WHEEL CHAIR FOR

PARAPLEGIC PATIENTS
A PROJECT REPORT
Submitted by

AJITH V Uni: Reg. MCE15ME009

ARAVIND JAIN Uni: Reg. MCE15ME027
JITHIN FRANCIS Uni: Reg. MCE15ME059
JOEL JUDE Uni: Reg. MCE15ME061

to

the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University

in partial fulfillment of requirements for the award of the Degree
of
Bachelor of Technology
In
Mechanical Engineering

Department of Mechanical Engineering

MARIAN ENGINEERING COLLEGE
TRIVANDRUM
MAY 2019
WHEEL CHAIR FOR
 PARAPLEGIC PATIENTS
A PROJECT REPORT
Submitted by

AJITH V Uni: Reg. MCE15ME009

ARAVIND JAIN Uni: Reg. MCE15ME027
JITHIN FRANCIS Uni: Reg. MCE15ME059
JOEL JUDE Uni: Reg. MCE15ME061

to

the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University

in partial fulfillment of requirements for the award of the Degree
of
Bachelor of Technology
In
Mechanical Engineering

Department of Mechanical Engineering

MARIAN ENGINEERING COLLEGE
TRIVANDRUM
MAY 2019

DECLARATION
I undersigned hereby declare that the project report “WHEEL CHAIR FOR
PARAPLEGIC PATIENTS” , submitted for partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
award of degree of Master of Technology of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological
University, Kerala is a bonafide work done by me under supervision of MANEESH T. This
submission represents my ideas in my own words and where ideas or words of others have
been included; I have adequately and accurately cited and referenced the original sources. I
also declare that I have adhered to ethics of academic honesty and integrity and have not
misrepresented or fabricated any data or idea or fact or source in my submission. I
understand that any violation of the above will be a cause for disciplinary action by the
institute and/or the University and can also evoke penal action from the sources which have
thus not been properly cited or from whom proper permission has not been obtained. This
report has not been previously formed the basis for the award of any degree, diploma or
similar title of any other University.

AJITH V
TRIVANDRUM
16/05/2019

ARAVIND JAIN

JITHIN FRANCIS

JOEL JUDE

MARIAN ENGINEERING COLLEGE, TRIVANDRUM

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the report entitled “WHEEL CHAIR FOR PARAPLEGIC

PATIENTS” submitted by AJITH V Reg No. MCE15ME009, ARAVIND JAIN Reg

No. MCE15ME027, JITHIN FRANCIS Reg No. MCE15ME059 , JOEL JUDE Reg No.
MCE15ME061, to the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the award of the Degree of Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical
Engineering is a bonafide record of the project work carried out by them under my guidance
and supervision.This report in any form has not been submitted to any other university or
institute for any purpose..

Prof. MANEESH T. Dr. BERLIN SELVA REX C R

Project Guide Project Coordinator
Asst. Professor Asst. Professor

Prof. T M MOHAN
Head of Department

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
 I take this opportunity to express my deep sense of gratitude and sincere thanks to
all those who helped me to complete the project successfully. I first thank my guide, Prof.
MANEESH T, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering for his
excellent guidance, positive criticism and valuable comments. I am greatly thankful to Prof.
T M Mohan, Professor and Head of Mechanical Engineering Department Marian
Engineering College, Trivandrum for his support and cooperation I also thank my parents
and friends who directly or indirectly contributed to the successful completion of my
project. Above all, I thank God Almighty without whose blessings this effort would not
have been a reality.
 ABSTRACT

The purpose of this development project was to design a new adjustable commode
chair that can be safely used by individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI), paraplegia,
Osteoporosis etc. The need for this new design was consumer-driven . Patients and
caregivers identified the following fatal flaws in the ordinary commode chairs used in
centers:

1) Cannot adjust the height of the chair by themselves;

2) No back support is given while sitting on commode;

3) Caregivers may not be able to lift the person

4) Risk for patient falls during transfers, propelling, and while leaning over for showering;

5) Risk for pressure ulcers due to inadequate padding and seat positioning for lengthy bowel
care regimes;

6) Inadequate caregiver access to the perianal area of the patient to perform bowel care
procedures.

