Stand-Up Wheel Chair

Stand-Up Wheel Chair MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Handicapped Equipment 31-5-42 Anyone who's confined to a wheelchair will be interested in my stand-up wheelchair. It's powered by two 12-volt batteries and has an on-board charger with a retractable power cord for charging the batteries. It rides on a pair of 10-in. high rubber wheels on front and two smaller caster wheels on back. A joystick lever is used to make the unit go forward or backward and to steer it. A switch located behind the joystick is used to lift the seat so the rider can stand up. It's equipped with flip-up steps and spring-loaded, flip-out knee braces for easy exit from the chair. To release the knee braces, you just pull up on two levers, one on each side of the chair. The rider is secured by a pair of nylon straps around the chest and waist. The beauty of this powered chair is that it's small enough that you can drive it just about anywhere around your house. Or you can drive it up a ramp and into a van, where you can lock it down behind the steering wheel so you can drive anywhere. You can go to the grocery store or to ball games, etc. The joystick lever can be flipped down out of the way so you can drive right under a dinner table, instead of having to pull up alongside it. Men can even drive it up to a urinal. So far I've built just one prototype and am looking for a manufacturer. If it was built commercially I think it would sell for about $12,500. (Russ Baker, 9310 Syndicate Ave., Lexington, Minn. 55014 ph 763 784-5952; russbarbb2@aol.com)

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