Improvements in and relating to Inflators for Pneumatic Tyres and Clips for Carrying the same.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Inflators for Pneumatic Tyres and
Clips for Carrying the same.
I, WILLIAM HANLON, M.A., of The Rectory, Innishannon, Co. Cork, Ireland,
Clerk in Holy Orders, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
To provide an inflator for driving air into pneumatic tyres (I) in which the
flexible tube which connects the inflator with the tyre-valve is undetachable &
when not in use is concealed within the inflator (II) to which is added a means
of working the appliance either with both hands, or hand & foot, and (III) with
which is combined a tyre lever for detaching the tyre from the rim; and
further, to provide a convenient means of attaching the inflator to the machine.
The following is a general outline of the methods by which the foregoing objects
are effected.
A piston with proper packing is made to work up & down inside the barrel
of the inflator; a piston rod connects it with the handpiece which latter may be
a tube either passing over the barrel when the inflator is closed or projecting
beyond it. The piston-rod aforesaid is a tube large enough to contain the flexible
tube & its end next the handle piece has an internal annular contraction. The
inner end of the flexible tube is attached to a secondary piston moving up &
down air tight within the piston-rod aforesaid; in this piston is a small hole
connecting the interior of the piston-rod with the interior of the flexible tube.
The first stroke or two of the inflator drives down this secondary piston carrying
the flexible tube out before it, but as soon as the secondary piston reaches the
aforesaid annular contraction in the piston-rod it can move no further. After
use the flexible tube is pushed back again within the piston-rod.
Or the aforesaid annular contraction in the piston-rod may be internally
screw-threaded & the inner end of the flexible tube fitted with (in lieu of the
secondary piston) an externally screw-threaded piece capable of engaging with
this annular contraction, but having a flange & washer to make an air tight
connexion & to prevent the piece passing out, while the outer end of the flexible
tube is fitted with a similar screwthreaded piece, one or other of these pieces
engaging with the annular contraction according as the flexible tube is within
the piston-rod or projects from it.
To enable the flexible tube & its fittings of either foregoing design to be
inserted in the piston-rod the latter is carried out through the piston in its full
diameter & internally screwthreaded for some distance in; when the flexible
tube is placed within it the end is closed by an externally screw-threaded
cylinder having a flange which holds the packing in position. In this cylinder
is a passage connecting the interior of the barrel with that of the piston rod.

page_text: Formed in this passage is a conical valve-seat fitted with a plug loosely retained
in its place by a cross wire & designed to admit the air to & retain it in the
piston rod after each stroke.
To the collar which connects the piston-rod to the hand piece aforesaid, or to
the other end of the hand piece is hinged by one end in any convenient manner
a suitably shaped lever which lies along the side of the hand piece when not in
use & while not interfering with the convenient grasping of the hand piece by
the operator, supplies when turned at right angles a means of holding the in-
flator by the foot of the operator, thus enabling the inflator to be worked by the
hand & foot.
This lever may be so shaped as to form an implement for detaching the tyre
from the rim of the wheel, in which case it is preferably hinged to a ring
screwing on or off the collar or end of the hand piece aforesaid. This lever
may also have suitably shaped gaps or holes to take the heads of bolts & nuts
& act as a wrench.
To attach the inflator to the machine for the purpose of carrying it there are
provided two clips designed to embrace one of the tubes of the machine,—be it
bicycle or tricycle, they are each tightened in their place by a screw or bolt &
nut & each carries a nipple which lies parallel with the tube of the machine.
One of these nipples is intended to enter the aforesaid annular contraction in
the outer end of the piston rod & the other to enter a depression provided for it
in the top of the barrel. Round the exterior of the piston rod & between the
end of the barrel & the collar carrying the hand piece is placed a short spiral
spring. When the nipples engage with the ends of the inflator as described
the expansion of the spring serves to retain them in position & so to support
the inflator; the latter is released by forcing the barrel nearer to the collar.
In a modified form of this arrangement of clips one of them is made to take
the top frame tube of the machine & the other the handle har stem, the clip for
the latter has an externally screwthreaded nipple split longitudinally & the de-
pression in the top of the barrel aforesaid is correspondingly screwthreaded to
take it; this nipple also has a conical shoulder & when the barrel is screwed on
it the halves of the nipple approach each other & close the clip so causing it to
grasp the handle bar stem & thus acting as a steering lock. To resist the
action of the spring aforesaid when the clip is loose on the handle bar stem a
light band is provided to screw round the latter & form a stop.
Dated this 26th day of Tonum. 1900
•
Improvements in and relating to Inflators for Pneumatic Tyres and
Clips for Carrying the same.
I, WILLIAM HANLON, of The Rectory, Innishannon, County Cork, Ireland,
Clerk in Holy Orders, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
-
This invention relates to inflators for pneumatic tyres, and it consists of an im-
proved means of attaching them to the frames of machines for the purpose of carry-
ing them, and secondly of utilizing them as steering locks.
In the accompanying drawing which illustrates this invention:-
Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, showing the application
of my invention to one form of inflator."

