Project on improvements on every day DIY tools for the elderly and disabled

geek84 said:

What about things like - Hammer, Screw Driver, Tape Measure, Set of Pliers, Saw, Junior Hacksaw, Craft Knife, and how their handling/function can be improved, so that they can be use easily used be the elderly, disabled, and other individuals who have below average movement and strength in their body.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

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I've been giving this some thought.

1) For the hammer, you could have a simple spring system. This device could be fitted via velcro to any head or limb.
The idea would be short sharp movement backwards in front of the target nail, hammer springs forward. Bang. No gripping involved.

Still working on the others.

I've been giving this some thought.

For the hammer, you could have a simple spring system. This device could be fitted via velcro to any head or limb.
The idea would be short sharp movement backwards in front of the target nail, hammer springs forward. Bang. No gripping involved.[/QUOTE]
You've been watching the Simpsons, haven't you?
Homer invented a hammer very similar in design to what you describe (along with other things that were equally as unsuccessful)!

JBR said:

Homer invented a hammer very similar in design to what you describe (along with other things that were equally as unsuccessful)!

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Oi, It would work.

Hang on! Talking about hammers, how about an SDS hammer-head attachment (for roto-stop drills)? A bit like a wide drill bit but with a flat end.
Even better, make the face slightly concave to prevent it slipping off the nail if not held perfectly in line. It could have something like a retracting bit holder too, to hold the nail steady until driven in or be magnetic to hold (steel) nails in place. Can drive nails in where there isn't enough room to swing a hammer. No more bashed thumbs either!
(I must get on to the Patent Office first thing on Monday. )

JBR said:

Hang on! Talking about hammers, how about an SDS hammer-head attachment (for roto-stop drills)? A bit like a wide drill bit but with a flat end.
Even better, make the face slightly concave to prevent it slipping off the nail if not held perfectly in line. It could have something like a retracting bit holder too, to hold the nail steady until driven in or be magnetic to hold (steel) nails in place. Can drive nails in where there isn't enough room to swing a hammer. No more bashed thumbs either!
(I must get on to the Patent Office first thing on Monday. )

Click to expand...

Nail guns do that.

My idea allows old people and the disabled to use it, and it will be reasonably priced. How are they gonna use yours.???

The SDS device is made for inserting earth rods.

What I would like to see is an over speed wheel chair brake. With mobility scooters and electric wheel chairs even when the drive is disconnected for winching into the car there is an over speed brake, but with self propelled there is nothing. For the fit OK but for old people if you make a mistake and end up on a slope your stumped. Let go of the wheel spinner to apply the brake and before you can apply it the wheel chair is speeding down the slope.

Disable bays without a post in the centre of the bay would be another, so you can reverse in and unload the disabled person onto the pavement not onto the road.


The problem is items for the disabled are often not what able people want. The one shown with cover slid in place is great for my Mother however for me I want to be able to use the electronic program guide and access recorded programs and even with slide open one has lost many of the features of a standard Sky remote control.

I fitted a intercom door bell so my mother can talk to people at the door without having to transfer to her wheel chair and physical open the door. But she simply will not use it.

She had a new disabled access kitchen fitted where the fitter was very careful to mount oven so door just cleared her wheel chair arms so she could just about see items in the grill. After going to all this work to get the hight spot on he selected an oven with the markings viewable only by looking down on to the knobs looking up from a wheel chair you can't read the temperature set.

As to the induction hob that was also a total failure nothing wrong with the hob it was the human machine interface (HMI) which failed. It had touch controls which from the angle viewed when sitting in a wheel chair were invisible. They were also slow to operate. The whole idea was safety she did not have to lift a pan off the heat the induction hob does not store heat so switching off removes the heat as effectively as lifting the pan off the heat area. However although with a simple knob this works well touch controls are too slow they are the worst HMI ever invented.

I have a mauled right hand. I love photography but both my D-SLR's are designed for use with right hand. I have to hold it up side down to use with left hand which means flash is below camera. There are pistol grips but using them means you can't hold camera steady. With right hand operation you have three points of contact to steady the camera. Right hand holds camera, left hand holds lens, and viewfinder steadies it as it presses on your eye. So I have to lug a tripod everywhere.

LastMagicBean said:

JBR said:

Hang on! Talking about hammers, how about an SDS hammer-head attachment (for roto-stop drills)? A bit like a wide drill bit but with a flat end.
Even better, make the face slightly concave to prevent it slipping off the nail if not held perfectly in line. It could have something like a retracting bit holder too, to hold the nail steady until driven in or be magnetic to hold (steel) nails in place. Can drive nails in where there isn't enough room to swing a hammer. No more bashed thumbs either!
(I must get on to the Patent Office first thing on Monday. )

Click to expand...

Nail guns do that.

Click to expand...

But can nail guns get into inaccessible places? My hammer attachment, if it is long enough, could do that.

Anyway, I haven't got a nail gun.

ericmark said:

The SDS device is made for inserting earth rods.

Click to expand...

Yes, that's what gave me the idea.
However, it couldn't drive a nail in; it would have to have a flat head. My attachment would have a retracting bit holder to hold the nail until driven in, and would come in a set for different sized nails.

What time does the Patent Office open?

Hi Folks

Many thanks for your replies.

Any further responses greatly appreciated.

Can you think of other tools which can be adapted for disabled/old people, so that they care easier to use?

I reckon the best way to improve any form of DIY product for an older person is to improve the instructions. Apart from instructions being written in fifteen different languages and sometimes only useless symbols, they quite often can't read them because they are too small or badly translated. Most people's vision gets worse as they get older because of cataracts or just short sightedness.

I'm not old but already have to balance my specs on the end of my nose when reading instructions. I normally tear out the first twenty five pages of 'elf 'n' safety and bin them: Things like; Don't stand in a bath of water when wiring a socket. OK, I'm exaggerating but I do think the majority of instructions are confusing and not user friendly.

Maybe there could be a recognised symbol on packaging denoting large print instructions.

Hammers are an awkward one in that their weight largely contributes to their effectiveness although something like the weight forward types may give you inspiration.
Again things like screwdrivers really should have a flat or nut shaped section to allow a spanner to be used for extra leverage , not exactly new but something to look at.
Pliers? Maybe some sort of ratchet system similar to that used on some tree loppers?
Saws , probably smaller teeth and perhaps something similar to the fast cut jobbies that cut on the push and pull.
And for craft knifes maybe a handle shaped more like a knuckle duster to aid grip for those with limited strength although I could foresee legal problems trying to sell a bladed knuckle duster!

JBR said:

ericmark said:

The SDS device is made for inserting earth rods.

Click to expand...

Yes, that's what gave me the idea.
However, it couldn't drive a nail in; it would have to have a flat head. My attachment would have a retracting bit holder to hold the nail until driven in, and would come in a set for different sized nails.

What time does the Patent Office open?

Click to expand...

When working on lead gutters I cut off a regular sds bit to use to punch round headed nails below the surface of the gutter boards. Worked although you wouldn't want to use it on nice work as it had a tendency to bouncy off the head and into the face of the board.