in order to reduce internal leakage, a hexagonal or elliptical internal cross-section profile for the inside of cylinder body  417  ( FIG. 4  and  FIG. 11 ) is more appropriate. Axial hexagonal line  415  ( FIG. 4  and  FIG. 11 ) is convenient to build in a hydraulic-cylinder design, but an elliptical internal cross section would provide a better sealing properties. Hydraulic fluid tank  1103  with strainer cum cap  1104 , air space  1107  and optional air filter  1106  and air check valve  1105  are shown in  FIG. 11 . These components are only to be used if the embodiment of the present invention has to be made extremely reliable and efficient. The use of a high-viscosity hydraulic fluid can minimize leakages, however, it will lower the mechanical conversion efficiency somewhat. Hydraulic fluid leakage  1108  ( FIG. 11 ) can be put to use to lubricate piston rod  405  and sun gear wheel  406 . Check valve  1109  is used optionally to enable the spring return of piston  404  for the start of a fresh winding cycle after manually operated throttle valve  1110  ( FIG. 11 ) is closed in order to disable the embodiment of the present invention being discussed. Hydraulic fluid tank  1103  with its associated components can be built with end-plate head  408  ( FIG. 4 ) by modifying the construction of end-plate head  408 . Hydraulic return lines shown in  FIG. 11  can be had in cylinder head  111  which is clamped to end-plate head  408 ; for this purpose, tubular outlet  107  has to cross  201  fully. Another way is to have a hollow link shaft joining the two cylinder heads  111  at the extreme rear end of the device being discussed and using this hollow link shaft as hydraulic fluid tank  1193 . It has to be borne in mind that helical-screw-type rotary hydraulic actuators are not very efficient if made ordinarily. A precision manufacture with ball-loaded screw improves the performance. Hollow shaft  415  can also have a weak compression-type spring to aid in the spring return of the hydraulic cylinder. The inclusion of this spring helps in making helically wound springs  112  softer and hence it can be made with a smaller diameter spring wire than described earlier. It can also be stated that the use of a vane-type hydraulic motor would need a typical hydraulic return circuit and check valves with a hydraulic tank. The manufacture of a miniature lightweight hydraulic motor is only possible when large-scale production is intended. However, an efficient miniature hydraulic motor can easily replace the rotary actuator as described hereinabove. The length or lengths of winding strip  118  or strips  1018  determine the revolutions of the hydraulic-motor shaft. The spring-return action of flat-pack cavity  103  also becomes more important, as there would be leakage in the return action of the hydraulic motor acting as a pump even if there is no check valve in the hydraulic return line, and the volume of hydraulic fluid pumped back with the unwinding action of spool  110  would always be slightly less than the hydraulic fluid pushed into the hydraulic motor by the pedal pressure on flat-pack cavity  103 .  
