US2678054A - Adjustable crutch - Google Patents

Description

O. BOSTELMAN ADJUSTABLE CRUTCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2.

IN VENTOR o'r1o` sos'rsuuu BY Mmmm A RNEYS May 11, 1954 Filed `my 3o, 1952 May l1, 1954 o. BOSTELMAN ADJUSTABLE CRUTCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 50. 1952 d nnnnnnnml FIG. 8.

INVENTOR o1'"ro aosTLEMAN BY .g n* y W m ATTORN YS Patented May 11, 1954 UNITED STATES"` PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in adjustable crutch and has for an object to provide a crutch in which the leg or knee rest is adjustable vertically for the purpose of equalizing height and adjustable horizontally to widen or narrow the leg or knee rest for the accommoda tion of large or small knees.

It is another object of the invention to provide a variety of adjustments both vertical and horizontal by whichthe leg or knee rest may be made to assume various elevations, various widths and deeper or shallower cancave forms for the accommodation of short and tall persons, those having wide or narrow knees, in which all adjustments contribute to the comfort of the patient using the improved crutch.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved crutch useful to a person having an injury below the knee, such crutch providing a leather strap or vother flexible support or leg or knee rest, to the end that with this crutch the average person can walk more conveniently and execute other bodily maneuvers with normal facility, to such degree that the patient requires only one crutch rather than two.

The invention also contemplates a form of crutch in which a brace may be adjusted angularly with respect to the mainstai for the purpose of adjusting the span of the leg or knee rest which stretches between the staff and this brace with a spreader arrangement which will maintain the angle of adjustment and at the same time provide a truss arrangement in combination with included portions of the brace andA staff to reinforce the support that the upper end of the brace gives to the flexible leg or knee support.

It is a further object of thev invention to provide an improved crutch having the above construction and objects and purposes whereby the large number of adjustments, subject to simultaneous imposition, will permit a very exact fitting of the leg or knee brace to the limb of the patient.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto. f

In the drawings. whereinlike symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view` of `an improved adjustable crutch constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view taken on an enlarged scale showing details of adjustable leg rest,.spreader and the bolt;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view Ataken on a still larger scale, with parts broken away and parts shown in section showing the spreader block and its connection with the staff and brace;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a front elevational View of the lower portion of the crutch, with parts broken away and parts shown in section;

Figure 6 is a magnified view of the crutch at the leg rest showing an adjustment of the leg rest on a large radius;

Figure 7 is a vertical section taken on the line l-l of Figure 2;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective View similar to Figure 3, showing a modification;

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 5 showing a further modified form; and

Figure 10 is a horizontal section takenon an enlarged scale on the line I Il-I 0 of Figure 9.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I0 designates the staff of the crutch which may be made of wood or other appropriate material having substantial rigidity for suiiiciency of support, and II represents a diagonal brace, which may be of Wood or some other material preferably possessing some inherent resiliency.

The leg rest or cradle I2 is formed by flexible material, for instance leather which may lend itself appropriately to the adjustments hereinafter referred to.

The lower end of the diagonal brace II paraln lels the lower portion of the staff I0 to which it is secured by bolts or other fastenings I3. Above the parallel section the diagonal brace II diverges from the staff I0. Due kto the inherent resiliency of the brace` II a resilient hinge Il?. is produced at or about the point of divergence to permit the angle of divergence to be altered for the purpose of moving the upper free end of the brace I I nearer to or farther from the staff I0.

In the staff I0 are produced a series of vertical perforations I5 to matcha similar vertical series of perforations I6 at similar heights in the diagonal brace II. Boltsand nuts Il and I8 or other fastenings respectivelysecure `the leg rest to the staff I0 and to the diagonal brace II, the bolts Il and. I8 passing through selected .perforations I5 and IE. SuchV bolts Il and.A IB. also pass through selected perforationsof series of perforations 33 and 34 in the opposite end portions of the leg rest I2.

The diagonal brace II is biased resiliently to a preselected minimum angle with respect to the staff I and such brace H may be moved outwardly to enlarge this angle by a spreader I9 which may be made of wood or other appropriate material and which will hold the brace at the selected enlarged angle. A tie bolt 20 is connected between the staff I0 and the brace II to draw these parts together upon the spreader. The tie bolt 20 is provided with a bolt head 2I and a nut 22 which may be countersunk in the staff I0 and the diagonal brace II. Such recesses are indicated at 23 and 24. The bolt head takes one recess 23 while the nut 24 engages against the base of the nut recess 2li.

If desired pins 25 with sharpened ends may project from the ends of the spreader 25 to take into the wood of the staff and brace. Also there may be vertical grooves 26 and 21 in the staff I and brace II of sufcient horizontal width to permit the pins 25 to slide up and down therein, the side Walls of such grooves 26, 2l confining the pins 25 and the spreader I9 into correct relationship with the adjacent walls of the staff IG and brace II. In the bases of the grooves 26 and 27 there may be produced vertically spaced sockets to receive the pins 25. Such spaced sockets 28 will form stepped adjustment pockets for the pins 25.

