Crutch gauge measuring device

Claim 2

A crutch gauge for determining the length of a crutch for a person including: a pair of side members; a plurality of securing means to secure said side members to each other at spaced longitudinal portions; one of said securing means securing said side members to each other adjacent their lower ends, said one securing means being disposed between said side members adjacent their lower ends; said one securing means having longitudinal passage means extending therethrough; an adjustable extension leg extending through said longitudinal passage means in said one securing means to engage a floor or the like to support said side members; longitudinal guide means for said adjustable extension leg; said longitudinal guide means being supported by said side members and extending into the upper end of said adjustable extension leg to allow said adjustable extension leg to have only longitudinal relative movement with respect to said longitudinal guide means; releasable locking means to releasably lock said adjustable extension leg to said one securing means; said releasable locking means including: a pair of movable means carried by said longitudinal guide means and spaced longitudinally from each other; longitudinally spaced receiving means in said one securing means to receive each of said pair of movable means; and a plurality of longitudinally and equally spaced enabling means in said adjustable extension leg to enable each of said pair of movable means to pass through one of said enabling means into one of said receiving means to lock said adjustable extension leg to said one securing means; and means to render said releasable locking means ineffective while each of said securing means remains effective to enable relative movement between said side members and said adjustable extension leg so that the overall length of a crutch may be determined.

Claim 3

The crutch gauge according to claim 1 in which said rendering means includes means to cause substantially simultaneous withdrawal of each of said pair of movable means from one of said receiving means and one of said enabling means in said adjustable extension leg to unlock said adjustable extension leg from said one securing means.

Claim 4

The crutch gauge according to claim 2 including resilient means to continuously urge each of said pair of movable means into one of said receiving means when said rendering means is not effective.

Claim 5

The crutch gauge according to claim 3 in which at least one of said adjustable extension leg and said one securing means has indicating means to indicate the position of said adjustable extension leg with respect to said side members to enable determination of the overall length of a crutch for the person.

Claim 6

The crutch gauge according to claim 1 in which at least one of said adjustable extension leg and said one securing means has indicating means to indicate the position of said adjustable extension leg with respect to said side members to enable determination of the overall length of a crutch for the person.

Claim 7

The crutch gauge according to claim 1 in which: said adjustable extension leg is a hollow tube; said tube includes closure means at its upper end substantially closing its upper end, said closure means has an opening therein; said longitudinal guide means includes a flat bar of rectangular cross section substantially the same size as said opening in said closure means of said tube and extending into the upper end of said tube through said opening in said closure means of said tube; said flat bar is supported by another of said securing means; said releasable locking means includes: first support means supported by said flat bar within said tube; and second support means supported by said flat bar within said tube, said second support means being spaced longitudinally from said first support means and being disposed near the bottom of said flat bar; said pair of movable means of said releasable locking means includes a first locking element slidably supported by said first support means and a second locking element slidably supported by said second support means; said longitudinally spaced receiving means in said one securing means includes first receiving means aligned with said first support means to receive said first locking element and second receiving means aligned with said second support means to receive said second locking element; and said enabling means of said releasable locking means includes enabling means longitudinally spaced from each other along said tube at substantially equal distances and disposd on diametrically opposite sides of said tube to enable said first locking element supported by said first support means to pass through one of said enabling means into said first receiving means and said second locking element supported by said second support means to pass through another of said enabling means into said second receiving means to lock said adjustable extension leg to said one securing means.

Claim 8

The crutch gauge according to claim 6 in which: said first support means extends through the portion of said flat bar within said tube; said first support means has substantially horizontal passage means to slidably support said first locking element therein; said second support means extends through the portion of said flat bar within said tube; and said second support means has substantially horizontal passage means to slidably support said second locking element.

Claim 9

The crutch gauge according to claim 7 in which: said rendering means includes: single actuating means connected to said first locking element and said second locking element; and moving means connected to said single actuating means intermediate the connection of said single actuating means to said first locking element and said second locking element to simultaneously withdraw said first locking element from said first receiving means in said one securing means and one of said enabling means in said tube and said second locking element from said second receiving means in said one securing means and another of said enabling means in said tube; and resilient means acting on said single actuating means to continuously urge said first locking element into said first receiving means in said one securing means and one of said enabling means in said tube and said second locking element into said second receiving means in said one securing means and another of said enabling means in said tube.

Claim 10

The crutch gauge according to claim 8 in which said moving means of said rendering means includes: cable means connected to said single actuating means; and activating means connected to said cable means, said activating means being disposed adjacent the upper ends of said side members and above each of said securing means except the uppermost of said securing means to move said cable means to simultaneously withdraw said first locking element from said first receiving means in said one securing means and one of said enabling means in said tube and said second locking element from said second receiving means in said one securing means and another of said enabling means in said tube.

Claim 11

The crutch gauge according to claim 9 in which: said single actuating means includes an actuator having one end connected to said first locking element on one side of said flat bar and its other end connected to said second locking element on the other side of said flat bar; and said flat bar has passage means extending therethrough to have said actuator pass therethrough.

Claim 12

The crutch gauge according to claim 10 in which: said tube has indicia means thereon to indicate the position of said tube with respect to said side members to enable determination of the overall length of a crutch for the person; and said one securing means has an opening therein to view the one of said indicia means that indicates the position of said tube with respect to said side members to enable determination of the overall length of a crutch for the person.

