US2192766A

US2192766A - Cane crutch

Info

Publication number: US2192766A
Application number: US203620A
Authority: US
Inventors: Cederstrom Philip
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1938-04-22
Filing date: 1938-04-22
Publication date: 1940-03-05
Anticipated expiration: 1957-03-05

Description

M O R T S P E D E C P CANE CRUTCH Original Filed April 5, 1937 Patented Mar. 5,1940

UNITED STATES PATENT Orr-ice 2.19am a 22, 1938, Serial No. 203,620

135,142, April 5, 1937. This application April 4 Claims. (01. 135-49) The present invention relates to walking sticks and more particularly to a cane crutch for aiding invalids or injured persons.

The present invention is an improvement upon 5 canes or crutches having a support for the forearm at the upper end thereof and having a handle below the support adapted to be engaged by the hand so that the weight of the person may be supported by the arm and the hand.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive cane crutch for invalids or injured persons.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cane crutch adapted to minimize the shocks to which the user may be subjected.

Another object of the invention is to provide a more comfortable cane crutch having an improved appearance.

Another object of the invention is to provide W a cane crutch which prevents injury to the person or clothing of the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cane crutch formed of wood having an intev gral yieldable portion adapted to serve as an arm tifi rest,

Another object of the invention is to provide a cane crutch formed of a stick of wood having a plurality of integral obliquely bent resilient slats at the upper end thereof upon which an arm W) support is adapted to be mounted.

- A further object of the invention is to provide a cane crutch comprising a stick portion and a plurality of integral resilient slat portions adapted to cooperate with the stick portion to minimize $5 shocks.

Other and further objects of the invention will beobvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described; or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various adtto vantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice. I

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and de- M scription and is shown in theaccompanying drawing, forming a part of the specification, wherein Fig. 1 is a side view of a cane crutch or walking stick illustrating an embodiment of the invention; and

50 Fig. 2 is a front view of the same.

Referring again to the drawing, there is shown a stick member formed of suitable wood such as hickory or other relatively strong, but slightly resilient wood. The'stick member comprises a stick portion I, a handlemember 2 attached thereto and projectingoutwardly from one side thereof, and a plurality of integral slats 3 or the like above the handle member. For example, four slats may be formed at the upper end of the stick member which are of a suitable thickness so that they are relatively springy or yieldable, but yet strong enough to support the weight of a person. The slats are formed by cutting recesses or slits 30. (Fig. 1) in the upper end of the stick member and are bent obliquely with respect to the stick m portion i in the opposite direction in which the handle member projects outwardly to provide an arm rest or support for the person using the stick.

In order to facilitate resting the arm on the w support, a U-shaped fork member t adapted to fit about and serve as a guide for the forearm, is provided at the upper end of the slats. Preferably, the member Q is attached by securing it to a suitable bracket or clamp 5 with bolts or rivets W B, and in turn, securing the bracket to the slat 3' at the side of the stick from which the handle member 2 projects outwardly.

- In this manner, a sturdy, comfortable resilient arm rest is provided which is integral with the $5 stick portion and thereby affords a springy action which seems to extend lengthwise throughout the stick member. In other words, the entire stick or cane crutch seems to be resilient to minimize shocks while walking. A further advantage of $9 utilizing a plurality of integral slats is that each may yieldindependently of the resilience of the other slat. Nevertheless, all slats contribute jointly to the resilient eifect of the arm rest.

If desired, the fork member t and the slats 3 3 may be concealed by a casing or covering 8 and 8' (partly shown in Fig. 1) respectively, formed of leather, rubber, cloth or other suitable material adapted to improve-the appearance of the cane crutch. The covering 8' or casing also prevents 40 the skin or clothing of the person using the cane crutch from being caught between the slats 3, and acts as .a cushion to make the arm rest more.

. comfortable.

Further improvements in the present construction are that the upper portion of the stick is substantially rectangular so that slats may be formed therein which are of uniform width. Also, the stick portion i preferably is cylindrical and tapers downwardlyto decrease its weight. To 5 further minimize shocks to which the user is subjected,'a resilient crutch tip '9 is" secured to the lower end of the stick portion.

" Touse the-improved cane crutch, the'invalid or injuredperson manually grasps'the handle 2,

holds it in position so that it will project away from the body, and places the arm in the fork member 4 to permit the forearm to rest on the slat 3'. During walking, the weight of the person is partly supported by the arm rest and partly by the handle. This relieves the strain on the hand or the user. In addition, the resilient slats give the cane crutch a spring-like action which makes walking easier.

It will be seen that the present invention provides an improved cane crutch which is simple, inexpensive and can be readily made. The cane crutch is light in weight and is sturdy in construction. The arm rest by being made of wood, does not become very cold in the winter time, or very hot in the summer time, because-wood is a poor conductor of heat, thus aiding to the comfort of the user. The cane crutch is fully capable of withstanding any rough usage to which it may be subjected.

As various changes may be made in the form,

This application is a substitute application for.

my prior application, Serial No. 135,142, flled April 5, 1937.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A combination cane and crutch for invalids comprising a wooden stick having its upper portion bent obliquely with respect to its lower portion to provide an arm rest and cut to provide a plurality of slots integral with said stick adapted to render the upper portion yieldable, a clamp member fitting over the upper end of one of said slats and extending along approximately one third the length thereof, adapted to support an' arm retaining member, an arm retaining member secured to said clamp, and a handle portion on said stick below the bent upper portion.

2. A cane crutch of the class described comprising, in combination, a stick portion adapted to assist in supporting a persons weight, an outwardly projecting handle member secured to said stick portion, an arm rest portion above the handle member integral with said stick portion extending upwardly therefrom and curved outwardly with respect thereto in a direction opposite to said handle member and having a plurality of longitudinal cuts therein forming a plurality of substantially resilient slat portions spaced from each other at their lower ends and normally in contact with each other adjacent their free ends adapted to flex and cause movement-of said free ends with respect to each other when subjected to the weight of a person. a casing at least partially enclosing the slat portions comprising said arm rest to assist in maintaining the free ends of said slat portions in substantially contiguous relationship to give increased strength and durability to the arm rest, and a U-shaped arm retaining member secured to one of said slat portions adjacent the upper end thereof.

3. A combination cane and crutch for invalids, comprising a cane member adapted to be used as a walking stick having an upper portion curved obliquely with respect to the lower portion' thereof to provide an arm rest, said upper portion having apair of spaced yieldable slats at opposite sides thereof, at least one yieldable slat intermediate said first mentioned slats, all of said slats being substantially equidistantly spaced from each other adjacent their lower ends, an arm retaining member at the upper end of said arm rest, and means on the cane member below the curved upper portion for manual engagement thereof.

4.. A cane crutch comprising, in combination, a cane portion adapted to assist in supporting a persons weight, an outwardly projecting handle member secured to said cane portion, an arm rest portion extending upwardly from and curved outwardly with respect to the cane portion comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending slat portions adapted to flex when subjected to the weight of a person, and a casing at least partially enclosing said arm rest portion adapted to assist in maintaining the free ends of said slat portions thereof in substantially contiguous relationship.

PHILIP CEDERSTROM.