Walking Stick

Abstract

Disclosed is a walking stick made from a plurality of telescoping rigid tubular members. Locking joints at the juncture of adjacent tubular members allow the height of the walking stick to be adjusted. A resilient handle grip surrounds the upper surface of the top-most tubular member. A ball shaped top is fastened to the end of the top-most tubular member. The walking stick is capable of being used as an aid to help a person rise from a sitting position by placing the person's weight on the ball shaped top portion and using arm muscles to push up from the seated position to a standing position. In the preferred embodiment the ball shape is approximately three inches in diameter.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A walking stick comprising:
 a plurality of telescoping rigid tubular members;   one or more locking joints;   a handle grip portion; and   a ball shaped top portion;   wherein adjacent ones of telescoping tubular members are slidably and concentrically arranged with each other, the sliding arrangement of the members determining a height of the walking stick;   wherein said locking joints are positioned at junctures between adjacent ones of said telescoping tubular members, the locking members adjustable from an unlocked configuration where adjacent members can slide relative to one another, and a locked configuration where adjacent tubular members are fixed relative to one another, whereby said locking joints fix the height of said walking stick in the locked configuration;   wherein said handle grip portion surrounds an upper surface of a top-most tubular member of the plurality of tubular members and forms a resilient surface about at least a portion of the top-most tubular member; and   wherein said ball shaped top portion is fastened to a proximal end of said top-most tubular member.   
     
     
         2 . The walking stick as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said ball shaped top portion has a diameter selected to be grasped by one or two human hands. 
     
     
         3 . The walking stick as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said ball shaped portion has a diameter of approximately three inches. 
     
     
         4 . The walking stick as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said ball shaped portion is formed from a resilient material. 
     
     
         5 . The walking stick as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said ball shaped portion forms a contiguous surface with the handle grip portion. 
     
     
         6 . The walking stick as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a strap connected with the top-most tubular member. 
     
     
         7 . The walking stick as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the strap forms a loop. 
     
     
         8 . The walking stick as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the locking joint comprises a locking ring. 
     
     
         9 . The walking stick as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the locking joint comprises a spring-loaded detent on one tubular member that engages with a selected hole of a plurality of holes on an adjacent tubular member. 
     
     
         10 . The walking stick as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a traction member connected with a distal end of a bottom-most tubular member of the plurality of the tubular members, the traction member adapted to provide traction when the walking stick is in contact with a terrain surface. 
     
     
         11 . The walking stick as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the traction member comprises a sharpened tip. 
     
     
         12 . The walking stick as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the traction member comprises a foot portion. 
     
     
         13 . The walking stick as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein a distal surface of the foot portion comprises treads. 
     
     
         14 . The walking stick as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the foot portion is removably connected with the distal end of the bottom-most tubular member and wherein a sharpened tip is provided at the distal end of the bottom-most tubular member, the sharpened tip being exposed when the foot portion is removed. 
     
     
         15 . The walking stick as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the foot portion is formed from a resilient material. 
     
     
         16 . The walking stick as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the sharpened tip is formed from a metal.