Abstract: Front and rear downwardly extending arm rest support tubes are received in correspondingly positioned front and rear vertical receiving tubes on the side of a wheelchair. An integral S-shaped rod has an upper horizontal extending portion arranged to project into registered openings in the front telescoping tubes so that an arm rest on the arm rest support tubes can be positioned at a selected height and locked in such adjusted position. The S-shaped rod also functions as a handle to be engaged by the web of a patient's hand between the thumb and forefinger. Urging of the S shaped rod forwardly unlocks the tubes permitting vertical adjustment. A spring biases the S shaped rod rearwardly to effect automatic locking of the tubes in the adjusted position when the handle portion of the rod is released.

Abstract: Front and rear downwardly extending arm rest support tubes are received in correspondingly positioned front and rear vertical receiving tubes on the side of a wheelchair. A pin is arranged to project into registered openings in the front telescoping tubes so that an arm rest on the arm rest support tubes can be positioned at a selected height and locked in such adjusted position. A specially designed handle is arranged to retract the pin when urged forwardly, the handle being engaged by the web of a patient's hand between the thumb and forefinger, unlocking of the tubes permitting vertical adjustment. Release of the specially designed handle results in automatic biasing of the pin into registration with aligned openings in the front telescoping tubes.

Abstract: A dynamic braking system is provided for electrically driven wheelchairs to slow the wheelchairs to a stop without needing to use a mechanical brake. A primary switch arrangement is provided for connecting resistors across the right and left wheelchair motors automatically when the switch control is in its off position, either because of purposely positioning the control by the patient or as a consequence of power failure. In addition, a secondary switching system is automatically actuated in response to the primary switching system being moved to its off position to cross connect or short circuit the terminals of the right and left motors to each other only after a given period of time to provide a secondary braking action to the motors and bring the wheelchair to a complete rest.

Abstract: The chassis features left and right lateral frames rotatably supporting at their front and rear ends front and rear wheels. The rear wheels are pivoted for steering. First and second connecting members arranged in a cross and lying in a horizontal plane extend between and are attached to the lateral frames to confine the movements of the lateral frames into predominantly parallel planes. A third connecting member extends horizontally between and is attached to the lateral frames in a position spaced above the horizontal plane so that when the chassis is viewed from the side at the most only two frame mounting points fall on a straight line. Elastic relative movement between the left and right lateral frames is achieved as a result of the inherent elasticity of the connecting members and in addition resilient mountings at the attachment points of the connecting members to the lateral frames.

Abstract: The cross-piece portion of a tubular T-joint has a cross-section of constant inside diameter from one end of the cross-piece to the other and increasing outside diameter from one end towards it center, then decreasing from its center towards it opposite end to define a double tapered tube wall for the cross-piece of maximum thickness at its center. A stem portion for the T-joint is in the form of a hollow tube extending normally away from the center portion of the cross-piece to terminate in a free end. The cross-section of the stem has a constant inside diameter from its free end to its point of interception with the cross-piece and an outside diameter increasing from its free end to its point-of-interception with the cross-piece so that the maximum thickness of the T-joint is at the interception between the cross-piece and the stem and yet the inside diameters are all uniform so that other tubes can be readily telescoped through the cross-piece.

Abstract: The forward castor wheels for wheelchairs are each provided with shock absorbing leaf springs concealed within the fork frame structure rotatably mounting the wheels. The normal swivel shaft rather than connecting directly to the fork frame passes through an enlarged opening in the upper portion of the frame and terminates in a cross member pivoted to the upper portions of the fork arms so that the fork frame and wheel can execute slight rocking movements relative to the swivel shaft. The leaf springs pass down inside the fork arms, the upper ends of the leaf springs being secured to the cross member and the lower ends bearing against inwardly directed projections on the inside of the fork arms to bias the fork relative to the swivel shaft. The leaf springs will absorb shocks experienced by the castor wheels such as occur when passing over cracks in sidewalks and the like to thereby greatly increase the riding comfort of the wheelchair.

