Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Sept., 1898-Accepted, 17th June, 1899
I, CARL GUSTAF SKOOG, of St. Paul, in the State of Minnesota, 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 convertible canes and stools; and it consists of the novel
devices and combinations of devices, hereinafter described and defined in the
claims.
The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Therein like letters referring to like parts, throughout the several views.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cane constructed in accordance with my
invention; with the folding parts placed within the cane.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line of Figure 1, but with
some parts broken away.
Figure 3 is a transverse section taken on the line of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a view, in right side elevation, showing the parts open, or set up
for use as a stool.
Figure 5 is a detail view, with some parts removed, showing the stool head or
seat, in its spread position, as illustrated in Figure 4.
The cane proper is made up of (as shown) four tubular telescopic
sections a aaa, the top section a of which is largest in diameter and the other
sections of which are successively smaller towards the bottom. The said sections
are preferably slightly tapered, so as to give a properly tapered form to the cane.
The head section a is provided, at its upper end, with an enlargement or knob at
which serves as a hand piece.
When used as a stool the sections a², and a³ telescope into the section a¹.
bindicates a swivelled head, which is swivelled within the upper end of the
cane section a¹ by means of a pin or screw b, which works in an angular groove bin
said head b. The swivelled head b is provided with an extension or stem 63,
which projects outward of the cane section a¹. To the extension or stem b³ of
the swivelled head b, a folding seat, which is adapted to be folded much after the
fashion of an umbrella, is attached. This seat comprises as follows: 6' indicate a
multiplicity of toggle levers which are hinged together to form a substantially
circular rim for the seat, when spread. indicate tension rods, which are loosely
hinged and pivoted to a flange on the extreme upper end of the extension or stem b³,
and are also pivoted one each joint which forms a connection between the toggle
levers 66 indicate a corresponding series of rods, the inner ends of which are
hinged to the stem or extension 63, just outward of the cane section a¹, and the
outer ends of which rods 66 are provided with eyes 6, which are adapted to
slide on the corresponding rods 65. 6s indicates a collar which is mounted to slide
on the stem 3, between the points of attachment thereto of the folding rods

page_text: and 66. Another series of rods 6' is provided for causing the simultaneous buckling
or folding of the toggle levers b+. The inner ends of these rods 69 are hinged to the
sliding collar, and the outer ends of the same are pivoted, one to the central
joint of each toggle lever 6. Preferably, a loose ring 610 is attached to one of the
joints between a pair of toggle levers, as best shown in Figure 8. When the seat
is folded, this ring 10 may be slipped over the ends of the folded parts to securely
hold the seat in its folded position.
c indicates a rim or ferule-like head which is mounted to slide loosely within
the cane section a¹, but is held from turning or rotating by means of a groove
on said head c, which works on a feather secured longitudinally to the interior of
the cane section a¹. The head c is provided with a depending hollow extension c³,
which is considerably reduced in cross section. Three folding legs are hinged,
at their upper ends, to the lower portion of the sliding head c, as shown at c.
These folding legs are segmental in cross section, and, when folded together,
around the reduced extension c³, are adapted to be telescopically inserted into
the cane section a¹. Spreading links or rods climit the spreading or opening
movements of the legs . These spreading rods or links c are loosely hinged or
connected to the lower end of the tubular extension c³, and, at their other ends, they
work freely through transverse flanges c, at the lower extremities of
said legs, but are provided with heads at their extremities, which
act as stops against the flanges to limit the spreading movements of
said legs. The lower portions of the supporting legs are also con-
nected by toggle levers . The intermediate joints of the toggle levers are
pivotally connected to the lower ends of light rods co, the upper ends of which
rods co are connected to a common ring, which is free to move vertically within
the tubular extension of the sliding head c.
The cane sections a and a¹ are locked together, and the sliding head c is locked
to said section a¹ by means of a spring latch of special construction. The cane
section a¹ is provided, just inward of the extremity of the swivelled head b,
with a transverse partition f, which is slotted at f¹. f indicates the body of the
latch, which body is provided with a projecting lock finger f³, which projects
inward through the slot f. The latch is mounted for reciprocating movement
on the outer face of the partition f, by means of a slot and screw engagement f
of said partition f. The outer end of the latch 2 is bevelled or cani shaped and
works through a suitable seat in the wall of the cane section a¹. Said latch f
is under tension from a spring f to move outward. When the cane sections a
and a are telescoped together, as indicated in Figure 2, the outer cam end of
the latch is thrown into engagement with the seat fo, which is cut in the
interior of the cane section a. This cam seat or detent f is provided with an
abrupt shoulder which prevents the movement of the section a¹ and latch fr in
one direction, and with an inclined side which permits the section a¹ to be rotated
in the other direction, and acts upon the end of said latch f2 to cam it into an
unlocking position, and thus disconnect or unlock the sections a and a¹.
с
The sliding head c is provided with a notch f, into which the extremity of the
lock finger is adapted to engage, when the parts are in the position illustrated
in Figures 1 and 2. The sliding head c is thus locked to the cane section a¹.
It will be noted that the extremity of the latch finger f³ is bevelled or cam
shaped so that, when the head c is forced inward, its engagement with said finger
will cam the latch finward and cause the automatic engagement of said
finger with said notch f. When the cane section a is turned in the proper
direction, with respect to the cane section a¹, the latch f f will be cammed inward,
and the said parts a a¹ and c will be unlocked, so that they may be drawn apart, as
already indicated.
The sliding head c carries a spring latch g, the nose of which works through a
suitable passage in the side wall of the same, and is adapted to enter a detent
or notch g at the lower end of the cane section a¹. The engagement of the
projecting nose of the spring g serves to prevent the head c from being drawn out