The modified form of spreader 35 shown in Figures 9 and 10 is held in place by the bolt 29 which passes through the spreader 3U. The ends of this bolt 23 are vertically adjustable in vertically elongated slots 3I and 32 in the staff III and brace II, respectively. By tightening the nut 35 the bolt 29 will draw the brace II against the outer end of the spreader 3U and will move the other end of the spreader tightly against the staff I0.

In the use or" the device, one adjustment may be secured by arranging the bolts I'I and I8 in the upper perforations 33 and 34 of the leg rest I2 and passing such bolts through selected perforations of the vertical series I and It in the staff and brace. This adjustment will not materially change the radius of curvature of the leather leg rest. In other words the leg rest or cradle I2 will remain of approximately the same width but its height will be altered. The concavity of the surface of the leg rest or strap cradle I2 will remain the same through these adjustments. A second adjustment may be had by arranging the bolts I'I and I8 in selected perforations I5 and I6 and then changing the perforations 33 and 34 of the leg rest which engage such bolts II and I8. For instance if the uppermost or outermost perforations 33, 34 are engaged by the bolts Il, I8 then a larger length of the strap or leg rest I2 will extend between the bolts I1 and I8 and this larger length will dip down to a maximum deep concave surface. By engaging with the bolts I'I, I8 the next lower perforations 33, 34 of the leg rest I2, such leg rest will be shortened and flattened. The adjustment provided by the innermost perforations 33, 34 may be so arranged as to stretch the leather leg rest I2 across between the staff in a substantially flatwise or horizontal position.

A third adjustmentV is provided by varying the rst two adjustments above mentioned. For instance in the maximum flat condition of the leg rest I2 in which the same is supported Vby the bolts I1, I8 from the innermost of the perforations 33, 34, such bolts I'I and I8 may be moved up and down in the series of perforations I5 and I6 in the staif and brace to vary the height of the flat leg rest I2. In descending in the scale of vertical perforations I5, I6 the flatness or stretched condition of the leather leg rest I2 will be relaxed step by step.

Other adjustments may be made by engaging the bolts Il, I8 with relatively different perforations I5, I6 and 33, 34. For instance the bolt Il might be engaged in the top perforation I5 while the bolt I8 is engaged in the second from the top perforation I6. Also the bolt II may be engaged in the second from the outermost perforation 33 of the leg rest I2 while the bolt I3 is engaged with the outermost perforation 3G at the other side of the leg rest.

A fourth adjustment is provided by shifting the spreader I9, 3i) up or down by means of the adjustment of the respective tie bolts 20, 29 in order to move the upper perforated end of the diagonal brace II nearer to or farther from the opposed perforated section of the staff I0. When the brace moves toward the staif the concavity of the leg rest I 2 will be deepened, that'is, the radius of the same will become of less length; and when the diagonal brace I I is moved farther from the staff III, the leg rest I2 Will tend to a more attened condition.

All of the above adjustments may be simultaneously imposed upon the leg rest I2. Therefore, a large number of adjustments are provided both to raise and lower the leg rest I2 and also to provide a deeply concave surface or a surface tending to be more fiat. The device, therefore, provides accommodations for large or small knees. The knee socket in the leg rest I2 is also adjustable as to height.

Although I have disclosed herein the best form of the invention known to me at this time I reserve the right toy all such modifications and changes as may come within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

l. A crutch comprising a staff, a diagonal brace secured to the lower end of the staff and diverging upwardly away from the staff, means slidable up and down between the staif and brace for moving` the upper portion of the brace toward and away from the staff, a flexible leg rest, fastenings for supporting opposite end portions of the leg rest respectively on said staff and upper portion of the brace, means on the staff and brace for adjusting the fastenings to variousy vertical elevations, and means on the flexible leg rest for adjusting the length of leg rest between the fastenings to create different degrees of curvature in the leg rest.

2. A crutch comprising a staff, a .leg rest hingedly related to the lower portion of the staff and diverging upwardly with relation to the staff, a exible leg rest, fastenings for suspending the leg rest across the gap between the upper portion of the brace and the opposed part of the staff, means on the staff and brace for accommodating said fastening means at various elevations,'means to vary the angle of the brace with reference to the sta to slacken or tauten the leg rest in its suspended condition between staff and brace, and means for selectively shortening and lengthening the exible leg rest between fastenings to change its radius of curvature as suspended between the fastenings.

3. A crutch comprising a staff, a diagonal brace hinged at its lower portion to the staff and diverging upwardly therefrom, a wedge block having end portions engaging inner surfaces of the brace and sta and adapted to be wedged downwardly to move the brace about its hinged connection outwardly away from the staff, means for retaining the wedge block in adjusted position, a flexible leg rest, fastenings between which the leg rest is suspended from the upper portion of the brace to the opposed part of the staff, means for adjusting said fastenings vertically in the staff and brace, and means whereby different lengthwise portions of the leg rest are selectively engaged with the fastenings toy shorten or lengthen the suspended portion of the leg rest between the fastenings.

References Cited in the 1e of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date '751,942 Renno Feb. 9, 1904 875,482 Wyatt Dee. 31, 1907 1,197,727 Finkle Sept. 12, 1916 1,253,117 Allen Jan. 8, 1918 2,495,889 Connaghan Jan. 31, 1950

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