Occupant actuated means for propelling, stopping, directing, and curb hopping a wheelchair

Abstract

Abstract Self-propulsion subassemblies are respectively secured to large wheel receiving shafts or bearing bolts of wheelchairs and wheelstretchers. An occupant utilizing his arm, shoulder and trunk strengths operates these self-propulsion subassemblies to propel, stop, turn and/or curb hop his or her wheelchair. The wheelchair, in then serving as an extension of his or her body, becomes much more effective. A wheelstretcher likewise becomes much more maneuverable in moving its occupant. These selfpropulsion subassemblies are installed as important accessories on otherwise essentially undisturbed wheelchairs or wheelstretchers. Their addition does not effect the initially designed structures or operations of the wheelchairs or wheelstretchers, but rather substantially improves them when self-propulsion is undertaken. The self-propulsion subassemblies include: radially extending rotatable stroke handles, also referred to as drive bars or drive levers, each one being located outside a large wheel and mountable on a large wheel shaft, also referred to as a bearing bolt, secured in turn to the frame of a wheelchair by using a lock nut and, as necessary, spacing washers; drive dog subassemblies mounted on the free ends of respective stroke handles, having an adjustable position head frame, selectively positioned on the stroke handle, forward and/or reverse driving dogs pivotally secured to the head frame and formed to grip a tire of a large wheel upon a propulsion stroke and to release its grip on the tire upon a return stroke; resilient retainers to selectively hold one or both of the forward and/or reverse driving dogs well clear of the tire; and hand gripping or manipulating drive handle units, each mounted on a respective head frame and having a sleeve rotatable about its own mounting pivot pin and mounted either firmly or spring biased into radial alignment with the stroke handle; overall motion limit subassemblies for the stroke handles respectively secured to each bearing bolt, preferably by brazing and having a circular plate or disc with circumferentially spaced holes; two sets of bolts and nuts for selective positioning and securement in these circumferentially spaced holes in the disc to then serve as stops in limiting the forward and reverse motions of the stroke handle; and a clip mounted with one set of the bolts and nuts to hold the stroke handle in this selected inactive position, when the wheelchair is carried in a car or when the wheelchair is being pushed by an attendant; braking materials adjustably positioned on each stroke handle to be moved transversely into contact with a large wheel or the hand rim of a large wheel, as the drive handle units are pushed transversely toward one another; and retractable and extendable additional length units of each stroke handle, optionally mounted so the extended stroke handles, also referred to as drive bars or drive levers, upon pivoting in contact with the ground, movably support the wheelchair and the occupant during his or her curb hopping maneuvers.

Inventors

• 👤 Donald L Bulmer

Bibliographic Details