Abstract: The walker includes a frame structure mounted on rear wheels and forward casters in turn supporting a parallelogram structure lying essentially in a vertical plane. The rear ends of the upper and lower horizontal members making up the parallelogram structure are pivoted to a column extending upwardly from the frame structure and the front ends of these members are pivoted to a generally vertical front member supporting a harness. The arrangement is such that when the active lengths of the upper and lower horizontal members are equal, the front member will move up and down in essentially a vertical direction always remaining parallel to the upwardly extending column. A patient is supported in the harness structure to the front member and a force such as by springs is provided on the parallelogram structure to bias the front member upwardly and thereby relieve at least a part of the weight of a patient in the harness.

Abstract: The latch is used to raise a downwardly biased plunger on the frame of a wheelchair normally received in an opening on a swingable foot rest supporting tube to thereby release the tube and permit swinging of the wheelchair foot rest to an out-of-the-way position. The latch includes a plate member cooperating with a lever such that either pressing downwardly on the lever or lifting up on the lever will release the foot rest support. With this arrangement, even a severely handicapped patient can more easily operate the release than otherwise.

Abstract: A wheelchair frame is uniquely designed to permit folding of the chair in such a manner that the left and right wheels of the wheelchair lie in the same vertical planes as the left and right wheelchair frame portions supporting the seats and arm rests so that in effect a narrower folded configuration results for a given width wheelchair seat when in unfolded position as compared to conventional wheelchairs.

Abstract: The normally provided manually operable switch lever on an electrically drive wheelchair incorporates pairs of switch arms so that additional circuitry can be provided for interconnection with the normally provided left and right wheel drive motors. This additional circuitry comprises electrical resistances arranged to be connected across the motor leads by the manually operable switch when in an unactuated position for the particular motor in question. The provision of these resistances across the motor leads when the motors are unenergized results in absorption of back voltage spikes to thereby avoid burning out the switch means, dynamic braking when the motors acts as generators as a result of the wheelchair coasting, easier steering control when only one of the motors is energized to effect a turn, and permits the use of permanent magnet type d.c. motors for the left and right wheel drive motors.

Abstract: Telescoping tubes are added to the left and right front posts of a wheelchair for cooperation with the front post slides normally received in the front posts to permit greater telescopic extension of the slides from the front posts when the wheelchair is folded. With such arrangement, a wider seat may be applied to a conventional wheelchair, the addition of the telescoping arrangement not requiring any major alteration of the basic components making up the wheelchair. Each telescoping arrangement includes an extremely inexpensive and unique interior coupling preventing telescopic extension beyond a certain distance so that the front posts and front post slides will not become separated.

Abstract: Each of the padded arm rests of a wheelchair are supported by downwardly extending telescoping tubes received in correspondingly positioned vertical tubes secured to the frame of the wheelchair. A locking device biased to a normally locked position causes a projection to extend into registered openings in the telescoping tubes so that the arm rest can be positioned at a selected height. The locking arrangement defines a large exposed engaging surface which can easily be urged in a proper direction to release the lock by a portion of the body of a patient seated in the wheelchair.

Abstract: The wheelchair foot rest comprises a plate portion with a semi-cylindrical configuration journalling a tube in turn supported to the wheelchair such that the plate can swing from a horizontal position to a vertical position about the journalling axis. Axially slotted plastic friction sleeves surround the journalling tube in such a manner as to lock to the inner wall ends of the semi-cylindrical portion of the plate and frictionally engage the periphery of the journalling tube so that the plate is held in any set swung position.

Abstract: Rear left and right vertically disposed wheelchair frame tubes are arranged to telescopically receive left and right back rest tubes supporting the main back rest portion of the wheelchair. The lower ends of the back rest tubes include downwardly directed rods spaced to the sides of the tubes and designed to be received in appropriate binding structures secured to the wheelchair frame to automatically lock the back rest tubes to the frame to position the back rest itself properly for a patient. The binding elements may easily be manually released to permit telescopic removal of the back rest tubes from the wheelchair frame itself.

Abstract: The pad assembly is made up of three pads of resilient foam material assembled one on top of the other, the center pad having a greater density than the outer pads. The center pad has three cut-out openings at locations corresponding to the maximum pressure points exerted by a person sitting on the pads, these openings including a filler foam of density less than that of the outer pads, the overall assembly distributing pressure against a person seated thereon.