Mechanism for holding a cane upright

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described for holding a cane upright when the cane is not in use, the mechanism enclosed in a housing that can be fitted inside or attached onto a cane and providing a button that, when operated, releases a pair of props that spring out and spread apart so that rubber surfaces on the props will enable the cane to lean against a vertical surface, such as a wall, or hang from a horizontal surface, such as a table, the props subsequently able to be closed together and tucked into the housing where the same button that released them also latches them inside the housing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mechanism for holding a cane upright comprised of:
 a) a frame, said frame elongate and having connected thereto components of the mechanism and able to connect said components to a cane;   b) propping means, said propping means pivot ably connected to said frame and pivotable between a retracted position in which said propping means are in said frame and an outward projecting position in which said propping means project outward from said frame, said propping means including hinged elongate members that when projecting outward are able to spread apart, said spread apart elongate members being on a plane that is approximately perpendicular to said frame, and when spread apart said elongate members subsequently able to be closed together such that said propping means can be retracted into said frame;   c) resilient means, said resilient means biasing said propping means into said outward-projecting position and biasing said elongate members into said spread-apart position; and,   d) retaining means, said retaining means able to retain said propping means in said retracted position and said retaining means able to be operated to release said propping means to project outward.   
     
     
         2 . A mechanism for holding a cane upright as defined in  claim 1 , said resilient means including resilient means connected between said frame and said propping means and said resilient means including resilient means between said elongate members. 
     
     
         3 . A mechanism for holding a cane upright as defined in  claim 1 , said retaining means being latching means that can engage said propping means when said propping means in said retracted position, and that can disengage from said propping means to allow said propping means to project outward,