Patent ID: 6176288
Filing Date: 2001-01-23
Classification: B60C

Abstract:
An apparatus for inflating a tire mounted on a wheel having first and second rims spaced apart from one another, the tire and wheel disposed at a predetermined position, the apparatus comprising:reciprocal inflation head means moveable along a fixed path between a first position spaced from the wheel and tire to be inflated, and a second position in operable engagement with a sidewall of the tire to be inflated, the head means having an annular sealing surface engageable with the sidewall of the tire to be inflated to provide a sealed passage for introducing compressed fluid between the tire and the wheel for inflating the tire on the wheel;floating connection means for allowing passive angular orientation of the head means with respect to the sidewall of the tire to be inflated as the head means moves between the first and second positions to achieve sufficient contact between the sealing surface of the head means and the sidewall of the tire to be inflated for creating the sealed passage and for maintaining sufficient contact during inflation of the tire on the wheel to maintain the sealed passage; andreorientation means for resetting the head means to a neutral angular orientation with respect to the fixed path of travel of the head means between the first and second positions as the head means returns to the first position from the second position.