Improvements in Inflaters or Apparatus for Distending Inflated or Pneumatic Tyres of Common Road Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 17th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 20th Oct., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Inflaters or Apparatus for Distending Inflated or
Pneumatic Tyres of Common Road Vehicles.
I WILLIAM HEATLEY, of 63 Drummond Street, Euston Square, in the County
of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The invention relates to means for inflating or maintaining the distention or
inflation of inflatable or pneumatic tyres of common road vehicles.
The distending apparatus consists of a piston working in a cylinder which by a
pipe, controlled by a valve, communicates with the pneumatic or inflatable tyre of
the wheel. This piston is acted upon by a pair or other arrangement of hooked
rods or parts of a loop connected by pin or crosshead to standards or straps forming
part of a stirrup shaped piece or loop encircling the inflateable tyre so that as the
wheel revolves this stirrup or equivalent part comes in contact with the road and is
depressed forcing in the piston and pumping air into the tyre air chamber.
When the pressure is off the stirrup the resiliency of the tyre partly inflated
again protracts the stirrup and the next contact repeats the pumping action. The
parts are protected by an outer case which with the piston cylinder is mounted on
a plate connected firmly to the rim.
For the preliminary distention of the tyre air vessel the pump may be worked
by the hand.
means.
The parts are connected by screwing or like easily detachable
Strengthening rings or tie bands may be used to connect the supports from the rim.
Dated the 17th day of November 1893.
WM. BROOKES & SON, .
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Inflaters or Apparatus for Distending Inflated or
Pneumatic Tyres of Common Road Vehicles.
I WILLIAM HEATLEY, of 63 Drummond Street, Euston Square in the County
of London, 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:-
This invention relates to means for inflating or maintaining the distention or
inflation of inflatable or pneumatic tyres of common road vehicles.
The distending apparatus consists of a piston working in a cylinder which by a
pipe, controlled by a valve, communicates with the pneumatic or inflatable tyre of
the wheel.
This piston is acted upon by an arrangement of parts of a loop connected to a
stirrup shaped piece or loop encircling the inflatable tyre so that as the wheel
revolves this stirrup or equivalent part comes in contact with the road and is
depressed operating the piston and pumping air into the air chamber.
When the pressure is off the stirrup the resiliency of the tyre partly inflated
again protracts the stirrup and the next contact repeats the pumping action.

page_text: The parts are protected by an outer case which with the piston cylinder is
mounted on a plate connected firmly to the rim.
For the preliminary distention of the tyre air vessel the pump may be worked by
the hand..
The parts are connected by screwing or like easily detachable means.
Strengthening rings or tie bands may be used to connect the supports from the rim.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my improved inflater-taken on the
line of Fig. 3 and
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with end cover and nut removed.
Fig. 3 shews the apparatus by a side view.
Figs. 4 and 5 shew by front views the apparatus in operation when that portion
of the tyre to which it is affixed is under compression.
Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of construction of my
improved inflater.
Figs. 7 and 8 shew by plan view and edge view respectively the "stirrup" or
loop separately.
Fig. 9 shews a face view of a connecting link.
Figs. 10 and 11 shew the end cover of the casing by a sectional view and plan
view respectively and
Figs. 12 and 13 shew by side view and plan view respectively the piston
and rod.
Fig. 14 is a sectional view of the "cup leather" or piston packing and
Fig. 15 is a like view of the holding nut for the same.
Fig. 16 is a sectional view of the outer case and
Fig. 17 a like view of the cylinder separately.
Fig. 18 is an enlarged view of a "leech bite"
or valve and
Fig. 19 is a sectional view of the uut or gland for holding the same in position.
Fig. 20 shews a sleeve with adjusting nut by a side view.
The piston a works in a cylinder b, which has, at its lower end, an orifice b¹ for
the passage of the air into a tube c. This tube c communicates with the air
chamber of the pneumatic tyre d (shewn by dotted lines) by means of a valve e
which may be of ordinary suitable construction.
The rim of the piston a is provided with a number of slots or grooves al (see
Figs. 12 and 13) for the passage of air to the underside of the piston when the latter
rises in the cylinder. When the piston moves forward so as to compress the air
into the tyre chamber a cup leather" or hydraulic packing a' acts so as to make
the piston air tight.
66
A nut a serves to hold the cup leather a² on its seat. The piston rod a* (Fig. 1)
has part of its length formed with a screw thread which screws into the end of the
outer case and is provided with an adjusting nut a*.
By these means the position and stroke of the piston in the cylinder may be
regulated.
The cylinder bis attached to the rim of the tyre by means of the nut b².
Suitable inlet holes fare formed in the end of the outer case and in the end
cover for the supply of air to the cylinder-the air passing through the
intermediate chamber into which chamber a sponge or other suitable material
may be inserted to stop the dust while allowing the air to pass.
Upon the outer case fare carried arms upon their axes f*. These arms f*
are provided with pins for receiving the flexible stirrup g which has holes g' for
the purpose. By these means the parts are clasped or held on to the tyre in the
required position.
In the modification shewn with the parts assembled in Fig. 6. the adjustment of
the piston a in the cylinder is made by means of a screwed sleeve / which enters
the end of the outer casing f and is provided with a check out and a milled

