Sports wheelchair

A wheelchair which is adapted for both sporting activities and daily use, the wheelchair comprising:

• a frame assembly;
• supporting means for supporting a user, the supporting means being operatively connected with the frame assembly;
• a pair of rear wheels;
• a rear wheel mounting means for selectively mounting each of the rear wheels to the frame assembly, the rear wheel mounting means being operatively connected with the frame assembly;
• a pair of front wheels;
• a pair of wheel fork assemblies each of which terminates at an upper end in a cylindrical shaft, one of the front wheels being rotatably mounted in each wheel fork assembly;
• a pair of wheel fork brackets each rotatably receiving one of the wheel fork assembly cylindrical shafts;
• and,
• a pair of mounting blocks each mounting one of the wheel fork brackets on the frame assembly in a selectively adjustable one of a plurality of vertical positions, each with the cylindrical shaft disposed generally vertically.

A wheelchair which is adapted for both sporting activities and daily use, the wheelchair comprising:

• a frame assembly;
• supporting means for supporting a user, the supporting means being operatively connected with the frame assembly;
• a pair of rear wheels;
• a rear wheel mounting means for selectively mounting each of the rear wheels to the frame assembly, the rear wheel mounting means being operatively connected with the frame assembly;
• a pair of front wheels;
• and,
• a pair of adjustable front wheel mounting means for selectively mounting each of the front wheels to the frame assembly with a selectable angle of attack, each front wheel mounting means including:
• a mounting block operatively connected with the frame assembly;
• a wheel fork bracket for rotatably receiving a wheel fork assembly for rotation about a generally vertical axis of rotation;
• a pivot means for connecting the wheel fork bracket and the mounting block such that pivotal movement of the wheel fork assembly axis of rotation is selectively permitted;
• a fastener and arcuate slot for connecting the wheel fork bracket and mounting block for limiting pivotal movement about the pivot means;
• and,
• angular adjustment locking means for selective disposition in the arcuate slot to foreshorten its effective length and limit relative pivotal movement between the wheel fork bracket and the mounting block.

A wheelchair which is adapted for both sporting activities and daily use, the wheelchair comprising:

• a frame assembly;
• supporting means for supporting a user, the supporting means being operatively connected with the frame assembly;
• a pair of rear wheels;
• a rear wheel mounting means for selectively mounting each of the rear wheels to the frame assembly, the rear wheel mounting means being operatively connected with the frame assembly;
• a pair of front wheels;
• a front wheel mounting means for selectively mounting each of the front wheels to the frame assembly;
• foot supporting means for supporting an operator's feet;
• and,
• means for adjustably connecting the foot supporting means with the frame assembly, the adjustable foot support connecting means including:
• a threaded sleeve portion operatively connected with one of the frame assembly and foot supporting means;
• a tubular member slidably received in the threaded sleeve, the tubular member being operatively connected with the other of the frame assembly and foot supporting means,
• a retaining ring disposed to abut the threaded sleeve portion and slidably receive the tubular member;
• and,
• camming means threadedly received on the threaded sleeve for selectively camming the retaining ring into nonsliding receipt with the tubular member to fix the foot supporting means position.

A wheelchair which is adapted for both sporting activities and daily use, the wheelchair comprising:

• a frame assembly;
• supporting means for supporting an operator, the supporting means being operatively connected with the frame assembly;
• a pair of rear wheels, each rear wheel including:
• a plurality of wire spokes;
• a pair of spoke shields for inhibiting objects from engaging the rear wheel spokes;
• a plurality of spoke clips for selectively attaching the spoke shields to the rear wheel spokes, each spoke clip including means for rotatably engaging the shield and a bayonet-type connector portion for selective connection with a spoke such that the clip is moved axially to receive a spoke and rotated to lock the spoke in the bayonet-type connector portion, spring tension between the shield and spoke acting to hold the clip and spoke locked;
• rear wheel mounting means for selectively mounting each of the rear wheels to the frame assembly, the rear wheel mounting means being operatively connected with the frame assembly;
• a pair of front wheels;
• and,
• a front wheel mounting means for selectively mounting each of the front wheels to the frame assembly.