The new, adjustable commode chair addresses each of these concerns. An innovative
automated seat lift was designed to facilitate the height adjustment and to tilt the seat for
better seating support. Stronger armrests, back rests and improved, lever-activated brakes
were designed to facilitate safe transfers. Special heavy duty silicone rubber wheels are to
provide grip in wet environments. To prevent pressure ulcers, a chair frame and softer
padding combination was designed to facilitate.

i
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chap. No. TITLE Page No.

ABSTRACT i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS iii

LIST OF TABLES. iv
LIST OF FIGURES. v

1 INTRODUCTION 1
2
1.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND

1.2 PROJECT OBJECTIVE 3

2 LITERATURE REVIEW x
3 COMPONENTS AND DISCRIPTION x
3.1. Mechanical spiral jack
3.2. Worm gear motor
3.3. Limit switches
3.4.Relay module
3.5.12 v DC battery
3.6.Frame
3.7.Nylon wheel
4 COMPONENTS LIST X
5 DESIGN LAYOUT x
6 CONSTRUCTION
7 MANUFACTURING PROCESS
7.1.Welding
7.2.Grinding

ii
 7.3.Drilling
8 WORKING
9 ADVANTAGE AND DISADVANTAGE
9.1.Advantage
9.2.Disadvantage
10 COST ANALYSIS
11 CONCLISION
REFERENCES X
LIST OF PUBLICATIONS

LIST OF TABLES

Table No Title Page No.

4.1 COMPONENTS LIST 12
10.1 COST ANALYSIS

iii
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure No Title Page No.

3.1 Mechanical spiral jack 12
3.2 Worm geared motor
3.3 Limit switch
3.5 12 V DC battery
3.6 Frame
3.7 Nylon wheel
5.1 Design layout

iv
7.1 Welding
7.2 Grinding
7.3 Drilling
8.1 Initial phase

8.2 Final phase

v
 CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

1.1PROJECT BACKGROUND
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating, life-altering injury, and a challenge for
clinicians to treat under ideal circumstances. Until World War II, persons with severe SCI
routinely died within the first couple of years of injury.1 while outcomes have improved
considerably for individuals with SCI in many developed, industrialized nations, the reality
is very different in the majority of the world. Managing acute SCI, providing
comprehensive rehabilitation, and ensuring adequate supports to allow community
reintegration are resource-intensive endeavors. We discuss how the epidemiology of SCI
differs between high- and low-resource nations, the challenges associated with providing
comprehensive care in low-resource environments, and the obstacles faced when disasters
occur in such settings.

The problems faced by SCI are not taken seriously by others. It is very hard for these
people to live like ordinary persons. They are helpless in doing their own personal activities
as their body parts may be paralyzed or they are week because of the medical condition they
have been through. SCI's are always depended on others for their daily activities it also
makes them depressed. There are a few medical aids avail for these patients but the problem
is that these aids only address the common issues of a large mass ad these won’t be easily
customizable.

1.2 PROJECT OBJECTIVE

The project topic was selected on the basis of difficulties faced by the paraplegic patients
and also those patients disabled for walking. We have developed an aid chair with a
commode supporter which could help the patient in using toilets and bathroom without
others help. Our project is a self-helping chair which helps patients to use it as a walker and
help in exercising their muscles helping them from bedridden. Using a single power source
for all motions, the chair reduces power consumption.

Technology-intensive equipment can be prone to damage as well as difficult to repair and

1
maintain, and therefore should be minimized when possible. Cost of equipment is also
important. Low-cost options for vital equipment (e.g. pressure-relieving wheelchair
cushions) can potentially offer comparable performance and durability to high-cost
alternatives. Unfortunately, awareness of and access to these alternatives are limited.

