Rescue vest with rollers

Abstract

A rescue vest has a spaced apart pair of vertical tracks attached to the front, each track having an inline array of wheels or alternate roller track. A lower front vest extension has an additional pair of tracks below the waist each with wheels or a roller track aligned with the tracks above the waist. Side spaces between a front and back vest portions accommodate equipment carried on the hip of the wearer. Shoulder spaces and a front opening allow attachment of safety lines to a harness worn under the vest.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A rolling rescue garment device to assist a wearer in moving through confined spaces, the device comprising: 
 a front garment portion over the front torso of the wearer, the front garment portion having a low profile rolling means attached to and protruding forward therefrom a sufficient amount to facilitate a rolling movement of the wearer along an external surface on the rolling means with the torso of the wearer spaced apart from the surface;    an adjustable means of attaching the front garment portion to the body of the wearer.    
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the low profile rolling means comprises a spaced pair of tracks attached to the front garment portion, each of the pair of tracks having a vertical inline rolling means.  
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2  wherein the inline rolling means comprises a series of inline wheels each rotatably attached to the frame.  
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 2  wherein the inline rolling means comprises a roller track rotatably attached to the frame.  
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 2  further comprising a lower garment extension of the front garment portion extending below a waist of the wearer and a second set of tracks each having a rolling means attached to the lower garment extension in line with and spaced apart from the upper tracks to facilitate rolling support of the abdomen of the wearer while still allowing bending at the waist.  
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 2  wherein the front garment comprises a front vest portion and the adjustable attaching means comprises a back vest portion and at least one strap over each should and at least one strap at each side interconnecting the front vest portion and the back vest portion with an adjustable connecting means.  
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6  wherein the front vest portion and the back vest portion are spaced apart on the sides to accommodate equipment carried on the hips of the wearer.  
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 6  wherein the wearer is wearing a safety harness under the rescue vest and the front vest portion and the back vest portion are spaced apart on the shoulders to accommodate safety lines attachable to the harness at the shoulders.  
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 6  wherein the wearer is wearing a safety harness under the rescue vest and the front vest portion is provided with a central opening therethrough to accommodate a safety line attachable to the harness on the front torso.