US3157188A - Hydraulically actuated crutch - Google Patents

Hydraulically actuated crutch Download PDF

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Publication number
US3157188A
US3157188A US285476A US28547663A US3157188A US 3157188 A US3157188 A US 3157188A US 285476 A US285476 A US 285476A US 28547663 A US28547663 A US 28547663A US 3157188 A US3157188 A US 3157188A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
crutch
upper cylinder
pump
hydraulic
section
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US285476A
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English (en)
Inventor
George R Farnham
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
FAR PRIT ASSOCIATE Inc
Original Assignee
FAR PRIT ASSOCIATE Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by FAR PRIT ASSOCIATE Inc filed Critical FAR PRIT ASSOCIATE Inc
Priority to US285476A priority Critical patent/US3157188A/en
Priority to NL6406241A priority patent/NL6406241A/xx
Priority to BE648809A priority patent/BE648809A/xx
Priority to DEF43075A priority patent/DE1276293B/de
Priority to CH731664A priority patent/CH409243A/it
Priority to GB23100/64A priority patent/GB1006965A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3157188A publication Critical patent/US3157188A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61H—PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING OR STIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY
    • A61H3/00—Appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk about
    • A61H3/02—Crutches

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a hydraulically actuated, variable length crutch which may be extended under positive hydraulic power from a collapsed or shortened position to a full length position.
  • this invention comprises a crutch intended to be used in pairs by an invalid or handicapped person desiring some form of mechanical assist in raising and lowering himself between a generally reclining or sitting position and a generally erect position, and to that end the present invention embodies a variable length crutch having incorporated in its structure a compact, lightweight electro-hydraulic power system which is used to vary its length in a positive manner when desired whereby the handicapped person may raise and lower himself by operating suitable fingertip hand controls which control the operation of the hydraulic system.
  • variable length crutch that may be extended by self-generated hydraulic power under the control of an invalid or handicapped person.
  • FIG. 1 is an elevational, perspective view of a crutch embodying the present inventionin generally extended position
  • FIG. 2 is a front elevational, partially cutaway view of a crutch of FIG. 1 showing the hydraulic piston and cylinder arrangement within the crutch;
  • FIG. 3 is a partial side elevational view of the crutch shown in FIG. 1 showing the upper section of the crutch structure;
  • FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the crutch shown in FIG. 1 showing the crutch in its full shortened or collapsed position;
  • FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a preferred embodiment of the electrical, hydraulic and control system of the present invention.
  • variable length crutch 10 which comprises an elongated upper cylinder section 12, an elongated lower piston or leg section 14, an arm pit rest 16 and a hand hold assembly 18.
  • This crutch is one of a pair of substantially identical crutches that is to be utilized normally by a handicapped person.
  • the lower leg section 14 is telescopically received at its upper end within the upper cylinder section 12, and includes at its upper extremity a piston 20 having suitable sealing rings 22.
  • the piston is slidably disposed within the upper cylinder 12, with the sealing ring 22 preventing leakage of any fluid past the piston head.
  • the lower end of the cylinder 12 includes a guide bushing 24 which functions to maintain vided towards the upper end of the cylinder 12, and
  • the hand hold assembly 18 comprises a pair of side flanges 31 secured to the outer wall of the cylinder 12 as by welding a hand hold crossbar 32 extends transversely between side flanges 31 and is secured at its extremities to said flanges, and an arcuate cover plate 33, also extends transversely between said flanges 31 and en closes substantially the total area between said flanges 31 below the crossbar 32.
  • a suitable space is provided between the crossbar 32 and the upper surface of the cover plate 33 to accommodate the hand of the crutch user. 7
  • the area between the flanges 31 enclosed by the cover plate 33 is utilized to contain a compact, lightweight power package used to actuate the crutch in' a manner to be specified in more detail below.
  • the power package and its control system generally comprise a long life, rechargeable battery electrical power supply means 34; an electrical driving motor and pump unit 35; a reverse, flow control means 36; and a suitable manual control arrangement including fingertip pushbutton elements 38 and 40 for selectively energizing the motor pump unit 35 or operating the reverse flow control means 36, respectively.
