US2439316A - Crutch - Google Patents

Description

April 6, 1948. w, s, PEACOCK Filed NOV. 21, 1945 Iu'z/enmr WILLIE 5' PEACOCK Fwy 6m y B, QM and Patented Apr. 6, 1948 N ED STATES PATENT creme I cRUrcn Willie- S., Peacock, Atlanta, Ga. Application November 21, 1945, sei-iai No. 529,954

3 Claims. (01. 135-49) This invention relates to a crutch and more particularly to what may be termed a cane crutch. The primary object of the invention is to provide supplemental support for an invalid or injured person when walking.

Another object is to enable the injured or maimed person to sustain his weight on an arm or like member.

A further object is to accommodate the crutch to persons of difierent heights so as to increase its scope of utility.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing this invention which embodies among its features a shaft which is offset at its upper end, a handle near the junction of the shaft and the offset upper end arranged in such position that when the handle is grasped by the hand of the user the weight of his body will be transmitted straight through the arm and crutch in substantially axial alignment, an arm encircling loop swivelly connected to the upper end of crutch in spaced relation to the handle and adapted to engage about the arm of the user, preferably the fore arm below the elbow to facilitate the manipulation of the crutch.

Other features include means for adjusting the distance between the lower end of the crutch and the handle to accommodate persons of different heights, and means to adjust the distance between the fore arm encircling loop and the handle by which the comfort and convenience to the user may be enhanced.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view in elevation of a crutch embodying the features of this invention,

Figure 2 is a side view of Figure 1, portions thereof being shown in section to more clearly illustrate the details of construction,

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a front view of the socket member carried at the upper end of the crutch, and

Figure 5 is a side view of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings in detail, my improved crutch designated generally lll comprises a tubular member or shaft II the upper end of which is offset as at l2 to form a portion which extends parallel to the arm of the user. Formed adjacent the lower end of the shaft II is a row of longitudinally spaced openings l3 for the reception of a cross pin H by which a telescopic extension I 5 is adjustably supported in the shaft ll.

Formed near the upper end of the offset portion 12 of the shaft II is a transversely extending opening it and rigidly fixed to the offset portion in spaced relation to the opening it and near the junction of the offset portion I2 with the shaft H is a handle H the axis of which extends perpendicularly to the axis of the shaft H and the offset portion i2, and insuch a position that when the handle is grasped by the user the shaft it will be in substantial alignment with the axis of the arm of the user.

Fitted into the upper open end of the offset portion [2 is a socket member designated generally it which comprises a shank IQ of a diameter snugly to fit within the tubular offset portion i2 and this shank is cut away near its upper end as at 2E3 to receive a shank portion 2! of a head 22 having a hemispherical recess 23 which, which the parts are assembled, is designed to align with a hemispherical recess 24 formed in a head 25 at the upper end of the shank l9.

These heads are cut away as at 26 to form a slot opening out through the end of the socket memher for a purpose to be more fully hereinafter described. The shank I9 is formed with a row of longitudinally spaced openings 21 for the reception of a pin 28 which is adapted to be extended to the openings It in the extension I2 to adjustably hold the socket member [8 in proper position at the upper end thereof. It is to be understood of course that the socket members 22 and 25 may be held in rivets 29.

An arm encircling loop or band 30 is adapted to encircle the arm of the user and projecting radially from said band'or loop is a neck 3| carrying at its outer end a head 32 of spherical configuration which is adapted to be received in the hemispherical concave portions 23 and 24 of the socket member [8 with the neck 3| projecting through the slot formed by the cutaway portions 2%. It will thus be seen that the arm encircling band 30 is swivelly connected to the upper end of the offset portion l2 of the crutch lifl.

In use it will be understood that the hand of the user is slipped through the band or loop 36 and the handle I1 is grasped in such a manner that it will be seen that the crutch shaft I'll will align with the arm of the user and the device assembled position by suitable height for use and also by adjusting the stem IQ of the socket member I8 the distance between the band 30 and the handle I! may be regulated to produce maximum comfort.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. A crutch comprising a shaft, a handle carried by the shaft in spaced relation to its upper end and an arm encircling loop swivelly connected to the. upper end of the shaft.

2. A crutch comprising a shaft an offset arm tion in spaced relation to the arm encircling loop. 3. A crutch comprising a shaft an ofiset arm parallelling portion at the upper end of the shaft,

an arm encircling loop swivelly connected to the upper end of the offset portion and a handle fixed to the offset portion in spaced relation to the arm encircling loop.

WILLIE S. PEACOCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 15 Number Name Date 989,463 Wilde Apr. 11, 1911 2,197,279 Thorssen Apr. 16, 1940 2,373,045 Osborn Apr. 3, 1945 2,388,778 Wheeler Nov. 13, 1945

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