Improvements in Crutches.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov., 1898-Accepted, 4th Feb., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Crutches.
I, RICHARD SCHWARTING, Cashier, of 1907, Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, in the
County of Kings and State of New York, United States of America, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in crutches and has for its object to so
construct the foot section of a crutch as to admit of a yielding tip being used in
fair weather or in the house but whereby when the surface to be travelled over is
slippery a spur tip may be brought into action. The main object of the inven-
tion is to provide a means whereby both forms of tips may at the same time form a
portion of the foot of the crutch, and whereby the two tips may be used together or
the spur tip may be locked out of the way or out of action and the yielding tip
only be used. A further object of the invention is to provide a construction for
the foot section of the crutch that will admit of a block of a yielding material
being used in fair weather as a tip for the foot of a crutch, and wherein when the
surface to be travelled over is slippery a spur section may be substituted and
employed as a tip, the spur section when used being at each step thoroughly and
automatically cleaned from any material that may have a tendency to cling thereto
The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several
parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a crutch and the improved foot applied thereto;
Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the improved foot;
Figure 3 is also a side elevation of the improved foot, parts being in section;
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section taken practically on the line 4-4 of Figure 2,
the spur tip being locked out of action;
Figure 5 is a section taken longitudinally on the line 5-5 of Figure 3, illus-
trating the spur tip in action;
Figure 6 is a section through the foot portion of a crutch, illustrating an elastic
block secured therein;
Figure is a partial side elevation and partial sectional view of a slightly
modified form of the crutch foot, illustrating the application of a bearing to the
foot, tread or tip, adapted for use in slippery weather; and
Figure 8 is a vertical section through the foot portion of the crutch, as illustrated
in Figure 6.
A represents the bottom portion of a crutch and B the foot thereof. The foot
comprises preferably a sleeve 10 secured to the stick or body portion of the crutch
in any suitable or approved manner, and a hollow ferrule section 11, which is open
at its lower end and provided at said end with an interior thread. A slot 12 is
longitudinally made in the ferrule section of the foot, and the slot is provided with
an upper and a lower lateral branch, the two branches extending in the same
direction. The said branches are designated respectively as 13 and 14.

page_text: A tip in the form of a ring 15 is located at the lower portion of the ferrule
section of the foot. This tip is provided at its lower end with teeth or spurs 16,
and with an upper reduced section 17 exteriorly threaded to engage with the
interiorly threaded surface of the ferrule portion of the foot, as is shown in Figures 4
and 5. A plug 18, preferably made of inetal, is held to slide in the ring tip 15,
and a tip-19 of rubber or other yielding material, is secured in the bottom portion
of said plug, while the upper portion of the plug 18 is provided with a marginal
flange 20, and when the parts of the foot are in their normal position the flange 20
is held in engagement with the upper end of the ring tip by means of a spring 21,
that bears upon the upper surface of the plug and against the lower end of the
stick A of the crutch.
A sleeve 22 is fitted to slide and likewise to turn upon the ferrule
section 11 of the foot B; and the sleeve 22 is provided with a screw 23,
or with an interior pin or other form of projection, which said screw or pin 23
extends within the slot 12, and is adapted to enter either one of the branches of
the slot. When the screw is in the upper branch 13 of the slot 12, as shown in
Figure 3, and when pressure is brought to bear on the arm of the crutch, the
yielding tip and accompanying plug 18 will be forced up within the ferrule section
of the foot, as shown in Figure 5, and the spur tip carried by said ferrule section
will engage with the ground. When the foot of the crutch is removed from the
ground, the spring 21 restores the plug and attached yielding tip to their normal
position, shown in Figure 4; and it is obvious that when said plug reaches its
normal position it will have cleared the teeth or spurs 16 from any matter that
may have adhered thereto.
