Harness to Transport Segway

[herpos]

A new transportation method to carry the Segway aboard planes is seen by going to this web page to view the photos

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/segtray/Harness.htm

For those of us who are mobility impaired and are allowed by ADA to transport the Segway as accompanying baggage on airline flights, by leaving it at the departing gate and then having the Segway arrive at the arrival gate in operating condition is essential While the airlines may try to do a good job in caring for the machine while in their possession, they know nothing about the Segway and how it should be handled.

I have found that in spite of signs, labels and instructions, etc. placed on the Segway the baggage handlers will abuse it: pull it up by the fragile (one allen head bolt) control shaft alone, use the fenders as a holding point, and store it in odd positions. This is my experience after observing handling on four flights where I could actually see the handling. What mishandling took place out of sight is too frightening to contemplate.

Taking a clue from a climbing harness,I designed a Segway harness to accomplish several purposes. It holds the control shaft to the Segway platform so that all the weight is born by four very strong nylon (blue) straps (rather than one allen head set screw, and a twist lock adjustment). It has several clearly designated lifting areas (red nylon webbing and marked as lift points). It has a comfortable hand loop at the top to allow lifting in the most obvious place. Because the harness creates a slight angle with respect to the platform, it keeps other stuff from being stacked on the Segway. The harness is of course easy to remove and install, having adjustable cam clamps to provide tension as desired.

I am offering this design through this web page as free for anyone else to copy for their own use. I ask that if anyone decides to make this for sale to others, that they contact me for a formal release. From the other photos the dimensions should be seen as approximate and adjusted for your own circumstance. The design was for my i-model but with minor dimension adjustments, it should easily adapt to the p-model

[herpos]

Dexter told me how to place a photo in ref below.

[dexter]

Very nice idea herpos!!!!

You can display an image by using the <img> tag (replace the "<" and ">" with "[" and "]" and inside put the url to the image.

For example <img>http://mywebpages.comcast.net/segtray/1chatHarnessrear.jpg</img> (with the proper bracket replacement) gives you this:

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/segtray/1chatHarnessrear.jpg

(Hope it is OK that I took the liberty of posting your photo... I only did so because of your specific request, normally I would consider it improper to link to someone else's image without permission. If I've overstepped please let me know and I'll edit this post).

Dave C.
me: www.idexter.com
work: www.idealjacobs.com
play: www.nyline.org

[herpos]

Thanks for your help, Dexter. I'll know for next time, too.

[TedS]

Very clever. The harness would be useful for handling the HT in and out of cars, too.

Ted

[dexter]

There are more photos on herpos' website (referenced in his first post) so you everyone interested should check it out.

[jrmiller]

Herpos, Wonderful idea, right along the lines of the Segtray. Hope to try and assemble one soon ....er ask my wife to assemble one soon!! JR SEG-RIGHT SEG-ON

[Neelix]

Do you grab hold on the red areas?

How does it feel when you're lifting? Weight balanced out?

Good idea!

-------------------------
Fear not, for even though I come from the Forbidden City, I surely do not agree with the rules.
Chris Knight

[herpos]

As I observed the handlers manipulating the Segway, the primary lift is through the red loop at the top (some of those guys think 81 pounds is trivial) instead of the handlebars and control shaft. It is also desireable to have the other red lifting places be there for stabilizing and help rather than using the fenders. People will still grab what they can. The red bands are big and soft thus are more comfortable for lifting and supporting. They are placed to be obvious to the baggage boys and are at various heights to make it easier. If the platform had handles on it, then that would have been better. Wayne sells something like that for those so inclined.

Think how you would handle this device by putting it on a conveyor belt, lifting it into a high door from a small truck and you will confront the same issues they do.