Improvements in Apparatus for Repairing Pneumatic Tyres.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 7th Nov., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Repairing Pneumatic Tyres.
I, JOSEPH GEORGE MOOMY of 132 East Twelfth Street, in the City and
County of Erie, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Mechanic, 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 repairing apparatus for pneumatic tires and consists
in certain improvements in the construction thereof as will be hereinafter fully
described and pointed out in the claims.
The object of the invention is to provide efficient means of inserting into a
tubular tire a patch or plug for the purpose of closing a puncture or repairing a
defect in the tire.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as follows:
Fig. 1 shows a cross section of a tire with my repair apparatus shown in section
and inserted therein.
Fig. 2 is a similar view with the awl pin removed and a plug started.
Fig. 3 is a similar view with the plug through the insertion funnel.
Fig. 4 is a similar view with the funnel drawn out of the tire.
Fig. 5 shows the funnel with a small sized thimble extension.
A marks the tire; B the plug; C the insertion funnel; D an awl pin; D¹ a
push pin.
The funnel has a flaring inner surface terminating in the extension c which is
substantially cylindrical in form, i.e. the elements of its surface are substantially
parallel, or in other words the funnel beginning at the inner end extends outwardly
some distance at a substantially uniform diameter and then with a gradually
increasing diameter flares toward the outer end. The cylindrical part or that.
part at the inner end of substantially uniform diameter, I term the contracted,
mouth of the funnel.
The awl pin D has an awl point d' and a stop as the crook d' which adjusts the
awl pin longitudinally so the awl point is wholly without the funnel but preferably
not further exposed.
The outer surface of the funnel at the upper end of the cylindrical part (the
termination of the contracted mouth) is provided with the stop shoulder c¹ which
so limits the extent of insertion as to prevent a puncture by the awl point in the
opposite wall of the tire.
The push pin D is preferably provided with a blunt end, its purpose being to
push the plug through the funnel. Its inward movement is limited by the stop
crook d² so as to push the plug through the funnel just far enough to allow the
head 6 of the plug to clear the funnel. In accomplishing this the end of the push
pin is preferably limited to just enter the contracted mouth. There should be in
any event a space between the inner end of the funnel and the end of the push
pin at its inmost position some greater in depth than the thickness of the tire
upon which it is designed to operate in order that there may always be a portion
of the stem above the surface of the tire when the funnel is removed so that the
plug may be drawn by means of the protruding stem to place. To explain more
fully, if the push pin should be made to reach so nearly the inner end of the
funnel that the length of plug stem retained by the contracted mouth were less
han the thickness of the tire, the wall of the tire around the opening by reason of

page_text: an adhesive quality greater than that of the funnel would engage the plug stem
just as the inner end of the funnel had passed the inner surface of the tire, and
would hold the plug so engaged as the funnel was pulled out over it, and the length
of plug in the end of the funnel being less than the thickness of the tire wall, it
will readily be seen that the outer end of the stem would not come out flush with
the outer surface of the tire, and consequently would not come to a position in
which the plug might be grasped and drawn to place. Where a greater length
of stem is retained in the contracted mouth, there may be sufficient adhesion in
the funnel itself to draw the plug to place, but to guard against unsuccessful
operations with plugs of different sizes relatively to the contracted mouth, it is
desirable to retain a sufficient length of plug stem within the end of the funnel so
that even if the action of the walls of the tire at the opening should retain the
plug at its first exposure at the inner edge of the opening, there would still be,
by reason of the length of stem in the funnel, a portion of the stem above the
surface of the tire at the completion of the withdrawal of the funnel. Tires vary
in thickness, but the ordinary commercial sizes run from approximately one eighth
of an inch to a considerable greater thickness. The least practical projection
of stem from the tire surface after the removal of the funnel is not less than
one sixteenth of an inch, and even with this length it is difficult to get sufficient
hold of the stem to draw the plug out to place, so that it is desirable to have a
greater projection. To operate therefore upon the principle that my device is
intended to act, the length of plug stem retained in the funnel should be at least
a sixteenth of an inch greater than the thickness of the tires upon which it is
designed to operate, and to accomplish this the push pin should be limited in its
inward movement to at least the thickness of the tire and one sixteenth of an inch
from the inner end of the funnel which distance may be specifically expressed as
at least three sixteenths of an inch. Preferably however the inward movement of
the push pin should be limited to make its inmost position more than three sixteenths
of an inch from the inner end of the funnel in order that there may be under all
conditions a greater protrusion of plug stem after the removal of the funnel.
