Patent ID: 6463982
Filing Date: 2002-10-15
Classification: B60C

Abstract:
A tire inflation apparatus for use in sequentially inflating a plurality of wheel-mounted tires, comprising:a base that includes a tire support surface for supporting a wheel-mounted tire; an outer bell housing having an outer annular seal ring closed at one end, the outer bell housing being supported by the base for movement toward and away from the tire support surface, wherein the outer bell housing moves along an axis between a retracted position and an extended position; an inner bell housing having an inner annular seal ring closed at one end, the inner bell housing being supported by the base for movement toward and away from the tire support surface, wherein the inner bell housing moves along the axis between a retracted position and an extended position; wherein, when in the extended position, the outer bell housing mates with a larger-sized wheel-mounted tire located on the tire support surface to define an outer air chamber between the larger-sized wheel-mounted tire and the outer closed outer annular seal ring; and wherein, when in the extended position, the inner bell housing mates with a smaller-sized wheel-mounted tire located on the tire support surface to define an inner air chamber between the smaller-sized wheel-mounted tire and the closed inner annular seal ring, and further, wherein the inner bell housing is located within the outer air chamber when the inner bell housing is in the retracted position and the outer bell housing is in the extended position.