There are over 220,000 individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) in the United States alone.
The majority of them have bowel incontinence, requiring bowel care an average of three
times a week. While some are able to transfer to a toilet for bowel care, many need to use a
commode-shower chair. Most of the existing commode shower chairs were designed for the
elderly, and do not meet the needs of a younger SCI patient population managing a
neurogenic bowel. A survey of 147 veterans with SCI was conducted to evaluate existing
commode-shower chairs (2,3). Findings revealed numerous safety-related problems with
existing chairs. Specifically, 66 percent felt unsafe self-propelling, and 47 percent felt
unsafe transferring to an existing commode-shower chair. Forty-two percent indicated that
the brakes were unreliable. Twenty-four percent reported development of pressure sores and
cuts from the seats and 35 percent indicated falling from commode-shower chairs. Of those
who reported injuries due to fall, over 23 percent were hospitalized ranging from 1 mo to 4
yr. Patients reported flaws in ordinary commode chairs that negatively impacted their
quality of life, self-esteem, and physical well-being.

CHAPTER 2
2
 LITERATURE REVIEW

Very little work have been done to develop machines for palliative care. Most of the devices
developed are for a common cause. no customizable products are available. the main reason
for this is the low market for these devices as these are very costly for the patients to afford.
One of the projects on adjustable commode was dome by Mr. Martin J.-D. Otis. it is an
assistive system for the toilet with the objective of measuring human activities and to
provide intelligent mechanical assistance to help seating and standing. The project intends
to develop a seating assistance as a technical aid in order to reduce accidents and falls in the
bathroom. The preferred technique is human-robot physical interaction algorithms known
collaborative robotics (cobot) and adapting it to a personalized assistance technology talled
on a smart toilet. First, the design of the mechanical assistance is presented. Then, an
admittance controller is designed and implemented in order to help the user in a similar way
as a cobot could be used. This technique could be used to assist the user and improve
balance with adequate training and an adequate configuration of the admittance controller.

Two concepts have been chosen in order to develop personalized toilet assistance. First,
there is the electric lift armchair that helps people to stand up effortlessly and safely. This is
a very interesting approach to the design of the mechanism since it has the same objective to
either support a person to get up or sit down. Therefore, a lifting platform with scissors
geometry is designed for this function. This platform is a deployment model that achieves
the desired height and takes up little space.

This union of the two models described in the previous paragraph is made with the aim of
designing and optimizing the mechanism to allow a person to use it in an appropriate
environment. Modeling of the lifting mechanism (Figure 1) will be similar to a jack or the
scissors of the lifting mechanism of a dump truck. It is composed of seven rigid bars linked
by mechanical connections that allow movements of displacement and rotation in order to
obtain the desired trajectory. With the help of two electric actuators, the seat of the toilet
will allow a balanced position to a person with a loss of autonomy to aid the translational
motion and rotation of the seat on the same axis. The rotation movement is ensured by a
mechanism in the form of a chisel that is installed on the edge of he basin, which will help
the two actuators to bear the weight of the person.

3
 The desired mechanism is described as closed kinematic chain parallel robotic
mechanism. The mechanism has been designed from the initial position using Solid works
software (SOLIDWORKS 2016 x64 Edition Ink) in order to observe the movement of the
trajectory. Subsequently, it has been possible using the SAM software 6.1 (SAM software
was developed by Artas, Nuenen, The Netherlands) to optimize the length of the seven rigid
bars to obtain an appropriate trajectory. This designed was selected in order to reduce the
number of actuators and therefore the final cost. The actuator could be pneumatic using an
external high pressure tank, hydraulic using the pressure of water, or electric, such as an
electric linear actuator.

Two actuators were fixed, one on each side, located at point A, as shown in Figure 1. Also,
the two Machines actuators can be seen in the prototype.

