Merritt Roosevelt User manual

Merritt Manufacturing
Instructions
for Use
The Roosevelt

Warnings ·····················································3
Vehicle Seat Belt Compatibility····························6
Roosevelt Features··········································8
Additional Parts············································ 10
Attaching the Tether to the Restraint·················· 12
Tilt Bar Installation ········································ 13
Installation of Positioning Devices······················· 14
Side Support Foam Installation·················· 14
Head Rest Installation···························· 15
Seat Extender Installation························ 16
Pommel (Abductor) Installation ················ 17
Adjusting Harness Height ································ 18
Adjusting the Buckle ······································ 20
Securing the Harness Prior to Installation ············· 23
Locking the Lap-Shoulder Belt··························· 24
Option 1— Locking Latch Plate ················ 25
Option 2— Emergency Locking Retractor···· 26
Option 3— Switchable Retractor ·············· 28
Checking the Stability of the Restraint ················· 29
Lap-Shoulder Belt Installation—Long Route ··········· 30
Lap-Shoulder Belt Installation—Short Route ·········· 34
Lap Belt Installation ······································· 36
Preparing the LATCH Assembly for Installation ······ 38
LATCH Installation········································ 40
Attaching the Tether to the Vehicle ···················· 42
Securing Your Child in the Restraint ··················· 44
Care and Cleaning········································· 46
Cover and Harness Removal···················· 46
Fabric Care ········································ 48
Harness and Buckle System Care ·············· 48
Cover and Harness Reinstallation ·············· 49
Warranty ··················································· 52
Revision History··········································· 54
Page 2
Table of Contents

Page 3
WARNING!
FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE
FOLLOWING WARNINGS CAN RESULT
IN DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY TO
YOUR CHILD:
· Use only with children who weigh between 35 and 115
pounds (15.9 and 52.2 kg) and whose height is between
33.5 and 62 inches (85 and 157.5 cm).
· Snugly adjust the belts provided with this child restraint
around your child. A snug strap should not allow any
slack. It lies in a relatively straight line without sagging. It
does not press on the child’s flesh or push the child’s body
into an unnatural position.
· Secure the top anchorage strap provided with this child
restraint.
· Secure this child restraint with the vehicle’s child restraint
anchorage system if available or with a vehicle belt.
· Follow all instructions on this child restraint and in the
written instructions located in the pocket on the side of
the restraint.
· Register your child restraint with the manufacturer.
· For children weighing more than 48 pounds, attach the
child restraint with the vehicle’s seat belt. Do not use
the lower “LATCH” anchors.
· According to accident statistics, children are safer when
properly restrained in the rear seating positions than in
the front seating positions.
· Add-on child restraint systems should be securely belted
to the vehicle, even when they are not occupied, since in a
crash an unsecured child restraint system may injure other
occupants.
· This child restraint conforms to all applicable Federal mo-
tor vehicle safety standards. This Restraint is not Cer-
tified for Use on Aircraft.

Page 4
WARNINGS, CONTINUED
· Child restraints could be recalled for safety reasons. You
must register this restraint to be reached in a recall. Send
your name, address, e-mail address if available, and the
restraint’s model number and manufacturing date to
P.O. Box 17152 Indianapolis, IN 46217 or call 1-317-409-
0148. For recall information, call the U.S. Government’s
Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-
424-9153), or go to http://www.NHTSA.gov.
· Use this restraint forward facing only. The American
Academy of Pediatrics strongly encourages rear facing un-
til at least 20 lbs. and one year of age; but recommends
that you continue to rear face your child until he out-
grows the rear facing weight or height limit of his con-
vertible child restraint.
NOTE: This restraint must never be used rear fac-
ing!
· This restraint must only be used in a motor vehicle or
bus.
· This restraint must be used with the tilt bar for
children weighing 65 lbs. or less.
· Never leave a child unattended in this restraint.
· Do not modify this restraint in any way. Do not use any
accessories unless provided by Merritt Manufacturing.
· Never use this restraint if it has damaged or missing parts.
· Do not place anything between the vehicle seat and the
child restraint.
· Do not leave loose objects in the passenger compartment
of your vehicle. In the event of a crash, these objects can
become projectiles and cause serious injury or death.
· Consult with a child passenger safety technician certified
by Safe Kids Worldwide for specific vehicle seat belt in-
struction.

