Improvements in Air Valves applicable for Foot-balls, Lawn-tennis and other Balls, Wheel Tires, or other Objects requiring Inflating with Air.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 4th June, 1891-Accepted, 4th July, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Air Valves applicable for Foot-balls, Lawn-tennis
and other Balls, Wheel Tires, or other Objects requiring Inflating
with Air.
I, RICHARD GORTON BARLOW, of Gorton House, Old Trafford, in the County
of Lancaster, Professional Cricketer, 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 has for its object to provide foot-balls, lawn-tenuis and other balls,
wheel tires, or other objects requiring inflating with air, such as life-belts and the
like, with a valve, which is most reliable, entirely automatic in action, can be
produced at a very low cost and permits the use of ordinary means for inflation,
such as an air pump or the like.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood I have caused to
be appended hereunto one sheet of drawings marked with letters of reference
indicating like parts in the various figures.
Fig. 1 is partly an external view and partly a section of a laceless foot-ball,
Fig. 5 of a lawn-tennis ball and Fig. 6 of a rubber tire, showing my improved air
valve applied thereto.
Fig. 2 is a side view, Fig. 3 a plan, and Fig. 4 a sectional view of my improved
air valve detached, on an enlarged scale.
In carrying out my invention and referring to Figs. 2, 3, & 4, I attain the object
in view, by employing a rubber air valve A having a split part a arranged through
the same, preferably by forming it in two halves b, b, and cementing them together.
The split part a of the valve A forms a passage for the entrance of the air, which,
when the object to which the valve A is attached has been inflated, automatically
closes, partly by reason of the elasticity of the rubber valve itself and partly by
reason of the pressure surrounding it. The upper part of the passage a, in the
valve A, is formed with a hole c, preferably taper, which serves for the insertion of
an air pump or other inflator. The lower part of the valve A, I may form
externally with a groove d for the reception of a rubber band e, which serves to
more securely close the respective end of the passage a.
Fig. 1 shows the described valve A as applied to the bladder f of a laceless
foot-ball g by fastening it to the underside of the raised portion
thereof.
Fig. 5 shows the application of the described valve A to a lawn-tennis ball h,
by fastening it to the interior, and Fig. 6 to a wheel tire i, by preferably positioning
it inside thereof.
In order to prevent the dust or other foreign matter from entering the hole cin
the valve A, for instance in case of wheel tires, I form the inner periphery thereof
with an internally screwed rim i adapted to receive a milled plug or nut k, formed
with a taper projection k¹, which fills up the hole c when the plug or nut k is
screwed home, thus effectually closing the taper hole c and the valve A.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim, is-
In foot-balls, lawn-tennis and other balls, wheel tires, or other objects requiring
inflating with air
1st. The application or formation of a rubber valve A, having a split part a
through the same, with or without the rubber band e, substantially as set forth and
for the purpose specified.

page_text: 2nd. The combination with the valve A, described in the preceding claim, of a
screwed plug or nut formed with a taper projection, adapted to fit into and
close the hole c in the valve A, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 3rd day of June 1891.
F. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
4, Corporation Street, Manchester, Agents to Applicant.