Improvements in or connected with Means for Inflating the Tyres of Velocipede and other Wheels.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Means for Inflating the Tyres of
Velocipede and other Wheels.
I, WILLIAM CHARLES CHITTY ERSKINE, of The New Club, Grafton Street,
Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention relates to improvements in or connected with means for inflating
the tyres of velocipede and other wheels.
It is well known that inflated tyres frequently require the cushion of air to
be brought up to the maximum pressure, and the method of effecting this at
present in use consists commonly in the employment of a hand pump which is
adapted to be connected with the tyre when required and is generally carried by
the vehicle so that it may be always at hand.
The necessity for the employment of a hand pump in this manner, and more
especially on a journey gives rise to considerable trouble and annoyance, and
it has before been proposed to employ a pump or device automatically operated
during the running of the vehicle so as to dispense with the hand operated con-
trivance, and automatically keep up an even pressure within the tyre, but such
devices have either rendered the construction of a special form of tyre necessary,
or have been of too machine like a character and otherwise necessitated struc-
tural alterations in the machine, or they have been otherwise impracticable, and
consequently no such device is at present in use.
Now the object of the present invention is to obtain a simple and inexpensive
device, which will in the running of the machine automatically keep up the
pressure thereof, and thus compensate for small puncture, and which is capable
of being sold as an attachment adapted to be readily fixed to the machine by any
unskilled person.
In carrying the invention into effect a small pump of suitable construction
preferably of a bellows character is employed fixed within the wheel to the
spokes or other part thereof by the aid of any suitable clamping devices, and
this bellows is acted upon at each side or end 'thereof by means of a lever at
one end pivotally connected with a crossbar or the like adapted to be fixed with
the wheel, and at the other end bent round so that in their compressed position
the two ends of the levers meet or approximately so.
The bellows or other pump is provided with a tapped socket adapted to screw
onto the ordinary inflating nozzle of the tyre, and it is furnished with a suitable
valve controlled way communicating with the outer air, and which may be

page_text: provided with a suitable filter, and with another way provided with a suitable
valve and communicating with the inflating nozzle of the tyre.
The crossbar to which the levers are pivotally connected is furnished with a
clamping device, by the aid of which the same may be fixed with the spokes
or tyre of the wheel, and the levers are acted upon by means of a spring or
springs to separate them and so distend the bellows, so that it will take in its
air supply.
In their open position the levers project in an inclined position between and
beyond or outside the spokes of the wheel in such manner that in the rotation of
the wheel they will come against the limbs of the fork which are protected by
means of rubbing pieces, anti-friction rollers, or the like, or against some other
part of the frame or a special projection, and thus the levers will be gradually
forced towards each other, thereby compressing the bellows and forcing the
contained air through the nozzle into the tyre, and at every revolution of the
wheel this operation will be repeated without offering any serious resistance to
the progress of the vehicle.
In order to prevent the over inflation of the tyre, the pump, or it might be
the tyre is fitted with a suitable relief valve which will allow the surplus air to
escape.
When the tyre is sufficiently inflated the surplus air will blow off at the relief
valve, and this may if desired be provided with a whistle or alarm to indicate to
the rider that the tyre is sufficiently filled, whilst in order to throw the device
out of action the actuating levers may be held in their compressed position by
suitable means such for example as a flattened ring embracing the same and
adapted to be either slidden down to or beyond the pivotted end when the device
is required to be put into action, or to be slidden up the inclined levers near
to the opposite end when it is required that the pumping operation shall cease.
The bellows may consist of an expansible concertina like chamber formed of
leather or other suitable material, and in order to prevent the possible distortion
thereof by the pressure exercised by the levers the flexible part thereof us
surrounded within the furrows of the concertina like chamber with metal or
other rings.
Or, instead of employing a leather bellows of the character hereinbefore de-
scribed, the compression chamber or pump may consist of an india-rubber ball
or chamber.
Instead of employing two levers, one to act upon each end or side of the
bellows, a single lever may be employed to act upon one end or side only thereof.
In lieu of arranging the device so that the levers are laterally compressed
upon the bellows by the limbs of the fork the device may be otherwise arranged
and the levers may be acted upon by projections carried by the limbs of the
fork, and the projections may if desired be moveably connected with a thumb
lever adjacent to the handle bar or saddle, and thus the device may be put out
of action at the will of the rider.
When the device is in operation at every revolution of the wheel a small
volume of air will be forced into the tyre until the same is sufficiently inflated,
when the surplus air will escape by the relief valve, and the alarm sounding
will indicate to the rider the necessity for putting the device out of action.
