Stephen Farfler-

Stephen Farfler- a watchmaker and paraplegic that was influential in the invention of the wheelchair

Major Contributions

Bibliography

Stephen Farfler was a watchmaker; so, being educated about the movement of gears and cranks was helpful. For example, the tourbillon is part of the rotating frame of a watch, and a wheelchair requires gears to rotate with the two wheels. At age twenty-two, Farfler used his watchmaker skills to create a device that could enable him to gain independence. He created a self-propelled wheelchair. The chair had a wheel on each side, and at the front of the chair, there is a circular structure that serves as a wheel in order to balance the chair. Towards the front of the chair, there is a box with a handle that can be turned. When a person moves the crank, the chair is powered and able to move forward. The invention provided mobility; so, individuals like Farfler no longer had to depend on others in order to move to different places. This invention led to the creation of the manual wheelchair and had a significant impact on its evolution. Without Fafler's invention, the idea of manual or even powered wheelchairs may have been invented at a later time in history.

By: Brittany Aoyama

Birmingham Public Schools, "Famous inventors," accessed September 30, 2013.

Sawatzky, Bonita, "Wheeling in the New Millennium: The history of the wheelchair and the driving forces in wheelchair design today," accessed September 29, 2013, http://www.wheelchairnet.org/wcn_wcu/slidelectures/sawatzky/wc_history.html

"Stephen Farfler," Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephan_Farffler

Self-propelled "wheelchair." accessed 29 September 2013. <https://spinalnetwork.org.au/the-wheelchair-journey

Fafler's invention led to the manual wheelchair

"Manual wheelchair." accessed 30 September 2013. http://wheelchairassistance.com/manual-wheelchair/

Personal Driving Forces

When he was younger, Stephen Farfler became paralyzed from the waist down, and he could not move his legs in order to walk. Farfler became frustrated because he always needed assistance and had to depend on others while traveling. The desire to be independent and have mobility led him to create an invention that would eventually lead to the modern wheelchair. The invention provided mobility and enabled Farfler to be independent. After he created the self-propelled wheelchair, those who were paralyzed including himself gained independence. The invention allowed them to move without needing assistance.

Biographical Data

Support for Thesis

My current thesis is "the invention of the wheel and social behaviors influenced the creation and popularity of the modern wheelchair." The contributions and driving forces of Stephen Farfler extend my thesis statement. His personal desire to create an object that could provide him with independence and mobility adds meaning to my thesis. The self-propelled wheelchair played an important role in the evolution of the wheelchair; so, the motives of several individual inventors led to the creation of the modern wheelchair. Without Farfler's determination to be independent, the widely used wheelchair may not have existed. Due to these additional influences, my thesis should be "the invention of the wheel, social influences, and personal driving forces of inventors influenced the creation and popularity of the modern wheelchair."

Stephen Farfler. accessed 29 September 2013. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Farfler_Radierung_crop.jpg

-Born in Nuremburg, Germany in November of 1633 and died on October 24, 1689

-Lived in Germany during the Baroque Era

-Information about his parents or siblings could not be found