Pneumatic Crutch.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 8th July, 1895-Accepted, 7th Sept., 1895
TRUVIDIUNAL SPECIFICATION.
Pneumatic Crutch.
ROSE AGNES WARD Croft House Geddington Kettering Northampton.
I ROSE AGNES WARD do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The head of crutch is a simple socket of wood fitted with pneumatic cushion
soft and springy to the arm, and saving the continual trouble and expense attending
the present style of covering with leather, and padding with some woolly substance,
the bottom of crutch is slightly hollowed and fitted with solid india rubber ball,
preventing the destruction in time of the crutch itself by continual nailing on of
leather caps as is now the only way of protecting the bottom of crutches, the ball
can be removed without damage to the wood and a fresh ball inserted inside the
socket for ball is a metal lining this method is safe, springy, and noiseless.
Dated this 12th day of February 1895.
ROSE AGNES WARD.
ROSE AGNES WARD The Croft House Geddington Kettering Northampton-
shire 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:-
The head of crutch is a socket of wood or metal, with or without ends, in which
is fitted a pneumatic cushion with or without an additional covering of leather,
canvass, cloth, or any other material, the cushion is inflated through a valve
passing through the middle of socket underneath, this valve helps to keep the
cushion in place, and the ends of socket complete the fixture by means of pressure
only, if the socket is made without ends the cushion must be fixed by means of an
adhesive substance, or extra screw at the opposite end to valve the valve in this
case being placed one end screw the other. The base of crutch is a cup of wood or
metal fitted with solid ball of rubber fixed by pressure only.
The great advantage of my invention of a pneumatic cushion for the head of a
crutch consists in the increased comfort to the arm, and in the saving of expense
and trouble continually arising from re-covering and padding the heads of present
style of crutches, once made the pneumatic cushion is no further trouble or
inconvenience, lasting for years, unless damaged by accident.
A small inflator costing 2/6 is ail that is required with these pneumatic cushions,
and the latter can be inflated to any degree of resistance, neat and elegant in
appearance delightfully yielding and pleasant to the arm.
The advantage of the ball of solid rubber at the base of crutch is immense, fitted
into a socket by pressure only, it can be removed without injury to the crutch
itself, and when worn upon one side the ball can be turned about until completely
worn out. The nailing on of leather tips to the bottom of crutches wears away

page_text: the wood work, consequently the present method is unsafe and destructive, if the
leather cap is not nailed it wears down and often falls off, my invention prevents
the destruction of wood work, and all other inconveniences arising from the
present style of protection for the end or base of crutches.
Fig. 4 shows how the ball of rubber is placed in socket of wood or metal made
in the shape of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 shows the socket of wood or metal for pneumatic cushion.
Fig. 6 is the pneumatic cushion without socket.
Fig. 7 is the cushion as it appears when placed in the socket.
Fig. 1 is the valve through which the cushion is inflated, passing through middle
hole of Fig. 5.
If the socket for head of crutch is made in wood the extra pieces Fig. 2 are not
required for it to rest upon, as sufficient depth in the bottom of socket can be
allowed for the stem of crutch to fix in.
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 claim is
1st. Pneumatic cushion (inflated by means of an inflater) for head of crutch and
solid india rubber ball for base of same.
1 1007