page_text: Figure 2 is a view in transverse section showing one of the holding clips.
Figure 3 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, showing another method
of carrying my invention into practical effect.
Figure 4 is a view in plan of one of the springs.
Figures 5 and 6 are views in side elevation and plan respectively, both partly
in section, showing the utilisation of an inflator as a steering lock.
Throughout the views similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.
In my Provisional Specification I describe a method of carrying and connecting
the flexible tubes of inflators and a device for enabling the inflator to be worked
by the hand or foot, but as I find these constructions were not novel at the date
of my application for Letters Patent, I abandon them.
According to the first part of my invention I carry the inflator on the frame of the
machine by mounting it on two longitudinally arranged nipples or studs A, A,
or their equivalents carried by suitable clips B, B, adapted to be attached to any
convenient member X of the frame of the machine. The nipples or studs A, A,
or their equivalents are shaped to adapt them to engage with recesses c and c¹, or
their equivalents in the ends of the inflator, the one recess c being preferably
that usually employed to receive the flexible tube of the inflator and the other
one e being provided for the purpose.
To enable the inflator to be mounted on the nipples or studs A, A, or their
equivalents the inflator is made elastic in its length when closed by the introduc-
tion between its two operative parts of a spring such as E which acts as an elastic
cushion between the parts thereby allowing them to be sufficiently compressed
longitudinally to enable the inflator to be mounted on the nipples or studs A, A,
or their equivalents, and when so mounted to give sufficient pressure to retain them
securely thereon.
The cushion spring E preferably takes the form of a coiled wire spring as
shown, though it may be made of rubber or any other suitable elastic material.
The spring may be arranged either to act between the upper end of the telescopic
handle C of the inflator and the upper end of the barrel C as shown by Figure 1,
or between the bottom of the barrel C and the underside of the plunger C³ as
hown by Figure 3.
As a modification the studs A, A, may have cup-shaped ends adapted to engage
with projections on the ends of the inflator (such for instance as are sometimes em-
ployed when the flexible tube is adapted to be threaded into the end of the inflator)
as shown on the left-hand side of Figure 3.
Referring to the second part of this invention, the nipples or studs adapted
to carry the inflator provided with an elastic cushion as hereinbefore described,
are attached to the top member of the frame X of a machine and to the handle
bar stem Y respectively.
The stud A adapted to be carried by the handle har stem is made in two halves
each attached to one end of a split clip B¹ encircling the handle bar stem and
instead of merely engaging with the hole c¹ in the end of the inflator it is pro-
vided with a threaded shank a¹ which screws into the end of the inflator which is
threaded to receive it, part of the stud being tapered or coned so that as the in-
flator is screwed on to it, its two parts are drawn together thereby contracting the
ends of the split clip B₁ and causing it to firmly grip the handle bar stem Y
whereby it becomes locked to the member X of the main frame and is thereby
prevented from turning.
When it is desired to ride the machine all that is necessary is to give the part
of the inflator threaded on the stud A¹ a turn until the clip B¹ becomes loose on
the handle bar stem.
To prevent the clip B' from moving on the handle bar stem Y a small clip
ring D or its equivalent is mounted on the stem either below the clip B¹ as
shown, or both above and below the said clip.
I am aware that inflators have already been attached to the frames of cycles
by means of two engaging studs, or sockets one or both of which is or are adjust-

page_text: able and I do not therefore claim this method of carrying inflators broadly,
but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
(1) An inflating pump for pneumatic tyres, having an elastic cushion between
its two operative parts for giving it longitudinal elasticity when closed up, as
and for the purpose set forth.
(2) The combination with an inflator as specified in the 1st Claim, of a pair
of fixed studs or their equivalents adapted to be attached to the frame of the
machine by suitable attachments and to engage the ends of the inflator, as and
for the purpose set forth.
(3) An inflator adapted to act as a steering lock characterised by it having an
elastic cushion between its two operative parts and by it being supported between
two nipples or studs or their equivalents, one attached to one of the members
of the main frame by a fixed clip and the other to the handle bar stem by a
contractible clip, the latter being divided longitudinally and provided with a
coned and threaded part on to which the one end of the inflator is screwed
whereby the two parts of the divided stud are brought together contracting the
clip on the handle bar stem and thereby securely locking the stem from move-
ment.