  • the motor pump unit 35 is a compact, lightweight unit including an electrical motor and pump within a unitary housing, and is designed in such a manner that the motor portion of unit 35 may be energized by the battery power supply means 34 whereby the pump section of unit 35 will deliver pressurized hydraulic fluid for use in the system of the invention in the manner specified below. It is to be understood that the power unit 35, the battery 34 and suitable interconnecting circuitry may be conveniently Patented Nov. 17, 1964.
  • fingertip controls 38 and 40 have been illustrated as being disposed towards one end of the hand hold bar 32 to be used by the left hand, it is obvious that to accommodate the right hand the control may be reversed and placed towards the right end of the crossbar 32 as viewed in FIG. 2.
  • the check valve could be positioned so that controls 38 and 40 could be identically located on each crutch of a pair to be used by a person to eliminate left and right hand controls as such and provide either hand controls on both crutches.
  • Arm pit rest 16 is a hollow chamber adapted to functon also as a reservoir for hydraulic fluid 41 used in the crutch, and includes a filler cap 42 for allowing the reservoir to be charged with suitable system fluid.
  • a hydraulic line or conduit means 44 is provided between the inlet of the motor pump unit 35 and reservoir arm pit rest 16, this conduit including the reverse flow control means 36, and hydraulic line 46 is provided between the motor pump outlet and the upper portion of cylinder 12 above the upper limit stop 39.
  • the battery power supply could be a silver-cadmium cell type unit which would possess long life and could conveniently be recharged or replaced when necessary.
  • the entire structure of the crutch may be formed of metal, if desired, or of any suitable material possessing suflicient design strength. While no conventional cushioning material has been shown in the drawing for the arm pit rest 16, such material could be provided for the comfort of the crutch user.
  • fingertip controls as illustrated is purely exemplary and is not intended to limit the concept of providing fingertip power controls for a crutch to any particular placement of such controls upon the crutch structure. Conceivably, such controls could be placed virtually anywhere upon the crutch structure to accommodate a particular user.
  • a variable length crutch comprising an upper cylinder section, a lower piston section having an upper portion telescopically received within said upper cylinder section; an arm pit rest secured to the upper extremity of said upper cylinder section; a hand hold assembly secured to said upper cylinder assembly; a hydraulic pump carried by said crutch for generating hydraulic pressure; an electrical driving motor for said pump carried by said crutch means for energizing said electrical pump driving motor conduit means for supplying said hydraulic pressure to the interior of said upper cylinder section above said piston section; and fingertip control means associated with said hand hold assembly for controlling the operation of said pump whereby the operation of said hydraulic pump may be selectively manually controlled, to supply hydraulic pressure to said upper cylinder for extending said cylinder and piston sections relative to each other under power to enable a handicapped user to be raised from a generally reclined position to a generally erect position.
  • the crutch according to claim 2 including a battery electrical power supply, said electrical motor being energized during operation by said battery power supply under the control of a crutch user.
  • a hydraulically actuated, variable length crutch comprising an upper cylinder section, a lower piston section having its upper portion telescopically received within said upper cylinder section; an arm pit rest at the top extremity of said upper cylinder section, said arm pit rest comprising a fluid receptacle including a filler opening and cover therefor; a hand hold assembly attached to said upper cylinder, said hand hold assembly including spaced side flanges extending radially from said upper cylinder section, a hand hold crossbar attached at each extremity to said flanges, and a cover plate enclosing an area below said crossbar and between said flanges; a hydraulic pump, electrical pump actuating motor, and battery power supply means disposed within said area within said hand hold assembly; first fluid conduit means for supplying fluid to said pump from said reservoir; second fluid conduit means for supplying hydraulic fluid under pressure from said pump to within said upper cylinder section above said piston section; and fingertip control means associated with said hand hold assembly for allowing a crutch user to selectively control

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Epidemiology (AREA)
  • Pain & Pain Management (AREA)
  • Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
  • Rehabilitation Therapy (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
  • Rehabilitation Tools (AREA)
US285476A 1963-06-04 1963-06-04 Hydraulically actuated crutch Expired - Lifetime US3157188A (en)