page_text: of the cane section a¹. It will, however, be noted that the nose of the spring g is
bevelled or cam-shaped so that it will be cammed out of the notch or detent g¹ when
the head c is forced inward.
The lower sections are normally held or locked together by a spring latch
carried by one of said parts, and engageable with a notch or perforation in the other of
said parts.
The lower end of the lowermost cane section a³ is closed by a removable ferule or
cap n, which is removably secured in place, preferably by a bayonet joint, and,
as shown, is provided with a rubber tip n².
When the cane is to be set up as a stool, the cane section a should be turned
on the section a¹ to release or unlock the parts a a¹ and head c, as already
described and the sections a as disconnected. This having been done, the
supporting legs should be drawn out of the cane section a¹ and spread or opened
up, as illustrated in Figure 4. The legs et normally project at their lower ends into
the upper end of the cane section a³, and are locked thereto by means of a spring
latch on one of said legs e, which normally engages a notch or perforation t¹ in
the upper portion of said cane section a². The nose of this spring catch tis.
bevelled in one direction so that it may be disengaged from the notch t¹, simply
by pushing the cane section 12 onto the folded legs ; and then, by turning the said
parts slightly, they be separated or drawn apart.
The upper section a of the cane may then be forced downward over the
section a This forces the folded parts of the seat out of said section a
and the seat may then be spread or opened up, as illustrated in Figure 4 and 5.
The stool or seat is then ready for use.
It will of course, be understood that various alterations in the specific details
of construction above described may be made without departing-from the spirit
of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I consider novel and desire to claim is:-
1. The combination with a cane, of a stool involving in its seat portion the
connected series of toggle levers, the central stem or head, brace rods connecting
alternate joints of said toggle levers with said central head or stem, and the
intermediate series of rods connected to a common sliding part on said central stem
and to the intermediate joints of said toggle levers, substantially as described.
2. The combination with a cane constructed of a multiplicity of tubular
telescopically connected sections, of a stool involving in its seat portion the
connected series of toggle levers 64, the central stem or head, the series of rods 65
connecting the joints of said toggle levers with said central head or stem the
series of rods 6 hinged to said central stem or head and provided with eyes b
working on said rods 5, the sliding ring or collar 68 on said central head or stem,
and the series of rods & connecting the intermediate joints of said toggle levers 6*
with said sliding ring or collar 18, substantially as described.
3. The combination with a cane made up of a multiplicity of tubular
telescopically connected sections, of a folding stool, the base of which involves the
hinged and folding legs c¹ connected by the toggle levers 9, the rods c hinged
to the sliding tube and working through seats in the free ends of said legs c*,
and the rods c¹ connecting the toggle levers with a common ring or part c¹¹,
loosely mounted within said tubular extension 3, substantially as described.
4. In a cane, the combination with the sections a and a¹, provided respectively
with the cam notch f and slotted partition f f¹, of the sliding tubular head c with
notch, the spring-pressed latch f2f operating as described, a folding case carried
y said sliding head c and a folding seat insertible into said cane section a
ubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.
5. The combination with a cane, of a stool involving in its seat portion a
connected series of toggle levers, the central stem or head, brace-rods connecting

page_text: the alternate joints of said toggle levers with said central head or stem, and the
intermediate series of rods connected to a common part on said central stem and to
the intermediate joints of said toggle levers, whereby said toggle levers may be
simultaneously folded, substantially as described.
Dated this 23rd day of September 1898.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
100, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.