Another "Fish out of water"

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Another "Fish out of water"

Postby BronwynH » 30 Mar 2012, 18:40

Like Del I think that I'm a fish out of water. Early last June '11 I fell in my back yard and couldn't get up. I live by myself in South New Jersey. Have a son who lives in Philadelphia. Finally my next door neighbor came out. She and her husband helped me into my house. Apparently I had a TIA. I now get around using rollators or a cane. I have one in the house & one in the basement. My laundry is in the basement. It is very difficult to carry things so clothes get thrown down the stairs. There are a half dozen steps from my back porch to the driveway so I have a rollator kept in my car for outside use. Fortunately most of the larger stores have electric carts for shopping.
I did buy a Bolero scooter and that was a mistake as I found that I it felt quite tippy when i drove over tree root cracked sidewalks. Also it would bottom out on the littlest bump. It is now on Craig's list. A week ago I bought a used Invacare Pronto M91 and I can negotiate the sidewalks with it. Amazing what a couple inches will do. The M91 is 2 inches wider than the scooter, the seat is an inch or two lower to the ground and is mid-wheel drive. The tech who delivered the M91 cautioned me about using it on wet grass as he said it would slip - no traction. So I will be looking at getting different wheels for it. It currently has 14 x 3 foam filled tires. Since I can't get up from the ground without assistance, I need to figure a way to get the M91 up on a bench for me to work on it.
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Re: Another "Fish out of water"

Postby Burgerman » 30 Mar 2012, 19:18

Amazing what a couple inches will do.


! :oops:

As for getting it higher up, I have a cheap hoist to lift the chairs or parts hanging from a bolt in my bedroom ceiling. Its seriously strong 20mm bolted through a steel lintel.
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Re: Another "Fish out of water"

Postby 440roadrunner » 30 Mar 2012, 21:35

I don't of course have an idea of your finances, but I'd start by searching Craigslist. I "try" to search the "all for sale" because many people are too ignorant to put stuff in the correct category. Just try searching for "hoist", winch, "wheel chair" or "wheelchair." etc. I've found a few possibilities in this area for lifts/ hoists. Maybe an electric winch rigged to a ceiling joist?

Other than your physical limits, it isn't that difficult to build a "traveling crane" so you hoist, then move the thing over to a workbench. I'm thinking of my chidhood days of putting up hay in the barn with the hay trolley system, which was a track made of bolted --together angle iron, and a carriage which rode on the angle iron.

Are your stairs straight down? No curves or corners? I'm already looking "ahead" to the day when getting up down my basement will get almost impossible. I plan to simply lay some 1x4" tracks along each edge for wheels to ride on, then 1 x 4 or 1 x 6 "rub rails" along the sides for the carriage to rub on. I'm planning to build a "wedge" (in the side view) carrriage so that it has a level surface, and simply run a winch line up to and through the top step with a guide pulley, or maybe simply install the winch immediately behind the kick panel on the top step

You can buy fairly inexpensive 12 or 120v winches. The typical 12V ones are not really made to "power" both directions, but you can change that with relays/ solenoids
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Re: Another "Fish out of water"

Postby 440roadrunner » 30 Mar 2012, 21:54

If you have a "Horrid Freight" (Harbor Freight) nearby (or craigslist) would an engine cherry picker work? These come apart and fold up
You can typically find these used in this area for 100 bucks

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-ton-capa ... 93840.html

Horrid also has this thing:

http://www.harborfreight.com/1000-lb-ca ... 68892.html
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Re: Lifting

Postby Martin O Refurbisher » 31 Mar 2012, 00:23

In our workshop, we use Arjo patient lifts running from rechargeable batteries to crane up chairs onto benches.
We get used ones of these inexpensively from disposals from the UKs National Health Service or private hospitals.
Of course, legally, they are lifiting equipment requiring certification, etc.
There are many others looking like garage engine cranes, but we like these - we now have 5!

Best

Martin
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Re: Another "Fish out of water"

Postby 440roadrunner » 31 Mar 2012, 01:58

I nearly suggested one of those, but "round here" on such places as Craigslist, they generally are pretty expensive
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Re: Another "Fish out of water"

Postby Sully » 01 Apr 2012, 21:20

440 Road runner,

I do pretty much the same as you do, Craigs list just keeps you more local, eBay can almost be anywhere. It seems like our GB friends might have more regulations on selling stuff than we do. It just pays to stay posted on any and all new additions to either source.

Also we have less regulations of lifts, provided they aren't intended for lifting human beings. Harbor Frt. has a Pickup mount lift that can be floor mounted or anchored through a concrete floor to lift empty chairs. Just a thought, they can also be used between floor joists and the concrete floor. All it takes is money!!!! :o Who has that :?:
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Re: Another "Fish out of water"

Postby BronwynH » 02 Apr 2012, 04:16

Who has the money? Not me!
I just e-mailed my daughter, an interpreter for the deaf, if she can find out thru her hospital contacts how the hospitals dispose of their worn out lifts. There are a lot of hospitals in the greater Philly area.
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