DAEDALUS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
MAKING TECHNOLOGY MORE ACCESSIBLE
Installing the DAESSY Locking Swing-away Mount - DLSA7
Installing the Frame Clamp Assembly
Background:
The DLSA7 can be mounted on either the left or right side of a wheelchair with left and right defined from the position of the person seated in the wheelchair.
Find the location on the wheelchair to attach the Frame Clamp. This should have been chosen already in the step Selecting a Frame Clamp Location during the process of fitting the mounting system. The Right Angle Tube must be installed vertically therefore the Locking Swing-Away Outer Piece (LSAOP) must be placed directly below the front-to-back position of the mounted device.
One Offset Link (O3L) is always used with the Locking Swing-Away Frame Clamp Assembly and this is sufficient to span a distance of up to three inches between the location of the Inner Piece and the position of the LSAOP. Additional O3Ls may be needed if the required distance from the LSAOP to the Frame Clamp Inner Piece is greater than 3".
Often the Frame Clamp will be installed near the front caster wheel but make sure the selected location is part of the wheelchair frame, not a movable armrest or footrest. If there is interference with the caster wheel, the brake lever, or any controls it may be necessary to use a Frame Clamp Spacer (UFCSPCR) to displace the LSAOP out from the position of the Inner Piece.
It does not matter how the wheelchair frame tube is oriented because the Swivel Clamp allows the Locking Swing Away Outer Piece to be rotated to any angle relative to the Frame Clamp Inner Piece.
Assemble the Frame Clamp Pieces:
The pieces of the frame clamp assembly must be connected together before it is installed on the wheelchair frame. These pieces will include a Frame Clamp Inner Piece, a Locking Swing Away Outer Piece, an Offset Link, and when needed additional Offset links and/or Frame Clamp Spacers.
When the Inner Piece has a Cap and Body fastened with two screws the Cap must be removed so that the threaded end of the Swivel Clamp can be fitted in the long hole through the Inner Piece. Some Inner Pieces have integrated threaded holes for the Swivel Clamp bolts and do not use the threaded end.
Un-assembled and fully assembled Frame Clamps are shown in the accompanying picture.
The adjoining faces of all the parts for a Frame Clamp Assembly have circular grooves to give extra friction against movement when assembled. The grooves on an Outer Piece engage with the grooves on an Inner Piece but will not engage with the grooves on another Outer Piece. Offset Links and Frame Clamp Spacers have the letters IP stamped into the metal beside the grooves that attach to the Inner Piece and OP stamped beside the opposite grooves.
The grooved face of the Locking Swing-Away Outer Piece holds a threaded end of a Swivel Clamp. The Offset Link is connected to this face with an unthreaded Swivel Clamp end and two bolts.
Caution:
All the grooved faces must be correctly matched and engaged before the swivel clamp bolts are tightened.
When only one O3L is used to connect the Inner Piece and the LSAOP the unthreaded end of each Swivel Clamp is inserted into the holes in either end of the O3L. When more Offset Links are needed to correctly position the LSAOP the IP end of one is connected to the OP end of another with a Swivel Clamp. It is convenient to orient the Swivel Clamps so that the bolt heads are accessible from the outside of the wheelchair.
When a Frame Clamp Spacer (UFCSPCR) is needed to gain extra clearance away from the wheelchair frame it can be placed between any connection of the grooved faces, taking care to mate the IP and OP surfaces correctly. Longer Swivel Clamp bolts are provided with the UFCSPCR.
Note:
Offset Links displaying Serial Numbers greater than #406000 may be connected directly together at any angle.
Offset Links that display a Serial Number less than #406000 or have no Serial Number must not be connected together at an angle of less than 135º.
Two Offset Links connected with an intervening Frame Clamp Spacer can be connected at any angle. The Swivel Clamp connecting through the Spacer will require longer bolts that are supplied with the UFCSPCR.
The pieces of the complete Frame Clamp Assembly should be assembled and the Swivel Clamps moderately tightened to hold the unit in approximately the correct orientation before attaching the Frame Clamp Inner Piece to the wheelchair.