A wheelchair which is adapted for both sporting activities and daily use, the wheelchair comprising:

• a frame assembly;
• supporting means for supporting an operator, the supporting means being operatively connected with the frame assembly, the supporting means including a back structure for engaging and supporting the operator's back;
• a pair of hinge plates for interconnecting the back structure and the frame assembly such that the back structure is adapted to be positioned in a generally vertical back supporting position and folded against the frame assembly in a folded position to lower the profile of the wheelchair;
• an adjustable connection means for interconnecting the back structure and the hinge plates such that the angular position of the back structure in the back supporting position is selectively adjustable;
• a back structure locking means operatively connected with the hinge plates and one of the frame assembly and the back structure for selectively locking the back structure in the back supporting position and selectively unlocking the back structure to pivot to the folded position generally against the frame assembly;
• a pair of rear wheels;
• a rear wheel mounting means for selectively mounting each of the rear wheels to the frame assembly, the rear wheel mounting means being operatively connected with the frame assembly;
• a pair of front wheels;
• and,
• a front wheel mounting means for selectively mounting each of the front wheels to the frame assembly.

A wheelchair which is adapted for both sporting activities and daily use, the wheelchair comprising:

• a frame assembly including first and second upper, generally horizontal frame portions;
• supporting means for supporting an operator, the supporting means including:
• a back structure for engaging and supporting the operator's back, the back structure operatively connected with the frame assembly;
• a flexible seat wrapped in part around a forward portion of the first and second upper frame portions and selectively interconnected with itself and wrapped in part around the back structure such that the flexible seat is selectively removable, the flexible seat being unconnected with a rearward portion of the first and second upper frame portions adjacent the back structure such that the flexible seat sags adjacent the back structure to support and conform to the operator;
• a pair of rear wheels;
• a rear wheel mounting means for selectively mounting each of the rear wheels to the frame assembly, the rear wheel mounting means being operatively connected with the frame assembly;
• a pair of front wheels;
• and,
• a front wheel mounting means for selectively mounting each of the front wheels to the frame assembly.

A wheelchair which is adapted for both sporting activities and daily use, the wheelchair comprising:

• a frame assembly including generally horizontal lower frame members;
• supporting means for supporting an operator, the supporting means being operatively connected with the frame assembly;
• a pair of rear wheels;
• a rear wheel mounting means for selectively mounting each of the rear wheels to the frame assembly, the rear wheel mounting means being operatively connected with the frame assembly;
• a pair of front wheels;
• and,
• a pair of adjustable front wheel mounting means for selectively mounting each of the front wheels to the frame assembly with a selectable angle of attack, each front wheel mounting means including:
• a wheel fork assembly for rotatably receiving one of the front wheels;
• a mounting block selectively connected with one of the horizontal lower frame members for being selectively positioned at a plurality of positions therealong;
• a wheel fork bracket for rotatably receiving the wheel fork assembly for rotation about a fork rotation axis;
• a means for selectively connecting the wheel fork bracket and the mounting block selectively at a plurality of relative angular orientations such that the wheel fork bracket is selectively pivoted relative to the mounting block, whereby the angle of attack of the wheel fork assembly is selectively adjustable.

A wheelchair which is adapted for both sporting activities and daily use, the wheelchair comprising:

• a frame assembly;
• supporting means for supporting a user, the supporting means being operatively connected with the frame assembly;
• a pair of rear wheels;
• an adjustable rear wheel mounting means for selectively mounting each of the rear wheels to the frame assembly in one of a plurality of positions, the rear wheel mounting means including:
• a mounting plate operatively connected with the frame assembly, the mounting plate defining at least one slot extending along a slot axis and a plurality of alternating ridges and valleys extending generally transverse to the slot axis;
• an axle receiving assembly which is selectively positionable in the slots at a selectable position along the slot axis, the axle receiving assembly including:
• a plurality of alternating ridges and valleys which are dimensioned for meshing engagement with the mounting plate ridges and valleys, such that the interaction of the mounting plate and axle receiving assembly ridges and valleys stops the axle receiving assembly from shifting along the slot axis;
• a pair of front wheels;
• and,
• a front wheel mounting means for selectively mounting each of the front wheels to the frame assembly.