Priority Applications (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US285476A US3157188A (en) 1963-06-04 1963-06-04 Hydraulically actuated crutch
NL6406241A NL6406241A (xx) 1963-06-04 1964-06-03
BE648809A BE648809A (xx) 1963-06-04 1964-06-04
DEF43075A DE1276293B (de) 1963-06-04 1964-06-04 Laengenveraenderliche Kruecke
CH731664A CH409243A (it) 1963-06-04 1964-06-04 Gruccia allungabile ed accorciabile
GB23100/64A GB1006965A (en) 1963-06-04 1964-06-04 Hydraulically actuated crutch

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US285476A US3157188A (en) 1963-06-04 1963-06-04 Hydraulically actuated crutch

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3157188A true US3157188A (en) 1964-11-17

Family

ID=23094400

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US285476A Expired - Lifetime US3157188A (en) 1963-06-04 1963-06-04 Hydraulically actuated crutch

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US3157188A (xx)
BE (1) BE648809A (xx)
CH (1) CH409243A (xx)
DE (1) DE1276293B (xx)
GB (1) GB1006965A (xx)
NL (1) NL6406241A (xx)

Cited By (20)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3416546A (en) * 1967-11-29 1968-12-17 William T. Carpenter Power-operated crutch
US3463146A (en) * 1967-01-20 1969-08-26 Arthur Schwartz Invalid mobility device
US4237916A (en) * 1978-01-13 1980-12-09 Fisher & Paykel, Limited Crutches
US4252137A (en) * 1978-01-12 1981-02-24 Cohen Fernand Abramino Continuously length adjustable crutch
US5282486A (en) * 1992-07-27 1994-02-01 Hoover L Wayne Crutch with power lift and foot and method of using same
US5564451A (en) * 1995-02-21 1996-10-15 Hagberg; Nils G. Forearm crutch
US5671765A (en) * 1995-02-21 1997-09-30 Hagberg, Jr.; Nils G. Forearm crutch
WO2002059499A2 (en) * 2001-01-24 2002-08-01 Neumann, Benny, William Improvements to telescopic props
US20050087989A1 (en) * 2003-10-27 2005-04-28 Robert Holcomb Apparatus and process for generating electric power by utilizing high frequency high voltage oscillating current as a carrier for high EMF DC in an armature board
US20060011229A1 (en) * 2004-07-13 2006-01-19 Mei-Chuan Tseng Strength-conserving pneumatic walking stick
US20070006906A1 (en) * 2005-07-06 2007-01-11 Coe Thomas E Adjustable crutch
US20080178918A1 (en) * 2005-07-06 2008-07-31 Thomas Edward Coe Adjustable crutch
US20100186789A1 (en) * 2007-05-28 2010-07-29 Alfred Michael Vegvary Length Adjustable Crutch
US7918237B1 (en) * 2009-11-13 2011-04-05 Institute For Information Industry Crutch with length controllable by pressure sensing and length controlling method thereof
US20120167933A1 (en) * 2007-05-28 2012-07-05 Alfred Michael Vegvary Length Adjustable Crutch
WO2013134821A1 (en) * 2012-03-13 2013-09-19 Assist Medical Pty Ltd Length adjustable crutch
US20140109944A1 (en) * 2012-10-23 2014-04-24 Case Western Reserve University Self Leveling Walker
US9545354B1 (en) * 2016-04-13 2017-01-17 William Cyrus Klausmeyer Hydraulically adjustable walker
USD842215S1 (en) * 2017-08-11 2019-03-05 Lacks Home Products Pad for supporting a kayak
US11707401B2 (en) 2019-10-21 2023-07-25 Case Western Reserve University Mechanical self-leveling walker

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE4137096A1 (de) * 1991-11-12 1993-05-13 Fuhs Rudolf Gehstuetze / gehstock
DE4137466A1 (de) * 1991-11-14 1993-05-19 Uwe Meilbeck Laengenveraenderliche kruecke
MD565C2 (ro) * 1994-06-30 1997-01-31 Darienco Evgeny Vladimirovichi Cârjă
DE102020007107A1 (de) 2020-01-17 2021-07-22 Jürgen Raak Mobiles Krückenständer-Modul mit stufenlos längenverstellbaren Eigenschaften
CN111685976B (zh) * 2020-06-22 2022-03-08 扬州工业职业技术学院 一种可辅助弯腰下蹲的拐杖及其操作方法