The IR proximity sensor shown in Figure 3b, is used for the proper functioning of the
assistive algorithm. Its role is to detect the presence of a user to actuate the actuators and
place the seat to accommodate the user. Using an infrared light ray, it is able to measure the
exact distance of the user from the toilet. It is capable of performing a constant and reliable
measurement and is not sensitive to the temperature variation of the objects or their
reflectivity. These sensors use an optical principle to measure the distance: an infrared light
beam is emitted, which reflects on the user present in the detection field (“range”) and
strikes back onto a band of receivers

CHAPTER 3
COMPONENTS AND DISCRIPTION
4
 The main important parts associated with our project are,

1. Mechanical spiral jack

2. Worm gear motor

3. Limit switches

4. Relay Module

5.12V DC battery

6. Frame

7. Nylon Wheel

3.1 MECHANICAL SPIRAL JACK.

Very common throughout the world, screw jacks are found wherever there is a need to
lift, position, align and hold load. Their high reliability and synchronization makes screw
jacks suitable for a wide variety of uses that alternative methods of handling cannot achieve.
This spectrum of applications reaches across market sectors and includes Steel Works
Equipment, Water Processing, Pharmaceutical, Medical and Laboratory Equipment,
Packaging Equipment, Nuclear and Aerospace and General Mechanical Handling.
Additionally, screw jacks are increasingly finding uses as alternatives to conventionally
pneumatic and hydraulic systems.

A Screw Jack (also known as a Jack Screw, a Worm Screw Jack, a Machine Screw Jack or a
Lead Screw Jack) is a devise used to convert rotational motion into linear motion. It utilises
the property of a screw thread providing a mechanical advantage i.e. it can be used to
amplify force.A screw jack may incorporate a machine cut lead screw or a rolled or ground
ball screw in order to transfer rotational energy in to linear energy. In both cases, the
rotation of the worm screw acting on the lead screw via the worm wheel converts rotation in
to linear motion.a bevel gear system could be used to convert rotation to linear motion. This
would offer greater efficiency to a machine screw jack due to it making a rolling contact as
opposed to the sliding contact of worm drive components. It could, however, come at a
greater initial cost and does not cover as greater ratio range as worm drives.Also known as
power screws, lead screws come with several different types of thread profile which are
suitable for different applications. Acme lead screws are defined by their trapezoidal thread

5
profile and 29° flank angle and are commonly found in American Imperial machine screw
jacks. An alternative to the Acme lead screw in a machine screw jack would be a square
lead screw.

Fig 3.1 Mechanical Screw Jack

3.2 WORM GEAR MOTOR

Geared DC motors can be defined as an extension of DC motor . A geared DC

Motor has a gear assembly attached to the motor. The speed of motor is counted in terms of
rotations of the shaft per minute and is termed as RPM .The gear assembly helps in
increasing the torque and reducing the speed. Using the correct combination of gears in a
gear motor, its speed can be reduced to any desirable figure. This concept where gears
reduce the speed of the vehicle but increase its torque is known as gear reduction. This
Insight will explore all the minor and major details that make the gear head and hence the
working of geared DC motor.Geared DC motors can be defined as an extension of DC
motor which already had its Insight details demystified here. A geared DC Motor has a gear
assembly attached to the motor. The speed of motor is counted in terms of rotations of the
shaft per minute and is termed as RPM .The gear assembly helps in increasing the torque
and reducing the speed. Using the correct combination of gears in a gear motor, its speed
can be reduced to any desirable figure. This concept where gears reduce the speed of the
6
vehicle but increase its torque is known as gear reduction.

These simple motors have some great characteristics which make them suitable for a wide
range of applications. They are generally low speed but capable of extremely high torque.
Worm drives offer a brake feature (by the nature of their design) which means when there is
no power applied to the worm drive, the load cannot turn the motor. They offer a right angle
(or even left angle) gearbox for practical mounting in tight spaces. The only real downfall
these have is low efficiencies. even the best worm gear drives only have an efficiency
between 60-80%

These worm drive geared motors are a good medium heavy duty unit. They are powerful
and have different gearbox and motor options. They come in 12V and 24V DC for your
voltage options and the motors can come with 2 speeds (1600 RPM and 3200 RPM). The
gearboxes are available in 25:1, 50:1, 60:1 and 75:1, giving you good options of both power
and speed. Unlike cheaper copies of this motor, these units have replaceable brushes and are
an industrial rated unit which can be run continuously. They can be reversed, and controlled
with a speed control unit.

