GB2274264A

GB2274264A - Device for moving vehicles, eg wheelchairs or trollies.

Info

Publication number: GB2274264A
Application number: GB9400188A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ralph Wilson Sparrow
Original assignee: ROLAC Ltd
Current assignee: ROLAC Ltd
Priority date: 1993-01-09
Filing date: 1994-01-07
Publication date: 1994-07-20
Anticipated expiration: 2014-01-07
Also published as: GB9400188D0; GB9300350D0; GB2274264B

Abstract

The device has driven ground-engaging rollers 14 which support the ground-engaging wheels 13 of the wheelchair, trolley or road vehicle clear of the ground. The rollers 14 may be driven by a handwheel or by an electric motor 18 which is powered by a separate power pack 19 or by the power supply of an attendant vehicle, eg ambulance. The wheels 13 of the vehicle being moved may be rotated to assist propulsion. The frame of the device may be adjustable to carry wheels of different sizes. <IMAGE>

Description

MOVING WHEELCHAIRS This invention relates to wheelchairs, trolleys and like equipment having free-wheeling ground engaging wheels. Wheelchairs and trolleys, for example hospital trolleys, are difficult to handle on slopes. In particular, difficulties are often experienced especially with laden wheelchairs negotiating - whether up or down - vehicle ramps, and may be beyond the safe operational facility of a single manual attendant.

The present invention provides a device adapted for moving wheelchairs, trolleys and the like which has particular application in regard to vehicle ramps.

The invention comprises a device adapted for moving wheelchairs, trolleys and like equipment having free-wheeling ground engaging wheels, the device comprising driven roller means adapted to support said ground engaging wheels clear of the ground and to engage the ground and be rotated so as to move the equipment.

Said driven roller means may engage the rims of said ground engaging wheels to support the same clear of the ground. The device may comprise parallel roller means on which the said ground enaaging wheels rest.

Said roller means may comprise a frame, which may mount a powered shaft having rim-engaging roller means and also mounting free-wheeling rim engaging roller means.

Said powered shaft may have a belt, chain or like drive from a prime mover, which may comprise a geared electric motor or a handwheel.

The device may comprise roller means on three parallel axes, rollers on two of the axes engaging both the ground and the ground engaging wheel rim and, on the third, engaging the wheel rim clear of the ground.

The device may be adapted for powering a wheelchair on a ramp such as a ramp of a vehicle, an electric motor of the device being powered from the vehicular supply.

The device may comprise a handle by which an ambulant attendant can guide the wheelchair.

Embodiments of devices according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side-elevation showing one embodiment moving a wheel chair on a ramp; Figure 2 is a view of the device from behind the wheelchair; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic side elevation of another embodiment in use on a wheel chair; and Figure 4 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a further embodiment in use on a wheelchair.

The drawings illustrate devices 11 adapted for moving wheelchairs 12, which have large free-wheeling ground engaging wheels 13. The devices 11 comprise driven roller means 14 adapted to support said ground engaging wheels 13 clear of the ground and to engage the ground and be rotated so as to move the wheelchair 12.

The driven roller means 14 engage the rims - the tyres 13a - of the said ground engaging wheels 13 to support the same clear of the ground and to allow one standard device 11 to accommodate wheelchairs 12 of different wheel sizes and spacings, the rollers 14 are of some width. In comparison to the ground engaging wheels 13 they are of quite small diameter.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate one embodiment of device 11 comprising parallel roller means 14,14a on which the said ground engaging wheels 14 rest. The roller means 14,14a are comprised in a frame 15, which mounts a shaft 16 carrying the rim-engaging roller means 14 and also mounting free-wheeling roller means 14a and 14b. The powered shaft 16 has a belt, chain or like drive 17 from a prime mover - a d.c. electric motor 18 also carried on the frame 15. The motor 18 includes step down gearing.

A handwheel arrangement could be fitted instead of an electric motor and might be more conveniently mounted for operation by an attendant.

The device illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 thus comprise roller means 14, 14a and 14b on three parallel axes, rollers 14 and 14a on two of said parallel axes engaging both the ground and the ground engaging wheel rims 13a. Rollers 14b on the third parallel axis engage just the wheel rim 13a clear of the ground and serve as stabiliser means to help prevent the wheelchair 12 rolling backwards off the device 11.

