Height-adjustable crutch

Claim 1

In a height-adjustable crutch comprising a main frame having a lower extremity, said lower extremity comprising a first and second side tube, a central hollow carrier member, and an extensible and retractable leg support member for telescoping reception in said central carrier member, said central carrier member comprising a front quarter-surface and a rear quarter-surface, said front quarter-surface comprising a plurality of through-openings therein, and said rear quarter-surface comprising a plurality of through-openings therein, said front quarter-surface and said rear quarter-surface being in diametrically-opposed relationship, said leg support member comprising a pair of detent means for operational engagement in a respective pair of through- openings formed in said front quarter-surface and said rear quarter-surface, whereby the height of said crutch may be adjusted depending upon which pair of through-openings said detent means is in operational engagement, the improvement comprising: said central carrier member comprising a first lateral quarter-surface and a second lateral quarter-surface, a first elongated ribbed member forming part of said first lateral quarter-surface, and a second elongated ribbed member forming part of said second lateral quarter-surface; each of said first and second elongated ribbed members defining an exterior concave surface, a respective one of said side tubes being matingly juxtapositioned against said exterior concave surface of a respective said first and second elongated ribbed member, said mating relationship occurring between a respective said exterior concave surface and a circumferential portion of said respective first and second tube; each of said first and second ribbed members defining a hollow interior, said hollow interior of each of said first and second ribbed members cooperating with the hollow interior of the remainder of said central carrier member, whereby said extensible leg member may be reciprocated within said hollow interior of said central carrier member in an unrestricted manner; a first means for securing said first side tube to said first ribbed member, and a second means for securing said second ribbed member to said second side tube, said first and second means for securing being separate and independent of each other, a respective inner end of each of said first and second means for securing being fixedly secured to a portion of a respective one of said first and second ribbed members, whereby structural integrity and stiffness is provided to the crutch.