By the means herein before described a tyre during the running of the wheel,
or at the will of the rider is automatically inflated and the difficulties above
pointed out are entirely obviated, whilst at the same time the escape of the air
from the puncture of the tyre is more or less compensated for.
Dated this 15th day of October 1897
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
27, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.

page_text: Improvements in or connected with Means for Inflating the Tyres of
Velocipede and other Wheels.
I, WILLIAM CHARLES CHITTY ERSKINE, formerly of The New Club, Grafton
Street, Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex, but now of The New Club,
Princes Street, Edinburgh, in the County of Mid-lothian, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The invention relates to improvements in or connected with means for inflating
the tyres of velocipede and other wheels.
It is well known that inflated tyres frequently require the cushion of air to
be brought up to the maximum pressure and the method of effecting this at
present in use consists commonly in the employment of a hand pump which is
adapted to be connected with the tyre when required and is generally carried by
the vehicle so that it may be always at hand.
The necessity for the employment of a hand pump in this manner and more
especially on a journey gives rise to considerable trouble and annoyance and
it has before been proposed to employ a pump or device automatically operated
during the running of the vehicle so as to dispense with the hand operated con-
trivance and automatically keep up an even pressure within the tyre, but such
devices have either rendered the construction of a special form of tyre necessary
or have been of too machine like a character and otherwise necessitated struc-
tural alterations in the machine, or they have been otherwise impracticable, and
consequently no such device is at present in use.
Now the object of the present invention is to obtain a simple and inexpensive
device which will in the running of the machine automatically keep up the
pressure thereof, and thus compensate for small puncture and which is capable
of being sold as an attachment adapted to be readily fixed to the machine by any
unskilled person.
In carrying the invention into effect a small pump of suitable construction
preferably of a bellows character is employed fixed within the wheel to the
spokes or other part thereof by the aid of any suitable clamping devices, and
this bellows is acted upon at each side or end thereof by means of a lever at
one end pivotally connected with a crossbar or the like adapted to be fixed with
the wheel and at the other end bent round so that in their compressed position
the two ends of the lèvers meet or approximately so.
The bellows or other pump is provided with a tapped socket adapted to screw
onto the ordinary inflating nozzle of the tyre and it is furnished with a suitable
valve-controlled way communicating with the outer air, and which may be
provided with a suitable filter and with another way provided with a suitable
valve and communicating with the inflating nozzle of the tyre.
The brackets or crossbar to which the levers are pivotally connected is furnished
with a clamping device, by the aid of which the same may be fixed with the spokes
or rim of the wheel, and the levers are acted upon by means of a spring or
springs to separate them and so distend the bellows, so that it will take in its
air supply.
In their open position the levers project in an inclined position between and
beyond or outside the spokes of the wheel in such manner that in the rotation of
the wheel they will come against the limbs of the fork which are protected by
means of rubbing pieces anti-friction rollers, or the like or against some other
part of the frame or a special projection and thus the levers will be gradually

page_text: forced towards each other, thereby compressing the bellows and forcing the
contained air through the nozzle into the tyre and at every revolution of the
wheel this operation will be repeated without offering any serious resistance to
the progress of the vehicle.
In order to prevent the over-inflation of the tyre, the pump or it might be
the tyre is fitted with a suitable relief valve which will allow the surplus air to
escape.
When the tyre is sufficiently inflated the surplus air will blow off at the relief
valve, and this may if desired be provided with a whistle or alarm to indicate to
the rider that the tyre is sufficiently filled, whilst in order to throw the device
out of action the actuating levers may be held in their compressed position by
suitable means such for example as a flattened ring embracing the same and
adapted to be either slidden down to or beyond the pivotted end when the device
is required to be put into action or to be slidden up the inclined levers near
to the opposite end when it is required that the pumping operation shall cease.
The bellows may consist of an expansible concertina-like chamber formed of
leather or other suitable material and in order to prevent the possible distortion
thereof by the pressure exercised by the levers the flexible part thereof is
surrounded within the furrows of the concertina like chamber with metal or
other rings.
Or instead of employing a leather bellows of the character herein before de-
scribed, the compression chamber or pump may consist of an india-rubber ball
or chamber.
Instead of employing two levers, one to act upon each end or side of the
bellows, a single lever may be employed to act upon one end or side only thereof.
