Improved Means of Inflating Pneumatic Tyres of Cycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means of Inflating Pneumatic Tyres of Cycles and other
Vehicles.
I, HENRY NAPOLEON ABELL, of 34, Townhall Street, Enniskillen, Fermanagh,
Ireland, Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improvement in or applicable to cycles, the object
of the invention being to supersede the necessity of a separate tyre inflating
pump as customarily carried with or attached to the cycle frame, and to this
end, the invention consists in the application of a tyre pump to the diagonal
or down tube or to the lower backbone or other convenient tube of the cycle
frame in the improved manner hereinafter described, whereby the inflator and
its accessories are concealed within the frame tube when not in use, but are
accessible for instant use when required.
In carrying out the invention, I utilize, say, the diagonal or down tube of the
cycle frame as the barrel of the pump, and apply to and within the same a
pump-rod fitted at its bottom with a cupped leather, sucker or other pump-head
and with a rolling pivot adapted to allow the pump-rod to turn and move within
the barrel without injury to any part. At its upper end, the pump-rod is fitted
with a pivotted handle which projects through an opening made in the upper
part of the frame tube, when it is required to use the pump, and can, at other
times, be closed down against or enclosed within the frame tube. The frame
tube may, if required, be strengthened at or adjacent to the part wherein said
opening is formed by external tubular or sectoral parts brazed or otherwise
equivalently applied to the tube. The lower end of the tube is closed to render
it serviceable as a pump barrel, and is also made with an opening serving as an
outlet 'to the pump, and to which a flexible tube for connecting the pump to
the tyre to be inflated is applied in such a manner that, when not in use, it may
be folded alongside the pump-rod within the frame tube.
Said opening in the frame tube may be closed by a covering part, which, upon
pressing a button or the like, may be opened by a spring, enabling the handle of
the pump-rod to spring out sufficiently far to be readily taken hold of and drawn
upwards, bringing the pump head to the top of its working space, and ejecting
the flexible connection from the pump-tube for connecting the latter with the
tyre to be inflated.
In a modification, the pump-rod may be continued upwardly and extended
through the saddle.
In applying the invention to cabs, carriages or the like heavier vehicles, I
propose to utilize one of the spokes of the wheel as the pump-barrel, making the

page_text: same of a hollow formation, and adapting it with a pump-rod and other necessary
accessories substantially in manner aforesaid.
Dated this 8th day of May 1897.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
Chartered Patent Agents, 321, High Holborn, London, W.C:,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improved Means of Inflating Pneumatic Tyres of Cycles and other
Vehicles.
I, HENRY NAPOLEON ABELL, of 34, Townhall Street, Enniskillen, Fermanagh,
Ireland, Commercial Traveller, 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 improved means of inflating pneumatic tyres of cycles
and other vehicles, and is hereinafter described with reference to the accom-
panying drawings, which illustrate sufficient of a cycle frame to illustrate the
application of my improvement.
Fig. 1, represents a side elevation; Fig. 2, a front elevation; and Figs. 3, to 5,
are detail views.
!
In carrying out the invention, I utilize one of the tubes of the cycle frame as
the barrel of the pump, preferably using the diagonal or down-tube, u, thereof,
as represented, and plugging or closing its bottom end as at a', and making an
outlet opening, a³, therethrough, and making a longitudinal slot, a³, through
its upper part, and to and within the tube I apply a pumping arrangement
constructed and adapted to operate in the following improved manner.
The pumping arrangement consists of a pump-head, b, adapted to receive
motion within and parallel to the tube, a, and of a handle, c, adapted to close
the opening, a³, and to carry the inflating tube, d, when the apparatus is not in
use, and to be used as a handle when the apparatus is required to be used, and of
a bent connecting rod, e, which is pivotally connected both to the pump head,
as at e¹, and to the handle as at e³, in such a manner as to permit of almost the
whole length of the rod being drawn from out of the tube, a, through its
opening, a³, and of the handle, c, being moved laterally away from the pump
barrel and of its being freely turned about its pivotal connection to the rod so as
to permit of the pumping operation being conveniently performed without inter-
fering with the adjustment of the seat or requiring any alteration of any other
part of the vehicle, while the pump-head maintains its normal position in axial
alignment with the frame tube or pump barrel.
To this end, the pump head is fitted with lower and upper adjustable guides, b',
at a sufficient distance apart to cause the parallelism of action of the pump
head within the pump barrel to be maintained and adapted to support a cupper
leather or leathers, b³, and it is pivotally connected at e¹, to the pump rod. The
pump rod, e, is, bent at es, adjacent to its pivotal connection to the pump head,
and is also bent at 4, adjacent to its pivotal connection, e², to the handle. The
handle is formed with an outer plate, c, sufficiently exceeding the width and
length of the opening, a³, through the tube, a, as to be adapted to cover the same
when the apparatus is not in use, vide Figs. 1, to 3. The cover plate, c, carries an
inner plate, c', which is rivetted or otherwise equivalently connected thereto at
its mid portion, as at c², but is free at its ends, c³, c, at the former of which

page_text: it is fitted with a clip, 5, for supporting the inflator tube, d, when not in use,
vide Figs. 3, and 4. At its mid portion, the plate, c¹, is formed with an enlarge-
ment, c, serving as a convenient bearing for the hand when using the appliance,
and is pivotally connected to a joint piece, c, to which the free end of the pump
rod is pivotally connected at ea, and by such connections the handle is adapted to
have a universal movement about its connection to the pump rod. The ends, c³,
of the plate, c¹, is formed as a spring, which, when the apparatus is not in use,
bears against the inner side of the tube, a, just below the end of the opening, a³,
and serves as one fastening to the handle. The other end, c, of the plate, c', is
also formed as a spring, and is fitted with a turn-button and catch, c8, which,
when the apparatus is not in use, engages with the inner sides of the tube at the
edges of the opening, a³, and serves as another fastening to the handle. The two
fastenings thus securely maintain the handle in position, but in such manner that,
when the apparatus is required to be used, upon the catch, 8, being unfastened,
the spring end, 3, of the plate, c¹, causes the catch end of the handle to spring
out, vide Fig. 4, whereupon the handle can be drawn outwardly and upwardly,
pulling out the inflating tube, d, as represented. The tube, d, at the one end,
carries a nipple applicable to the pump hole, a², and at the other end, carries a
nipple applicable to the usual valves applied to the wheel rims and tyres, and,
upon the tube, d, being so applied, and the handle, c, being turned about its
connection to the pump rod into a horizontal position, vide Fig. 5, and pulled
and borne upon alternately so as to reciprocate the pump head within the pump
barrel, the apparatus may be used for its intended purpose without interfering
with any other part of the cycle and much more conveniently than other pumping
devices applied to the frame tubes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
In means for inflating pneumatic tyres of cycles and other vehicles, utilizing
one of the tubes of the cycle as the barrel of the pump and adapting it in manner
aforesaid, and fitting the same with a pumping arrangement consisting of a pump
head, a handle, and a bent rod pivotally connected to both the pump head and
handle, such parts being respectively adapted as herein before described.
14th day of February 1898
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
Chartered Patent Agents, 321, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.