Claim 13

The crutch gauge according to claim 11 including means attached to said tube to enable retaining of said tube against movement while said side members are moved relative thereto when said rendering means is effective.

Claim 14

The crutch gauge according to claim 12 in which: each of said enabling means in said tube includes a pair of diametrically disposed openings in said tube; and each of said first and second receiving means in said one securing means includes an opening in said one securing means to receive one of said first and second locking elements, one of said openings being on one side of said one securing means and the other of said openings being on the other side of said one securing means.

Claim 15

The crutch gauge according to claim 6 in which: each of said enabling means in said tube includes a pair of diametrically disposed openings in said tube; and each of said first and second receiving means in said one securing means includes an opening in said one securing means to receive one of said first and second locking elements, one of said openings being on one side of said one securing means and the other of said openings being on the other side of said one securing means.

Claim 16

The crutch gauge according to claim 6 in which: said tube has indicia means thereon to indicate the position of said tube with respect to said side members to enable determination of the overall length of a crutch for the person; and said one securing means has an opening therein to view the one of said indicia means that indicates the position of said tube with respect to said side members to enable determination of the overall length of a crutch for the person.

Claim 17

The crutch gauge according to claim 1 in which: said adjustable extension leg has indicia means thereon to indicate the position of said adjustable extension leg with respect to said side members to enable determination of the overall length of a crutch for the person; and said one securing means has an opening therein to view the one of said indicia means that indicates the position of said adjustable extension leg with respect to said side members to enable determination of the overall length of a crutch for the person.

Claim 18

The crutch gauge according to claim 1 in which: each of said enabling means in said adjustable extension leg includes a pair of diametrically disposed openings in said adjustable extension leg; and each of said longitudinally spaced receiving means in said one securing means includes an opening in said one securing means to receive one of said pair of movable means, one of said openings being on one side of said one securing means and the other of said openings being on the other side of said one securing means.

Claim 19

The crutch gauge according to claim 1 in which said rendering means includes: removing means to simultaneously remove each of said pair of movable means of said releasable locking means from said enabling means in said adjustable extension leg and said receiving means in said one securing means to unlock said adjustable extension leg from said one securing means; and said removing means including actuating means adjacent the upper ends of said side members and above each of said securing means except the uppermost of said securing means to actuate said removing means to unlock said adjustable extension leg from said one securing means.

Claim 20

The crutch gauge according to claim 1 in which one of said pair of movable means is disposed in substantially the same plane as the bottom of each of said side members.

Claim 21

A crutch gauge for determining the length of a crutch for a person including: a pair of side members, each of said side members having its lower portion angled inwardly toward the lower portion of the other of said side members; a plurality of securing means to secure said side members to each other at spaced longitudinal portions; one of said securing means securing said lower portions of said side members to each other adjacent their lower ends, said one securing means being disposed between said lower portions of said side members adjacent their lower ends; said one securing means comprising: a hollow tube having longitudinal passage means extending therethrough; and means to secure said hollow tube to said lower portion of each of said side members; and adjustable extension leg extending through said longitudinal passage in said one securing means to engage a floor or the like to support said side members; longitudinal guide means for said adjustable extension leg; said longitudinal guide means being supported by said side members and extending into the upper end of said adjustable extension leg to allow said adjustable extension leg to have only longitudinal relative movement with respect to said longitudinal guide means; releasable locking means to releasably lock said adjustable extension leg to said one securing means; said releasable locking means including: a pair of movable means carried by said longitudinal guide means and spaced longitudinally from each other; longitudinally spaced receiving means in said one securing means to receive each of said pair of movable means; and a plurality of longitudinally and equally spaced enabling means in said adjustable extension leg to enable each of said pair of movable means to pass through one of said enabling means into one of said receiving means to lock said adjustable extension leg to said one securing means; and means to render said releasable locking means ineffective while each of said securing means remains effective to enable relative movement between said side members and said adjustable extension leg so that the overall length of a crutch may be determined.

Claim 22

A crutch gauge for determining the length of a crutch for a person including: a pair of side members, each of said side members having its lower portion angled inwardly toward the lower portion of the other of said side members; a plurality of securing means to secure said side members to each other at spaced longitudinal portions; one of said securing means securing said lower portions of said side members to each other adjacent their lower ends, said one securing means being disposed between said lower portions of said side members adjacent their lower ends; said one securing means comprising: a hollow tube having longitudinal passage means extending therethrough; and means to secure said hollow tube to said lower portion of each of said side members; and adjustable extension leg extending through said longitudinal passage in said one securing means to engage a floor or the like to support said side members; longitudinal guide means for said adjustable extension leg; said longitudinal guide means being supported by said side members and extending into the upper end of said adjustable extension leg to allow said adjustable extension leg to have only longitudinal relative movement with respect to said longitudinal guide means; releasable locking means to releasably lock said adjustable extension leg to said one securing means; said releasable locking means including: a pair of movable means carried by said longitudinal guide means and spaced longitudinally from each other; longitudinally spaced receiving means in said one securing means to receive each of said pair of movable means; and a plurality of longitudinally and equally spaced enabling means in said adjustable extension leg to enable each of said pair of movable means to pass through one of said enabling means into one of said receiving means to lock said adjustable extension leg to said one securing means; and means to render said releasable locking means ineffective while each of said securing means remains effective to enable relative movement between said side members and said adjustable extension leg so that the overall length of a crutch may be determined.