Page 5
WARNINGS, CONTINUED
· A list of child passenger safety technicians can be found at
the Safe Kids Worldwide website: www.safekids.org.
· A list of child passenger safety technicians that have re-
ceived training in the transport of children with special
health care needs can be found at the Automotive Safety
Program’s website: www.preventinjury.org.
· When parking your vehicle in direct sunlight, cover the
buckle to avoid burns.
· Do not use this restraint once it is older than seven years.
· This restraint must
only be installed in
forward facing vehi-
cle seats.
· Never install this
restraint in side fac-
ing (Figure A) or
rear facing (Figure
B) vehicle seats.
· According to re-
search sponsored
by the National
Highway Traffic
Safety Administra-
tion, children are
significantly safer
when properly re-
strained in the back
seat, compared to
the front seat.
A
B

Page 6
NOTE: Do not use the following types of vehicle
seat belts with this child restraint:
B
A
C
D
Vehicle Seat Belt Compatibility
· Automatic motor
driven vehicle belts
(Figure A).
· Vehicle belts with
the top and/or bot-
tom anchor attached
to the vehicle door
(Figure B).
· Lap belt with an
emergency locking
retractor (ELR),
which means the lap
belt will only lock in
a sudden stop or
crash (Figure C).
· Combination lap-
shoulder belt with
two retractors. The
best way to identify
this condition is to
observe the latch
plate (see arrow).
Both the lap and
shoulder belt por-
tions will be sewn to
it so that it cannot
slide (Figure D).

NOTE: The following types of seat belts can be
used. Read your vehicle owner’s manual and Pages
24-29 of this manual to determine the correct way
to lock your seat belt.
Page 7
Vehicle Seat Belt Compatibility, Continued
· Combination lap-shoulder belt
with a sliding latch plate.
This type of seat belt has a
latch plate (Figure A) that
slides freely up and down
the webbing. The latch
plate does not lock.
· Combination lap-shoulder belt
with a locking latch plate.
This type of seat belt has a
latch plate (Figure B, yours
may differ) that locks into
place for securing child
restraints.
· A lap belt with a locking latch
plate (Figure C).
This type of seat belt
stays locked after the seat
belt is tightened by pulling
the free end (See Arrow).
· A lap belt with an automatic
locking retractor (ALR).
This type of lap belt looks
like the one shown in Fig-
ure C on Page 6. How-
ever, it will automatically
lock (and stay locked) af-
ter being pulled to any
length.
A
B
C

Cover Head Rest
Page 8
Roosevelt Features
Harness
Adjuster
Strap
Buckle
Harness
Slot Neck Pads
Seat belt
Slot
Chest Clip
Harness
Harness
Adjuster
Flap
Harness
Adjuster

Cover
Attachment
Flap
Tilt Bar
Harness
Adjuster
Strap
Head Rest
Attachment
Strap
Page 9
Roosevelt Features, Continued
EZ-Tether
Connector
Strap Anchor
Harness
Splitter
Plate Harness
Anchor
Buckle
Anchor
Lower
Anchor
Adjuster
Lower
Anchor
Hook
Harness
Slot
Tether
Assembly

Page 10
Additional Parts
Head Rest (Page 15) Pommel (Page 17)
Side Support Foam Pieces (Page 14)
Neck Pads (Page 8) Bobbie Pin (Page 51)
Locking Clip (Pages 26 and 27)

Page 11
Additional Parts, Continued
3.5” Seat Extender (Page 16)
2” Seat Extender
(Page 16)
Tilt Bar (Page 13)
EZ-Tether
Connector Strap
(Pages 30-33)
Tether Assemblies
(Pages 12, 42, 43)

Attaching the Tether to the Restraint
1. Remove the top of the
cover and foam from the
restraint (Figure A).
2. Remove a tether assembly
from the hardware bag.
Note: Figures B-F show the
back of the restraint.
3. From the back of the re-
straint, insert the looped
end of the tether assembly
through one of the vertical
slots to the front of the re-
straint (Figure B).
4. Grasp the loop and insert it
through the other slot to
the back of the restraint
(Figure C).
5. Insert the adjuster/tether
hook combination into the
loop (Figure D).
6. Slide the loop up to the
backside of the shell until all
of the slack is removed
(Figure E).
7. If the child weighs more
than 80 lbs., repeat Steps 2-
6 for the 2nd tether assem-
bly (Figure F).
Page 12
A
C
D
E
F
B
A

Tilt Bar Installation
Warning:
· This restraint must be used
with the tilt bar for children
weighing 65 lbs. or less. Its
use is optional for children
weighing more than 65 lbs.
1. Obtain a soft mallet or hammer
and piece of wood (Figure A).
2. Partially insert the two ends of
the tilt bar into the correspond-
ing holes in the back of the re-
straint (Figures B and C, a magni-
fied view).
Note:
· For Step 3, do not tap on the
middle of the bar as shown
in Figure D. Tap one side in
slightly, then the other
(Figure E). Do not tap one
side in all at once.
· Use short strokes when tap-
ping in the bar. Do not
“beat” it in.
3. Completely insert the tilt bar by
alternately tapping on one side
and then the other (Figure E)
until the white painted marks
(See arrows, Figure E) on the tilt
bar are no longer visible (Figure
F).
4. Verify that it is not loose. The fit
must be very snug. Page 13
A
E
B
C
F
D