Fig 3.2 Worm Gear Motor

3.3 LIMIT SWITCHES.

In electrical engineering a limit switch is a switch operated by the motion of a
machine part or presence of an object.

7
They are used for controlling machinery as part of a control system, as a safety interlocks,
or to count objects passing a point. [1] A limit switch is an electromechanical device that
consists of an actuator mechanically linked to a set of contacts. When an object comes into
contact with the actuator, the device operates the contacts to make or break an electrical
connection.

Limit switches are used in a variety of applications and environments because of their
ruggedness, ease of installation, and reliability of operation. They can determine the
presence or absence, passing, positioning, and end of travel of an object. They were first
used to define the limit of travel of an object; hence the name "Limit Switch".

Standardized limit switches are industrial control components manufactured with a variety
of operator types, including lever, roller plunger, and whisker type. Limit switches may be
directly mechanically operated by the motion of the operating lever. A reed switch may be
used to indicate proximity of a magnet mounted on some moving part. Proximity
switches operate by the disturbance of an electromagnetic field, by capacitance, or by
sensing a magnetic field.

Rarely, a final operating device such as a lamp or solenoid valve will be directly controlled
by the contacts of an industrial limit switch, but more typically the limit switch will be
wired through a control relay, a motor contactor control circuit, or as an input to
a programmable logic controller.

Miniature snap-action switch may be used for example as components of such devices
as photocopiers, computer printers, convertible tops or microwave ovens to ensure internal
components are in the correct position for operation and to prevent operation when access
doors are opened. A set of adjustable limit switches are installed on a garage door opener to
shut off the motor when the door has reached the fully raised or fully lowered position.
A numerical control machine such as a lathe will have limit switches to identify maximum
limits for machine parts or to provide a known reference point for incremental motions.

8
 Fig 3.3 Limit switch

3.4 RELAY MODULE.

This is a LOW Level 5V 4-channel relay interface board, and each channel needs a
15-20mA driver current. It can be used to control various appliances and equipment with
large current. It is equipped with high-current relays that work under AC250V 10A or
DC30V 10A. It has a standard interface that can be controlled directly by microcontroller.
This module is optically isolated from high voltage side for safety requirement and also
prevent ground loop when interface to microcontroller.

Relay Maximum output: DC 30V/10A, AC 250V/10A.

8 Channel Relay Module with Opto-coupler. LOW Level Trigger expansion board,
which is compatible with Arduino control board. Standard interface that can be controlled
directly by microcontroller ( 8051, AVR, *PIC, DSP, ARM, ARM, MSP430, TTL logic).

Relay of high quality low noise relays SPDT. A common terminal, a normally open,
one normally closed terminal.

Opt-Coupler isolation, for high voltage safety and prevent ground loop with
microcontroller.

Module Board: 138 x 56 mm.

9
 Fig 3.4 Relay Module

3.5. 12 V DC BATTERY.
Lead Acid batteries have changed little since the 1880's although improvements in
materials and manufacturing methods continue to bring improvements in energy density,
life and reliability. All lead acid batteries consist of flat lead plates immersed in a pool of
electrolyte. Regular water addition is required for most types of lead acid batteries although
low-maintenance types come with excess electrolyte calculated to compensate for water
loss during a normal lifetime.

Fig 3.5 12v DC Battery

10
3.6 FRAME
Frame is the basic structure of this machine and is made up of galvanized steel.The
frame is designed to keep the conveyor belt at the front the collecting tank at the rear near to
the conveyor belt and other components like the battery and electronic circuit boards at the
back of collecting tank.

