Improvements in Crutches.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 29th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 1st Mar., 1890
PROVISIONAL MOTIVATION.
Improvements in Crutches.
I; ERNEST AUGUSTUS BARBER BEAUMONT, of 32 Egremont Place, Brighton, in the
County of Sussex, Retired Army Officer do hereby declare the nature of the said
invention to be as follows :-
The first part of this invention relates to improved means of attaching the cross-
piece which takes under the arm of the user, to the crutch shank and consists in
forming the said attachment or connection by means of a ball and socket joint so that
the crutch shank can be moved forward and backward, or sidewise, while the cross-
piece remains stationary under the arm of the person using the crutch; by this means
the excessive wear and tear of the clothing by the friction of the present fixed cross-
piece is obviated, and the heating of the body by the constant rubbing of the said
handle is prevented.
The second part of the invention relates to an improved handle on the shank to be
grasped by the hand instead of the -handle formed at the lower end of the forked part
in crutches as at present constructed or instead of grasping the shank of the crutch
when the latter is not formed with a forked upper part. My improved handle is
formed somewhat like the handle usually employed for actuating the steering gear of a
tricycle but is furnished with a socket or sleeve through which the shank of the crutch
is passed and with a set screw by which it may be secured at any desired height on
the said shank. The handle stands out sidewise from the shank of the crutch in such
position that the hand of the person using the crutch falls naturally upon it without
the necessity of the arm being bent or twisted into an unnatural position in order to
grasp it, as is the case in crutches as at present constructed, and the weight of the body
is transmitted direct through the shank of the crutch to the ground. A similar
arrangement is applicable also as a knee support on a crutch, the parts being shaped
accordingly. The shank of the crutch may be made in two parts for the sake of
portability, the two parts being joined together at the point where the socket or sleeve
of the aforesaid handle comes when in its proper position, the said socket or sleeve
thus affording support to the joint.
The third part of the invention relates to the construction of the shank and consists
in forming the same of a steel or other suitable metallic tube whereby I am enabled
to secure lightness with great strength. And to enable the crutch to be used by persons
of different height, the shank may be made telescopic so as to be adjustable to
various lengths.
The fourth, part of the invention relates to the foot of the crutch and consists
in applying to the lower end of the shank an oval or oblong foot connected to the
shank by means of a pin joint, a hinge, or a ball and socket joint. The underside of
this foot may be shod with leather or other material suitable to prevent slipping and it
may be weighted at the fore part so as to come in contact with the ground, when the
crutch is used, somewhat in the same way as a human foot. I also sometimes apply
to the bottom of the shank a sucker arrangement similar in its action to the well
known toy used by children for raising objects by the pressure of the atmosphere on
a piece of wetted leather, such sucker being preferably provided with an auto-
matically acting valve to admit air to release it at the proper time. I also sometimes
pivot the foot, whether of round or other shape to the shank so as to enable the
fatter to follow easily the turning or twisting movement of the body independently
of the said foot, and I sometimes interpose a spring between the said pivoted foot
and the shank.
The fifth part of the invention relates to improvements in crutch cross pieces and
consists according to one arrangement, in forming the cross piece as a fork and in

page_text: connecting the ends of the fork by a strap of leather, indiarubber, or other flexible
material, which takes the weight of the body. According to another arrangement
I forin the cross piece of a piece of metal or other suitable material bent into the
shape of the inner segment of a hollow circular ring, the hollow being placed
upwards and having fixed therein a piece of indiarubber or other suitable tube
bent to the curvature of the segment and filled with sponge, or closed at the ends
and filled with air so as to form an air cushion. These improved handles set much
easier to the arms of the users and occasion much less inconvenience than the
ordinary cross pieces. I sometimes employ two of the pieces shaped as the inner
segment of a hollow circular ring arranging one to work in the other, the inner one
having the indiarubber tube fixed therein, and the outer one being fixed to the shank
by any suitable means. In this way I am able to secure in a simple way some of the
advantages of the ball and socket joint connection of the handle to the shank herein-
before described.