Installation of Positioning Devices
Side Support Foam Installation
1. Detach the plastic hook
and the cover flap on one
side of the cover as shown
in Steps 1 and 2 on Page
46.
2. Partially remove one side
of the cover (Figure A).
3. Place a side support foam
piece against the white
foam on one of the re-
straint’s side walls (Figure
B).
4. Replace the cover (Figure
C).
Page 14
A
C D
5. Re-attach the plastic hook and the cover flap as shown
in Steps 11-14 on Page 51, except the flap must be
routed around the side support foam (See arrow, Figure
D) before attaching it. This routing serves to hold the
foam in place.
6. Repeat Steps 1-5 for installation of the other side
support foam piece on the opposite side of the restraint.
B

Page 15
Installation of Positioning Devices, Continued
1. Lay the headrest
against the front sur-
face of the restraint
with it’s attachment
straps resting across
the top of the re-
straint (Figure A).
2. Route one of the
attachment straps
over the top of the
restraint, down the
backside and
through one of the
upper harness slots
(Figure B).
3. Attach the strap to
itself (Figure C).
4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3
for the other strap.
5. The headrest can be
adjusted by grasping
the straps and pulling
them up (Figure D)
or down (Figure E).
6. Use the alternate set
of loop patches to
adjust to the lowest
height (Figure F).
Headrest Installation
A
B
C
D
F E

Page 16
Installation of Positioning Devices, Continued
Seat Extender Installation
Note: If your child’s knees
extend past the edge of the
restraint’s seating surface,
then you can use one of the
seat extenders to improve
comfort.
1. Partially remove the fabric
cover from the front edge of
the restraint (Figure A).
2. Detach the plastic hook and
the cover flap on both sides
of the cover as shown in
Steps 1 and 2 on Page 46.
3. Remove one of the seat ex-
tenders from the parts box.
Insert the studs into the
holes located in the front
edge of the restraint (Figure
B).
4. Push (use a soft mallet if nec-
essary) the seat extender un-
til the studs are fully inserted
and the extender is flush with
the restraint (Figure C).
A
C
D
B
5. Place the cover over the seat extender (Figure D).
6. Re-attach the plastic hooks and the cover flaps on both
sides of the cover as shown in Steps 11-14 on Page 51.

Page 17
Note: The pommel
foam may be removed
from its fabric covering
(see hook/loop flap on
bottom) and the foam
may be “cut down” to
accommodate the oc-
cupant.
1. Attach the pommel to
the buckle webbing by
routing the strap (See
arrow, Figure A)
through the loop in the
buckle’s webbing and
attaching it back to the
pommel (Figure B).
2. After securing the
child and tightening the
harness as described
on pages 44 and 45, lift
the cover flap and
route it through the
sewn loop on the bot-
tom side of the pom-
mel (Figure C).
3. Pull the flap completely
through the loop and
attach the flap back to
the cover of the re-
straint (Figure D).
Installation of Positioning Devices, Continued
Pommel (Abductor) Installation
B
C D
A

Page 18
Adjusting Harness Height
1. Place the restraint on the
floor and lean the back of it
against a secure surface.
Loosen the harness by lifting
the harness adjuster (See Ar-
row, Figure A) and pulling the
top of both harness straps
forward (Figure A).
2. Disconnect the buckle and
chest clip and lay each harness
strap over the side of the re-
straint (Figure B).
3. Carefully place your child in
the restraint to determine the
appropriate height for the har-
ness straps.
4. Identify the set of slots that is
closest to being even with the
top of the shoulders, but not
below it (Figure C).
5. Remove the child from the
restraint.
6. If necessary, move the harness
straps to the appropriate loca-
tion according to Steps 7-11.
7. Lean the front of the restraint
against a secure surface
(Figure D).
A
B
C
D

Adjusting Harness Height, Continued
8. Remove one of the har-
ness straps from the split-
ter plate (Figure E) and
pull it through the har-
ness slot to the front side
of the restraint (Figure F).
9. Insert the harness strap
through the appropriate
slot (Figure G) and pull it
through to the back side
of the restraint (Figure
H).
10. Re-attach it to the splitter
plate (Figure I).
11. Repeat Steps 8-10 for the
other harness strap.
12. Carefully place the child
back in the restraint and
verify that the harness is
in the set of slots that is
closest to being even with
the top of the shoulders,
but not below it.
Page 19
E
F
G
H
I

Page 20
Adjusting the Buckle
Note: Figure A shows the
bottom side of the re-
straint.
Note: This child restraint
has two buckle positions.
Position 2 (See Figure A)
must not be used by chil-
dren weighing 65 lbs. or
less. For children weigh-
ing more than 65 lbs.,
choose the position that is
most comfortable for the
child. The restraint is
shipped with the buckle in
position 1 (Figure A). If
necessary, move the
buckle to position 2 ac-
cording to the following
steps.
1. Loosen the harness by
lifting the harness adjuster
( See arrow, Figure B) and
pulling the top of both
harness straps forward
(Figure B).
2. Turn the restraint over
onto a flat, secure surface.
3. To remove the buckle
from position 1, grasp the
buckle anchor, twist it 90
degrees, and insert it
through its locator slot
(Figure C).
Buckle
Anchor
A
B
C
Position 1
Harness
Adjuster
Strap
Position 2
Position 1