Manually operable crutch and cane stand

An improved walking aid including:

• an elongate, normally upright strut having a lower and an upper end;
• a support stand adapted to be mounted on said strut and including a cylindrical sleeve, a number of elongated legs pivotally mounted in spaced relation on the outer circumference of said sleeve, a cylindrical collar shiftable toward and away from said sleeve, and a number of pivot bars respectively intercoupling said legs with said collar,
• said sleeve being rigidly secured on said strut adjacent said lower end, a portion of said strut projecting below said sleeve,
• said collar being disposed above said sleeve in captive coaxial relation to said strut for reciprocal movement along the longitudinal axis thereof toward and away from said sleeve whereby said stand is rendered shiftable between an extended position wherein said legs project below said portion of the strut for engaging the ground and a collapsed position wherein said legs are folded alongside said strut above said portion,
• said portion including friction-increasing means at said lower end for securely engaging the ground when said stand is disposed in its collapsed position;
• and
• a remote control attached to the strut adjacent said upper end for selectively collapsing or extending said stand,
• said control having a manually manipulable lever, a mount pivotally securing said lever to said strut for up and down swinging movement about an axis laterally offset from said strut, and an elongated link extending between said stand and said lever in offset relation to said strut,
• said lever, mount and link cooperating to form an overcenter action whereby to releasably retain said stand in either of said positions.