Galvanized steel is a type of steel that has been galvanized by the application of a zinc
coating throughout its body so that it can be protected from corroding or rusting.
Galvanized steel has a longer life and durability compared to non-galvanized steel. The
application process of zinc on a steel structure is called "galvanization." This process was
first invented and developed in France and England in 1837, in which a sheet of steel was
dipped in a molten zinc bath (a method called "hot dip galvanization").

Fig 3.6 Frame

11
3.7 NYLON WHEEL.
Nylon is a Thermoplastic material, exhibiting excellent mechanical properties.
Nylon falls within the material category of “Polyamide”. Polyamides can be natural
materials, such as Silk, and also synthetic (man-made) materials such as Nylon.

Nylon is manufactured by reacting amino molecules with Carboxylic Acid Molecules and
the addition of fibers. The resultant material provides excellent mechanical properties
which make it a common Wheel material within the Castor Wheel Industry.

Nylon has been in use for almost a century, developed by Dupont in 1935. Today it is used
in all manner of equipment in the Industrial, Commercial and Domestic Environments,
including Nylon Castors and Wheels

Nylon Wheels are incredibly strong and provide high load capacities, excellent wear and
tear resistance and can cope with occasional impact without fracture, and in addition are
relatively inexpensive compared to other materials with comparable properties.

Nylon Castors also provide Non-Marking characteristics to protect flooring surfaces. They
have Low Roll Resistance which reduces user fatigue and are resistant to mane chemical
substances and fluids and they are ideal for applications that require regular wash down and
cleaning.

The two most common grades of Nylon are Nylon 6 and Nylon 66. These grades provide
excellent properties, whilst maintaining their low cost, compared to some other Nylons.

Fig 3.7 Nylon Wheel

3.8 SHEET METAL

12
 Sheet metal is metal formed by an industrial process into thin, flat pieces. Sheet
metal is one of the fundamental forms used in metal working and it can be cut and bent into
a variety of shapes. Countless everyday objects are fabricated from sheet metal. Thicknesses
can vary significantly; extremely thin sheets are considered foil or leaf, and pieces thicker
than 6 mm (0.25 in) are considered plate steel or "structural steel. "Sheet metal is available
in flat pieces or coiled strips. The coils are formed by running a continuous sheet of metal
through a roll slitter. In most of the world, sheet metal thickness is consistently specified in
millimeters. In the US, the thickness of sheet metal is commonly specified by a traditional,
non-linear measure known as its gauge. The larger the gauge number, the thinner the metal.
Commonly used steel sheet metal ranges from 30 gauge to about 7 gauge. Gauge differs
between ferrous (iron based) metals and nonferrous metals such as aluminum or copper.
Copper thickness, for example, is measured in ounces; representing the weight of copper
contained in an area of one square foot. Parts manufactured from sheet metal must maintain
a uniform thickness for ideal results.[23]

CHAPTER 4
13
 COMPONENTS LIST

Sl.NO Components Quantity

1 Mechanical spiral jack 1
2 Worm gear motor 12 v, 1
High torque
3 limit switches 2
4 Galvanized steel 12*
5 12 v DC battery 1
6 Nylon wheel 4
7 Relay module 1
8 magnetic lock 1
9 Nut & Bolt 10
10 Sheet metal 4*
Table 4.1 Component list

*length of the component in meters

CHAPTER 5
DESIGN LAYOUT
14
 Fig 5.1 Design layout

CHAPTER 6
CONSTRUCTION

15
 The basic body of the adjustable commode is a 3 square faced C section made of GI
square tubing . Inside the front square section a cross member is made to move up and down
guided by the vertical legs of the frame. The cross member is moved along the member
using a bottle screw jack. Another inverted U frame built using slightly smaller square
tubing is made to move inside the vertical legs of the body. So that a telescopic height
adjustment mechanism is obtained. Another square with a commode opening is placed on
top of the inverted U frame and both of the frames are joined together by hinge joints. A 3
bar link mechanism is used to connect the cross member, inverted U frame and the top
square on both sides. A cushioned seat hinged to the back of the top square frame. The
power input for the screw jack is provided by a high torque worm reduction DC motor. The
DC motor is driven by a 12V 7Ah lead acid battery. A micro controller development board
with relays and limit switches are used to control the motion.

