Michael R Heinrich, 461804 Root St, Joliet, IL 60435

4998354, Mar 12, 1991

Jun 20, 1990

7/540842

Michael W. Silverman - Highland Park IL
Michael Heinrich - Chicago IL
Clifford E. Brubaker - Charlottesville VA
Colin A. McLaurin - Crozet VA

Pin Dot Products - Niles IL

G01B 520

335142

Apparatus for measuring and providing a two-dimensional representation of the contour of a person's thighs and buttocks or the dorsal and lateral surfaces of a person's trunk facilitates the fabrication of custom contoured seat cushions such as for use by wheelchair users. The apparatus includes a frame having a rectangular matrix of compressible, resilient support elements with a generally flat upper surface. Attached to the upper surface of each support element is one end of a flexible, incompressible cable which is inserted through a conduit with a 90. degree. bend for directing the cable toward and beyond a side of the frame. Second end portions of the cable and conduit combinations are in parallel, planar alignment. The cable is free to move within and along the length of the conduit such that downward displacement of the upper surface of a support element and first end of a cable coupled thereto causes the cable's second end to be moved outward from the frame. By arranging the second end portions of the cables in a cyclic manner in accordance with the number of support elements in a given row within the matrix, the three-dimensional contoured support surface of a person sitting on the array of support elements is presented in two dimensions in a format which is easily recorded and reproduced for fabricating a custom contoured seat cushion.

5060393, Oct 29, 1991

Mar 11, 1991

7/667670

Michael W. Silverman - Highland Park IL
Michael Heinrich - Chicago IL
C. Kerry Jones - South Bend IN

Pin Dot Products - Niles IL

A61B 510

33512

Apparatus for taking body measurements of a seated person for making individually sized seat and back support cushions includes a foldable frame having a first leg/buttocks rule and a second height rule pivotally coupled together and adapted for positioning adjacent the leg/buttocks and back portions, respectively, of a person positioned thereon. The height rule is moveable along the length of the leg/buttocks rule upon which the person being measured is seated for measuring the distance from the seated person's buttocks to his or her knees. A moveable, generally V-shaped bracket adapted for engaging the person's shoulders is attached to the height rule and allows the person's seat-to-shoulder dimension to be measured. A moveable third rule attached to the leg/buttocks rule and disposed between its knee engaging end and the height rule includes a pair of moveable hip engaging paddles for measuring the person's hip width. A fourth rule movably attached to the second height rule also includes a pair of moveable torso engaging paddles for measuring torso width.

5193285, Mar 16, 1993

Aug 1, 1991

7/739110

Michael Heinrich - Chicago IL
Eric-Jan Ginder - Oak Park IL

Pin Dot Products - Niles IL

G01B 520

335142

A mechanical shape sensor measures and provides a two-dimensional representation of the contour of a person's thighs and buttocks or the dorsal and lateral surfaces of a person's trunk for facilitating the fabrication of custom contoured seat cushions such as for use in a wheelchair. The mechanical shape sensor is integrated in a chair-like base capable of multiple adjustments to accommodate a range of dimensions and sizes of persons being measured. The mechanical shape sensor converts the three-dimensional contoured support surface of a person seated on an array of movable support elements into a two-dimensional format which is recorded on a data sheet in a form which is easily transmitted via telecommunications link to a central locatin for fabricating a custom contoured seat cushion. Each of the moveable support elements is coupled to a position marker in the data recorder. The position markers are disposed adjacent a pressure-sensitive data sheet inserted in the data recorder for engaging the data sheet and imprinting data points thereon when urged toward the data sheet by an impression-forming mechanism comprised of a pair of opposed rollers which are manually displaced in unison over the position markers.