This invention relates to loads carried by people and/or forces acting on and/or from people.

At present, flexible straps, harnesses, etc., may be used and/or the force, load, etc., may be applied directly to the person and/or by the person, and these methods may set up unnecessary strains in the person.

The innovation proposes to reduce or eliminate such strains by revitalising and/or extending principles which are partly embodied in the yoke of yester-years' milkmaid, by the use of modern technology which may include the followin :-

(a) modern materials, eg. plastic, aluminium, etc.;

(b) modern shapes, eg. those having a high moment of inertia/ weight ratio, etc.;

(c) modern methods of manufacture, eg. injection moulding, vacuum forming, extrusion, etc.; and

(d) modern designs for old applications and/or new applications which may include new forces, eg. asymmetric loading, inertial momentum, etc.

The haversack is here deemed to be representative of the new. applications, and the use of the word "haversack" is intended to refer to any or all the applications.

The essential feature of the milkmaid yoke is here deemed to be that it has sufficient rigidity to transmit bending stresses, and the use of the word "yoke" is intended to reflect this property.

The haversack yoke is a new physical interface between any person and any load and/or restraint, for the purpose of applying a force which.may act on the load so that it may be moved, eg. lifted, carried, etc., and/or which may act on the person so that he or she may be restrained, eg. held down, held back, etc. In these actions, the haversack yoke has a sufficient element of rigidity to transmit bending stresses thus reducing strains on the person.

The following examples are given to illustrate the persons, loads and restraints of the previous paragraph:-

(a) persons, eg. hikers, soldiers, porters, labourers, tourists, mountaineers, vehicle drivers and passengers, etc.;

(b) loads may include receptacles, eg. haversacks, peat creels, grape baskets, tea chests, milk crates, stretchers, fishing nets, ewers, gourds, luggage, etc., and/or articles, eg. furniture, canoes, dinghies, sleds, tools, weapons, tents, ladders, equipment, etc., and/or anything through which

a force may act, eg. ropes, poles, levers, etc.; and (c) restraint may be provided against natural forces, eg. the inertial momentum due to deceleration and/or change of direction, gravity and any component thereof, etc.

The designed shape of a haversack yoke may be reminiscent of the yoke on a woman's dress and/or skirt, but in principle, the haversack yoke may have some or all of the following features which are here deemed to be embodied in the milkmaid yoke:-

(a) the loads, ie. milk pails, may be arranged symmetrically about the milkmaid, thus avoiding unbalanced stresses;

(b) a beam may bridge the gap between the milk pails and the milk-maid and hence only a unidirectional ie. vertical, stress has to be resisted by her body;

(c) this vertical stress must travel down the milkmaid's spine, and hence the beam is borne as close to the spine as is convenient ie. at the nape of the neck.

(d) the centre of the beam may be shaped to bring the centre of gravity of the loads closer to the spine's centre line or this centre line produced;

(e) the centre of the beam may be shaped to the contovirs of the of the shoulder at the base of the neck, to spread the bearing stress and thus reduce the bearing pressure;

(f) the neck area may be padded; and

(g) the fit of the bearing area may be individualised, eg. by whittling, abrasion, etc.

Additionally and/or alternatively to the aforementioned features, the haversack yoke may have some or all of the following features:-

(a) the loads and/or forces may be distributed in any way and not only like the milk pails, one on either side at thigh level;

(b) the loads and/or forces may be steadied and/or separated and/or supported etc. by a yoke girdling the waist and/or hips, etc-.;

(c) the suspenders from the yoke may be at any angle or angles, and not just vertically downwards as in the milkmaid yoke;

(d) the forces may act at any angle or angles;

(e) the action of the forces and/or loads may be dampened, eg. by a spring, piston and cylinder, counterweight, etc.,

(f) the action of the forces and/or loads may be separated and/or unified and/or balanced, eg. by a swingletree or device which achieves the same purpose, etc.;

(g) the yoke may be in more than one piece, which may be or may not be, connectible;

(h) the yoke may have joints which may open and/or hinge;

(i) as well as sufficient rigidity, the yoke may have sufficient flexibility and/or elasticity as may be suitable;

(j) the yoke may be adjustable by any means, to the person and/or the load, force, etc.; (k) the yoke may be integral with a garment, eg.' ski-jacket, uniform, protective clothing, etc.;

(1) the yoke may be integral with the load and/or the anchor for the restraint; (m) connections may be provided in accordance with the state of the art and these, eg. buckles, hooks, etc., may be formed within the material of the yoke (n) the yoke may fit- either or both shoulders and/or any other part of the person; (o) the material of the yoke may be shaped for lightness and/or strength, eg. with flanges, ribs, apertures, voids, etc.; (p) the yoke may have such adjuncts as may be suitable, eg. niche for magnetic compass, bearing area for rifle butt, folding down and firmly held tray for maps, etc.; and (q) any appurtenance which may prove effective.

Specific embodiments of the invention are now given with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figures 1 and 2 show a haversack yoke 1 with optional retaining straps 2 and optional belt 3. The frame 4 for a haversack is firmly fixed to the yoke, and the vertical stress due to the weight of the haversack is carried by the yoke acting as a beam, onto the top of the shoulders where the rigidity of the yoke distributes the stress over a padded area.

At the top of the haversack there is a tension due to the lever arm between the centre of gravity of the haversack and the hiker's spine, and this tension is carried by the yoke acting as a beam, to the front of the chest where again the rigidity of the yoke spreads the bearing stress over a padded area.

At the base of the haversack there is a compression due to the aforementioned lever arm, and this compression is carried to the base of the spine by the existing haversack frame. The compression could alternatively be catered for by an extended yoke and in this case the haversack would not require to be firmly fixed to the yoke.

There is no strain on the body due to tight straps or friction and the rigidity of the yoke prevents the haversack slipping down the back of the hiker.

Again, figures 1 and 2 show a haversack yoke 1 and optional straps 2 and belt 3, but this time 4 represents a restraining beam in a motor vehicle. A sudden deceleration tends to throw the person forwards and upwards, and these movements are resisted by the yoke acting as. a beam and transferring the forces to the restraining beam behind the seat, without introducing other stresses.

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The yoke need not fit tightly against the driver, and after an emergency the yoke would still be easy to escape from. Exit and entry under normal use, may be facilitated by the yoke shoulder pieces being able to swivel outwards or hinge upwards, and the state of the art offers a wide choice of precise details eg. the yoke may be part of the driver's jacket which is fastened to wires running down the restraining beam to a piston and cylinder dampening arrangement, etc.

In both of the above examples the yoke may have sufficient rigidity to transfer the stresses to alternative bearing points, eg. the sternum, the nape of the neck, etc.

Figures 3 and 4 show a haversack yoke which is integral with a cradle which is designed to carry skis.

Figure 5 shows a yoke fitted to one shoulder only with a golf bag on the same side, whilst figure 6 shows a single shoulder yoke with an angler's creel on the opposite side.