Abstract: The invention is a grab rail built onto or attachable onto a wheelchair, having a cross rail reachably above the seated user and forward of the seated user's center of gravity which joins into side rails above the sides of the wheelchair, with support bars extending downward from the rear ends of the side bars to attach rigidly atop the wheelchair's back rest, the grab rail helping the user reposition or transfer independently. The grab rail does not obstruct or interfere with indoor use and can also support a canopy for sun and rain protection outdoors.

Abstract: A household lift for fallen persons is devised in which a modified stepladder serves as the main lift structure while also serving as a stepladder storably foldable and usable within the house. A removable winch is set atop the stepladder, and it too can serve other purposes and can be of hand-cranked or electric powered design. The winch's lift cable is removably attached to preferably a prior-art sling type which first lays flat on the floor to facilitate moving the person onto it, and next pulls the person up into a secure sit-up position and then high enough to lower onto a wheelchair or other safe destination.

Abstract: Upright handgrip integral with nutcracker-like clamping mechanism for attachment to handles of household knives to allow those with wrist and hand strength or control problems to use their preferred knives safely and effectively. Grips near the back of a knife handle with deformable and tailorable elastomer pads, and to the knife blade itself just ahead of the handle, to complete the attachment and prevent twisting or flexing in use.

Abstract: The invention enables a mobility-challenged user to don shoes on the floor, already adequately tied for the day, whether the user is seated or standing and without having to reach down to them. A staff has two sidearms reaching over the shoe opening with a heel guide on the rear one and tongue grab on the forward one. The guide and grab, close together at rest, are inserted down into the shoe opening. Pressing down on the staff then forces the sidearms longitudinally apart, pushing guide and grab which stretches the shoe opening lengthwise to ease foot entry, while a slippery flap hanging from the tongue grab moves under the tongue to reduce resistance to the forward sliding of the bridge of the foot. The foot heel pressed down on the heel guide pushes forward on the heel guide's downward sloping ramp and then slides down a shoehorn-like lower part of the heel guide, and the shoe is donned. Lifting the staff easily pulls guide, grab and flap out of the shoe. The “donner stick” is light and compact for travel.

Abstract: A shoe donner device includes a platform holding one or both shoes, already tied, made ready for donning without having to reach down to floor level. The readied shoe donner includes a shoehorn removably inserted into each shoe, and tongue clips removably inserted over the tip of each shoe tongue and pulling it slightly upward and forward. The platform is tilted to facilitate the seated user's insertion of foot partway into shoe, and can be rocked back and forth. Pulling on reachable cords exerts strong forward push of shoehorn against foot heels, driving the feet fully into the tied shoes. Pulling shoehorns and tongue clips free with reachable strings or a hooked stick releases the shod feet, ready for the day.

Abstract: An affordable “non-surgical” method for retro-upgrading a house to better withstand hurricane winds and rain is described, wherein the winds' most strongly depressurized eddies or “Separation Zones” bordering the building envelope are clearly identified and “harnessed” by assured venting of the interior space just into such, thereby depressurizing the interior likewise and strongly reducing or eliminating any net outward-acting force on the building envelope. The “harnessing” is assured simply by installing one-way valves over the vent openings, whereby air can pass outward from the interior to strongest-depressurized Separation Zones but inward flows (such as on the windward) are quickly blocked by the other valved vents “blowing closed”. The roof envelope surrounding the attic is especially addressed, wherein winds from any direction will strongly depressurize the attic and so help hold the roof sheathing down, gables on, soffits and ceiling up—while the valves also block ruinous rain entry on the windward.

Abstract: It's now accepted that hurricane tie-down straps should be wrapped over the top of rafters/trusses, avoiding the crucial weakening effect of wood splitting around the nails of common side-nailed straps. That “wrap-over” is easy to do during construction but has been difficult and costly to do for existing houses, where the sheathing and roofing is in the way. But now such wrap-over can be an easy retrofit, according to this invention: Without damaging sheathing or roofing, force the sheathing off the rafter/truss just enough to allow a special strap to be pushed through the gap, then proceed much as in new construction. Unique wedge-blade and lever types of devices quickly create just the right gaps.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for tying down an existing roof frame to resist windstorm uplift forces, in which an elongate connector is inserted slantingly upward through a hole through the roof frame, allowing an upper end of the connector to protrude from the roof frame to receive a head member which is detachably attached thereto in order to prevent the roof frame from moving upward relative to the connector under an uplift force. The lower end of the connector is secured to an underlying wall such that the connector applies a restraining force against wind uplift forces.