Alternative Design Report Work Station and Pool Lift

Alternative Design Report Work Station and Pool Lift TEAM #1 Ana Groff Brandon Calavan Dylan Rinker Sebastian Pineo Steven Ben Faculty Advisor: John Enderle Teaching Assistant: Sarah Brittain Project 2 for Paige Librandi Client Contact Information: Chris and Sandy Librandi 21 Timber Trail Milford, CT 06460 (203) 878-2080 (home) (203) 988-2725 (mobile) clibrandi@aol.com

Introduction As previously proposed, the purpose of this project will be to create a new desk as a workstation for Paige in her room. With the design, it will accommodate to her dominant, lefthand side to provide space for Paige to easily access all her materials as well as room for her to efficiently maneuver around it in with her wheelchair. It will incorporate different features to create a multi-tasking workspace area with organizational tools for Paige to use all her resources simultaneously and access them with little force motility. The goal is have a sturdy structure that will endure and with apparatuses that prevent her items from falling off onto the floor. The major features of the desk will be the designs of several key components: its shape, rotating surface, shelving, and the choice of electronic or manual for adjustable elements. The designs will work from either modifying an existing desk chosen by the client or building one from scratch, custom to the client. The second project will aim to provide a lift for Paige s hot tub with a seat that allows the jets to reach her back for therapy. The major features of the lift in the designs are method of lifting power, the base, and the chair in which Paige sits. The main issue the designs will address is the buoyancy limiting Paige from having constant access to the jets. The models will aim to stabilize her in a hot seat so that she can receive back therapy from the jet streams. I. Work Station Alternative Design 1: This workstation for Paige will have a semicircular shape design similar to Figure 1 for Paige to enter her wheelchair into an open lip space in the center and rotate around in. It will also have four manually adjustable height legs at each corner. The legs will have holes in the sides and a locking pin that can be pressed in while simultaneously changing the table height to the position of a specific hole where the pin will then slide out from to lock. The legs will adjust from a minimum to maximum height of 32 to 37 inches to match the adjustable heights from the floor to the tray table of Paige s wheelchair. The maximum dimensions of the open space will be 82 inches wide and 45 inch depth so that her wheelchair can enter in and rotate a full 180 degrees from side to side. Figure 1. Semicircle desk shape On the left-hand, front edge side of the desk, a Lazy Susan with a minimum 18 inch diameter will be attached onto the surface. In order to keep the Lazy Susan stationary, while one half of the surface station is in use, a locking mechanism will be implemented. It will consist of a

junior size drum pedal (Figure 2) with protective foam covering to be used by her hand. The drum beater portion of the pedal is connected by a bike cable to a spring pin positioned under the desk below the Lazy Susan. Two drilled holes on the bottom surface of the Lazy Susan in the desk will be the position for the pin to lock into. When the hand drum pedal is depressed it will pull back the beater, disengage the pin, and rotate the surface to the alternate position. Figure 2. Junior drum pedal The design will included a shelving unit on the center space of the semicircle table surface. It will consist of two shelves with a minimum 12 inch height separation between them to provide room for a computer device in the upright position. The shelves will be modified drawers so that it only uses the bottom part of the drawer as a platform for holding devices. The bottom shelf will store Paige s books and DVDs. It will glide forward close to the desk surface on a full extension ball bearing slide. The upper shelf will come forward at face height that will support a smart screen device. Latches will be attached underneath the platform drawers so that Paige can manually pull it out and push it in. Alternative Design 2: This alternative design will have a work station with a corner desk L-shape design similar to the surface layout of the desk in Figure 3except with a curved inner corner using a fillet. It will have a three cylinder tube legs in order to provide the maximum amount of allowable space for Paige s wheelchair. The minimum desk height, width, and depth will be 30 inches, 60 inches, and 80 inches, respectively. The left extended side area is 30 inches or greater to support a 2 foot diameter rotating circular surface. Figure 3. L-shaped desk At the corner surface, on the left-hand side, a rotating surface will be attached on top. The rotating surface will be made by cutting out a 2 foot diameter circular piece from a ¾ inch thick