         [0032]     Another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated with the help of  FIG. 5  through  FIG. 7 . Hinged cradle base  511  is a tough thermoplastic structure to hold spool  510  and second spool  113  ( FIG. 5  and  FIG. 8 ) with the rest of the components- Hinged base plate  611  has mostly equidistance parallel ridges  601  ( FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 ) to rotatably hold rollers  117  ( FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 ) by their spindles  115  ( FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 ). Sole filler  701  ( FIG. 7 ) is of light elastomeric composition. Sole filler  701  provides a comfortable base to the appendage, in this case, the foot, engaged in bipedal (or quadruped, in other embodiments of the present invention) locomotion. Hinged cradle base  511  acts along with hinged base plate  611  as the upper and lower arms of a nutcracker-like lever device; and this lever device functions as the pedal-pressure-receiving mechanism, the function of which has been explained hereinbefore. Flexible low-pressure air bag  513  ( FIG. 5  and  FIG. 7 ) is used to protect the free space needed between hinged cradle base  511  and hinged base plate  611  for the proper functioning of this lever device. A compression of nearly 10 mm. or more of flexible low-pressure air bag  513  is required for adequate step conveyance. The essential functioning of the embodiments of the present invention is identical to the first-described embodiment hereinabove. Many elements which are essentially identical, bear the same indicia as used in the description of the first-described embodiment. These are helically wound springs  112  ( FIG. 5  and  FIG. 8 ), second spool  113  ( FIG. 5  and  FIG. 7 ), spindles  115  ( FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 ), rollers  117  ( FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 ), strip  118  ( FIG. 5  through  FIG. 8 ), thin rubber washers  403  ( FIG. 8 ), end-plate-locating shaft  410  ( FIG. 8 ), ball bearings  412  ( FIG. 8 ), holder ring  413  ( FIG. 8 ) and hole  416  ( FIG. 8 ), used interchangeably with the first embodiment of the present invention. Additionally, the indicia used are either three or four digit; in a three-digit index number, the third digit from the left indicates the primary figure number it belongs to, similarly, in a four-digit index number, the two digits from the left indicate the figure number. Link arm  514  ( FIG. 5  through  FIG. 8 ) firmly links hinged base plate  611  to the hinge axis, first planet driver gear wheel  803  ( FIG. 8 ) with the use of securing bolt  801  ( FIG. 8 ). First planet driver gear wheel  803  is rotatably secured to hinged cradle base  511  by axle bearing  805  ( FIG. 8 ). Fixed common annulus gear wheel  817  ( FIG. 8 ) has lengthwise internal gear teeth and it spans the width of strip  118 ; it is secured to hinged cradle base  511  with the use of high-tensile fasteners  802  ( FIG. 8 ). Various elements  831  to  841  constitute two symmetrical axially side-by-side-located 5-stage epicyclic gear trains with fixed common annulus gear wheel  817 . Spool  810  ( FIG. 8 ) is driven by small planet gear wheels with fixed common annulus gear wheel  817  functioning as the fixed planet carrier. The manner of driving is similar to the one described in the earlier embodiment of the present invention. The diametral pitch for the gear teeth on fixed common annulus gear wheel  817  is  20  or  21 . It is also important to use high-strength alloy steel for the construction of annulus gear wheel  817 , first planet driver gear wheel  803  and first set of planetary gears  820  rotatably fixed on corresponding planet carrier shafts  839 . This is important for the reliability of the device, as the torque is considerably high at this stage. One small ball bearing  838  ( FIG. 8 ) axially and medially links the two symmetrically placed first planet driver gear wheels  803 . It is also important to make link arm  514  with high-strength alloy steel. The operation of the presently described embodiment of the present invention is exactly similar to the first-mentioned embodiment of the present invention. In order to build in a dc or BLDC motor to augment the torque on spool  810 , the diameter of spool  810  has to be increased in order to reduce the length of the gear trains without compromising the gear strength. Then the dc or BLDC motor can be put at the place marked by small ball bearing  838  in  FIG. 8 . One familiar with similar technology can easily conceive and execute this slight redesign from the guidelines laid down here. The internal lubrication of all the gear trains is very important; for this purpose, use has to be made of double-z bearings for axle bearing  805  and the internal space of annulus gear wheel  817 , which is actually a whole gear box, has to be filled up with a suitable gear lubricant which can be effective for a wide range of gear speeds. If the gear lubricant is fluidic, then the slight leakage of the lubricant will also hydro-dynamically lubricate the angular bearing formed between the angular internal surface of spool  810  and the angular external surface annulus gear wheel  817  ( FIG. 8 ).  