In lieu of arranging the device so that the levers are laterally compressed.
upon the bellows by the limbs of the fork the device may be otherwise arranged
and the levers may be acted upon by projections carried by the limbs of the
fork and the projections may if desired he moveably connected with a thumb
lever adjacent to the handle bar or saddle and thus the device may be put out
of action at the will of the rider.
When the device is in operation at every revolution of the wheel a small
volume of air will be forced into the tyre until the same is sufficiently inflated,
when the surplus air will escape by the relief valve and the alarm sounding
will indicate to the rider the necessity for putting the device out of action.
And in order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings
more fully to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF TITE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an elevation representing part of a wheel and fork of a velocipede
Figure 1 is an elevation representing part of a wheel and fork of a velocipede
having the present invention applied thereto showing the innator in its com-
pressed position.
Figure 2 is an underside view thereof.
Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a similar view of the inflator separately but showing the same
in its expanded position.
Figure 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a sectional elevation representing part of a wheel and fork of a
velocipede having the present invention applied thereto.
Figure 7 is an underside view thereof.
Figure 8 is a sectional end view thereof.
In the several figures in which like parts are indicated by similar letters of
reference Figures 4 and 5 are drawn to an increased scale with respect to the
other figures of the drawings.
Referring to Figures 1 to 5 a represents the rim of a wheel a³ represents the

page_text: tyre, which is of the ordinary type of inflated tyre, a² represents the spokes,
a³ represents the ordinary inflating valve and represents the fork..
represents the valve chamber of the pump which is provided with cylin-
drical recesses c and d represents the body or working part thereof which con-
sists of two concertina-like bellows adapted to be received into the cylindrical
recesses c* as hereinafter more fully described and this device is arranged
between the spokes of the wheel.
The valve chamber c is fixed with the ordinary inflating nozzle a³ by means
of a cap which engages a screw thread cupon the valve chamber e and this
cap encloses a nut which screws onto the ordinary nipple at of the inflator
nozzle so that by turning the nut the conical face of the nipple a will
be forced against a corresponding seat formed in a packing piece * thereby
making a tight joint.
The bellows pumps are acted upon at each side or end thereof by means of
leverse which are fixed with studs or projections from the bellows d herein-
after more fully referred to and pivotally mounted at el upon brackets f and the
brackets embrace between them one of the spokes a³ of the wheel and are
forced together by means of a bolt and nut f¹ and thus form a clamping device
to fix the levers e in position.
The levers e extend forwardly beyond their centres of motion e¹ and beyond
said points are provided with slots through which slots are passed screw
studs which screw into corresponding holes in the tails of the brackets f by
which means the front ends of the levers are held together with capability of
limited endway movement so that whilst they do not impede the movement of
the levers e they act as springs to normally separate or force apart the same
as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 2 and thus distend the bellows d
so that they will take in their air supply.
At their rear ends the levers are bent inward so that in their compressed position
the two ends thereof meet or approximately so in order that they may offer no
opposition to the backward movement of the vehicle.
In their open position the levers e project in an inclined position between and
beyond or outside the spokes a² of the wheel as indicated by the dotted lines in
Figure 2, in such manner that in the rotation of the wheel in the direction of
the arrow they will come against the limbs b of the fork which are protected by
rubbing pieces or collars clamped thereon by screws and nuts 62 or the
rubbing pieces might consist of anti-friction rollers or the like and thus the
leverse are gradually forced inward towards each other thereby compressing
the bellows and forcing the contained air through the valve chamber c and
inflating nozzle into the tyre a¹ and at every revolution of the wheel this
operation will be repeated without offering any serious obstruction to the progress
of the vehicle.
In order to prevent the over inflation of the tyre a¹ the valve chamber of the
pump is fitted with a relief valve co or the tyre might be fitted with a relief
valve which will allow the surplus air to escape.
When the tyre is sufficiently inflated that is when the requisite pressure has
been attained within the tyre a the surplus air will blow off at the relief
valve co and this may if desired be provided with a whistle or alarm clas
indicated in the drawings and more especially at Figure 5, so as to warn the
rider that the tyre a is sufficiently filled, whilst in order that the rider may
then throw the device out of action the actuating levers e are provided with means
by which they may be held in their compressed position and such for example
as that indicated at Figures 1 and 2 which consist of a flattened ring gembracing
the levers e and adapted to be either slidden down to or it might be beyond the
pivotal points e¹ when the device is required to be put into action or to be slidden
up the inclined levers e so as to force the levers together and hold them in their
compressed position as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 2 when it is
required that the pumping operation shall cease,

page_text: Each bellows d consists of an expansible concertina-like chamber formed of
leather or other suitable material, and in order to prevent the possible dis-
tortion of the bellows d by the pressure of air within the same the flexible part
of the bellows is surrounded within the furrows of the concertina-like chamber
with metal or other suitable rings ¹.
