Pete Chapman

Pete Chapman

Position

Local inventor

Pete Chapman of Nelson has invented several devices aimed at assisting people with arthritis over the last 40 years. His latest masterpiece is a pump handle explicitly designed for people who use Nitrolingual spray and have arthritis in their hands. The device makes it much easier to pump the spray mechanism.

The idea came about when Arthritis New Zealand received some requests for such a device, which prompted our philanthropy manager Dianne Armstrong to connect Pete with Douglas Pharmaceuticals to work on the project together, with Pete having designed the pump handle.

A blacksmith by trade, Pete’s first innovation for people with arthritis was the Milk Mate, which helps get the foil top from the old glass milk bottles. He then modified it for the plastic milk bottles we get today. Many years ago he also came up with the floating plug puller – a piece of plastic that attaches to plugs and floats, making plugs easier to pull out.

“I don’t look to make any money from my ideas. I want to help people, make life a little easier for people with arthritis or any other condition that affects the hands,” he says.

Douglas Pharmaceuticals has given the pump handle to Arthritis New Zealand to sell, as a way of helping us raise much-needed funds. Please phone us on 0800 663 463 or email info@arthritis.org.nz if you would like to order one. You can also order it online by visiting www.arthritis.org.nz/shop

PLEASE NOTE: Orders will only be processed when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted

Help us!

We are a charity that relies on community funding. Help us to keep being part of initiatives like these to help people with arthritis by making a donation today!

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