Healthlink Wood Wheelchair

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HealthWiki > Disabled Village Children > Chapter 66: Designs for 6 Basic Wheelchairs > Healthlink Wood Wheelchair

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In this chapter:

 

In this chapter:

(Modified from Personal Transport for Disabled People — Design and Manufacture.)

The Healthlink wheelchair is built onto an ordinary child’s wood chair. Measurements should be adjusted to the child’s needs.

A webbed plastic seat lets air move through it and can be easily cleaned.

It uses standard 20” x 1¾" bicycle wheels and axles.

Basic carpentry tools are needed to build this wheelchair. It can be made in one day by someone with basic carpentry skills. The local blacksmith may be able to help weld together the wheel supports if you cannot. It is easy to add positioning aids or make other adaptations.

SIDE VIEW

bolt (2 ½" x 1¼")

plywood or wood side (¼" to ½")

axle tube position

caster wheel (5" x 1 ½")

TOP VIEW

holes to hang crutches

Armrests also work as table supports.

webbed seat

plywood top

footrest

AXLES

	Weld axles to ends of a steel tube 2 cm. longer than the chair is wide.
NO	Weld axle perfectly straight.	YES

Pass axle tube through holes drilled through sideboards and front chair legs.

WARNING! Use standard bicycle axles this way only for children under 20 kg (50 lbs). A heavier child, or rough use, will bend or break the axle.

For children over 20 kg, use a stronger axle. Or support the bicycle axle from both sides.

CASTERS

cross bar (1 ½" x ¼")

Weld extension bar to cross bar.

machine screws

extension bar (½" x ⅛")

Weld caster bolt to extension bar here.

caster wheel

BACK VIEW This backward extension distributes weight better and keeps chair from tipping backward on hills.

Two back casters are more stable and make it easier for the wheelchair to go up curbs.

For brake designs, see:

• "Parking Brakes"
  
• "Brakes"

For other pictures and models of the Healthlink wheelchair, see:

• "Making Sure Aids and Procedures Do More Good Than Harm"
• "Factory-made or homemade wheelchairs?"
• "Footrests"
• "Parking Brakes"
• "Examples of locally made wheelchairs".

This page was updated:04 Apr 2024