Archive for February, 2016

Technical Aids Tips und Tricks XLVI

Wednesday, February 24th, 2016

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It is due to the small fouls that wheelers are exposed every day to new challenges. You are blocked in from the side so that you can’t get into your car anymore, during cleaning the toaster is moved back to the wall, or the installation CD is put out of reach on the cupboard. My last week’s highlight was a beeping smoke alarm because the battery was empty when I was lying in my bed. All this is causing an uncontrollable neuron tornado in my head.

Among my favourites are open windows.

In the summer it’s getting warm and in winter quite cold, if the heater below is not running on full power which I can’t reach either.

There are definitely more important reasons to ring at the neighbour’s door than asking them to close an open window. Grrrrrrrrr…

The do-it-yourself store with 20% on everything except for the parts you really need offers a

Hobbit &wheelchair window closer/

„almost“ usable in their assortment. However, small construction work needs still to be done.

Just take:

  • min. 1 meter aluminium pipe, thickness 12mm
  • 1 meter aluminium flat bar 15m x 1mm
  • 30 cm hose inner diameter 10mm- 12mm
  • 2x screw M4 x 25mm
  • 2x screw-nut, self-locking M4
  • 1x drill 4 mm with drive mechanism
  • Construction tools for screwing, or a set of healthy teeth ;-)

Cost of material ca. 10,00€

Saw the aluminium bar in ca. 2x 36 cm long pieces and pull the hose on one of the pieces.

Drill a 4 mm hole into all sides of the aluminium bars and the pipe centered with a space of 15 mm from the edge.

Bend the aluminium bar with hose oval e.g. using a bottle and bolt it two-sided with screw and screw-nut on one end of the pipe. This is going to be the window side.

The other aluminium bar is going to be the handle. This can be formed according to hand function or artistic freedom oval, square, round or even heart-shaped, main thing is that the bolting on the pipe is not forgotten.

(My white Vespa scooter from 1992 in the picture below with kick starter is looking for a new master!)

The operating mode of the window closer should be comprehensible, but could on special request be explained personally under phone number 00907/40059449665 for only (1.000.000.000 €/min) by “Bernd das Brot”. (Translator’s note: Reference is made to a satirical sketch to spoof call-in shows on TV, (see also other blogpost).)

All open windows can be closed again now.

And how to open them we will learn tomorrow!!!

The certified re-constructor is obligated to send to the Rollinator a Chilli Pizza online.

Contact: rollinator@eigude.de

Translator BL

Chock Part XV

Friday, February 19th, 2016

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Paper chase in district court

Yesterday I had some business at the district court in my hometown Frankfurt. Public buildings should by now be all accessible, but I had to go to building A, an old venerable building from 1889. At that time there wasn’t much concern about accessibility…


Quelle: wvs-ffm.de

So I called in advance and got the information that in order to avoid steps I had to enter though building E to get to building A. First, at security control I had to hand over my set of wrenches, one that every experienced wheelchair driver always has on board. Perhaps I could kill someone or gouge out someone’s eyes?!?


Quelle: Hornbach

So off to building E, into the elevator, up to the 1. floor. Then through the dusty hallways, follow the signs “transition to building A” – almost like in a scavenger hunt! At some point I stood in front of this ramp… positive thought first: there is a ramp, yay! However, it is significantly steeper than the specified 6% according to DIN180 40-1… and also a little steeper than the training course at rehab. Although, I know some wheelies, that would have a blast down this “Rolli slide”!

Then continue the search for the next elevator, back down to the ground floor. Then find the right room… fortunately it was the last door before the next steps.

Somehow we found our way back, but not before landing in a cul-de-sac first ……

Next time I’ll scatter breadcrumbs!!!

Translator BL

 

Technical Aids Tips and Tricks LXIV

Sunday, February 14th, 2016

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My latest tool – an Overhead Lift

After half a year of “enjoying” free food and lodging in different hospitals while testing their equipment and treatment options, I am now back home. Let me introduce to you my latest support instrument.

As some sort of a “Christmas gift” my insurance kindly approved the overhead lift that I had requested out of necessity because of my increasing restrictions. (A mobile standard patient lift cannot be used in combination with my height-adjustable frame insert.) It took a few weeks of organizational back and forth between my insurance, the medical supply store and the manufacturer – you know how this goes – until the lift was finally mounted at the beginning of February.

The Lift is hanging from my bedroom ceiling and ensures a safe bed-air-wheelchair-transfer with the optional switch between wheelchair and shower wheelchair.

For people with back problems, instead of using belts for transfer I recommend a special lifter cloth.

With the three heavy duty anchors, each 1 ton load capacity, I do not need to be fasting right away ;-)

Translator BW