Wheel chair abstract
A wheel chair having novel features for more comfort and easier
operation by the occupant, with reference to the chain drive and
tension adjustment therefor, a guard for the chain, a variable tension
brake system, swing away foot rests, and swing away (and removable)
arm rests, whereby the user can enter from the side of the chair.
Wheel chair claims
We claim:
1. A wheel chair comprising a pair of generally parallel spaced
vertical scissor frames extending fore and aft of the chair, a seat
frame, a back rest frame, means for detachably connecting a portion
of one of the scissor frames with respect to the seat frame to hold
the scissor frames and the chair erect, said means being releasable
to allow the scissor frames to fold into general parallelism with
and in close association to the seat frame, and means pivotally
mounting the back rest frame with respect to the seat frame to allow
it to move into parallel relationship therewith,
hand wheels rotatably mounted on the scissor frames adjacent the
point of pivotal connections of said scissor frames,
driving wheels rotatably mounted on one of said scissor frames,
a chain connecting the wheels so that the hand wheels drive the
driving wheels, the driving wheels being located at the rear of
the chair and the hand wheel being intermediate of the ends of the
frames and means to adjust the tension of the chain.
2. The wheel chair of claim 1 wherein the axis of the driving wheels
is adjacent the rear of the seat frame.
3. The wheel chair of claim 1 wherein the means for tensioning
the chain comprises a pair of studs one of which is in relatively
fixed position and the other of which is eccentrically mounted with
respect thereto.
4. The wheel chair of claim 1 wherein the detachable connection
means includes a safety lock mounted on the seat frame at the under
side thereof and engagable with a portion of one of said scissor
frames holding said wheel chair in extended condition.
5. The wheel chair of claim 1 including a disc mounted with respect
to the axis of said hand wheel between the hand wheel and the chain,
to protect the hand of the user on the hand wheel from engaging
with the chain.
6. The wheel chair of claim 1 including arm rests, and means mounting
said arm rest to swivel, said swivel means being located adjacent
the back rest frame, so the arm rests are adapted to swivel outwardly.
7. The wheel chair of claim 6 including means for detachably connecting
said arm rests with respect to said seat frame.
8. A wheel chair comprising a pair of scissor frames which are
interpivoted, said scissor frames extending fore and aft of the
chair and each including a forward cross member,
a seat frame pivoted with respect to one of said scissor frames,
a lock on said seat frame engagable with a portion of the other
scissor frame at the forward cross member thereof,
hand wheels rotatably mounted at the intersection of said scissor
frames at either side of the wheel chair, sprockets on the hand
wheels, a guard between each hand wheel and the chain,
driving wheels mounted on the scissor frame having the locking
engagement with said seat frame, sprockets on the driving wheels,
and chains engaged with said sprockets,
and means for adjusting the tension of said chain, said last named
means including adjustable eccentric devices.
Wheel chair description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
While the art of self-propelled wheel chairs is very old going
back at least to 1882, see Arbogast U.S. Pat. No. 2,871,789, most
wheel chairs have been made not so much with a view towards the
ease and comfort of the occupant but rather looking towards providing
inexpensive constructions, folding, adjustments, and mode of travel,
and it is the purpose of the present invention to provide a confortable,
easily operated wheel chair which is much more convenient for the
occupant and easier to operate.
DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART
It is believed that the closest of the many patents on wheel chairs
resides in U.S. Pat. No. to Gardner et al, 3,442,532, which provides
means for holding the frame, foot support adjustments, brakes, and
chain drive. Attention is also directed to Arbogast, supra.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the present case a wheel chair is provided which is easily foldable
with a cushioned back rest folded down on a cushioned seat and a
fore and aft scissor frame supporting the seat which is foldable
vertically thus avoiding the usual prior art construction of cross-wise
scissor frames which cause folding the wheel chair horizontally.
These prior art chairs usually have large wheels which are directly
engaged by the hands of the operator making it unwieldy to fold.
The present construction uses a chain drive. There are small independent
rotatable hand wheels which, by the chain, drive wheels located
to the rear of the wheel chair, these wheels being much smaller
then normal and allowing for a rearward pivotal axis for the wheel
chair whereby an attendant can tilt it back to go up over a curb,
etc. This is usually very difficult to do and reference to the Arbogast
patent above-cited clearly illustrates this deficiency of the prior
art.
Furthermore, the independent wheel drive insures that the operator's
hands do not contact the wheel which supports the wheel chair on
the ground and, therefore, becomes dirty, again see the Arbogast
patent.
The present invention also utilizes forward swivels to support
the chair by a four wheel construction.
Arm rests are included which are completely removable and which
also swivel allowing the user to enter from the side rather than
having to sit down between the arm rests from the front, and for
further convenience the foot rests are individually adjustable vertically
and can be swung away instead of flipping up as in the prior art.
In addition the chain drive is very easily adjustable for correct
tension; it is adequately guarded in a very simple and inexpensive
manner; and the back rest is tiltable for the comfort of the operator
or user.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the invention;
FIG. 2 is a view in rear elevation;
FIG. 3 is a side view showing the wheel chair folded;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of the chain drive;
FIG. 5 is a detail view of the chain drive, parts in section, illustrating
the adjustment therefor;
FIG. 6 is a side view on an enlarged scale illustrating the tilting
adjustment of the back rest and the removability of the arm rests;
FIG. 7 is a view in side elevation on an enlarged scale illustrating
a foot rest; and
FIG. 8 is a bottom view illustrating the safety lock.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 indicates an inverted
U-shaped back rest frame which may be provided with an upholstered
pad or the like 12 for the comfort of the user of the wheel chair.