page_text: head h². In this figure the piston has a collar a and a securing wire a' (shewn
best in Fig. 13) which allows the sleeve to be adjusted without destroying the
concentricity of the piston in the cylinder. A disc is screwed into the sleeve h
to keep out the dust.
At the lower end of the cylinder 6 is provided a cone shaped valve 6³ preferably
of india-rubber or other flexible material held in position by meansof the nut 6.
A slit in the valve opens to allow the air to pass out, but closes on the return of
the piston thus forming a vacum in the cylinder and increasing the efficiency of the
inflater.
The pump is not integral with the pneumatic tyre and is only connected with
said tyre by the stirrup or strap g and the air tube c.
I am aware that it has been proposed to provide for the automatic distension of
a cycle pneumatic tyre by means of a pump, itself inserted directly into the fabric
of the tyre and operated by the outward movement of the tyre tube after
the same has been inwardly displaced by compression but such an arrangement
of pump is attended with obvious inconveniences and forms no part of my present
invention.
By introducing the pumping arrangement directly into and so as to be rigidly
connected to the pneumatic tyre tube itself a tearing and rending action is set up
in use-great difficulty in exhausting the air in the pump cylinder is inevitable and
in case of accident requiring repair to the pneumatic tube disconnection of the
pumping arrangement and the tyre tube would be attended with difficulty and
injury.
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 :-
In apparatus for inflating or distending inflatable or pneumatic tyres of common
road vehicles :
1. The construction and arrangement or combination, and use of a pump having
its piston chamber or cylinder attached to the rim or rigid portion of the tyre and
the piston and its support and valves connected removably. to a stirrup or strap
which encircles the inflatable tyre so that as the weight of the machine presses
upon the rigid tyre and compresses the inflatable tyre the piston is pressed upwards
by the stirrup causing intake of air into the cylinder which air upon removal of the
tread pressure and the resilience of the inflatable tyre becoming free to exert
itself, is forced by the return motion of the piston into the inflatable tyre by
means of the flexible connecting tube controlled by the valves substantially as
set forth.
2. The construction and arrangement or combination of parts of the removable
stirrup or flexible strap and its supports for facilitating its connection, disconnection
and co-operation with the rigid and inflatable portions of the tyre to effect the
movements of the parts of the pump substantially as set forth.
3. The combination of a removable stirrup with a pump having its supports and
connections co-operating therewith all substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
4. The constructions, arrangements and use of a means for adjusting the extent
of stroke of the piston relatively to the cylinder so as to regulate the amount of
air forced at each operation into the tube and inflatable tyre substantially as
set forth and illustrated in respect of Fig. 1, and also in a modified form in
Figs. 6 and 20.
5. The construction, arrangement and use in combination of a flexible inflatable
tyre, a rigid tyre or rim, a pump cylinder fixed to said rim, a piston working in
said cylinder, carried by a suitable case or cover and operated by means of a
removable stirrup encircling said inflatable tyre a flexible connection between and
valves to control the inlet and outlet of the air to and from the pump and the tyre,
substantially as set forth.

page_text: 6. The means for regulating the admission of air to and exclusion of dust from
the piston and cylinder as set forth.
Dated the 15th day of September 1894.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.