The motor 18 has an electric cable 18a by which it is connected to a separate power pack 19, comprising a battery of appropriate voltage, or possibly, if the device is an accessary to a vehicle such as an ambulance, to the vehicle's electric power supply. An on-off switch or motor controller 21 is fitted on a handle 22 of the frame 15 by which an ambulant attendant can guide the wheelchair.

Figure 3 illustrates another embodiment of wheelchair moving device in which only driven rollers 14 are in contact with both ground and the wheel rim 13a, being attached by ties 31 to the front wheels or castors 32 of the wheelchair 12 or some other part of the wheelchair forward of the wheels 13. The ties 31 could be adjustable in length, or have various points of attachment, to suit different wheelchair designs. The ties 31 may have a linkage mechanism, for example with a toggle action, to adjust them between a fitting position in which they are fitted to the wheelchair but with the groundwheel 12 thereof remaining in contact with the ground, and an operative position in which they move slightly closer to the front wheels or castors 31 to maintain the wheels 12 off the ground.

Figure 4 illustrates a further embodiment of wheelchair moving device which is generally like the device of Figure 1 but has a three-position adjustment in the form of a bracket 41 with three locations 42a,b,c for adjusting the position of the front roller 14a relative to the other rollers 14,14b to accommodate different sizes of wheelchair wheel 13, as illustrated by the broken lines.

The rollers 14,14a,14b may be rubber mouldings keyed to the shaft 16 (rollers 14) or to shafts 16a,16b or stub axles in lieu thereof on the frame 15.

The rollers 14 do not need to be driven at high speed - the occasions when a wheelchair needs to be moved up - or down, for the device can also be used to control the movement of a wheelchair in that direction a ramp are sufficiently uncommon that the speed of movement is scarcely significant.

The ground engaging wheels 13 will, of course, rotate in the opposite direction to the direction they would rotate if in contact with the ground. The ground engaging rollers 14,14a may indeed be driven by rotation (even manual rotation) of the raised ground-engaging wheels (in the appropriate direction) to power or assist an electric motor to power the wheelchair up a ramp or to apply braking force, or auxiliary braking force to a downgoing wheelchair.

With suitable adaptation, the devices 11 can be used to move, especially up and down slopes, wheeled arrangements other than wheelchairs, for example trolleys such as hospital trolleys, and even road vehicles such as automobiles to load, for example, broken down automobiles on to a truck for transportation or on to a garage ramp for inspection or repair.

Whilst, in regard to wheelchairs, the device is primarily intended to ease the loading and unloading of unpowered wheelchairs into and down from ambulances or other vehicles, it can also be used to assist the handling of powered wheelchairs. The small diameter roller 14 in contact with the ground will have superior traction characteristics as compared to the large diameter wheels .13.

Claims

1. A device adapted for moving wheelchairs, trolleys and like equipment having free-wheeling ground engaging wheels, the device comprising driven roller means adapted to support said ground engaging wheels clear of the ground and to engage the ground and be rotated so as to move the equipment.

2. A device according to claim 1, in which said driven roller means engage the rims of said ground engaging wheels to support the same clear of the ground.

3. A device according to claim 2, comprising parallel roller means on which the said ground engaging wheels rest.

4. A device according to claim 3, said parallel roller means being comprised in a frame.

5. A device according to claim 4, said frame mounting a powered shaft having rim-engaging roller means and also mounting free wheeling rim-engaging roller means.

6. A device according to claim 5, said powered shaft having a belt, chain or like drive from a prime mover.

7. A device according to claim 6, said prime mover comprising a geared electric motor.

8. A device according to claim 6, said prime mover comprising a handwheel.

9. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising roller means on three parallel axes, rollers on two of the axes engaging both the ground and ground engaging wheel rim and, on the third, engaging the wheel rim clear of the ground.

10. A device according to claim 9, the rollers on the two axes engaging both the ground and the ground engaging wheel rim being adjustable for separation whereby to adapt the device to different wheel sizes.

11. A device according to claim 10, one of said two axes being in a bracket with three locations.

12. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, adapted for powering a wheelchair on a ramp.

13. A device according to claim 12, the ramp being the ramp of a vehicle and an electric motor of the device being powered from the vehicular supply.

14. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a handle by which an ambulant attendant can guide the wheelchair.