Dated this 17th day of Mov AD 1000
W. H. BECK,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Crutches.
I, ERNEST AUGUSTUS BARBER BEAUMONT, of 32 Egremont Place, Brighton, in the
County of Sussex, Retired Army Officer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
accompanying sheet of drawings, and to the letters and Figures marked thereon,
that is to say :-
The first part of this invention relates to improved means of attaching the cross
piece which takes under the arm of the user, to the crutch shank so that the said
crutch shank can be moved forward and backward while the cross-piece remains more
or less stationary under the arm of the person using the crutch, by this means the
excessive wear and tear of the clothing by the friction of the present fixed cross-
piece is avoided, and the heating of the body by the constant rubbing of the said
cross-piece is prevented.
This part of the improvements is illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 of the drawings.
Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of the upper part of a crutch showing
the cross piece attached to the shank by means of a ball and socket joint, and Figure 2
is an elevation of same taken at right angles to Figure 1.
A is the shank of the crutch shown as a hollow tube, but it may consist of a solid
cylindrical piece of wood as usual. B is the cross-piece shown of special construction,
to be hereafter described, but it may be of any ordinary form or construction. Cis
a spherical ball secured to the upper end of the shank A. D is a metallic piece
secured to the under side of the cross piece B, and having formed therein a hollow
spherical segment corresponding to the ball C. E is a metallic cap provided with a
hole F through which the shank A is threaded. This cap is screwed on to the piece D
and holds the ball in place. By this arrangement the crutch shank A can not only be
moved forward and backward, but sidewise without moving the cross-piece the move-
ment in any direction being limited by the size of the hole F with the sides of which
the shank A comes in contact, and is thereby prevented from being moved beyond
a certain angle in any direction with reference to the cross piece A.
Figure 3 is a side elevation partly in section, and Figure 4 an elevation taken at
right angles to Figure 3 of the upper part of a crutch showing the cross piece attached
to the shank by a kind of hinged joint.
A is the shank, B the cross piece as before Ca cylindrical piece of metal forming
a kind of irunnion, D a metallic piece fixed to the cross piece B and hollowed out as
the segment of a cylinder corresponding to the trunnion D, which takes into such

page_text: hollow. E is a metallic clip secured by screws or otherwise to the cross-piece B.
This clip has an oblong hole F formed therein, through which is passed the stem G,
of the socket H in which the upper end of the shank A is secured. The stem G is
screwed into a hole in the trunnion D after tho latter has been passed into the clip E.
By this arrangement the crutch shank A can be moved forward or backward in the
plane of the cross-piece B without moving the latter, the said motion being limited by
the stem G coming against either end of the oblong hole F.
Figure 5 is a side elevation, and Figure 6 a sectional elevation taken at right angles
to Figure 5, of the upper part of a crutch showing the cross-piece attached to the
shank by another form of hinge joint.
A is the shank, B the cross piece shown of special construction to bo hereafter
described, but it may be of any ordinary construction. E is a metallic jaw piece
secured to the cross-piece B in any suitable way according to the material of which
the latter is made. H is a metallic socket, into which the upper end of the shank A
is fixed. G is a lug on the socket H which is fitted in between the jaws E E, and
C is a pin passing through the jaws and lug; the whole arrangement forming a hinge
which allows the shank A to be moved backwards and forwards in the plane of the
cross piece B, to an extent limited by the shoulders G¹ G' on the lug G, which come
in contact with the part E¹ of the jaw piece E when the shank is moved a certain
distance in either direction.
It will be readily understood that when it is desired to allow of a lateral radial
movement of the shank with reference to the cross-piece, the ball and socket joint
arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2 may be employed; but when the said lateral
radial movement of the shank is not required, or is not admissable, either the hinge
joint shown in Figures 3 and 4 or that shown in Figures 5 and 6 may be employed.
The second part of the invention relates to an improved handle on the shank, to be
grasped by the hand instead of the handle at the lower end of the fork in certain
forms of crutches as at present constructed, or instead of grasping the shank of the
crutch when the latter is plain, that is to say not formed with a forked upper part.
