Canes that can truly fold in half require a hinge that was unavailable in the market place until Dapper Products, Inc. developed and patented such an item in 2005. Prior to that the only canes that could “fold” consisted of a series of tubes that nested one into another when the cane was being used, and held together with an inner elastic cord. In fact, calling it a folding cane was a misnomer, as it was just 4 or 5 tubular pieces connected with an elastic cord that loosely joins the cane parts, making it collapsible but not foldable.
The Dapper Products invention (US Patent 7,003,849) allows a standard aluminum cane, whether off-set, derby or candy cane handle, to be cut in half and simply joined through the use of a hinge. The Dapper Products hinge is an ingenuously designed self-locking device that is simple to manufacture and comes in a variety of shapes, making it extremely adaptable for cane application requirements. It has few parts, allowing it to be cost effective, simple to use, and very reliable. A cane using this unique hinge can easily be opened and closed with one hand, while at the same time creating a strong hinge connection.
The advantage of using a true hinge in the folding cane application is that it allows the user to fold the cane by simply depressing a button. Unfolding or opening the cane is accomplished by merely flipping it from the folded position to the open position using one hand. This arrangement is particularly attractive to people with hand problems as it requires minimum effort, strength, and dexterity to fold or unfold the cane. The more difficult to use multi-piece folding cane requires significant force to pull apart the nested pieces that tend to wedge tightly together as it is used.
The Dapper Product Cane is the only folding cane available for smaller stature people (4’8”) as well as those taller (6’-6”.) Its sturdy build even prevents the cane from pulling apart if the tip should become wedged in a grating or crevice, unlike the multi-piece collapsible travel cane. The Dapper Product Cane is truly a superior, well-built product that provides clients with confidence, security, and convenience with the press of a button
You may find this site to be interesting www.dappercanes.com
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