An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Filling the Tyres of Velocipedes with Air under Pressure.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 29th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 28th May, 1891-Accepted, 4th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Filling the Tyres of
Velocipedes with Air under Pressure.
I ARTHUR SYDNEY BOWLEY of The Grove Works Balham in the County
of Surrey Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The tyres of velocipedes are now very commonly filled with air under pressure
and although this arrangement greatly conduces to easy and therefore swift riding
a great evil is experienced in that these tyres require to be very frequently and almost
constantly so filled as from various causes the air very rapidly escapes therefrom.
Now the object of my invention is to remedy this evil and provide means
whereby the tyre can have a certain quantity of air pumped or forced into it on
each and every revolution of the wheel if necessary.
To carry out this object I make an aperture through the felloe or rim of the
wheel in one place or it may be when desired in two or more places and through
this aperture pass and therein tightly secure a short tube which projects
radially as far into the hollow tyre which is made of india rubber or other suitable
material as may be desired and the end of this tube outside the felloe is open or
has an opening whereto is fitted a valve in such wise as to admit air to the tube
and to prevent any exit of air therefrom.
According to one method of construction an opening is made through the walls
of the tube inside the tyre whereto is fitted a valve in such wise as to admit air
from the tube into the tyre and to prevent any return thereof. In the lower part
of the tube below this opening is fitted a piston the rod whereof passes through
the end of the tube and terminates as a suitable broad plate round which rod is
fitted a spring which normally causes the piston to remain at the end of the tube
and any suitable collapsible and expansible cover can be fitted round the outer end
of the piston if desired between the plate and the end of the tube to make this
tube air tight.
The action of this apparatus is as follows. In its normal position the piston is
near the inner end of the tube and the rest of the tube is full of air which has
entered through the end of the tube outside the felloe then in the revolution of
the wheel as this apparatus comes round the pressure of the ground or floor on the
outside of the tyre causes the same to collapse and coming against the plate on
the rod thereof forces the piston upwards whereby the air is forced out of the
tube through the opening in the walls thereof into the tyre and when this pressure
is removed the spring draws the piston back again towards the inner end of the
tube which is therefore again filled with air and this action is repeated on each
and every revolution of the wheel until there is such a pressure of air in the tyre
that it will no longer collapse sufficiently to operate the piston but when this
pressure decreases the action will recommence.
According to another method of construction the tube does not project far into
the tyre and on the end thereof may be fitted a collapsible ball or any suitable
pneumatic bellows whereto if necessary may be applied a spring for the expansion
thereof which would be fitted in a similar manner with an opening and a valve
thereover and the collapsion thereof caused in a similar manner would similarly
force the air into the tyre.
When a piston is used as aforesaid it may also be operated from a similar cause
by appliances on the outside of the tyre and felloe which may surround the same
and pass down through the end of the tube outside the felloe to the piston.
Dated this 29th day of July 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Filling the Tyres of
Velocipedes with Air under Pressure.
I ARTHUR SYDNEY BOWLEY of The Grove Works Balham in the County of
Surrey Engineer 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 :—
The tyres of velocipedes are now very commonly filled with air under pressure
and although this arrangement and method of construction greatly conduces to
easy and therefore swift riding a great evil is experienced in that these tyres
require to be very frequently and perhaps it might even be said almost constantly
so filled with air under pressure as from various causes the air very rapidly escapes
therefrom.
Now the object of this my invention is to remedy this evil and provide means
whereby the tyre can have a certain quantity of air pumped or forced into it on
each and every revolution of the wheel if and when necessary or that is to say
until the air in this tyre is under the desired and arranged for pressure and I effect
this object through and by the method and apparatus hereinafter described.
In order the more clearly to explain this my invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed 1 refer to the accompanying drawing wherein I have
shewn transverse sections of a tyre and a felloe or rim of a wheel of a velocipede
as fitted with and according to my invention.
Through the usual or other felloe or rim A. of a wheel I make an aperture
of the desired size and preferably in only one place or position in the wheel
although when I may choose or desire so to do I may make similar apertures
in two or more places or positions in the wheel and through an aperture I pass
radially in respect of the wheel and therein I tightly secure a short tube or
cylinder it may be as is shewn in the drawing through the intervention of a
sleeve C which can be brazed to the felloe A. and this cylinder B projects as
far as may be desirable or necessary into the large hollow tyre D which is made
in any usual or convenient manner of india rubber or other suitable material and
I so fit this cylinder Band with such ordinary and appropriate appliances and
devices that therethrough air can be pumped or forced into the tyre D as is
desired.
In Figure 1 shew one method of construction and fitment and arrangement of
the apparatus. The end of the cylinder B outside the felloe A is closed and there-
through is made an opening E whereto and whereon is fitted a valve F in such
wise as to be capable of admitting air into the cylinder B and of preventing any
exit of air therefrom. In this cylinder B is fitted in any ordinary manner a
piston G the rod H whereof passes through the inner end of the cylinder B and
on the end of this rod H is a suitably shaped broad plate or head K the outer
surface whereof is preferably properly convexed to suit and be fit for contact with
the inside wall of the tyre D whereon in this position can most conveniently be a
shield or protective piece D' to prevent the tyre D from being abraded or chafed
or cut or otherwise damaged by contact with the head and round the piston
rod H or otherwise to the same or to the head K is fitted a coiled or other spring L
in such wise as normally to cause the piston G to remain at or near the inner end
of the cylinder 13 and therefore the head K in contact with or near to the opposite
wall of the tyre D. The piston rod H either can be packed and rendered tight
where it passes through the end of the cylinder B or can pass loosely there-
through in which latter case it is obvious that the spring I must be made strong
enough to overcome the resistance offered by the pressure of air in the tyre D
against the aforesaid drawing of the piston G towards the inner end of the
cylinder B that is to say until this pressure of air has attained its desired and

page_text: arranged for height or degree. The piston rod H can very conveniently be hollow
as is shewn in this Figure 1 and pass through the piston G and on and to the other
end thereof inside the concaved or hollowed out head Kis fitted a valve M in such
wise as to be capable of allowing the passage of air from the piston rod H into
the tyre D and of preventing any exit of air therefrom.