         [0033]     For an ergonomic construction of any embodiment of the present invention for human use, a number of strips  1018  ( FIG. 10 ) somewhat in the form of V-belts are employed; rollers  115  are modified to form pulleys  1015  ( FIG. 10 ) with spindles  1017 , which guide strips  1018  through curved grooves  918  ( FIG. 9 ). Curved grooves  918  follow the outer planar profile of device base  920  ( FIG. 9 ). Device base  920  could form the ground-contacting base of any of the embodiments of the present invention. The outer planar profile of device base  920  also forms the outer mechanical structure  921  ( FIG. 9 ) of any device of the present invention. Outer mechanical structure  921  can be cradle base  111  ( FIG. 2 ) or hinged base plate  611  and link arm  514  ( FIG. 6 ), like one shown as  1011  in  FIG. 10 —a small mechanical locking mechanism can be implemented in these elements for minimizing the movements of the devices of the present invention when intended, as discussed in the preceding section. Spool  810  (or spool  110 ) and second spool  113  are located in  FIG. 9  at locations  910  ( FIG. 9 ) and  913  ( FIG. 9 ) respectively. To accommodate different lengths of strips  1018  spool  810  (or spool  110 ) and second spool  113  are constituted of stepped rings joined up axially making up stepped spool  1013  ( FIG. 10 ). Stepped spool  1013  is generally profiled at locations  910  and  913  ( FIG. 9 ). Grit and dust are not a major problem when a number of strips  1018  are used; but with the use of strip  118 , grit can get between rollers  115  and foul the functioning of the devices of present invention. To prevent this from happening, rubber curtains or baffles are used lengthwise on both the sides of strip  118 . The curtains or baffles rub slightly against strip  118 , and are fixed lengthwise on the two sides of either cradle base  111  or base plate  611 , depending upon the form of the present invention being made. Similarly, in the first-explained embodiment of the present invention, transverse rubber curtains also scrape against strip  118  from upper and lower horizontal sides just before strip  118  gets wound around spool  110  ( FIG. 4 ) or spool  810  ( FIG. 8 ), depending upon the embodiment being constructed. This light scraping action of transverse rubber curtains acts as a seal, as well as a mud remover in case of the use of the devices of present invention in muddy conditions. Strip  118  or strips  1018  can have smooth internal-facing surfaces made of a flexible and strong metal like stainless steel. This metal backing makes strip  118  or strips  1018  flexible but not prone to permanent elongation. This also minimizes chances of grit or dust sticking to or embedding into strip  118  or strips  1018 . Strip  118  can also have small regular perforation or openings to let grit or dust find a way out to the ground and prevent a continuous accumulation around rollers  115 .  
         [0034]     All the above-discussed embodiments can be used in quadruped locomotion with just dimensional modifications. As the embodiments of the present invention are neither wheeled nor endless-track vehicles, quadruped animals of burden or domesticated pack animals need not learn much in order to adapt to the devices of the present invention. Horseshoes, anyway, are essential for enabling hoofed animals to tread on cast or cobbled road surfaces; these devices simply dynamic and functional replacements for horseshoes.  
         [0035]     Presently, the electrical-energy storage devices are volumetrically not very efficient. But superconductors and future rechargeable batteries are promising. Instead of having hydraulic rotary actuators or epicyclic gear boxes to drive the devices of present invention, only electric motors can be used to wind strip  118  or strips  1018 , drawing power from an efficient electric source small enough to get into the device of present invention. Somebody versed in related art can easily understand and implement such an embodiment of the present invention even with the present-day batteries. In such a case the pedal-pressure-receiving mechanism has a built-in pedal-pressure transducer in the form of a switch or a pressure transducer to activate an electronic circuitry to drive a small dc or BLDC motor to accomplish the winding of strip  110  or strips  1018  around spool  110  or  810 , depending upon the embodiment of the present invention intended to be used. However, electronic data processing circuitry can be incorporated in the devices of the present invention to sense insufficiency of torque to achieve translatory motion in the cases of climbing a gradient. Electrical torque augmentation can provide locomotion assistance in such a case. Data curves of torque or pressure generated versus translatory motion achieved will differentiate a climb from a descent quite clearly. In a climbing locomotion all the values for torque or pressure and the translatory motion achieved will drop; however, during a descending locomotion the values for torque or pressure will drop but translatory motion achieved will remain constant. One versed in related art shall fully understand and execute the features laid out in the following claims with the help of the preceding description.