US1621255A - Crutch - Google Patents

Description

March 15 1927.

R. N. HUNTER 1 cmn'ca Filed Avril 17. 1926 ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 15, 1927 I We.

orw'ron.

Application filed; Apr'u 17,:;1'926a- Y Serial No.,.1 02 ,me.

My invention; relates to crutches and more especially to providing a crutch having, folding rockers on itslower end. I am aware that heretofore rockers have been provided for crutches, but not of the specific folding type set forth in: my invention. It is an object ofmy invention to provide a; rocker 'attaehment adapted to be attached to an low-er end, in combination with oahr'esiliient member, such as rubber,.- With the sections of the rocker capable of being folded tipward-ly against the shanlico-f the crutch, thus allowing the crutch:- to be' used as an on dinary crutch when: desired, and also: being capable of being used with' the sectional rocker unfoided: andi-in position for usein openspaces; together with means: for folding or unfolding" the sectional rocker while the'headi of" the crutch is located the armpits of the user-:-

Another object of my'inventiorr i s to;pro-,

ride rock r attachment: for 'it 'oi u't'clli which maybe anjusted to suit" the weight 01': the personusing thesame} I 7 Havin thusstated some of the ob ects of my invention, a brief description of the drawings showing a preferred embodiment of my invention will now be given in which- 7 Figure 1 is a side elevation of my crutch, showing the rockers in open position;

Figure 2 is an elevation of my devloe, looking at right angles from the view m Figure 1; i

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a portlon of my device, showing the rockers in folded position;

Figure 4: is a perspective new of a port on of the means for adjusting and operating the rockers;

Figure 5 is an elevation, with parts broken away, showing the cuff and rod for ad usting the rockers.

A brief description of the drawings having been given, a detailed description will rkno-tlienobject of my invention is to provide a crutch; with a sectionalrocker on its now. follow. in which like referencecharact-ers indicate corresponding partsthroughv,

out the drawings.

The numeral 1. indicates a; crutch to; which my invention is adapted to; bGfirttlClllGfl; havthe head-piecefl, the handleB and the shank portion 4. This shank portion 11' the smaller portion 5 adapted; to fit into thehol low pipe or shank extension- 6 The-shank extension 6 has the portions Tand' Sprojec't;

ing. from the sidesof its lower portiorrin oipposite directions; The pro ections? and b v have holes -tl'ieret'hrou-ghwhich serve to receive the bolts or, rivets 9 and l0uponwhi-ch arerplvotally mounted the rocker, members 11 10 piercing,li'olesgin' the flange portions of the rocker inem'bers; Thef rocker ,meinbe'rs 11 and 12 have upturnedfianges 13 14:, 71:6 extending-fromthe" base" port-ions of t rockers: to/ a point'sh'o'rt' of the tipport 17 and: 18 of therockers.

is shown in the drawings, but the c --correspondi ng 'fiangeto" 1% on the rocker '12.

The memberiletl have a plurality of holes-such as 19 and 19' therein, and the flanges" on; the rock-er 1Q have a plurality of holes such as 20 20 therein. Theseholesaareadapted to receive bolts or other suitable'vfastening means 21 and 22, whicll are also ada ted' to pierce holesin the lbwer ends of t e membe s 23 fi tiv c and 24 arepivotaliy:mounted as al- The: upper ends of the 'ni n'bers and 26 in the cuff member 27 which encircles the shank extension 6, and is slida-bly mounted thereon These pivotal connections consist of split projections 28 and 28 between which the upper ends of the members 23 and 24: are pivotally mounted by means of suitable bolts or nuts and 26,

piercing the split projections and the holes in the upper ends of'the members 23 and 24.

A projection 29 extends from one side of the verticalhole, with a nut on the lower side of the vertical hole, or the verticalhole from the drawings.

may be threaded to receive threads on the lower end of the adjustable rod 30.

Secured to the crutch below the handle 3 is a perforated cross member 31 which has a projection 32 on its outer edge, and in said projection there is the rectangular perforation 33, adapted to receive the upper The lower end of the shank portion 6 has secured therein the piece of rubber or other resilient material.42,-which bridges the gap between the rockers when they are in open position, as shown in Figure 1, and which serves as a resilient end for the crutch when the same is used with the rockers in folded I V position, as shown in Figure 3.

The method of operation ofmy device is as follows: 7

With the device in open position as shown in Figure 1, and wit-h the members 23 and 24 in the holes in the flanges on the rockers as shown, and with the rod 30 turned as shown in Figure 1, the crutch is ready for use by a person of ordinary weight. When it is desired to fold the crutch so as to permit its use in crowded places or while it is to be used for ascending stairways, the rod 30 is given a quarter turn, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 4, and the rockers may be folded by an upward pull of the rod 30. WVhen the rockers are folded the adjustable rod 30 is reversed a quarter turn to its original position, and the crutch appears as shown in Figure 3, with the notch 40 engaging the projection 32. v

WVhen-the lower ends of the members 23 and 24 are secured in any other set of holes, as in 19 and 20 or in 19 and 20, the other notches in the upper portion of the rod 30 are used.

For a person of more than ordinary weight the lower ends of the members 23 and 24 may be secured in the holes 19 and 20, and for a person of very light weight the said ends may be secured in the holes 19 and 20, thereby regulating and adjusting the resiliency of the rockers 11 and 12.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a M crutch which fills a long felt want in that it eliminates the shock to the armpits and shoulders and at the same time permits the crutch to be used under all conditions.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of my invention, I desire it tobc understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and. descriptivev sense, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the appended claims.

I claim: 7 1. A crutch having a folding curved base piece.

2. A crutch having a folding curved base piece adapted to be folded at will.

3. A:c rutch having a folding rocker member secured to its base portion.

4. A crutch having a segmental base piece, a head piece,means secured to the crutch whereby the base piece may be folded by the user while the headpiece of the crutch remains in the armpits of the user.

' 5. In a crutch, a hollow shank secured to the base portion, a cuff slidably mounted on said shank, rocker members secured to the lower portion of said shank, members pivoted to the cuff and to the rocker members, means cooperating with said cuff for sliding the cuff and swinging the rocker members on their respective pivots.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have signed this specification, this the 15th day of April, 1926.

ROBERT N. HUNTER.

Images