"Many will see what he has done and be astounded. They will put their trust in the Lord" (Ps. 40:3 NLV). This is my prayer for those who encounter HWI. The Lord has astounded me by His daily miracles. Read some of the older posts and see His miracles. As a result, my faith is growing.
A picture sparked HWI’s Global Hand-Pedaled Trike Division. “We need these throughout Africa,” an international leader stated in 2005. Throughout the world many people have been affected by polio, hit by landmines, and have other physical disabilitiesA month after hearing about the need for trikes, Alice met Kevin at a party. Alice showed him a picture of a trike HWI bought in Africa. She said, “I hope to take a welding class to learn how to weld and build trikes” Kevin said, “I’m a mechanical engineer. Can I design, build and pay for the trike prototype?”
The HWI Dual Offsett Tube Trike (DOTT)
Our goal for trike distribution and production is to provide transportation and create dignity for the recipient. It is also a tool for expanding Christ’s Kingdom. Building materials required includes bicycle parts, steel tubing welded together, and a choice of various wheel options. The trike is highly maneuverable, and has a very sharp turning radius. Ergonomically it is adjustable to fit the user. It is designed for inexpensive production. Contact HWI about the different trike options available.
“These trikes take someone from an animal existence and gives them humanity”
Steve Saint, Founder of I-TEC
It is HWI’s goal to facilitate small trike business ventures benefiting the local population. In conjunction with the DOTT trike we can provide assembly fixtures, a complete manufacturing process, drawings, documentation, training, and technical support. Our fixtures hold each part of the frame in perfect alignment during welding. This allows continuous trike production making employment opportunities for the able and disabled possible.
Yellow painted parts are the Complete DOTT assembly fixture set. Silver parts are chassis frame tubes for welding.
HWI Dual Offset Tube Trike (DOTT) is most easily built from round or square steel tubing, welded together. It uses relatively common, rugged bicycle parts for the drive train; and equally rugged sealed ball bearings and flat-free wheelbarrow wheels to avoid the spoke breakage and flat tire issues common on rough roads and paths. HWI uses plywood for seat surfaces, but thin steel, woven surfaces, or other seat surface options can be employed. This design can be modified to use different types of wheels, and suit local needs.
The DOTT design has adjustability in the seat back angle, seat depth, leg length, knee angle and ankle position to properly fit the user. Crank arm length and gearing have been selected to help prevent elbow & shoulder joint strain. The offset frame tube design makes transfer from a chair or wheelchair easier.
The DOTT is highly maneuverable; it can nearly pivot around the rear wheels. The “direct drive” front wheel allows the trike to be pedaled in reverse for added maneuverability in tight situations. No active brake is provided for this reason as the hand pedals are used as the brake. The substitution of a coaster brake equipped front wheel (a 16” rear bike wheel) is recommended for hilly areas to provide better braking on steep terrain.
A parking brake is available to prevent movement of the trike when the transferring from a chair or similar objects.
Costs will vary depending upon the availability of local parts, logistics and location. HWI estimates that the basic material costs will range from a low of $100 per trike or less; to a high of $270 per trike if most or all parts must be imported from the US, and all options are included. Cost estimates do not include shipping.
The Assembly Fixtures
Along with the development of the DOTT trike, assembly fixtures were also created. HWI has developed and tested a manufacturing process that can make it possible for local organizations to build these trikes.
These four fixtures allow each part of the frame to be held in perfect alignment during the welding process. They simplify the most difficult part - construction, making it possible for some to build such a trike in as little as 10-25 hours.
In the picture above, a complete DOTT assembly fixture set is shown. The round tubing seen on the large fixture is a trike chassis ready to be welded together.
These fixtures, along with a welder, tube bender, notcher, drill and various smaller tools are enough to equip a trike manufacturing shop for production. A reasonably experienced welder is recommended. All other production operations can be learned relatively quickly.
Drawings And Documentation
HWI can make many types of documents and drawings available to support trike production:
· Pictures
· Standard blueprints
· Exploded assembly views
· Individual part drawings
· Bill of material
· Parts sources
· Fitting manual
If desired, a highly detailed 3D AutoCad model of the trike is available.