softwood veneer sheet to which a commercial Lazy Susan bearing (Figure 4) will be attached with screws underneath. This will be attached to a wooden base and affixed to the desk surface. The locking mechanism to be implemented will consist of push buttons connected to a spring pin underneath that lies in between the circular rotating and desk surfaces. On the desk surface on the left-hand side, will be a rubber stopper under the push button location for the spring pin to lock into. In this case, instead of a hand pedal, two buttons will be placed on top of the rotating surface on opposite sides of the circular perimeter. The locking mechanism will work similar to a pen clicker. Paige can rotate it by depressing the left-most button to her that will disengage the pin (raise it up out the stopper). She can then rotate it to the alternate position and depress the other button to engage the pin into the stopper to lock it in place. This will allow for Paige to use solely one hand to rotate the surface for a reasonable amount at which her left-arm can extend. Figure 4. Rotating surface with locking mechanism This design will include a bookcase on the left hand side on the desk to house Paige s books and DVDs. It will be composed of two shelves with a minimum 15 inch gap in between. The bottom shelf will store her heavier books and the upper shelf, her lighter DVDs. The bookcase will have roller wheels on the bottom to run on a track. A handle will be attached to the bottom shelf that Paige can grip to slide the unit towards her to access her items. A swiveling monitor stand will be constructed next to it to support a touchscreen device at face height. Alternative Design 3: This workstation design will be a rectangular U-shaped desk similar to the arrangement of the QuadDesk seen in Figure 5. It will have open center space for Paige to enter her wheelchair into with a minimum of 30 inch width and 40 inch depth. This desk will be electric for all its adjustable components and be operated by a motor. It will stand on two electrically adjustable height T-beam legs. Figure 5. QuadDesk wheelchair workstation As shown in Figure 5, on the top left-hand corner, a motorized circular rotating surface is integrated. The position of this surface will be adjustable with a motor control located on the

desk s surface left-hand side. The motor will rotate and stop/lock the circular surface in the Paige s desired position with the press of button. An electric motorized shelving unit will be part of the design. It will be constructed in the center space of the desk area. It will consist of one shelf. The shelf will be a modified drawer so that it only uses the bottom part of the drawer as a platform for holding devices. The shelf will roll out forward at face height using a full extension electric ball bearing slide and slide back into the unit. An additional button specific to this feature element will be wired to the motor control box. II. Hot-Tub Lift: Alternative Design 1: This design will modify an existing manual pool lift. As of now, the lift part will be the Hoyer Classic Pool Lift model SS-HSP-1, one of the least expensive on the market, as seen in Figure 6. The lift weight 60 pounds and supports a maximum weight of 400 pounds. It features a hydraulic power lifting mechanism with a full 62 inch operating lifting range. The 2 foot diameter mast attaches to the boom with a yoke hinge. The lift is powder coated with a stainlesssteel painted finish that is resistant to humidity and corrosion which is good for the outside environment of Paige s hot tub. The swivel extension arm attached to the end of the boom allows for a 360 degree rotation of the chair. Figure 6. Hoyer Classic Pool Lift The lift is installed into the ground by drilling one large hole and cementing a metal sleeve into place. This alternative design will modify the attachment to anchor the mast into a base. This will provide a larger operating vertical range since the lift needs to clear the hot tub height of 32 inches. The total mast height about ground will be 59.25 inches, 9 inches more compared to if it was installed in the ground. This added vertical height will subsequently increase the range of the boom to a minimum to maximum height of 33.25 to 95.25 inches above ground. This leaves a total chair part height of about 55 inches to work with in order to allow a safe clearance above Paige s 38 inch high hot tub. The surface mount base will be of a design similar to that seen in Figure 6 made of stainless steel to match the lift s material strength properties. It will consist of a square 12 inch plate with four holes in it for 5/8 inch diameter nuts and bolts to plate in the ground. Mounted on the center of the plate is a stainless steel pipe 9 inches long with a 3 inch diameter and ½ inch wall thickness. A nylon bearing socket will be inserted to hold the mast in. The pipe will be

