Door Opener and Stopper (originally for People in Wheelchairs)

It can be very hard opening heavy doors while in a wheelchair. We designed a device that opens a door with a fixed handle and leaves it open as you go through it.

We designed for a specific elevator door, but it works with all doors that has a similar handle.

We hope this device turns a strenuous daily task to an easy one and allows independent to people in wheelchairs.

Please enjoy the project clip and follow the instruction down below.

supplies for device

Telescopic tracking pole with a wide handle (available at outdoors stores)

spring stainless steel dimensions

Stiff cord 25 cm long

3 metal binders (galvanized or stainless steel) to bind cord and anti-slip dimensions 4mm X 40mm

1 screw and nut

Anti- slip material dimensions 150mm X 30mm

Strong double-sided adhesive

Layout printed on paper

supplies for storage bag

Fasteners X3

Durable and tough fabric (for example Cordura) dimensions

tools

Marking pen

Bend saw\ jig saw\ access to a laser cutting machine

Sawing machine

Vise or clamp for the bending

Scissors

Drill

Drill bits that match the rod you bought (detail in the assembly process)

glue stick

caliper

Print on plain paper and cut the layout (file attached). Use a glue stick to glue it to a stainless-steel strip (0.4-0.5 mm thick). Cut the outline using a bend saw or a jigsaw- make sure to use protective glasses, earplugs and all needed precautions.

Once you have the cutout outline, sand the edges so they are smooth and safe to touch. After that, drill the holes. Pay attention- the sizes of the holes must much the sizes of the specific pole you are using. Take a look at the picture to see what hole matches which part of the cane. You will probably need 3 different drills for that- for the diameter of the stick, the diameter of the rubber cap and the diameter of the screw you will use to lock the stopper to the pole.

After you have finished cutting and drilling the spring stainless steel strip, you should use the clamp in order to bend it. In the attached drawing we specify the angels of each bend, you should start from the edge without the tab. Don’t warry about getting the exact right the angles the first time- you can adjust in manually after you finish bending. After the first and second bend continue bending from the tab edge and work your way back to the other edge.

We recommend you use a clamp and a small, straight wood bord for easy bending.

Pay attention- after the second bend you place the rubber cap inside the hole, wide side down as shown in the picture.

If you have access to a professional metal workshop- you can send the DXF and XT files and they can laser cut and bend everything for you. Know that you will need to gently open and insert the rubber cap afterwards.

Cut the anti-slip to these measurements: 150mm X 30mm

Remove the glued paper that is left on the stopper. Cut the double-sided adhesive to the same size as the anti-slip and apply it to the metal stopper. White the amount of time specified on the glue you are using and the put the anti-slip on the metal, starting at the back of the stopper (like in the picture). You can use sellotape to hold it in place until the glue dries.

Drill two adjacent holes near the end of the handle. Thread the cord through the holes. Take one piece of metal and use a player to bend it on two pieces of the cord. Do that twice, on both sides of the handle.

Screw the pole into the rubber cap. Thurn it until the stopper is perpendicular to the handle, the direction depends on your specific elevator- if the door opens to the right and you reach out your left hand from inside the elevator to remove the pole than the stopper should be at +90 degrees, in you the elevator door opens to the left it should be -90 degrees.

Mark on the pole the place of the hole. Take the pole out of the rubber cap and carefully drill straight through. Put it back in the rubber cap and put a screw through the stopper and the pole. Tighten it with a bolt.

Your elevator opener and stopper is ready!

You can sand the righting on the pole and coat it with clear polish or color it.

Choose what ever colors you like for the cord and the anti-slip.

Please pay attention- this holster fits a specific kind of chair, you might need to adjust it to fit another chair.

Trace the pattern as shown in the picture
to a durable fabric and cut it.

All following instructions will refer to the attached image.

1. Ham the orange edges

2. Sew Velcro at yellow rectangle from bottom

3. Sew Velcro to light blue rectangle from top

4. Sew pockets at red rectangles from bottom (this is to hold the fasteners)

5. Cut opening for fastener at dark blue lines (multiple cuts so you can adjust the placing of the fastener to the size of your seat)

6. Sow purple edge to purple edge, green to green, pink to pink

• All seams are from the inside (as you sow a pillow). After you are finished turn it inside out and sow overlapping outer seam

Attach the holster to the chair, you are ready to go!