Tractor Hand Control Lever Assistive Technology

The tractor hand control lever assistive technology allows people with lower limb impairments to operate foot pedals by hand. Foot pedals on farm tractors, lawnmowers, and large equipment cannot be operated by people with leg amputation, spinal cord injury, knee and hip replacements, and arthritis. This lever is made from 1-inch square steel tubing with 1/16" wall thickness. The bracket on the pedal is made with two muffler clamps welded onto a 1 1/2 - inch square tube with 1/4" wall thickness. The bracket stays on the pedal when the lever is not in use and does not interfere with operators who want to use the foot pedals normally.

Skills Required:

Welding
Metal cutting, grinding & finishing
Bending 1" square tubing

Tools:

Welder
Angle grinder with cut-off wheels and grinding/sanding wheels
Tubing bender or other method of bending tubing
9/16" wrench

2 2-inch muffler clamps (or whatever size fits around your pedal snugly)

1 1 1/2 - inch square steel tube 1/4 - inch wall thickness cut 2" long

1 1 - inch square steel tube 1/16 - inch wall thickness cut 36" long

1 1" Rubber hand grip

1. Make the socket from 1-1/2" 1/4"-thick wall square tubing. Cut it 2"-long and deburr the cut edges.

2. Grind out the welded seam inside the socket with a 1" drill bit and clean-out any remainder of the weld with a 1/2" burr in a powered drill or die grinder.

3. Weld a small plate to close off one end of the socket so the lever will not go all-the-way through it.

1. Stand the socket on the welding bench with the cap side down.

2. Remove the u-bolts from the muffler clamps and stand the muffler clamps on either side of the socket, align the edge of the curve with the socket.

3. Weld the clamps to the socket all the way around.

1. Make the lever from 1"x1" square tubing with 1/16" thick wall. Cut it 36" long to make the lever.

2. Use a grinder to round off the corners of the top 6-inches of the lever so a rubber handlebar grip will slide over it.

3. Use a grinder to slightly reduce the size of the bottom 2-inches of the lever so it will slide into the socket easily.

1. Insert u-bolts back into the muffler clamps and slide them over the tractor pedal. Make sure the cap side of the socket is down.

2. Tighten the u-bolts with a 9/16" wrench until the clamp will not slide on the pedal.

1. With the worker in the tractor seat, insert the lever into the socket. Have them push and pull the lever.

2. Bend the lever up or down or sideways as needed so it is comfortable for the worker to push and pull safely. Use a tubing bender or insert the lever between 2 rigid structures to make the necessary bends.

3. Have the worker drive the tractor and test the levers. Adjust the lever length and bends as needed.

1. Make sure the operator can comfortably reach the lever handle for the full range of motion required to fully depress and return the pedal.

2. As medically necessary, have an attendant nearby or on call to assist adjusting/setting up the hand control lever and a cell phone to call for assistance.

3. The operator is responsible to follow medical advice regarding appropriate work tasks for their physical condition.

4. Do not operate the machine if you are unable to easily control all necessary functions in a safe manner.