US1254061A - Crutch and artificial limb. - Google Patents

Description

A. E. MUELLER.

CRUTCH AND ARTIFICIAL LIME.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-16.1917.

1,25%,061 Patented Jan. 22, 1918.

1 22/61 $07 uiuguiEMueZler UNITED TATES PATENT @FFIQE.

AUGUST E. MUELLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-THIRD TO THOMAS J. HRUBY AND ONE-THIRD TO OTTO J. I-IRUBY, BOTH OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CRUTCI-I AND ARTIFICIAL LIMIB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 22, 1918.

Application filed February 16, 1917. Serial N 0. 149,043.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AUGUsT E. MUELLER, a citizen of Argentina, South America, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crutches and Artificial Limbs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in attachments for crutches, artificial limbs and the like and the invention consists in the combination and arrangement of the parts shown in the drawings and described in the specifications and is pointed out in the appended claims.

The purpose of the invention is to provide an attachment which may be used in connection with the stafi of an ordinary crutch in the nature of a curved rocker or bearer of such length and of such curvature that the body of the user is uniformly supported throughout the entire swing of the crutch when the user takes a step, so that thereby the user may take ordinary or normal lengths of steps comfortably and with out the necessity of stooping forward when the crutch is first placed on the ground at the beginning of a step and raising the shoulders upwardly thereafter during the middle portion of the step and leaning rearwardly at the end of the step.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an attachment for crutches of this character which may be safely and comfortably used on all kinds of roadways and the like.

I have shown in the drawings a number of forms of attachments which my invention may assume, each adapted to the staff of an ordinary crutch or an artificial limb.

As shown in the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an ordinary crutch, showing one form of my rocker attachment applied thereto.

Fig. 2 illustrates a modification of the attachment.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4: illustrates a further modification of the attachment.

Fig. 5 illustrates a further form of the attachment that is adaited to be applied to the lower end of an artificial limb.

Fig. 6 illustrates a device by which the crutch may be attached to the arm of the user to free the arm for other uses, taken on the lines 66 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 77 of Fig. 1.

The crutch shown in Fig. 1 is provided with the usual stafl' 10 which is split or divided a short distance from the lower end thereof to provide the usual side members 11, and which side members are attached in the usual way to the shoulder piece 12 of the crutch.

A rocker attachment embodying my invention embraces a curved bearer centrally to which the staff of the crutch is attached, and the ends of the curved bearer are so braced from the crutch staff as to provide, in connection with the central attachment of the staff to the bearer, a rigid connection be tween the bearer and crutch staff which may be made suitably light, while at the same time of ample strength to transmit the weight thrown on the crutch.

In Figs. 1 and 7 the bearer proper 15 comprises a channel-shaped member which may be made of either metal or wood, metal being preferred, and two braces 16, 16 are attached at their lower ends, as by means of rivets or bolts 17, to the front and rear ends respectively of the bearer and said braces extend upwardly and inwardly toward the crutch stafi and are attached at their upper ends to the staff by means of a bolt 18. The staff 10 of the crutch may engage into a socket 19 formed on the upper side of the bearer centrally thereof when the bearer is made of metal; or said staff may be otherwise rigidly fixed to the bearer.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 7 the bearer has a cushioned tread consisting in this instance of a pneumatic cushion 20 similar in nature to the pneumatic tire of a vehicle wheel.

' lVhen this form of cushion tread is em- -row in width, as indicated in Fig. 3;

ployed a filling valve 21 is applied to the bearer for communication with the pneumatic cushion in the usual manner.

The-bearer 23 shown in Fig. 2, which may be made of wood, metal or any other like suitable material, is provided with a solid cushion tread 24. The bearer 23, as well as the bearer 15 are preferably relatively nar- Instead of employing a cushion tread, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 7, I may employ a solid one piece bearer 25, such as is shown in Fig. 5, which may be made of wood or other suitable-material. As shown in said Fig. 5, the bearer is adapted for use in connection with the staff 27 of an artificial limb and the bearer is braced from said staff by braces 28, similar to the braces 16 shown in figures previously described.

In Fig. 4t is shown another form of bearer 30 which is made of considerable width and is transversely flat. The said bearer is centrally apertured to receive the lower end of the crutch staff, and braces 31 are attached to the outer ends'of the bearer and to the crutch staff 10 in the same general manner as in the previously described figures. Owing to the extra width of the bearer 30, however, the lower ends of thebraces are preferably bifurcated'and the two arms 32 r of each brace are riveted or otherwise suitably fixed to the upper face of the bearer.

The bearer 30is preferably provided with a cushion tread 33 made of a flat strip of rubber or the like.

Theforms of bearers shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 inclusive are adapted for use on relatively hard unyielding roadways while the form of bearer shown in Fig. l is especially adapted. to' use on yielding ground.

In each of the forms of the attachment shown the curvature of the beareris such a step of normal length for the user to stoop forward, as would be true if he were using an ordinary crutch, and the curvature of the bearer is such that the shoulder or shoulders of the user will move forwardly in a 7 straight line throughout the length of the step. The action of the bearer is that of a roller or rocker. It is therefore apparent By reason of this construc-.

that the use of the crutch is more convenient and more comfortable than the ordinary crutch, and it isfurther apparent that the length of step of the user may be somewhat increased beyond a normal and comfortable step than when using the ordinary crutch, and without undue bodily exertion upon the part of the user. The action of the crutch is also smoother, and therefore more comfortable, than the ordinary crutch. The smoothness of the action of the crutch is increased by the use of the cushion'treads described. I The pneumatic cushion shown in Figs. 1 and 7 contributes to'the greatest extent to the smoothness of action of the crutch and its consequent comfortableness to the user. 7 i

It will be observed that the attachment described may be used with the ordinary crutch or an artificial limb without any change in the construction of'the crutch or limb, except that necessary to fix the ends of the braces 16-28, 31 to the crutch staff and to attach the staff to the bearer and that the attachment may be applied to the crutch or limb at a nominal expense. 7 p

The attachment shown in Figs. 1 andYG by which the crutch may be attached to the arm of the'user to free the arm for other uses comprises a'strap' 35, which may be of leather, stout tape, or the like, that is attached at one end to'onc of the members 11 ofthe crutch staff and is provided at its other end with'an eye or socket 36 adapted to en 'age a stud 37 on the other member-'11 of said staff. 1 Said strap is made of'a length to encircle the arm of the user when the arm hangs down alongside the crutch..stafi' as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6. 'When the. strap so encircles the arm it affords A meansby which the crutch may be sup ported by or suspended from the arm so as to leave the arm of the'user free for other uses, and to retain'the crutch in position to be conveniently grasped by the hand when the crutch is again to be brought into use. When the strap is not in use it may be folded and placed within a pocket 38 that is stretched between the members of the crutch staff.

I claim as my invention: 7

1. An attachment for an ordinary single staff crutch comprising a bearer having a curved tread, withmeans located centrally between its ends whereby the crutch staff may be attached thereto, and means to brace the ends of the bearer from the crutch staff stafi crutch comprising a bearer having a curved tread, meanslocated centrally between the ends of the bearer whereby the crutch staff may be. attached to the bearer,

diagonal braces attached to the ends of the Chicago, Illinois, this 12th day of February, bearer and extending inwardly toward and 1917.

alcllqtgd etp be attached to sald stafi above AUGUST E. MUELLER. 5 In Witness whereof I claim the foregoing Witnesses:

as my invention, I hereunto append my sig- W. L. HALL,

nature in the presence of two Witnesses at A. E. WALBRIDGE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

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