This improved handle is shown in Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings, Figure 7 being
a sectional elevation and Figure 8 a plan. A is the shank of the crutch, J the afore-
said handle which is formed somewhat like the handle usually employed for actuating
the steering gear of a tricycle, but is furnished with a socket or sleeve K, which is
passed on to the shank A of the crutch, and is furnished with a set screw L by which
it may be secured at any desired height on the said shank. The handle stands out
sidewise from the shank A, in such position that the hand of the person using the
crutch falls naturally upon the part M thereof, without the necessity of the arm being
bent or twisted into an unnatural position in order to grasp it, as is the case in
crutches as at present constructed; and the weight of the body is transmitted direct
through the shank, to the ground. The part M, which is to be grasped by the hand,
may be secured in the bow part J of the handle by means of a pin passing longi-
tudinally through it, and through the ends of the said bow part; but I have found it
preferable, for motives of economy and strength, to secure it in the manner shown in
the Figures; that is to say, I cast with the bow part J a cross-bar N, and I form in
the lower side of the part M, (which is usually made of wood) a longitudinal groove
of a size to fit tightly over the said bar N as shown in Figure 7, and the part M is
also cut of such a length as will fit tightly between the ends of the bow part J, as
shown in Figure 8; and in most cases I have found that driving the part M tightly
into position as shown is sufficient to secure it in place, but if preferred it may be
further secured by pins or screws driven through the ends of the bow part into the
ends of the piece M, or by other means.
Figures 9, 10 and 11 show another method of fixing the aforesaid side handle to
the crutch shank, especially applicable when the said shank is made of a round stick
of wood. In this case instead of being provided with a socket or sleeve K as in
Figures 7 and 8, the bow handle J has cast to it a segmental plate K' shaped to fit
only partly round the shank; the lower part of this plate is secured to the shank by
a screw P. and the upper part is tapered to a wedge form. Q is a ring passed down

page_text: the shank A and driven on over the tapered part of the plate K¹ so as to press and
hold the upper part of the latter firmly against the shank. R is a spur cast with the
plate K and driven into the wood of the shank to assist the screw P in preventing
the handle from slipping downwards. By this arrangement the handle J can be.
tightened up with great facility should the constant downward pressure tend to loosen
it, at the same time the ring Q offers a direct resistance to the tendency of the said
downward pressure to pull the upper end of the plate K' away from the shank.
Instead of securing the lower part of the plate K to the shank A by means of a
screw Pas shown in Figures 9 and 10 it may be secured by a second ring Q₁as
shown in Figure 9*, the said lower part of the plate K¹ being made wedge-shape so
that by driving the ring Q¹ downwards over the said wedge-shaped part the latter is
pressed and held firmly against the shank A without the necessity of the screw P.
If desired the handle J instead of being fixed rigidly to the shank, may be allowed
to oscillate thereon in a vertical plane in order to enable it to accommodate itself still
better to the varying positions of the hand; for this purpose the arrangement shown
in Figure 12 may be employed. K' is the segmental plate as in Figures 9, 10
and 11; but instead of being cast in one with the bow handle J, it is cast with a
bracket or jaw K2, and the bow handle J is cast with a part J₁ of oblong section
which is fitted into the bracket or jaw K2, in which it is held by a pin or screw K³,
and on which the said handle is free to oscillate to a limited extent as above described.
Similar letters of reference relate to like parts in all the Figures 7 to 12.
The bow handles above described and illustrated in Figures 7 to 12 may be readily
adapted to fix on to the cross handle, or to either or both branches of a split crutch;
the advantage of such application to a split crutch being, that the foot of such crutch
is thereby brought considerably nearer the feet of the person using the crutch than
the foot of an ordinary split crutch not provided with my bow handle; whereby the
inconvenient spreading of the crutches at the feet is avoided.
An arrangement similar to the sido handle above described in reference to
Figures 7 to 12 is also applicable as a knee support on a crutch the parts being
shaped accordingly.
The shank of the crutch may be made in two parts for the sake of portability, the
two parts being screwed or otherwise joined together preferably at the point where the
socket or sleeve of the aforesaid side handle comes, when in its proper position;
the said socket or sleeve thus affording support to the joint, as shown in Figure 7.
The third part of the invention relates to the shank, and consists in forming the
same of steel tube whereby I am enabled to secure lightness with great strength. And
in order to enable the crutch to be used by persons of different heights the shank may
be made telescopic so as to be adjustable to various lengths.
