The present invention provides a manually operable propulsion unit for the detachable attachment to a wheelchair in which the wheels are arranged to be driven by circular hand rails fixedly attached to, concentric with and laterally spaced outside the wheels of the wheelchair so as to facilitate manual propulsion of the wheelchair by means of the back and forwards motion of hand levers in addition to the wheelchair being propellable directly by the hand rails. The manually operatable propulsion unit is detachably attachable to the wheelchair and suitably comprises a pair of crossbars each adapted to be detachably attached dimetrically across one of the handrails, basebar means adapted to be detachably attached transversely of the frame of the wheelchair, a pair of hand lever bars pivotably mounted about a horizontal axis on the basebar means on either side of the wheelchair, a pair of mounting means each on one of said crossbars extending across the hand rail and a pair of connecting bars each pivotably mounted at either end to said mounting means at a point off-center from the center of the hand rail and to an intermediate point on the hand lever bar such that the back and forwards motion in the vertical plane of each of the hand lever bars drives its associated wheel of the wheelchair via the attached hand rail. The present invention also provides a conversion kit which on erection provides said unit.
A single-handed manual drive wheelchair assembly (20) for a wheelchair (10) is provided for triplegic persons having use of only one hand. A first drive wheel (22) is provided rotatably mounted to one side (13) of a wheelchair frame (11), while a second drive wheel (23) is rotatably mounted to an opposite side (14) of the frame (20). A manual hand-rim assembly (26) positioned proximate the first drive wheel (22) which is mounted for rotation relative to the first drive wheel (22) about a common wheel axis (24). An elongated drive axle member (30) is coupled between the hand-rim assembly (26) and the second drive wheel (23) which is substantially axially aligned to rotate about the common wheel axis (24). The axle member (30) includes a first latching mechanism (31) on one end thereof which is releasably coupled to the hand-rim assembly (26). The axle member (30) further includes a second latching mechanism (32) on an opposite end thereof which is releasably coupled to the second drive wheel (23) such that manual rotation of the hand-rim assembly (26) from a working-hand side of the wheelchair (10) rotatably drives the second drive wheel (23).
The invention comprises a drive system for use in association with a wheelchair. The drive system includes at least one input gear system, a structure for powering at least one input gear system, at least one transfer gear system, a positioning member, and a structure for transferring movement of the transfer gear system to a wheel. The positioning member positions the desired one of at least two sets of gears of the at least one transfer gear with at least one of the two sets of gears of the at least one input gear system through slidable movement of the at least one of the transfer gear system and the input gear system along their respective axes of rotation. This, in turn, engages the desired gear of the transfer gear system to the desired gear of the input gear system during continuous rotation of these gears. Additionally, the invention includes a handle member for use with a linear conversion system. Further, the invention includes a structure for preventing seizure of a linear conversion system in the event of an improper direction selection.
This invention provides wheelchair propulsion devices that do not contact the axles of the wheels to which they are attached, that decrease the amount of force required to propel the wheelchair, and that can be easily installed. The devices toggle between sliding with and engaging with the push ring depending on the force applied by the user. This invention provides kits comprising a device of this invention and instructions for assembling the device, instructions for using the device, and/or a device for the opposite side of the wheelchair. This invention provides methods for propelling a wheelchair. This invention provides non-axle-contacting, manual wheelchair propulsion devices for use by a wheelchair rider. The devices contact the push ring of a wheelchair in three or more locations.
A manually propelled wheelchair (10) powered by the chair occupant. Hand power levers (11,12) are pivoted on each side of the chair frame (15). Drive cables (25) connect each lever to a wheel pulley (20) which in turn acts through one-way clutches to propel the wheels (16, 17) during the power stroke as the lever pulls the drive cable. The clutches permit free wheeling of the chair except during the application of drive power. Recoil springs (46) rewind the cable on the pulley during the lever's return stroke. The point of cable attachment (19) to the lever is changed by rotating the lever handle (21) to change the ratio of lever movement to wheel movement. Moving the attachment point below the pivot point reverses the direction of the power and the return strokes. Directional control is obtained by differential application of power to the wheels and by selective wheel braking. For single hand operation, a single axle is used for both wheels. Directional control is provided by differential wheel braking with brake control levers for each wheel mounted on the single hand power lever.
An exercising system for use by wheelchair bound users, uses a platform that has a pair of rollers on which the user can stationarily roll the wheelchair. A first pulley allows the user to perform reciprocating up and down rope and pulley exercises, while a pair of foot pedals allow for lower body exercising. The foot pedals can be attached to the platform and can have a rope over a pulley assist mechanism or the foot pedals can be attached directly to the wheelchair and can operate independently of the platform. A punching bag or other similar item can be attached to the exercising system in order to increase the range of physical activities that can be performed by a user.
