Abstract:
A tool for filling a tire with a gas is provided. The tool includes: an air chuck; a shaft connected to the air chuck; a rim hook connected to the shaft; and a spring located between the shaft and the rim hook. A method of filling a tire is also provided. The method may include: connecting an air chuck to a valve stem; attaching a hook and spring assembly attached to the air chuck to a rim associated with the tire to be filled; and flowing a fluid through, the air chuck and into the valve stem.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to the provisional U.S. patent application entitled, Hands Free Lock &amp; Load Dual Foot Air Chuck Clip, filed Sep. 13, 2010, having a Ser. No. 61,403,210, now pending, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to tools used for inflating tires. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hands free air chuck that can be attached to a valve stem and stay connected to the valve stem without a user needing to hold the air chuck and a method of use. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Pneumatic tires are required to be filled with air or another gas such as, for example, nitrogen in order to work properly. Generally, pneumatic tires fall into two categories: tubeless and tires having inner tubes. In either event, the tire itself is installed upon a metal rim which is usually aluminum or steel. 
     An initial amount of air or other gas placed into the tire will allow the bead of the tire to seat onto the rim. Air or another gas is then usually pumped into the tire via a valve stem that is connected to the rim. The valve stem provides a fluid connection with the interior of the tire to the air or other gas source. 
     Typically, a tool that is used to put gas into the tire is held by hand onto the valve stem. This can be awkward and may require a user to hold on to the valve stem while the tire is being inflated. While this may not only be inconvenient, it may also be difficult when tires such as truck tires are desired to be inflated within a tire cage. Tire cages are used in the event that a tire fails, the user is protected from flying debris of the tire. 
     Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus that allows a tool used for inflating a tire to be connected to the valve stem and allow the user to let go of the tool while maintaining its connection with the valve stem in order to be remote from the tire as it is being inflated. Further, it may also be desirable to allow the connection between the tool inflating the tire and the valve stem to be such that the tire maybe moved to a variety of orientations such as laying flat or laying on end or any other orientation without causing the valve stem and tool inflating the tire to be disconnected from each other. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The foregoing needs are met, to a great extent, by embodiments of the present invention wherein in one aspect, an apparatus and method is provided that in some embodiments permits a tool used for inflating a tire to be connected to the valve stem. Once the tool is connected to valve stem, the user no longer is required to hold on to the tool to maintain the connection between the tool and valve stem. Furthermore, the connection between the tool and valve stem is stable enough that the tire maybe moved to various orientations while the connection between the valve stem the tool is maintained. 
     In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a tool for filling a tire with a gas is provided. The tool includes: an air chuck; a shaft connected to the air chuck; a rim hook connected to the shaft; and a spring located between the shaft and the rim hook. 
     In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method of filling a tire is also provided. The method may include: connecting an air chuck to a valve stem; attaching a hook and spring assembly attached to the air chuck to a rim associated with the tire to be filled; and flowing a fluid through, the air chuck and into the valve stem. 
     In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a tool for filling a tire with a gas may be provided. The tool may include: a means for connecting to a valve stem; means for attaching the means for connecting to the valve stem to a wheel rim; and means for tensioning attached to the tool between the means for connecting to the valve stem and the means for attaching. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a hands free air chuck tool in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a hands free air chuck tool mounted to a wheel in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a hands free air chuck tool mounted to a wheel taken from a different angle than that shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a hands free tool that can be used to inflate a tire. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the tool  10  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention includes a dual foot  12 . A dual foot  12  maybe a standard dual foot  12  readily available in commerce. The dual foot  12  includes an end unit or end fitting  14 . The end fitting  14  includes an air chuck  16 . The tool  10  also includes an elongated shaft  17  typically part of the dual foot  12 . Some embodiments may not use a dual foot  12 , but rather use some other type of air chuck  16 . The shaft  17  is equipped with a connector  18  which allows the dual foot  12  to be connected to an air source such as an air hose connected to an air compressor. The connector  18  maybe connected to an air hose fitting  22 . The connector  18  may have flats  20  which allow the connector  18  to be turned with a tool in order to screw into threads  21  associated with the hose fitting  22 . In some embodiments of the invention, the connector  18  has internal threads for this purpose. The hose fitting  22  includes a nipple  24  which fits inside of an air hose not shown. 
     Tool  10  also includes a locking mechanism  26 . The locking mechanism  26  in some embodiments of the invention is configured to slide along the shaft  17  when the locking mechanism  26  is not in a locking position. A thumb screw  28  is provided on the locking mechanism  26  to allow the locking mechanism  26  to be locked in place on the shaft  17 . For example, tightening the thumb screw  26  will cause locking mechanism  26  to be locked to the shaft  17  due to friction of the thumb screw  28  urging against wall of the shaft  17 . 
     The locking mechanism  26  may include a spring connector  30 . The spring connector  30  may be a simple loop as shown in  FIG. 1 . A spring connector  30  allows a spring  32  to connect to the locking mechanism  26 . The spring  32  is part of an attaching mechanism  34  which is used to attach the tool  10  to the rim  42  of the wheel  40  as shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3  and will be discussed further in detail below. 
