US1278664A - Crutch. - Google Patents

Description

A. R. HUNTER.

CRUTCH.

APPLxcArloN FILED MAY la'. 1911.

80 vide a rubber bag A of the known pneumatic ANDREW RITCI-IIE HUNTER, OF WELBECK, NEAR WORKSOP, ENGLAND.

CRUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratented sept. 10,1918.

Application led May 15, 1917. Serial N o. 168,686.

T0 all whom t may concern;

Be it known that I, ANDREW RITcHiE HUNTER, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Pine Lodge, Welbeck, near Worksop, in the county of Nottingham, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Crutches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to .certain improvements in crutches of the kind having resilient heads, either pneumatic or otherwise, designed to afford greater ease a'Iid comfort to the patient under the arm-pit.

Reference will be made hereinafter to the accompanying drawings which illustrate suitable forms of the invention. In these drawings, l

Fi ure l is a cross section of a wooden crutc head with its improved pneumatic cushion and casing, and Fig. 2 a section of same at right angles to Fig. 1. y

Fig. 3 is a sectional partial view of the top of a metal crutch, adapted to receive the .improved pneumatic head,

Fig. 4: a View of the casing from below,

laced up to inclose the pneumatic cushion, but not yet applied to the head.

According to my invention, in order to ease the pressure under the arm-pits, I protype adapted, when iniiated, to lie upon and slightly overhang the top of the crutch head dished to form a bed. An ordinary inflatmg valve C is provided, which is adapted to be passed downward through the crutch head, which is perforated for the purpose. To protect the bag from abrasion against the head and at the same time to insure that it shall retain its central position on the crutch head, I provide a suitable leather or canvas casing which in cross section somewhat resembles the ligure .8, the upper chamber D to hold the bag and fthe lower E to hold the crutch head. Longitudinal openings F G, along the bases of these chambers, afford means of access for Jinserting or removing the bag A and the 'head B respectively.

Hooks or eyelets H (Fig. 4) andA laces J are provided to close the openings. and to draw the casing closely around its contents, the upper chamber containing the bag being closed,- as in Fig. 4, before the lower one is placed over the head. The opening G in the lower chamber is so shaped that the sides K and ends L form four flaps which are adapted to be brought down over the sides and ends of the head and secured below by lacing, which may be the same lacing J already mentioned, so as to prevent both lateral and longitudinal shifting, such lacing J `passing through lace holes M in the edges of the flaps K and L.

he stems may be inserted as shown by N in Fig. 1, or sockets R as is shown in Fig.

3. In the metal head B shown in Fig. 3, the sockets R for receiving the stems N can be formed or cast integral with the head.

What I claim is A pneumatic cushion for a crutch head, comprising an inflatable bag with inflating valve, a leather casing formed with two chambers, an upper one to hold the said bag and a lower one to enwrap the crutchhead, both with longitudinal openings in their bases, and with means to close the said openings, substantially as shown. and described.

ANDREW 'RITCHIE HUNTER.

Witnesses J oHN M. SAVAGE, EDITH M. NEWTON.

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