The outer ends of the bellows d are closed by means of a threaded stud 2
provided with a flange occupying a position within the bellows and a nut d
screwing upon the thread of the stud by which arrangement the outer end
of the bellows is tightly clamped between the flange and nut
The inner ends of the bellows are fixed with the valve chamber by means
of a disc fixed in position by means of a countersunk screw screwing into
a tapped hole in the valve chamber c and the disc is perforated at 5* to form
an air passage whilst the wall of the valve chamber is correspondingly per-
forated at through which perforations the air is taken in and exhausted and
the valve chamber is fitted with a non-return valve through which air is
drawn from the outer atmosphere, whilst in order to exclude dust and the like
the mouth of the valve chamber e is provided with a sponge or like filter of.
The valve chamber is also fitted with a non-return valve beyond the per-
forations or ways * and the air is drawn into the bellows & through the
filter past the valve 5 and through the ways
75* to the
bellows whilst it is expelled through said ways and past the non-
return valve and through the inflating nozzle a³ to the tyre a
and in order to ensure the whole of the air or a large proportion thereof
being expelled from the bellows & upon the compression of the levers ethe
flange of the stud is fitted with a cylindrical projection or piston * of
india-rubber which fills up the space which otherwise would remain in the
interior of the bellows on the compression thereof and the rubber projection 2*
also acts as a spring buffer to come against the disc and thus prevent any
unpleasant shock upon the compression of the bellows d.
ایم
Instead of employing two bellows pumps and two levers e a single bellows
pump and a single lever may be employed to be acted upon by one side of the
fork but in that case the body e of the pump must be fixed against lateral
movement with the adjacent spokes a² of the wheel by means of any suitable
clamping device as will be readily understood in order to afford the necessary
resistance to allow of the compression of the bellows d as hereinbefore described.
In the example given at Figures 6 to 8 the device instead of being arranged
to act by the lateral compression of the levers e and bellows d by the limbs of
the fork b is in the present instance arranged to act vertically and for this pur-
pose a single flexible pump is employed which may consist for example of an
india-rubber ball d arranged within the cylindrical recess or chamber * and
this ball is acted upon by the enlarged head or piston 2* of a rod or offset //
from the curved lever e which is mounted upon a centre of motion e and the
tail of which lever is acted upon by a spring ef to restore the lever e to its normal
position and expand the ball or pump d.
The bellows or ball d is provided with an air inlet and an outlet **
which latter communicates with the way to the valve chamber and upon the
expansion of the bellows or ball the air enters by the way which is then
uncovered by the piston *, whilst upon the compression of the ball or bellows d
the inlet way da✶ is closed by the piston * and the contained air is forced through
the way ** past the non-return valve and through the ways *, flexible
tube, and inflating nozzle a³ to the tyre a¹.
The lever eat each revolution of the wheel is acted upon by an anti-friction
roller or rubbing piece which is mounted upon a stud carried by a fitting b
mounted with capability of sliding for the purpose hereinafter described upon
one of the limbs of the fork b and at every revolution of the wheel the lever e is
depressed by the roller 1 compressing the bellows or ball as herein before
described and injecting a small volume of air into the tyre a¹.

page_text: The pump in this example is formed with a base plate which is fixed with
the rim or felloe a of the wheel by means of clamps h at their ends hooked
to take under the rim or felloe and furnished with set screws h¹ which pass
through threaded holes therein and impinge upon the base plate e and thus
securely fix the device in position.
In order that the device may be put into and out of action without the
necessity for the rider dismounting from his machine the sliding fitting b₁* is
by a rod b pinjointed to an offset therefrom similarly connected with a hand
lever pinjointed at 63* to a fitting & clamped around the handle bar i so that
the sliding fitting 61* may be moved upward to throw the anti-friction roller b¹
into the path of the curved lever e and thus bring the device into action, or by
the reverse movement may be moved out of the way when the tyre is sufficiently
inflated thus throwing the pump out of action.
In order to retain the sliding fitting 61* and anti-friction roller in its
operative position when desired the lever 63 carries a pawl 65 which engages a
rack upon the clamp or fitting 64 so that the fitting * and anti-friction
roller 6 will be locked in their raised or acting position whilst in order that
the pawl may be disengaged from the rack when it is desired to lower the
sliding fitting * and anti-friction roller 61 out of engagement with the lever e
the pawl is provided with a thumb lever * by the aid of which it may be
thrown out of engagement with the rack 66.