The seat frame is indicated generally by the reference numeral 14
and this also has an upholstered pad 15 thereon. The wheel chair
is foldable with pads intact as is illustrated in FIG. 3. The seat
frame is connected to a pair of fore and aft scissor frames which
are generally indicated at 16,16 and these are connected by front
cross braces 18,19, brace 18 mounting the foot rests 20,20, the
foot rests being alike. The frame 16,18 also provide the supports
for angularly disposed tubular members 22 which mount swivel casters
or the like 24,24 for support of the wheel chair at the forward
part thereof.
At the rear portion of the scissor frames they are provided with
extensions 26,26 on which are mounted the driving wheels 28,28 which
contact the ground and support the wheel chair at the rear portion
thereof. These wheels are actually slightly to the rear of the seat
frame and drive the wheel chair through the intermediary of a chain
30, the driving wheels 28 being provided with sprockets 32. The
scissor frames are pivoted so as to fold down as shown in FIG. 3,
or to be extended as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and approximately at
the axis of the pivot of the scissor frames hand wheels 36 are provided,
these also having sprockets 28 engaged with chain 30 so that by
turning wheels 36, the wheel chair may be easily propelled and steered,
the wheels 28,28 being on separate studs as clearly shown as for
instance at 40,40 in FIG. 2.
Connected across the seat frame is a rear cross member 42 and it
is to be noted that the scissor frame has a front strengthening
cross piece 44. Mounted at the ends of the cross piece 42 are a
pair of arm rests generally indicated at 46,46, these being detachably
and swivelly mounted on studs 50, see FIG. 6, and held in position
by set screws 52 or the like. The studs 50 are mounted on upturned
ends 54 of the rear seat cross piece 42. There are appropriate stops
at 58 to position the arm rests 46, which may also be upholstered
as at 60, but it will be seen that the arm rests can be swivelled
outwardly in the direction of the curved arrow for instance in FIG.
1.
The hand wheels 36 are provided with very easily operable brakes
comprising means impinging upon spiders or hubs 62 of each wheel
holding these wheels fixed. This is best seen in FIG. 3. A rotary
knob 64 mounted on a fixed screw clamps against the center part
of the spider, and holds the entire wheel chair immobile, because
since wheels 36 cannot turn, the wheels 28 are locked. It should
be noted that there is one of these brakes for each hand wheel 36,
making the unit doubly safe.
Referring now to FIG. 7, a foot rest 20 is shown as mounted on
a rod 80 slidable vertically in a socket 82, each socket 82 being
mounted on the front cross bar 18 of the scissor frame 16. A collar
84 is held in position by a set screw 86 and the collar has a notch
88 in conformance with a notch 90 on the socket 82, so when the
foot rest is shifted down from the FIG. 7 position these notches
engage and hold the foot rest in a forward position. This can be
changed by moving the rods upwardly and swivelling the same to a
rearward or to a side position depending upon the convenience of
the user.
The seat frame 14 is provided at each side thereof with a plate
92, this plate being U-shaped in form and having a parallel upstanding
part 94, see FIG. 6, and between them they provide a pivot 98 for
the ends 100 of the back rest seat frame 10. The end portions 100
of the back rest seat frame 10 are located at an angle, as clearly
shown, and are provided with screw threaded members 102 taking into
selected apertures 104 for holding the seat frame in adjusted positions
between the dotted line and solid line showings in FIG. 6.
To adjust the tension of the chain 30 attention is directed to
FIG. 5. The sprocket 32 is mounted on a stud 106 eccentrically mounted
with respect to another stud 108 which is in turn mounted in a tube
110 on the frame extension 26. Both studs are fixed to a plate 107.
In order to adjust the tension it is merely necessary to adjust
the angular relationship between stud 106 and stud 108 by means
of handle 112.
This is done by loosening bolt 109 that holds stud 108 fixed, rotate
stud 106, to the desired point and retighten bolt 109, as shown
in FIG. 5, the tension on chain 30 is at a minimum.
Referring now to FIG. 8, there is shown the bottom of the seat
which has a simple pivoted latch 116 shown in dotted line position
as free so as to allow the scissor frames to fold and in solid line
position it is latched with a ledge 118 to hold the scissor frames
extended in the FIG. 1 position, the folded position being shown
in FIG. 3. The ledge 118 is on a plate 120 on the forward portion
of the seat frame 14 and the forward portion 19 of one of the scissor
frames 16 is latched under the ledge 118 and held securely in place
by the pivotal element 116 holding the entire wheel chair erect.
Simple clear plastic discs 122 centrally mounted on the axes of
wheels 36 completely shield the hands of the user from any accidental
damage from the chair.
It is believed that it will be clear that the present construction
offers a much more comforable wheel chair which is cleaner and more
easily operable then the wheel chairs of the prior art as exemplified
in those identified above. |