US2300726A

US2300726A - Attachments to crutches

Info

Publication number: US2300726A
Application number: US411752A
Authority: US
Inventors: Douglas Philip Faircleugh
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1940-09-19
Filing date: 1941-09-20
Publication date: 1942-11-03
Anticipated expiration: 1959-11-03

Description

Nov. 3, 1942. 'p F. DOUGLAS-- ATTACHMENTS TO CRUTCHES Filed Sept. 20, 1941 Patented Nov. 3, 1942 Philip FaircleughDougla s, Carman, Manitoba,

Canad Application 3 Claims.

My invention relates to attachments to crutches, a principal object of the invention being to provide arrangements of the character herewithin described, by the use of which considerably greater comfort may be derived by the user, together with a substantial reduction in the shock caused each time the crutches strike the ground.

A further object of my invention is to provide in crutches, arrangements by the use of which greater speed of locomotion becomes possible, or in other words, longer strides with the use of crutches tted with my hereinafter described arrangement.

A further object of my invention is to provide a ferrule attachment, which is economical to manufacture, easy to attach and which will not become out of order as and for the above purpose.

With the above more important objects in View and such other minor objects as may appear as the specification proceeds, my invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of my invention, showing the same in situ on the crutch.

Figure 2 is a modified form of my invention using a different type of a plunger.

In the drawing like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

It is well known that considerable discomfort is experienced by cripples who are obliged to resort to the use of the crutches, through the unyielding construction thereof and that the speed, freedom of movement and safety of such persons are greatly hampered by expectations of a shock which is transmitted to their body every time a step with the crutches is taken.

My arrangements herewithin described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing are therefore designed to overcome the above objections, and referring lrst to my ferrule attachment I shown in Figure 1, this will clearly be seen as attached to the crutch 2 below the junction of the forked end y3. In this context I would remark that generally speaking, it will be found necessary to cut oi a portion of this end of the crutch below the junction of the forks.

My attachment I comprises a hollow openended and tapered sheath 4 secured to the forked shank by means of the bolts 5. The elongated aperture 6 at the lower end of the sheath is internally screw-threaded as at 'I to receive the upper, externally screw-threaded shank of a plunger 8.

september 2o, 1941, serial No. 411,752

In Canada September 19, -1940 (Cl. 13S-50) diameteras at 9, designed for a free sliding fit.

within a ferrule I0, and is provided'with an axial, cylindrical cavity II. A pair of compression springs I2 and I3 of different resiliencies are positioned in this cavity and extend between the plunger 9 and the lower wall I4 of the ferrule.

The two dilerent diameters of the plunger 8 provide an annular shoulder I5 designed to engage the lower annular perimeter of a boss I6 when thesprings I2 and I3 are in relaxed position. lThe boss is provided at the upper end thereof with an outwardly projecting annular flange Il, below which it is externally screwthreaded, as at I8, to engage the internally screwthreaded upper end I9 of the ferrule III.

Referring now to the accompanying Figure 2, a modified arrangement of my invention will be seen, in which the plunger 8 is provided with a cylindrical portion 2i) of an enlarged diameter, the piston surface 2I of which bears against the inside wall of the ferrule I0.

The lower end 22 of the plunger is of a reduced diameter and extends into a coil spring 23, which in turn is positioned within the cavity II of the ferrule I0. In all other respects this embodiment is similar to that shown in Figure 1, including the provision of a conventional rubber ferrule 24 as will clearly be apparent from the drawing.

From the foregoing will be seen that when the weight of the user is exerting a downward pressure upon the crutch, the springs I2 and I3 will become compressed, so that in the action of walking with crutches tted with my ferrule attachment, the tendency of the springs to relax will greatly assist the user in his motion.

I also Wish to point out that any possibility of wobble in my ferrule attachment is eliminated by the piston surface 2l which being of substantial length and in engagement with the inner wall of the ferrule III prevents any side play of the plunger 8.

Since various modifications can be made in my invention as hereinabove described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the scope of thek claims Without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification and drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense and I desire only such limitations placed thereon as are specifically expressed in the accompanying claims.

ed upper end What I claim as my invention is:

1. Attachments to crutches comprising in combination, a hollow tapered sheath designed to encase the lower forked ends of crutches, the lower end of said sheath being apertured and internally screw-threaded, a plunger externally screw-threaded at the upper end thereof to engage the internally screw-threaded portion of said sheath, a ferrule, a coil spring therewithin, the upper end of said ferrule being internally screw-threaded, an externally screw-threaded boss engageable with the internally screw-threadof said ferrule, an external annular fiange adjacent the upper end of said boss and engageable with the upper perimeter of said ferrule, said plunger extending through said boss into said ferrule, the lower end of said plunger having an axial, cylindrical cavity formed therein to receive the upper end of said spring.

2. The device as deined in claim 1 in which ,the lower end of said plunger is in irictional engagement with the inside wall of said ferrule.

vboss engageable with the internally screw-threaded upper end of said ferrule, an external annular iiange adjacent the upper end of said boss and engageable with the upper perimeter of said ferrule, said plunger extending into said ferrule through said boss, a cylindrical block formed intermedially the length of said plunger and in frictional engagement with the inside wall of said ferrule, the lower end of said plunger extending into the upper end of said spring.

PHILIP F. DOUGLAS.