Hello and welcome.

This is the web site for the car chair system designed and developed by Brian Waite. This system is the subject of 16 patents and was designed in 1979.

It is a system consisting of a wheelchair and a separate lifting post. The design allows a disabled person to install themselves and their wheelchair into the front seat position of a small two door family car just by pushing (the relevant!) buttons.

The car remains unmodified so can be sold on in the usual way. All that is needed to install the system is:

(1) Removal of either of the front seats, depending upon whether the disabled person is to be a driver or passenger.

(2) A locator/locking plate is bolted to the floor.

(3) The Carchair post is bolted between the floorpan and the safety belt fixing point on the “B” pillar.

(4) An electric supply fed to the controls.

The process is to arrive at the car, open the door and Velcro the control box to wherever has been decided as convenient. Press the relevant buttons to extend and lower the pickup. Reverse the Carchair/wheelchair to engage with the pickup spike and raise.

This will lift the wheelchair and occupant until the wheels of the chair are clear of the ground. Now press the relevant buttons to retract the wheels of the wheelchair and then adjust the lift to a height that allows the chair to pass over the doorsill yet is low enough to give the occupant maximum headroom.

Now press to retract into the car. To start with the chair travels backwards into the car but then starts to revolve to face the front. At this point the occupant must lean outwards so as not to knock their head on the top rail of the door aperture. Now press to lower and upon reaching the car floor the wheelchair will automatically engage with the locator plate and lock into position. The seatbelt is used in the usual way. To exit just reverse the procedure.

For the severely disabled or non-driver this can all be done by a carer and the wheelchair is available as a push or self-propelled.
For more information go to “contact”.