The action of this apparatus as hereinbefore described is as follows. In its
normal position the piston G is at or near the inner end of the cylinder B the
outer portion whereof is full of air which has entered through the valve F then
in the revolution of the wheel when there is not the desired and arranged for
pressure of air in the tyre D as this apparatus comes round into the proper
position the pressure of the ground or floor on the outside of the tyre D or that
is to say the weight of the velocipede with its rider or riders and other adjuncts
causes this tyre D to collapse and coming in contact with the head K through the
rod thereof forces the piston G upwards whereby the air is forced out of the
cylinder B through the valve M into the tyre D and when in the further revolution
of the wheel this aforesaid pressure of the ground or floor is removed the spring L
draws the piston G back again towards the inner end of the cylinder B the outer
portion whereof is therefore again filled with air and this action is repeated on
each and every revolution of the wheel until there is such a pressure of air in the
tyre that it will no longer collapse sufficiently to operate the piston in manner as
hereinbefore described but when this pressure of air in the tyre decreases the action
will recommence and so on.
Instead of passing the air from the cylinder through the hollow piston rod into
the tyre as is hereinbefore described and as is shewn in Figure 1 I can lengthen if
necessary the cylinder and from one or more openings in the walls thereof above
the piston and inside the tyre to each of which a similar valve would be fitted and
when the piston as aforesaid is forced upwards the air would be forced out of the
cylinder through this opening or these openings into the tyre whereby no hollow
piston rod and no hollowing out of the head on the end of the same would be
required and in this case any suitable collapsible and expansible cover can if
desired be fitted round the piston rod between the head thereof and the inner end
of the cylinder to make the latter air tight when so required.
In Figure 2 I shew another method of construction and fitment and arrangement
wherein no piston is required but on the inner end of the cylinder B hereinbefore
described is fitted a collapsible ball N or other ordinary and suitable pneumatic
bellows whereto if necessary may be applied in any usual or convenient manner a
spring for the expansion thereof and which is in communication with the interior
of the cylinder B and which may be fitted in a similar manner with one or more
openings P with valves thereover or thereon or these openings might be formed in
manner as hercin before described in the walls of the cylinder B and which can be
collapsed by the collapsion of the tyre D in manner as hereinbefore described
whereby air would similarly be forced into the tyre D.
In Figure 3 shew another method of construction and fitment and arrangement
wherein the piston G is used and the rod H thereof passes through the outer end of
the cylinder B hereinbefore described and the aforesaid opening E with its valve F is
made through the closed inner end of the cylinder and this piston rod H also
can very conveniently be hollow and pass through the piston G and on this the
inner end of the piston rod H is fitted the aforesaid valve M and a rod or bar R
passes round the outside of the tyre D and may be secured or attached thereto in
any usual or suitable or convenient manner and also passes outside of the felloe A
being connected with the outer end of the piston rod H in such wise as to leave a
free passage for the air up the same. This piston rod H also either can be packed
and remlered tight where it passes through the end of the cylinder B or can pass
loosely therethrough and a spring can in like manner as is hereinbefore described
be applied to the piston G or to the rod H thereof or it may be to the rod or
bar R in such wise as normally to cause the piston G to remain at or near the
inner end of the cylinder B if and when it may be desirable or convenient or

page_text: necessary so to do. The action of this apparatus will obviously be similar to that
hereinbefore described in respect of Figure 1.
I have thus described and I have shewn in the accompanying drawing what 1
consider to be the best and most convenient efficient and suitable methods of
construction and fitment and arrangement of this my apparatus and of the several
parts thereof but I would have it clearly understood that I do in no wise limit
myself precisely thereto. For example in all these forms and styles of this
apparatus as so described and shewn a small tube may be led from the cylinder
outside the felloe and may pass through the felloe and into the tyre at the desired
distance from the cylinder to which tube would be fitted a similar valve that would
only allow the passage of air into the tyre and in this case it is obvious that the
valves hereinbefore described that are inside the tyre would not be needed and
that there would be no passages through the pistons and that in the style and form
shown in Figure 3 there would be one or more openings with valves thereover or
thereon fitted in the walls of the piston rod above the piston. Again when a solid
piston rod is used in that form and style of the apparatus that is shewn in Figure 3
the inlet valves could be fitted in the walls of the cylinder outside the felloe and
the retaining valves could be fitted in the piston or in the walls of the cylinder
above the piston and inside the tyre and the end of the cylinder inside the tyre
may be open.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
The improved method of and apparatus for filling the tyres of velocipedes with
air under pressure substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn in the accom-
panying drawing.
Dated this 28th day of May 1861
HART & Co.