Spyder Transfer Hoist - from powerchair to bike and back

[cpenner]

Here is something that I had a volunteer engineer design and implement for me. It's a hoist to transfer someone from a wheelchair to the spyder passenger seat and back without requiring mobility. It comes along for the ride so that we can transfer to a lawn chair or other seating solution at the destination. This is the first year of really using it - so we only have a handful of rides under our belt. Thought you might enjoy it...

It uses:
- trailer hitch attachment as a base
- aluminum tubing
- ATV winch

It was custom built by an engineer. My passenger weighs around 100lbs, so the hoist is designed around a load limit of 600lbs. The most we've tested it with is 200lbs. The weakest spot in the design is the trailer hitch. When I load it up to 200lbs, you can really see the hitch trying to twist when the load is lifted and at maximum swing. The hoist itself is solid.

It weighs about 40lbs, putting it under the recommended tongue weight for the hitch. The only time I notice it while riding is when I'm taking a corner with a rough surface. The rear wheel doesn't behave the same as without the extra weight. It's perfectly fine - but I notice the suspension doesn't soak up the bumps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YgxzoaTyRQ

I'm sure you'll have questions. I'll try to answer them - but be patient. I'm running a charity ride - www.RideForDoug.com this weekend and shouldn't be on this forum.....

[Wmoater]

Nice job! Very nice! Now if you can make a flatbed mini trailer for the chair that would be the cats meow! Very impressive!

[cpenner]

The original hope was to leave enough space around the hitch to permit the use of a trailer for pulling the chair - but we needed all the room we could get to ensure structural integrity. (His chair weighs in at 450lbs empty - so that was also a concern). We are still thinking about adding a wheelchair rack to the unit for a manual chair - but we want to see how it holds up with that extra weight on the hitch mount before we add more.

[Wmoater]

Just thinking out loud, but I saw a wheel chair hitch design at a rally several years ago. It was on a Wing trike. It looked like a Brushog platform. It had a single swivel wheel in the back that actually ran on the ground. The Spyder would need to be a bit different, but the front had arms that attached directly to the the frame, just like the OE hitch using an axle slide through bolt. The existing platform would be located where it is now, with a jack stand and a single wheel in the middle. This would take all the tongue weight off, weld a new set of arms on like the hitch and use the new platform instead of the hitch. Keep the frame all the way to the back. Then weld a platform like ramp system similar to a truck wheel chair system that goes into a Reese hitch. Put 2 swivel wheels in the crack from the frame to the outside platform. There would be no torque weight at all just pull weight. You could use 10” snowmobile trailer tires. It would “not” be for high speeds, but I don’t think high speeds are what you're looking for. If you're going 30 mph even though you're over the 400 lbs, it's like a little dolly system behind you. Can’t see how that would hurt. It would be for local short rides only.

[gkamer]

Damn dude, that is super impressive. It's clear that a ton of thought went into that. Very well done mate.

[Bfromla]

In time for a Father’s Day ryde

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

WOW.... I'm speechless ...... Thanks to all involved in this project .... I know why you use a jack stand for the needed support .... I suggest you take out the normal riser and make one that you can PIN after you place it under the hitch ...... JMHO ..... Great work ............Mike

[Saluda]

Very nice. (Welcome)