Production Training
HWI is currently producing a trike assembly video. Future plans include a week long “Trike Building Experience” training course available to those who can come to the Chicago area.
SCH is also one of the Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons (PAACS) is one of the teaching sites in Africa where doctors in this surgical program come for training. Having the trikes at SCH will increase visibility throughout the world as African doctors in the PAACS program come and visiting professors from many nations give courses for PAACS students at SCH.
Here is a story from Dr. Duane, SCH’s orthopedic surgeon about the impact a trike had four years ago on Melessa, a young man with polio deformities. After operating on him a few times, “Melessa came to me with a request for a new set of crutches,” Dr. Duane asked him to help pay back some of the work by volunteering in the Operating Room (OR). He did, only he worked until 11 pm. So I thought I will hire this young man not knowing his language ability. Wow. What a blessing he has been to me personally. There is no one more loyal than him to me and the LORD. Praise the LORD for Mellessa.
“Melessa continues to be a blessing to us here in Soddo. He now speaks 6 languages-Kambata his native tongue, Amharic(the national language), Hadia, Alaba, Wolaitta(he has picked it up in one year and translates for me in this tongue as well and prays fluently in it as well) and he is very good in understanding English. He is heavily involved in
Bible study, sharing the gospel and doing anything and everything for me in my clinic. He takes off casts, arranges patients, translates into all these languages and holds the hands of frightened people in the OR when no one else knows their language. He makes rounds with me at 7am, goes to school at 8, returns at noon from school (fifth grade) works in our OR doing whatever and stays until my clinic is over anywhere from 5-7pm. Despite his disability he does everything that he can.
Thanks to a sponsor they bought Melessa a trike built in Ethiopia that cost $450 U.S. dollars. SCH has experienced the blessing of giving a trike with dignity and receiving a blessing by having Melessa give back for the trike. We are excited to see all that God has planned for the 16 HWI trikes headed over to SCH.
4/26/10 “I wish I knew a former bike store owner looking to unload their inventory,” I thought since we signed the lease to our new headquarters. Back in 2006 we had a former bike store owner allow us to come and pick whatever inventory we could use. So, I was thinking of all the things needed to set up a shop and store bikes that we couldn’t use then, but could use now.
Today I received a call from Dan. He said, “I had a bike store several years ago. I have much of the inventory in my garage. I am wondering if you could use it.” It isn’t often that I’m found speechless, but this left me speechless. I said, “This call is a miracle. We just moved into our new headquarters and I’ve been wishing for a contact just like this. When I told him we were setting up our new headquarters and could use that type of equipment he began telling me some of his inventory. He told me he has set up several bike shops and most recently helped lay out a wheelchair manufacturing facility and would love to help us set up our shop. May 4th Dan is coming to help us set up our headquarters.
Dan heard about us on National Radio through Crown Ministries in 2006. He has been receiving our newsletter since then but I didn’t have any idea who he was or where he heard about us from.
Mr. Trike at the beginning of a long day of figuring out how everything will fit in the crate
Thanks Sox for a winning game
Richard, another one of our faithful mechanics. He found us in the local paper and tracked our articles for about three months and then joined us back in 2006
4/22/10
I got a call this morning and found out someone is designing and paying for our signage on the building (after we approve the design). The sad thing is that according to zoning rules, the sign needs to follow the color scheme of the other signs in this industrial area. Unfortunately their color schemes are reds, browns, and yellows so it cannot be in our colors.
I definitely wanted a sign soon, but due to budget priorities, I was planning to wait a few months to get it. God is blessing HWI and I beyond belief this week. I have to say I am sure having an awesome birthday celebration week.
I will celebrate my birthday tomorrow at Cellular Field with three other friends. I was given four scouting tickets, right behind home plate, complete with dinner, and parking.
Then this weekend is the Glen Ellyn Trash Sweep. I have a list of what our new headquarters needs, so I hope to do all my shopping at Glen Ellyn’s curbside shopping this weekend.