CHAPTER 7
MANUFACTURING PROCESS

16
1. Welding
2. Grinding
3. Drilling

7.1 WELDING.
Welding is a fabrication or sculptural process that joins materials,
usually metals or thermoplastics, by using high heat to melt the parts together and allowing
them to cool causing fusion. Welding is distinct from lower temperature metal-joining
techniques such as brazing and soldering, which do not melt the base metal.

In addition to melting the base metal, a filler material is typically added to the joint
to form a pool of molten material (the weld pool) that cools to form a joint that, based on
weld configuration (butt, full penetration, fillet, etc.), can be stronger than the base material
(parent metal). Pressure may also be used in conjunction with heat, or by itself, to produce a
weld. Welding also requires a form of shield to protect the filler metals or melted metals
from being contaminated or oxidized.

Welding is a hazardous undertaking and precautions are required to

avoid burns, electric shock, vision damage, inhalation of poisonous gases and fumes, and
exposure to intense ultraviolet radiation.

Until the end of the 19th century, the only welding process was forge welding,
which blacksmiths had used for millennia to join iron and steel by heating and
hammering. welding and oxy-fuel welding were among the first processes to develop late in
the century, and electric resistance welding followed soon after. Welding technology
advanced quickly during the early 20th century as the world wars drove the demand for
reliable and inexpensive joining methods.

17
 Fig 7.1 Welding Process
7.2 GRINDING
A grinding machine, often shortened to grinder, is any of various power tools or machine
tools used for grinding, which is a type of machining using an abrasive wheel as the cutting
tool. Each grain of abrasive on the wheel's surface cuts a small chip from the workpiece via
shear deformation.

Grinding is used to finish workpieces that must show high surface quality (e.g.,
low surface roughness) and high accuracy of shape and dimension. As the accuracy in
dimensions in grinding is of the order of 0.000025 mm, in most applications it tends to be a
finishing operation and removes comparatively little metal, about 0.25 to 0.50 mm depth.
However, there are some roughing applications in which grinding removes high volumes of
metal quite rapidly. Thus, grinding is a diverse field.

Fig 7.2 Grinding

18
7.3 DRILLING
Drilling is a cutting process that uses a drill bit to cut a hole of circular cross-
section in solid materials. The drill bit is usually a rotary cutting tool, often multi-point. The
bit is pressed against the work-piece and rotated at rates from hundreds to thousands
of revolutions per minute. This forces the cutting edge against the work-piece, cutting
off chips (swarf) from the hole as it is drilled.

In rock drilling, the hole is usually not made through a circular cutting motion,
though the bit is usually rotated. Instead, the hole is usually made by hammering a drill bit
into the hole with quickly repeated short movements. The hammering action can be
performed from outside the hole (top-hammer drill) or within the hole (down-the-hole drill,
DTH). Drills used for horizontal drilling are called drifter drills.In rare cases, specially-
shaped bits are used to cut holes of non-circular cross-section; a square cross-section is
possible

Drilled holes are characterized by their sharp edge on the entrance side and the
presence of burrs on the exit side (unless they have been removed). Also, the inside of the
hole usually has helical feed marks.

Drilling may affect the mechanical properties of the workpiece by creating

low residual stresses around the hole opening and a very thin layer of highly stressed and
disturbed material on the newly formed surface. This causes the workpiece to become more
susceptible to corrosion and crack propagation at the stressed surface. A finish operation
may be done to avoid these detrimental conditions.