When the device is in operation at every revolution of the wheel of the cycle
a small volume of air will be forced into the tyre until the same is sufficiently
inflated when the surplus air will escape by the relief valve c¹0 and the alarm cl
sounding will indicate to the rider the necessity for putting the device out
of action.
By the means herein before described a tyre during the running of the wheel,
or at the will of the rider, is automatically inflated and the difficulties above
pointed out are entirely obviated whilst at the same time the loss of air due to a
small puncture of the tyre is more or less compensated for.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A tyre inflator comprising a flexible compression chamber or pump such
as a bellows or ball adapted to be connected with the inflator valve of the tyre
means for fixing the device with the spokes or other part of the wheel a lever
or levers adapted to be actuated by the fork or by a projection therefrom for
compressing the flexible chamber and suitable inlet and exhaust valves to the
chamber substantially as herein shown and described.
2. A tyre inflator comprising a flexible compresion chamber or chambers adapted
to be connected with the inflation valve of the tyre a pair of levers arranged to
act upon the ends of the compression chamber or chambers and adapted to be
attached by their fore ends to the spokes or other part of the wheel said levers
being shaped to pass out between the spokes and sprung apart so as to distend
the flexible chamber and occupy an inclined position so that in the revolution
of the wheel the levers will be forced together by the limbs of the fork in their
passage therethrough thereby compressing the flexible chamber and suitable
inlet and exhaust valves to the compression chamber substantially as herein
shown and described.
3. A tyre inflator comprising a flexible compression chamber or chambers
adapted to be connected with the inflation valve of the tyre suitable inlet and
outlet valves to the compression chamber, a pair of levers adapted to be attached
to the spokes or other part of the wheel and arranged to squeeze the compression
chamber or chambers between them by coming against the limbs of the fork
in the revolution of the wheel means for attaching the fore end of the levers to
the spokes or other part of the wheel and means for holding said levers in their

page_text: compressed position when it is desired to throw the device out of action sub-
stantially as herein shown and described.
4. A tyre inflator comprising a flexible compression chamber or chambers
adapted to be connected with the inflation valve of the tyre suitable inlet and out-
let valves to the compression chamber, a pair of levers adapted to be attached
to the spokes or other part of the wheel and arranged to squeeze the compression
chamber or chambers between them by coming against the limbs of the fork in
the revolution of the wheel rubbing pieces adapted to be clamped upon the fork
in the path of the levers and means for attaching the fore end of the levers to
the spokes or other part substantially as herein shown and described.
5. A tyre inflator comprising a flexible compression chamber or chambers
connected with the inflation valve of the tyre suitable inlet and outlet valves
to the compression chamber or chambers an inclined lever or levers arranged
to squeeze the compression chamber or chambers by coming against the fork
in the revolution of the wheel and a relief valve fitted with a whistle or alarm
for giving an audible indication when the tyre is sufficiently inflated substan-
tially as herein shown and described.
6. A tyre inflator comprising a flexible compression chamber or chambers
connected with the inflation valve of the tyre suitable inlet and outlet valves
to the compression chamber or chambers, a moveable projection on the fork a
lever arranged to squeeze the compression chamber or chambers by coming into
contact with the projection in the revolution of the wheel and means carried
by the handle bar for throwing the projection into or out of the path of the
lever substantially as herein shown and described.
7. A tyre inflator comprising a flexible compression chamber or chambers
connected with the inflator valve of the tyre, suitable inlet and outlet valves to
the compression chamber or chambers a pair of inclined levers attached by their
fore ends to the spokes or other part of the wheel said levers being shaped to
pass out between the spokes and sprung apart so as to distend the bellows and
occupy an inclined position so that in the revolution of the wheel the levers will
be forced together by the limbs of the fork thereby compressing the flexible
chamber or chambers said levers at their rear ends being inwardly bent so as
to meet or nearly so in their inward position substantially as herein shown and
described.
8. A tyre inflator comprising a concertina like bellows provided with strength-
ening rings in the furrows and adapted to be connected with the inflation valve
of the tyre, means for fixing the bellows with the wheel means for compressing
said bellows in the revolution of the wheel and suitable inlet and outlet valves
to the bellows substantially as herein shown and described.
9. A tyre inflator constructed and operating substantially as herein shown
and described.
D
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
Rooms 221-225, Birkbeck Bank Chambers,
Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.