Attach and Align the Frame Clamp
There are three steps to attaching and aligning the Frame Clamp Assembly:
- Attach the Inner Piece and align sideways
- Position the Outer Piece
- Align the Outer Piece vertically
Attach the Frame Clamp Inner Piece and Align Sideways
At the selected location fit the Cap and Body of the Frame Clamp Inner Piece around the tube. Replace the bolts but do not fully tighten them yet. The Cap should face towards the inside of the wheelchair and the Body, connected to the Outer Piece, should face towards the outside.
When the Frame Clamp is attached to round tubing on a wheelchair frame sideways alignment ensures that the Right Angle Tube is parallel to the side of the wheelchair and perpendicular to the ground. With the Inner Piece bolts lightly tightened the Frame Clamp Assembly can be rotated about the attachment location to align it. The Right Angle Tube can be inserted through the LSAOP for extra leverage and to act as an alignment guide.
Hold the tube parallel to the side of the wheelchair and alternately tighten the bolts connecting the Cap and Body of the Frame Clamp Inner Piece to clamp the wheelchair tube evenly.
Please Note
When the bolts are fully tight and the tube is firmly gripped there should be a slight gap of 1/32" to 1/64" between the Cap and Body of the Frame Clamp Inner Piece. If the gap is wider than 1/16" the Frame Clamp Inner Piece is probably too small. If there is no gap and the tube is not gripped firmly when the bolts are tight remove the inner
piece and tightly wrap some aluminium foil around the tube before replacing it. Make sure the aluminium foil does not get caught between the Cap and Body when the bolts are again tightened. There is some variation in the tube size on different wheelchairs so it is sometimes necessary to use the foil. Do not use paper or plastic. Do not use more than four layers of foil, more than this probably means the Frame Clamp is too large.
Position the Outer Piece
The Offset Link (O3L) holds the Locking Swing-Away Outer Piece (LSAOP) three inches away from the Frame Clamp Inner Piece at any angle. The location of the LSAOP can be adjusted up and down and forward and backward by adjusting the angle of the Offset Link.
There should be about one inch of tube protruding beyond the bottom of the LSAOP when the Horizontal Tube is at the correct height for accessing the device.
When the correct location for the LSAOP is determined the Swivel Clamp bolts that connect the Frame Clamp Inner Piece to the Offset Link (O3L) should be firmly tightened, as should any Swivel Clamps connecting additional Offset Links and Frame Clamp Spacers. The Swivel Clamp bolts connecting the Locking Swing Away Outer Piece to the Offset Link should not be tightened yet.
Align the Outer Piece vertically
The tube hole in the Locking Swing-Away Outer Piece is aligned vertically by rotating the tube forward or backward before tightening the two bolts on the final Swivel Clamp.
The tube hole in the Locking Swing-Away Outer Piece should be truly vertical or tilted very slightly back toward the wheelchair. If the tube hole is tilted forward the mount will swing out by itself when the Locking Pin is disengaged, and may be difficult to pull back into position.
Once the LSAOP has been aligned vertically all Swivel Clamp bolts should be fully tightened. The two bolts in each Swivel Clamp should be tightened alternately to get the most efficient grip.
Important Note:
All the bolts should be tightened sufficient to hold the mounting assembly for normal loads; when excessive force is applied the mount may move and should move before the wheelchair frame is likely to bend.
It is the responsibility of the installer to ensure the mount is firm enough for their needs, but not over-tight, and to periodically check that the bolts have not vibrated loose.
[Next Step: Install the Right Angle Tube and Locking Index Clamp]
Steps in Installation Procedure:
Installing the DLSA7 has these major steps:
- Identify the Parts
- Assemble and Install the Locking Frame Clamp Assembly
- Install and adjust the Locking Index Clamp (ICLSA) and Right-angle Tube
- Install the Quick Release Base (TUSB)
- Adjust the Release Cable
Locking Swing Away Mount