Wheelchairs

• Main Author: WAITE, BRIAN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 08.06.1983
• Subjects: CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; TRANSPORT OR ACCOMODATION FOR PATIENTS

A wheelchair for handicapped or elederly persons consists of a seat supported by a generally rigid chassis or frame (242,243,244,248), the chassis or frame being supported on a pair of rear wheels (90) and front castor wheels (26). Each wheel is movable relative to the frame between an extended operative position and a retracted inoperative position. Each rear wheel (90) is rotatable about an axle (92) carried at the end of a respective swing arm (140) which rotates about a fixed stub axle (93) extending outwardly from a respective side (94, 95) of the sheet metal box structure (244). Each stub axle (93) is skewed rearwardly so that rotation of the swing arm (140) about the skew axis from a position in which the wheel axle 92 is horizontal not only skews the respective wheel (90) to the vertical to reduce the track width of the chair but also produces a rearward convergence or toeing-out, of the wheels. The chair is thus able to fit between the transmission tunnel and the door sill of a small, family sized motor vehicle, and the occupant of the chair is less hemmed-in by the tops of the wheels when these are in their raised, retracted positions.