additionally supported by four gussets that are welded to the plate. It will be coated with an epoxy powder. The design of the base is depicted in Figure 7. Figure 7. Surface mounted anchor base The seat will be modified with a new one similar to the frame of the bath chair seen in Figure 8. The seat frame will be made of PVC pipes. Suction cups will be attached to the bottom underside of the PVC pipe frame (four) and two will be attached to back of the upper pipes on the back frame. These will be used to anchor Paige to the hot seat. The chair will incorporate the mesh fabric sling to strap onto the PVC pipe frame. The chain attachments will hook into the four corners of the PVC piping. For safety, two polyester cross belts and a lap belt will be added to secure Paige in the seat and ensure stability. A headrest will be strapped onto the frame over the mesh to provide Paige with neck support. Wrought iron rods will be run through the PVC piping to add extra weight to the chair so that it does not float and stays in the hot seat position. Alternative Design 2: Figure 8. Bath Chair This alternative design will be of our own creation and will not use any preexisting lifts on the market. The reason for this approach is to make the project more cost effective while still building an electric lift. The design will use a winch and cable to raise and lower Paige into the hot tub. This will allow her access without having to rely on manual assistance with rising and lowering the lift. Paige s parents would only have to help her into the seat and she should be able to get herself into and out of the hot tub.

The anchor for this lift will be the Aqua Creek EZ Surface Mount with a polyethylene pivot sleeve. The anchor is all stainless steel and is epoxy powder coated for extra protection from the elements. The anchor and its specifications can be seen in Figure 8. Figure 9. Aqua Creek EZ surface mount anchor specifications Due to the specifications of the anchor, we will have to use an upright stand that has a diameter of 2 7/8. The pole will be made of stainless steel so that it will be strong enough to support Paige s weight. There will an attachment arm between the stand and the boom that will allow for extra support and stability of the lift. The stand will be 6 tall to ensure that Paige will be able to clear the hot tub with ease and without having to have her legs adjusted. The boom will be attached at a 110 o angle and will be 3 feet in length. This will give an extra 1 of height and will give a total clearance of 4 1/3 which should be more than enough to get Paige over the 38 hot tub height. The cable will also be made of stainless steel to ensure it has the strength to lift Paige and the seat. There will be approximately 14 of cable. This will allow the minimum height to be at a comfortable level for Paige to enter the seat. The maximum height will be when the chair is almost at the height of the boom. A 1/3 HP motor will be used to turn the winch. This size will assure that the seat can be lifted without any strain on the motor. The motor will use a remote control so that Paige can operate it by herself if she pleases. The controller will need to be waterproof in case it becomes to be submerged for any reason. A small motor will also be used to operate the rotation of the boom arm around its pivot point. The seat will be an existing Hoyer mesh sling so that the jets in the hot tub can hit Paige s back. There will be nylon straps that secure Paige to the seat and straps that secure her legs. The mesh sling will attach to the lift through a swivel extension arm made of stainless steel. Two chain links with hooks are attached that connect to the mesh sling. A complete diagram of the lift can be seen below in Figure 9.

Alternative Design 3: Figure 10. Motor and winch pool lift. The third alternative design is a modified version of the Spa Lift 40 Pro which is shown in Figure 10. It has a motorized lifting function that can clear walls up to 42 inches, and the maximum capacity is 400 pounds. The lift utilizes a 24V sealed rechargeable battery that is contained in a control box and mounted on the cylinder housing shaft. This cylinder shaft is connected to the base of the lift which will be permanently installed into the ground. Attached to the upper arm of the lift is the seat arm and connecting rod that firmly hold the seat to the lift. The seat has two retractable armrests, an extendable leg rest and a safety belt for added comfort and stability. Figure 11. Spa Lift 40 Pro This lift is installed by anchoring the spa base, which connects to the cylinder housing, into a concrete surface. The spa base is anchored with four drilled 3" holes halfway filled with either expanding epoxy or hydraulic cement. In each drilled hole, a bolt is threaded with the anchor and inserted into the hole. The lift is positioned over the anchor and fastened to the ground. A diagram of the base installation for the lift is show below in Figure.

Figure 11. Spa Lift Anchor Installment The Spa Lift Pro is a great design for our project, however, in order to design the chair specifically for Paige we want to modify the back portion and add a headrest. The modification is to replace the back material of the seat with a lighter mesh material. This modification allows the hot tub jets to shoot the water against Paige's back (specifically requested) instead of the back of the seat. The added headrest will provide the extra neck support.