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1192290A (en) * 1915-08-04 1916-07-25 Ernst F Engstrom Extension crutch or cane.
US2351145A (en) * 1943-08-17 1944-06-13 Martin L Pearson Stilt
US2674253A (en) * 1951-05-07 1954-04-06 A C Buck Crutch
US2869623A (en) * 1957-06-03 1959-01-20 Poulin Peter Chair with liftable arm rests
US2923947A (en) * 1960-02-09 weighill

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2923947A (en) * 1960-02-09 weighill
US1192290A (en) * 1915-08-04 1916-07-25 Ernst F Engstrom Extension crutch or cane.
US2351145A (en) * 1943-08-17 1944-06-13 Martin L Pearson Stilt
US2674253A (en) * 1951-05-07 1954-04-06 A C Buck Crutch
US2869623A (en) * 1957-06-03 1959-01-20 Poulin Peter Chair with liftable arm rests

Cited By (25)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3463146A (en) * 1967-01-20 1969-08-26 Arthur Schwartz Invalid mobility device
US3416546A (en) * 1967-11-29 1968-12-17 William T. Carpenter Power-operated crutch
US4252137A (en) * 1978-01-12 1981-02-24 Cohen Fernand Abramino Continuously length adjustable crutch
US4237916A (en) * 1978-01-13 1980-12-09 Fisher & Paykel, Limited Crutches
US5282486A (en) * 1992-07-27 1994-02-01 Hoover L Wayne Crutch with power lift and foot and method of using same
US5564451A (en) * 1995-02-21 1996-10-15 Hagberg; Nils G. Forearm crutch
US5671765A (en) * 1995-02-21 1997-09-30 Hagberg, Jr.; Nils G. Forearm crutch
WO2002059499A2 (en) * 2001-01-24 2002-08-01 Neumann, Benny, William Improvements to telescopic props
WO2002059499A3 (en) * 2001-01-24 2002-09-19 Neumann Benny William Improvements to telescopic props
US20050087989A1 (en) * 2003-10-27 2005-04-28 Robert Holcomb Apparatus and process for generating electric power by utilizing high frequency high voltage oscillating current as a carrier for high EMF DC in an armature board
US20060011229A1 (en) * 2004-07-13 2006-01-19 Mei-Chuan Tseng Strength-conserving pneumatic walking stick
US7350531B2 (en) * 2005-07-06 2008-04-01 Thomas Edward Coe Adjustable crutch
US7882847B2 (en) 2005-07-06 2011-02-08 Thomas Edward Coe Adjustable crutch
US20080178918A1 (en) * 2005-07-06 2008-07-31 Thomas Edward Coe Adjustable crutch
US20070006906A1 (en) * 2005-07-06 2007-01-11 Coe Thomas E Adjustable crutch
US20120167933A1 (en) * 2007-05-28 2012-07-05 Alfred Michael Vegvary Length Adjustable Crutch
US20100200031A1 (en) * 2007-05-28 2010-08-12 Wayne Ward Length Adjustable Crutch
US20100186789A1 (en) * 2007-05-28 2010-07-29 Alfred Michael Vegvary Length Adjustable Crutch
US7918237B1 (en) * 2009-11-13 2011-04-05 Institute For Information Industry Crutch with length controllable by pressure sensing and length controlling method thereof
WO2013134821A1 (en) * 2012-03-13 2013-09-19 Assist Medical Pty Ltd Length adjustable crutch
US20140109944A1 (en) * 2012-10-23 2014-04-24 Case Western Reserve University Self Leveling Walker
US9119757B2 (en) * 2012-10-23 2015-09-01 The United States Of America As Represented By The Dept. Of Veterans Affairs Self leveling walker
US9545354B1 (en) * 2016-04-13 2017-01-17 William Cyrus Klausmeyer Hydraulically adjustable walker
USD842215S1 (en) * 2017-08-11 2019-03-05 Lacks Home Products Pad for supporting a kayak
US11707401B2 (en) 2019-10-21 2023-07-25 Case Western Reserve University Mechanical self-leveling walker

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE1276293B (de) 1968-08-29
BE648809A (xx) 1964-10-01
GB1006965A (en) 1965-10-06
CH409243A (it) 1966-03-15
NL6406241A (xx) 1964-12-07

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