When the weather and travelling are fine and the spur tip is not needed, or
when the user of the crutch is in the house, the spur tip may be locked out of
action by causing the pin or screw 23 to enter the lower branch 14 of the slot 12,
as shown in Figure 4, whereupon the screw or pin 23 will bear upon the upper
end of the plug 18 while said plug is in its normal position, and will prevent the
plug from moving upward in the ferrule section of the foot, consequently not per-
mitting the spur tip to engage with the ground or other surface being travelled on.
In the form of the crutch illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and 8, when the crutch is
to be used in fair weather on a favorable surface, a block 24 of rubber or other
elastic material is fitted into the ferrule portion 11 of the foot, as shown in
Figure 6, the block being made of such length that it will bear against the upper
end of the ferrule and extend out beyond the lower end. When the crutch is to
be used to assist in travelling over a slippery surface, the elastic block 24 is
removed from the ferrule 11, and in its stead the device shown in Figures 7 and 8
is substituted.
The said device consists of a block 25, preferably circular and constructed
of metal, the block being of less diameter than the interior diameter
of the ferrule into which it is introduced. The block is provided at its
top with a flange 26, and a spring 27 is secured to the upper portion of the block
usually through the medium of a screw and a washer 28, as is shown particularly
in Figure 8, the upper end of the spring bearing against the upper surface of the
ferrule or against the lower end of the stick or body A of the crutch. A ring 29
is screwed into the bottom portion of the ferrule, loosely surrounding the block 25,
so that the block may have sliding movement within the ring; and the ring 29
is provided at its lower end with a serrated edge, or with teeth 30, as is shown best
in Figure 7. Normally the spring 27 will force the lower end of the block 25
beyond the teeth 30. When the foot of the crutch is brought in engagement
with a surface, as shown in Figure 8, the block will be forced upward and the
teeth of the ring 29 will engage with such surface and prevent the foot of the
crutch from slipping, effectually holding the foot of the crutch in the position in
which it is placed until it is purposely removed, at which time the block 25 will
be forced outward by the spring 27, and any material that may have clung to the
ring 29 at its toothed portion will be cleared therefrom.

page_text: It is evident that the ring 29 affords a maximum of bearing for the foot of the
crutch, and enables the foot to remain in the position in which it is placed much
more effectively than if a single central pin were employed.
my said
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. A foot for crutches substantially as herein shown and described.
2. A foot for crutches, comprising a spur tip and a yielding tip, one having
movement to and from the other, as described.
3. A foot for crutches, comprising a spur tip and a yielding tip, one having
movement to and from the other, and means for cleaning the spur tip through the
action of the yielding tip, as specified.
4. In a crutch, a yielding and a non-yielding tip, one being arranged to move
within the other, and one tip being adapted to clean or clear the other, as set forth.
5. A foot for crutches, provided with a spur tip and with a yielding tip, the
yielding tip having movement within the spur tip, and means for locking one of
the tips out of action, as set forth.
6. A foot for crutches, provided with a roughened tip which is a fixture to the
foot, and a yielding tip arranged to have sliding movement within the roughened
surface of the foot and likewise within the body of said foot, and a locking device
capable of preventing the movement of said yielding tip within the roughened tip
and within the ferrule of the foot, substantially as set forth.
7. A foot for crutches, provided with teeth at its lower end and a longitudinal
slot above the teeth, having lateral branches, a sleeve mounted to turn and slide
on the foot, and a spring-controlled yielding tip having sliding movement within
the foot and arranged to extend normally beyond the toothed surface of the foot,
for the purpose set forth.
8. A foot for crutches, provided with teeth, and a device for the purpose of
clearing the teeth from substances adhering to them, the said device being arranged
for movement relatively to and from the teeth and in line with the projections
of the teeth, and means for limiting the end movement of the said device, adapted
for freeing the teeth from substances adhering to them, for the purpose specified.
9. A foot or tip for crutches, provided with teeth, and a device for the purpose
of freeing the teeth from substances adhering to them, said device being arranged
for movement relatively to and from the teeth and in line with the projections of
the said teeth, substantially as shown and described.
0011
11000
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.