Claims
- 1. An external wheeled heeling apparatus for walking and running and transitioning to rolling on a surface, comprising:
a sole having a forefoot, an arch and a heel portion provided with a first side of the heel portion and a second side of the heel portion, the forefoot operable to engage the surface for walking and running; a first wheel operably coupled to rotate adjacent the first side of the heel portion; and a second wheel operably coupled to rotate adjacent the second side of the heel portion.
- 2. The external wheeled heeling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an axle extending through the heel portion of the sole such that the first wheel is coupled to a first end of the axle on the first side of the heel portion and the second wheel is coupled to the second end of the axle on the second side of the heel portion.
- 3. The external wheeled heeling apparatus of claim 2, wherein the axle is rigidly mounted to the heel portion.
- 4. The external wheeled heeling apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a biasing mechanism provided in the heel portion to bias the axle in a direction toward the upper portion of the sole to elevate the first and second wheels for disengagement of the first and second wheels from the surface.
- 5. The external wheeled heeling apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a cantilever mechanism operably coupled to position the axle between a first position wherein the first and second wheels are positioned to engage the surface for rolling and a second position wherein the first and second wheels disengage the surface inoperable for rolling.
- 6. The external wheeled heeling apparatus of claim 2, wherein the axle is removable.
- 7. The external wheeled heeling apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first and second wheels are removably coupled to the axle.
- 8. The external wheeled heeling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a first axle coupled to the heel portion and extending from the first side of the heel portion and a second axle coupled to the heel portion and extending from the second side of the heel portion such that the first wheel is coupled to a first end of the first axle and the second wheel is coupled to a first end of the second axle.
- 9. The external wheeled heeling apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first and second axles are removable.
- 10. The external wheeled heeling apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first wheel is removably coupled to the first axle and wherein the second wheel is removably coupled to the second axle.
- 11. The external wheeled heeling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a grind plate couple to the arch portion of the sole.
- 12. An external wheeled heeling apparatus for walking and running and transitioning to rolling on a surface, comprising:
a footwear provided with a sole having a forefoot portion, a heel portion and an arch portion, the forefoot portion of the sole inoperable for rolling to provide the primary contact with the surface for walking and running and to inhibit rolling, and wherein the heel portion is provided with a first outer side of the heel portion and a second outer side of the heel portion; a first axle having a first end and a second end, the first axle coupled to the heel portion of the sole; a second axle having a first end and a second end, the second axle coupled to the heel portion of the sole; a first wheel mounted on the first axle at the first end of the first axle such that the first wheel is positioned adjacent the first outer side of the heel portion; and a second wheel mounted on the second axle at the first end of the second axle such that the second wheel is positioned adjacent the second outer side of the heel portion.
- 13. The external wheeled heeling apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:
a first tubular member provided in the heel portion of the sole such that a first end of the first tubular member extends through the first outer side of the heel portion and defines an opening to receive the first second of the first axle; and a second tubular member provided in heel portion of the sole such that a first end of the second tubular member extends through the second outer side of the heel portion and defines an opening to receive the second end of the second axle.
- 14. The external wheeled heeling apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first and second axles are provided with a coupling portion about the second ends of the first and second axles and the external wheeled heeling apparatus further comprises:
a first retaining mechanism coupleable to the coupling portion of the first axle to retain a portion of the first axle in the opening in the first tubular member; and a second retaining mechanism coupleable to the coupling portion of the second axle to retain a portion of the second axle in the opening in the second tubular member.
- 15. The external wheeled heeling apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a release mechanism in communication with the first and second retaining mechanisms to release the first and second retaining mechanisms to remove the first and second axles.
- 16. The external wheeled heeling apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:
a first spring positioned in the first tubular member to force the first axle from the first tubular member; and a second spring positioned in the second tubular member to force the second axle from the second tubular member.
- 17. The external wheeled heeling apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a grind plate coupled to the arch portion of the sole of the footwear.
- 18. A method of transitioning from a stationary state to a rolling state on a surface, comprising:
contacting at least a portion of a forefoot of a footwear on a surface to inhibit rolling, a sole of the footwear having a heel portion having a first outer side and a second outer side, the sole further having an arch portion; elevating the forefoot of the sole of the footwear relative to the surface such that either none or an insubstantial portion of a user's weight is supported by the forefoot; and rolling on the surface using a first wheel operable to rotate adjacent the first outer side of the heel portion of the sole and using a second wheel operable to rotate adjacent a second outer side of the heel portion of the sole while supporting at least a portion of the user's weight.
- 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising grinding on a surface with a grind plate provided in an arch portion of the sole of the footwear.
- 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the first and second wheels are removably coupled to a removable axle extending from the first outer side to the second outer side of the heel portion of the sole of the footwear and wherein the method further comprises:
removing the axle from the heel portion of the sole of the footwear; and removing the first and second wheels from the axle.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 120, this continuation-in-part application claims priority from, and hereby incorporates by reference for all purposes, copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/077,895, entitled Heeling Apparatus and Method, naming Roger R. Adams as inventor, filed Feb. 18, 2002, which claims priority to issued U.S. Pat. No. 6,450,509, entitled Heeling Apparatus and Method, naming Roger R. Adams as inventor, filed Mar. 31, 2000, issued Sep. 17, 2002, which, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/127,459, entitled Heeling Apparatus and Method, naming Roger R. Adams as inventor, filed Apr. 1, 1999, and further pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), this application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/358,908, entitled External Wheeled Heeling Apparatus and Method, filed Feb. 22, 2002, naming Roger R. Adams as inventor, which is also incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10077895 |
Feb 2002 |
US |
Child |
10369063 |
Feb 2003 |
US |