Patent ID: 8544865

Claim:
In a wheelchair having a user supporting frame, a pair of rear wheels carried on the frame and engageable by the user to propel the chair, an apparatus for facilitating user propulsion without contamination of the user's hands from material picked up in use and carried on the outer surface of the rear wheels, the apparatus comprising: a semi-circumferential drive grip demountably attached to a tire of each rear wheel, the grip including a manually compressible portion in direct contact with the tire and a flexible grip cover overlying the compressible portion, an elastic strap connecting each end of the drive grip to the respective front and rear of the frame to hold the grip in a neutral position, such that the user is able to alternately grasp the grip and compress the compressible portion against the tire and push the wheel forward to increase the length and tension in the rear strap to provide rolling movement of the wheel, and to reduce the compression to permit tension in the rear strap to release the grip from rolling movement with the wheel and to return the grip to the neutral position.