Fig 7.3 Drilling

19
 CHAPTER 8
WORKING

The whole system is electronically button operated when an patient wants to sit on
the chair he has to press a button the motor will turn in CW direction which will drive the
screw jack to move upwards. In turn the screw jack will be forcing the cross member to
move up. As the cross member is attached to the 3 bar link mechanism. So the bar(1)
attached to the cross member will push the other two links (2&3) this will effect in
movement of the inverted U upwards. But the upward movement of the inverted U is
constrained to a pint that after that point there won’t be no upward movement of the frame.
But as the link (1) is continuously moving up and link(2) ‘s movement is restricted link (3)
will try to move up and this will produce a rotation of the top square with respect to the
hinged joint. This rotation will end in a slating position of the seat. Thereby the height and
seat angle of the chair is varied to support the patient. Then to sit on the commode he have
to lean back and press another button which will take the chair to the initial position. Thus
ensuring that he does not fall or have a hard landing on the commode.

Fig 8.1 Initial phase Fig 8.2 Final phase

20
 CHAPTER 9
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

9.1 ADVANTAGES

 Very use full for paraplegic patients for using as walker and adjustable
commode seater.

 Single power source and motor used for 2 movements.

 Low cost for manufacturing.

 Very easy to use by patients since only 2 way switch is used for motion.

 Very low power consumption. Only 12 V battery is required.

 Adaptable to conscious patients. Automation of limits is considered to be as

future scope.

 Efficient spiral jack mechanism is used. It can lift up to 2 tones

9.2 DISADVANTAGES

 G I pipes are used in our project which can cause rusting after a long time.
By using stainless steel we can rectify the problem.

 Lithium ion batteries are used, which has no recharging facility.

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 CHAPTER 10
COST ANALYSIS

SL.NO ITEM QUANTITY PRICE (RS)

1. Galvanized iron 16 ¼ inch square pipe- 2500
gauge 12 meters

2. Spiral jack 1 2350

3. 12 v battery 1 1100

4. 12 v DC worm 1 1200
geared motor

5. Commode seater 1 400

6. 4 channel relay 1 550

module

7. Steel bar 5 meter 1200

8. Nylon castor wheel 2 800

with break

9. Nylon castor wheel 2 600

without break

10. Machine rent 7 days 2000

11. Welding and cutting - 2000

charges.

12. Plywood 250

13. Switch and 300

electronic
accessories

14. Sheet metal 4 meter 1100

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15. Rivets, nuts and 400
bolts, screws, weld
rods

16. Transportation 700

17. Aesthectics 800

19. Accessories 500

TOTAL 18,650

Table 10.1 Cost analysis

CHAPTER 11
RESULT AND DISCISSION

Project topic was taken based on an idea for helping paraplegic patients to use
commode. Project was planned to done fully automatic, but reached at semi-automatic.
Used small trolley wheels to cope up with height. We can use large wheels and the link

23
system can be arranged inside the outer surface. We have used manually controlled switch
for height adjustments. It can be further developed by using limit switches for unconscious
patients too. Now we have used only Galvanized iron square pipe. But for patient use it
must be replaced by high grade stainless steel. It has now been built for lifting 60kg net
weight. This load can be increased by using ball bearings at the links and high torque
planetary motors. This motor could increase the speed of motion too.

CHAPTER 12
CONCLUSION

We have developed an aid chair with a commode supporter which could help the
patient in using toilets and bathroom without others help. This project is mainly for
paraplegic patients. Paraplegia is medical condition where patients experience loss of

24
movement or loss of feeling in the body. Our project is a self-helping chair which helps
patients to use it as a walker and help in exercising their muscles helping them from
bedridden. There are other wheel chair in the market which is very costly and it cannot be
affordable to normal people. So we mainly aim to make a product for low cost for the
patients. Using a single power source for all motions, the chair reduces power consumption.
It also reduces the cost of the product which makes it economical. Since there are thousands
of patients with same disabilities, our project gains much relevance today and tomorrow. By
using low cost products we made this project much cheaper. The cost of our project is
Rs.23,000

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