The fourth part of the invention consists in applying to the lower end of the shank
a foot connected thereto by means of a pin joint, a hinge or a ball and socket joint.
One form of this arrangement is illustrated in Figure 10*, in which A is the shank as
before, S is a metal socket screwed on to the lower end thereof. T is the foot made
internally of the shape of a hollow spherical segment and furnished with claws T¹,
T is a ball of indiarubber forced into the hollow spherical segment and held therein
by the claws T¹: The foot T is secured to the socket S by means of the screw U which
is free to turn in the said foot, so that when the latter is planted on the carpet of a
room for instance the disc-like lower end of the shank of the crutch (formed by the
socket S) is free to turn on the disc-like upper surface of the said foot, while the latter
remains stationary, by reason of the friction of the indiarubber ball T2 on the floor,
whereby the twisting and tearing effect of the crutch on the carpet or its scratching
effect on a
polished floor for instance, is avoided. When the lowermost surface, for
the time being of the indiarubber ball T has worn more or less flat the ball can be
taken out of the foot T and replaced therein in such position as to bring a-fresh
surface lowermost to come in contact with the floor.
The fifth part of the invention relates to improvements in crutch cross pieces, and
consists, according to one arrangement shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, in forming the
cross-piece as a metal fork B, and in connecting the ends of such fork by a strap B¹ of

page_text: leather, indiarubber, or other flexible material which comes under the arm and takes
the weight of the body. According to another arrangement, shown in Figures 5 and 6,
I form the cross-piece of a piece of metal or other suitable material B bent into the
shape of the outer segment of a hollow circular ring, the hollow being placed upwards
and having secured therein a piece of indiarubber or other suitable flexible tube B²,
bent to the curvature of the segment and filled with sponge, hair, or other suitable
elastic material B³, or closed at the ends and filled with air so as to form an air
cushion. These improved cross-pieces set much easier to the arms of the users, and
occasion much less inconvenience than the ordinary cross-pieces.
I sometimes employ two pieces shaped as the outer segment of a hollow circular
ring arranging one to work in the other, the inner one having the indiarubber tube
secured therein, and the outer one being fixed to the shank by any suitable means.
In this way I am able to secure in a simple way some of the advantages of the ball
and socket, or hinge joint connection of the cross-piece to the shank herein before
described.
It will be observed that the cross-piece shown in Figure 5 is nearly semi-circular
in shape, resembling in fact the form of a Mexican horse-saddle. I have found it
desirable to adopt this shape in connection with the above described flexible joint of
the cross-piece to the shank, in order to obviate the tendency of the said joint to press
the cross-piece backwards or forwards, according as the shark is in the forward or
backward position when the pressure is on it. The said form of cross-piece also
facilitates the attachment of the cross-piece to the shoulder by means of a ribbon or
otherwise in cases where such attachment is desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 desire to have it understood that
I am aware that it has been proposed to employ a ball and socket joint for connecting
the cross-piece to the upper part of a forked or "French" crutch, also that a swivelling
foot for a crutch has been proposed, and that I make no claim generally to such devices,
but that what I do claim is :-
First. Connecting the cross-piece of a crutch to the shank thereof by means of a
ball and socket joint, or a hinge, as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings hereto annexed.
Second. In a crutch, the use of a side handle connected with the shank, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12
of the drawings hereto annexed.
Third. Making the shank of a crutch of steel tube as herein before described.
Fourth. In combination with the lower end of the shank of a crutch the use of a
foot so jointed to the said shank that the latter is free to revolve on the said foot, as
hereinbefore described, and illustrated in Figure 10 of the drawings hereto annexed.
Fifth. Making the cross-piece of a crutch of a metallic forked piece, the two ends of
which are connected together by a strap of leather, indiarubber, or other flexible.
material as herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the
drawings hereto annexed.
Sixth. Making the cross piece of a crutch of the shape of the outer segment of a
holiow circular ring having secured in the hollow thereof an indiarubber or other
suitable flexible tube filled with sponge, hair or other suitable elastic material, or
with air, as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings
hereto annexed.
Dated thi. 58th love of La 1000