US 6,085,766 AGranted

Geary convertible crutch system

OwnerJohn A. Gearyinventor

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Abstract

A compacting, adjustable walking aid comprising a shaft (20) made up of three rigid tubular members (22, 23, 24) arranged in telescopic fashion adjustably connected to one another by spring-loaded push button release pins (25) in cooperation with apertures in the tubes. A readily removable underarm support (30) secured by a release pin (25A) caps the upper shaft tube (22). A readily removable crutch handle (32), secured by a hand operated release assembly (32C), extends perpendicularly from a designated portion of the upper tubular member (22). This invention may be readily compacted telescopically to approximately one third of its extended length. By removing the upper shaft tube (22), and capping the middle shaft tube (23) with the appropriate attachment, this invention may be readily converted from a full-sized crutch to a forearm crutch (46), or a cane (48). Shock absorbing end tip (34) may be replaced with a quad tip attachment (50) transforming the cane to a quad cane. The utilization of push button release pins on all three shaft tubes, coupled with apertures on the interchangeable attachments, allow this invention to be transfigured into innumerable variations. When not in use as a walking aid, this invention may be converted to a multipurpose tool with any number of household, survival, and recreational uses.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A collapsible, adjustable multi-purpose crutch comprising:

a shaft comprising at least two tubular members, the diameter of one of the members being larger than the diameter of the other of the members, each member having a top and a bottom end;
the tubular members telescoping within one another, the top end of the one member being received within the bottom end of the other member,
each of the tubular members having a plurality of apertures therein, at least two of said apertures being first apertures located in the top ends of the members, at least two of said apertures being second apertures located in the bottom ends of the members,
a plurality of release pin assemblies, the assemblies being received in the apertures of the tubular members interconnecting the members to form the shaft,
the shaft having an extended length when the members are interconnected with the first apertures of the other member adjacent the second apertures of the one member, the shaft being able to compact to less than half the extended length of the shaft,
the members being disassembled by releasing the pins from the apertures in the members, and removing the other member from within the one member,
the shaft being capable of receiving a plurality of attachments there along,
a support releasibly attached to the top end of the one member by one of the pin assemblies received within the first aperture of the one member, the support having apertures therein receiving the assemblies,
a crutch handle attached to one of the members including a hand-operated release device which extends substantially perpendicularly from the upper member, and
a tip releasibly attached to the bottom end of the other member by one of the pin assemblies received within the second aperture of the other member, the tip having apertures therein receiving the assemblies.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.