Universal elevating leg rest assembly

An elevating leg rest assembly for use with a wheelchair which includes a seat, a front, two sides and two front corners adjacent the front and sides, comprising:

• first and second hanger plates adapted to be attached to a wheelchair adjacent a front corner;
• a universal bracket assembly adapted to be attached to said first and second hanger plates mounted adjacent either front corner of a wheelchair to pivot between a position in front of the wheelchair and a position to the adjacent side of a wheelchair to which said hanger plates are attached, whereby said universal bracket assembly is interchangeable for attachment adjacent either of the two front corners of a wheelchair;
• a calf clamp assembly connected to said universal bracket assembly,
• a leg rest attached to said calf clamp assembly for pivoting relative to said universal bracket assembly,
• a latch mechanism operably connected to said universal bracket assembly including at least one latch member having a latch seat, a first cam surface and a second cam surface, a spacer plate adjacent said at least one latch member, a release knob pivotally attached to said spacer plate, a release plate having a latch pin for cooperating with the first cam surface and a release pin for operatively connecting said release knob to said release plate.

A universal elevating leg rest assembly for a wheelchair having a front, two sides and two front corners adjacent the front and sides, comprising:

• an upper hanger plate and a lower hanger plate adapted to be attached to a wheelchair adjacent a front corner, said lower hanger plate including a pair of latch pins
• a universal bracket assembly adapted to be attached to upper and lower hanger plates mounted adjacent either front corner of a wheelchair to pivot between a position in front of the wheelchair and a position towards the adjacent side of a wheelchair to which said upper and lower hanger plates are attached whereby said universal bracket assembly is interchangeable for attachment adjacent either of the two front corners of a wheelchair, said universal bracket assembly including an upper mounting plate and a lower mounting plate, each mounting plate including a pair of pivot holes for pivotally mounting said universal bracket assembly to said hanger plates for rotation about a generally vertical axis;
• said universal bracket assembly including a latch mechanism adapted to releasably engage said latch pins whereby said bracket assembly is prevented from rotating relative to said lower hanger plate when said latch mechanism engages said latch pins and said universal bracket assembly can rotate on said hanger plates towards an adjacent side of a wheelchair when said latch mechanism is released;
• a calf clamp assembly pivotally connected to said universal bracket assembly and including a locking sector having a cam surface;
• a release mechanism including a locking cam having a cam surface movable between a locked position wherein the cam surface of said locking cam frictionally engages the cam surface of said locking sector and an unlocked position wherein the cam surface of said locking cam does not frictionally engage the cam surface of said locking sector;
• and
• a leg rest attached to said calf clamp assembly for pivoting relative to said universal bracket assembly.