essential features of this part of the invention may be briefly stated to be a funnel
arranged to engage a plug protruding from its inner end, and a push pin arranged
to operate against the plug stem at its outer end, and so limited in its inward
movement as to allow the retention in the inner end of the funnel a plug stem of
sufficient length to at least extend through the tire wall a gripping distance
outside, which length of plug stem may be specifically expressed as three sixteenths
of an inch or more.
The operation of the device will be readily understood.
The
The funnel with the awl pin is pushed through the puncture as shown in Figure 1.
The awl pin is drawn out and a plug inserted as shown in Figure 2. The plug is
pushed through the funnel by means of the push pin D' as shown in Figures 2
and 3. The Tunnel is then drawn out as shown in Figure 4. The plug is drawn
up against the wall of the tire by means of its projecting end. Of course it will
be understood that the awl point, plug and inner surface are to be liberally coated
with cement. After the cement dries the projecting end of the plug is cut off as
is now usual.
By bending the awl pin as shown, the push pin forms a handle while the awl
pin is in use and the awl pin forms a handle for the push pin when it is in use.
The bend also makes the stop for positioning the awl pin with the funnel and for
limiting the inward movement of the push pin at the proper point as above.
described.
By making the inner end of the funnel of substantially cylindrical shape,
i.e. forming a contracted mouth of substantially uniform diameter, it presenta a
longer surface to engage the plug stem, than would be the case were the flaring
surface continued to the inner opening. This insures the holding of the neck of
the plug by the contracted mouth so that as the funnel is drawn out the head of
the plug is or can be drawn up closely against the inuer wall of the tire.

page_text: Furthermore if the funnel should spread from the inner edge, it would, when
pushed through sufficiently far for convenient manipulation, make an opening in
the tire considerably larger than the inner opening. With applicant's device the
opening in the tire is as nearly the size of the inner opening as a proper thickness.
of metal will allow, so that in consequence the opening in the tire is as small as
the size of the plug will allow.
In Figure 5 I have shown a thimble E having a smaller cylindrical part or
contracted mouth e'. It is provided with a stop shoulder e, and the awl pin D
and push pin D' are lengthened to adapt them to the increased length of the
funnel. The purpose of this thimble is to allow the insertion of smaller plugs
than would be practical with the larger opening.
My device is also applicable to inserting patches instead of plugs. This is
especially true when the puncture extends through both walls of the tire. In.
this case the patch for the opposite puncture will also be inserted through the
funnel. This often allows a repair without removal of the tire from the rim
where it otherwise would be necessary.
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 :
1. In a tire repairing apparatus, the combination of a funnel having a contracted
mouth of substantially uniform diameter extending outwardly from the inner
end and an outer part leading from said contracted mouth with a gradually
increasing diameter; and a push pin for forcing plugs from said outer portion
into and partly through said contracted mouth for the purposes set forth.
2. A funnel for repairing pneumatic tires, said funnel being formed with a
flaring inner surface at its inner end leading from the flaring outer part and with
a substantially uniform diameter and having a stop shoulder on the outer surface
of said contracted mouth for the purposes set forth.
3. In a tire repairing apparatus, the combination of a funnel having an outer
flaring part leading into an inner part arranged to engage a plug inserted from
the flaring outer part and to retain the plug in an inwardly protruding position;
and a push pin arranged to operate upon a plug stem at its outer end for forcing
a plug from said flaring part into and partially through said engaging inner
part, said push pin being provided with a stop for limiting its inward movement
to three sixteenths of an inch or more from the inner end of the funnel for the
purposes set forth.
4. In combination with an insertion funnel having a flaring inner surface at its
outer end merging into a contracted mouth at the inner end, said contracting
mouth extending through the inner end with a substantially uniform diameter
throughout its length; a thimble placed on the contracted mouth and having a
contracted mouth similar in form to that of the funnel but of smaller diameter
for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 15th day of August 1806
JOSEPH GEORGE MOOMY.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.