Improvements in Air Pumps.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st July, 1896-Accepted, 19th Sept., 1896
[Communicated from abroad by MONTFORD PALMER SAYCE, of 100 Broadway,
New York City, United States of America, President Steel Rail Supply
Company, New York City, United States of America.]
Improvements in Air Pumps.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 object of my invention is to provide an improved air pump of a portable
character for use in inflating pneumatic tyres and for similar purposes and
intended primarily to be operated by the foot although capable of operation by
hand.
The best form in which I have embodied this invention is shewn in the
accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the pump.
Figure 2 is a vertical central section, and
Figure 3 is a front view of the inner cylinder.
Like letters denote similar parts in the several figures.
My invention consists primarily of two telescoping boxes and a spring, the boxes
being of any desired outline preferably cylindrical or octagonal.
These boxes are brought together in such a way as to constitute a pump which
operates in one direction against the resilient force of a spring and in the other
direction under the action of said spring as soon as the pressure of the hand or
foot is removed. The outer box constituting the body of the pump is provided
with an outlet to which a suitable pipe may be secured. The location of this
outlet though preferably near the bottom of the pump is comparatively
unimportant and the said outlet may pass through the outer wall of the box or
through the bottom of the box or it may pass through the inner box as preferred.
A is the outer box, B is the inner box, C is the spring of any suitable type
arranged so as to be compressed by the descent of the inner box. The inner box
requires no intake valve as sufficient air can enter between the walls of the two
boxes. a is the outlet, b is a suitable pipe adapted to be attached at one end to
the outlet and at the other end is adapted to be attached to the velocipede tyre or
other vessel to be filled with air under pressure.
C is a packing ring attached to the lower part of the inner box.
For purposes of convenience in carrying the pump a catch is provided for holding
the pump in its closed position. This catch consists preferably of a vertical
slot d in the inner box terminating at its upper end in an elbow as shown at e.
In connection with said slot is a stop projecting inwards from the wall of the
outer box and through the slot in the inner box and which is adapted to catch in
the elbow when the pump is fully closed and a slight turn is given to the
inner box.
The operation of this pump consists preferably in placing said pump on the
ground after connecting it to the tyre or other vessel to be inflated and moving
the inner box up and down by alternately pressing with the foot on the upper edge
of said box and releasing the pressure so that the spring may raise the box to its

page_text: initial position. If desired the pump can be operated by holding the same in the
hand and alternately pressing ou the inner hox and releasing the pressure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The above described air pump, which consists of two telescoping boxes and
a spring, the pump being provided near the bottom with an outlet adapted to
receive a suitable pipe and the inner box being adapted to descend easily under
pressure of the foot and to ascend under the action of said spring.
2. The above described air pump, which consists of two upright cylinders,
telescoping each other, a spring which tends to keep the inner cylinder in its up
position, a catch adapted to hold said cylinder in its down position against the
pressure of said spring and an outlet near the bottom of the pump adapted to
receive a suitable pipe.
3. The air-pump constructed substantially as described with reference to the
drawings and operating as specified.
Dated this 21st day of July 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.