Claims
- 1. A method of making a pair of wheelchair side frame assemblies comprising:
- providing a pair of upper tubular members having a desired cross section shape, each of said upper tubular members having a first end and a second end;
- providing a pair of lower tubular members having a desired cross section shape;
- cutting said lower tubular members to a desired length so that each lower tubular member includes a first end and a second end;
- fitting at the first end of the upper tubular members a first lug insert having a clamp element attached thereto which encircles a portion of a respective lower tubular member and is movable along the respective lower tubular member; and
- fitting a second lug insert .at the second end of each upper tubular member and at the second end of the respective lower tubular member.
- 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the upper and lower tubular members provided are metal.
- 3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the upper and lower tubular members provided are fiber reinforced composite tubular members.
- 4. The method according to claim 1, including rigidly connecting the pair of side frame assemblies to one another by providing a rigid seat pan formed of a sandwich laminate that comprises a pair of load bearing skin layers separated by a core, and mounting the rigid seat pan on the pair of upper tubular members.
- 5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of providing a pair of upper tubular members includes providing a pair of foot rest members and a pair of seat members which each include first and second ends, and connecting the first end of each foot rest member to the second end of one of the seat members to define one of the upper tubular members, the second end of each foot rest member having one of the second lugs fitted threat and the first end of each seat member having one of the first lugs fitted threat.
- 6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said first lug insert is clamped at an intermediate portion of the lower tubular member, and wherein said step of connecting a first end of each foot rest member to a second end of one of the seat members includes fitting one portion of a pivoting lug element at the first end of each foot rest member and fitting another portion of the pivoting lug element at the second end of the respective seat member so that each respective side frame assembly includes one of the seat members, one of the lower tubular members and one of the foot rest members.
- 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein each pivoting lug element includes two lug portions connected to one another at a pivot point, and wherein said step of providing a pair of lower tubular members includes providing a pair of lower tubular members which each have a curved rear portion, the curved rear portion being formed to have a center of curvature that substantially corresponds to said pivot point of the pivot lug element associated with the respective side frame assembly.
- 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein each first lug insert is fitted and secured to the first end of the respective upper tubular member without penetrating an outer peripheral surface of the respective upper tubular member.
- 9. The method according to claim 8, including mounting a drive wheel axle receiving member on each lower tubular member for receiving an axle of a manually operable drive wheel.
- 10. The method according to claim 1, including providing each of said lower tubular members with locating means for allowing each of said first lug inserts to be clamped at one of a plurality of positions at an intermediate portion of a respective lower tubular member.
- 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said locating means is disposed along a curved portion of each lower tubular member.
- 12. The method according to claim 10, including providing each lower tubular member with additional locating means at a forward region of the lower tubular members for allowing a caster wheel assembly to be clamped at one of a plurality of locations along the forward region of each lower tubular member.
- 13. A method of making a pair of wheelchair said frame assemblies, comprising:
- providing a pair of upper tubular members each having a first end and a second end, the pair of upper tubular members having an outer peripheral surface;
- providing a pair of lower tubular members each having a first end and a second end, the pair of lower tubular members having an outer peripheral surface;
- fitting a portion of a first lug to the first end of each upper tubular member without forming a hole that penetrates that the outer peripheral surface of the respective upper tubular member;
- mounting another portion of each first lug to a respective one of the lower tubular members without forming a hole that penetrates the outer peripheral surface of the respective lower tubular member;
- fitting a portion of a second lug to the second end of each upper tubular member without forming a hole that penetrates the outer peripheral surface of the respective upper tubular member; and
- fitting another portion of each second lug to a respective one of the lower tubular members without forming a hole that penetrates the outer peripheral surface of the respective lower tubular member.
- 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said another portion of the first lug includes a clamp, and wherein said step of mounting another portion of each first lug to a respective one of the lower tubular members includes encircling a portion of the respective lower tubular member with a clamp that is movable along the respective lower tubular member.
- 15. The method according to claim 13, wherein said step of providing a pair of upper tubular members includes providing a pair of seat members which each have an outer peripheral surface and a pair of foot rest members which each have an outer peripheral surface, and including pivotally connecting each of said seat members to a respective one of the foot members at a pivot point so that each pivotally connected foot rest member and seat member define one of the upper tubular members.
- 16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said step of providing a pair of lower tubular members includes providing a pair of lower tubular members that each include a curved rearward portion on which the another portion of the respective second lug is mounted, each curved portion having a center of curvature that substantially coincides with the pivot point of the respective side frame assembly.
- 17. The method according to claim 15, wherein said step of pivotally connecting each of the seat members to a respective one of the foot rest members includes pivotally connecting each of the seat members to a respective one of the foot rest members without forming a hole that penetrates the outer peripheral surface of the seat members and foot rest members.
- 18. A method of making a wheelchair frame, comprising
- providing a pair of side frame assemblies;
- connecting said side frame assemblies to one another;
- mounting a drive wheel axle receiving member on each side frame assembly for receiving a manually operable drive wheel;
- mounting a caster retention member on each side frame assembly for receiving a caster, said step of providing a pair of side frame assemblies including making each of said side frame assemblies by:
- providing a lower tubular member having forward and rearward ends;
- providing a tubular seat member having forward and rearward ends;
- providing a tubular foot rest member having forward and rearward ends;
- fitting one portion of a first lug into the rearward end of the seat member and clamping another portion of the first lug onto the lower tubular member for movement along the lower tubular member;
- fitting one portion of a second lug into a forward end of the foot rest member and fitting another portion of the second lug into a forward end of the lower tubular member;
- fitting one portion of a third lug into a forward end of the seat member and fitting another portion of the third lug into a rearward end of the foot rest member.
- 19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said second and third lugs are fitted into respective ends of the foot rest member, lower tubular member and seat member without forming a hole that penetrates an outer peripheral surface of the members.
- 20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the one portion and the another portion of the third lug are pivotally connected so that the seat member can pivot relative to the foot rest member, said step of providing a lower tubular member including providing a lower tubular member having a curved rearward portion.
Parent Case Info
This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 07/789,173, filed Nov. 8, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,745 issued Dec. 7, 1993.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
789173 |
Nov 1991 |
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