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US 4,316,616 AGranted
Self-propelling and steering attachment for a wheel-chair
OwnerBernard Boivininventor
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OwnerBernard Boivininventor
Estimating the term…
A self-propelling and steering attachment for a wheel-chair which can be installed and removed by the user while remaining seated in the wheel-chair and which comprises a sleeve, a steering post rotatably supported by the sleeve, a ground-engaging steering and propelling wheel carried by the lower end of the steering post, a crank mechanism carried by the top end of the steering post, a power transmission connecting the crank and the steering and propelling wheel, a framework which is quickly connectable to, and disconnectable from, the front frame portion of the wheel-chair, and a pair of superposed longitudinally-extending bars interconnecting the framework and the sleeve. The upper bar is rigid with the sleeve at one end and pivots relative to the framework at the other end. The lower bar is pivotally connected to the sleeve and to the framework and is extensible and retractable, being provided with a locking pin to lock this bar to a retracted, adjusted length. For installation of the attachment, the user first rigidly connects the framework to the wheel-chair front frame portion, while the locking pin is removed, then he pushes forwardly on the crank mechanism or on the upper portion of the steering post to cause the latter to attain a more upright position, therefore causing the front swivel wheels of the wheel-chair to raise off the ground. With this movement, the lower bar has retracted and the user then inserts the locking pin to lock the lower bar in retracted position.
A self-propelling and steering attachment for a wheel-chair of the type having a frame, rear larger diameter wheels supporting said frame and front smaller diameter swivel wheels supporting said frame at the front frame portion thereof, said attachment comprising a front sleeve, a steering post rotatably supported in said sleeve, a ground-engaging steering and propelling wheel carried by the bottom of said steering post, drive means for said steering and propelling wheel, a rear framework, means on said framework to rigidly connect and disconnect the same to and from the front frame portion of said wheel-chair, and two superposed bars extending longitudinally forwardly from said rear framework and interconnecting the latter and said sleeve, one of said bars being extensible and retractable and pivotally connected to said rear framework and to said sleeve for pivotal movement about horizontal transverse axes relative to said wheel-chair, and the other of said bars being rigidly secured to one of said framework and of said sleeve and pivotally connected to the other of said framework and of said sleeve for pivotal movement about a horizontal transverse axis relative to said wheel-chair, and means to lock said extensible and retractable bar to an adjusted length, whereby a wheel-chair user, while seated in the wheel-chair, can secure said framework to said wheel-chair front frame portion when said locking means are in released position and while said front swivel wheels of the wheel-chair rest on a support surface, and then the user can lift said swivel wheels off the ground by pushing forwardly of said steering post to cause the same to take more vertical attitude, thereby causing a change of length of said extensible and retractable bar and then locking the latter in its final position with the swivel wheels remaining raised off the supporting surface and the wheel-chair resting on said supporting surface only by the rear large diameter wheels and the steering and propelling wheel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.