     The attaching mechanism  34  includes hooks  36 . Some embodiments of the invention a single hook  36  maybe provided. In other embodiments and as shown, two hooks  36  are provided. In another embodiments of the invention, other numbers of hooks  36  maybe provided. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the attaching mechanism  34  includes a handle  38 . The handle  38  is provided to allow an user to easily adjust the position of the attaching mechanism  34  and provides a convenient way to carry the locking mechanism  34  and tool  10 . The handle  38  is an optional feature. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 2  a tool  10  in accordance with another embodiment of the invention is slightly different than that shown in  FIG. 1  is shown attached on a wheel  40 . The wheel  40  includes a rim  42  and a tire  43 . A valve stem  44  extends from the rim  42 . The valve stem  44  allows selective fluid access to an inside or interior of the tire  43 . Where inner tubes are used, the valve stem provides selective fluid access to inside the inner tube. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the air chuck  16  of the end unit  14  is fit over the end  45  of the valve stem  44 . This connection is in accordance with that well known in the art of fitting air chucks  16  fitting over valve stems  44 . The attaching mechanism  34  has been engaged with the wheel  40  by the hooks  36  fitting over the rim  42 . This engagement has caused the spring  36  to be stretched slightly and therefore providing a tensile force between the hooks  36  and the air fitting  16 . The valve stem  44  is slightly compressed. The compressed fitting between the valve stem  44  and the air fitting  16  help hold that connection in place. The geometry of the hooks  36  in conjunction with the downward pressure exerted on the hooks  36  from the spring  32  also help keep the attaching mechanism  34  in place on the rim  42 . With the tool  10  attached to the wheel  40  in this manner, the wheel  40  can be moved to various positions while allowing the tool  10  to be secure to the wheel  40 . Furthermore, a user does not need to hold onto the tool  10  in order for the valve stem  44  and the air fitting  16  to be in fluid communication with each other. 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , the connector  18  is connected to a ball valve  46 . The ball valve  46  includes a handle  48  that allows the ball valve  46  to be moved between an open and closed position. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the handle  48  is in a position which allows the ball valve  46  to be open. The ball valve  46  is connected to a hose fitting  22  having a nipple  24 . 
       FIG. 3  shows an alternate view of the tool  10  shown in  FIG. 2 . The tool  10  is attached to the valve stem  44  and the hooks  36  are attached to the rim  42 . The spring  32  has been slightly stretched. The locking mechanism  26  may move along the shaft  17  to provide a proper tension in the spring  32 . For example, the various sizes of tires and rims can be accommodated by the locking mechanism  26  being slid to a different position and tightened with the thumb screw  28 . 
     The addition of the ball valve  46  shown in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3  allows a user to selectively open and shut the ball valve  46  to selectively permit air pressure to exist within the tool  10 . An explanation of how to use the tool  10  will now follow and will make reference to the ball valve  46 . Embodiments where a ball valve  46  is not used or attached to the tool  10  a different type of valve maybe used or the air source itself maybe turned on or off as substitution of moving the ball valve  46  to an on or off position. 
     In some embodiments of the invention, the tool  10  is used as follows: the valve core (not shown but commonly known to exist within valve stems) within the valve stem  44  is removed. The valve core is a part of the valve stem  44  but often is spring loaded and may be pressed down to provide fluid communication to the interior of the tire  43 . In other embodiments the valve core may physically be removed. 
     The air chuck or air fitting  16  is connected to the valve stem  44 . The spring loaded attaching mechanism  34  is attached to the rim  42  via the hooks  36  fitting over the rim  42 . The valve  46  is then turned to an off position. Then an air hose or pressurized hose that provide other fluids such as, for example, nitrogen to the tire  43  it is connected to the hose fitting  22 . The air source or air compressor maybe turned on or a valve on the pressurized air source maybe opened. 
     In embodiments where the tire  43  is not already attached to rim  42  a procedure maybe used to attach or blow air into the tire  43  to seat the bead of the tire  43  to the rim  42  as well known on the art. For example, in some embodiments of the invention, a Bead Blaster or similar tool maybe used to set the bead and to provide an interior pressure of the tire  43  of about 5 psi. The ball valve  46  is turned to an off position and the air hose is removed from the hose fitting  24 . 
     In some optional embodiments the tire  43  and wheel  40  is then placed in a tire cage. Then an air hose is reconnected to a hose fitting  22 . In embodiments where the tire cage is remote from the air hose, an extension air hose maybe used to attach to the hose fitting  22 . The ball valve  46  then maybe opened and fluid flows into the tire  43  until the tire achieves a desired pressure. Then the ball valve  46  maybe turned off. The air source may be turned off or a valve on the air pressure hose turned to an off position and the air hose removed from the hose fitting  22 . The valve core may then be replaced in the valve stem  44 . At this point, the tire  43  has a desired amount of pressure. The tire  43  maybe removed from the air cage and is ready for use on a vehicle. 
     In some embodiments the tool may also include: an additional tool assembly including a replacement spring of a different length than the spring such that the spring and hook can be removed and replaced with the additional tool assembly and replacement spring. 
     The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.