Improvements in and relating to Means for Inflating Pneumatic Tires.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 4th Mar., 1893
CUMI LELE
Improvements in and relating to Means for Inflating Pneumatic
Tires.
We, GERRIT SMITH SCOFIELD, of Greenwich, in the County of Fairfield, and
State of Connecticut, Merchant, FRANK MARION SCOFIELD, also of Greenwich,
in the County of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, Merchant, and SEELE
HOWARD ELLIS, of Waverly, in the County of Tioga and State of New York,
Merchant, 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 :-
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a sectional view of the invention.
Figure 2 is a similar view, showing the invention as applied.
Figure 3 is a detail view of a portion of the oscillating shaft with its cam arm.
Figure 4 is a detail view of the piston head.
This invention relates to automatic inflaters designed for attachment to cycles,
for the purpose of inflating pneumatic tires; and the invention consists in the novel
construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter specified.
In the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates a box or casing adapted
to be rigidly hung upon the hub of a cycle at a. B designates an air-compressing
cylinder, placed in said casing, open at its upper end and provided at its lower
portion. with the aperture b, controlled by the upwardly seating clack valve b².
C is the piston, working in said cylinder, and provided with the valve e adapted to
close the air ports c¹ in said piston upon the downward movement thereof. D is
the piston rod, which is connected at its upper end to a beam or lever E, hung
centrally upon the oscillating shaft E', provided with bearings in said casing.
Communicating with the valved opening in the lower portion of the cylinder B is
a pipe F, which at its opposite end communicates with the air space in the tire.
Upon the outer end of the oscillating shaft E¹ which projects through the casing,
is a transverse arm f, provided with a cam under surface f', which as said casing
is carried around by the movement of the hub, is adapted to engage a pin or
projection g, located on the fork H of the wheel in the path of said arm. This
engagement, as will be seen, will effect the oscillation of the shaft E', forcing the
piston C downward in its cylinder, closing the valve c thereon, compressing the air.
in said cylinder, opening the valve b, and forcing air into the tire.
Com-
After the cam arm has passed from engagement with the projection g, the
spring I interposed between the beam E and the casing, and which has been com-
pressed by the downward movement of the piston, will return said piston to the
limit of its upward movement, opening the valve therein to admit air, and closing
the valve at the bottom, this operation being repeated with each revolution of the
wheel until the tire becomes inflated. To automatically regulate the inflation of
the tire to the proper degree, I provide the governor now to be described.
municating with the air-conducting pipe F, at the point i, is a pipe I', which com-
municates with the lower portion of a cylinder K, located in the opposite side of
the casing from cylinder B. This cylinder K is provided with the threaded
adjustable cap K, and working in said cylinder is a piston L, the rod L' of which
projects above the cap in position to engage the beam or lever E when said piston
is moved upwardly.
The spring M is interposed between the cap K and the piston L, in order to
limit the movement of said piston.
It will be seen that as the tire becomes inflated to a nearly sufficient degree, the
air will be forced back through the pipe I', into the cylinder K, raising the piston

page_text: therein, and throwing the oscillating beam or lever into such position, by means of
the rod L', that the cam arm f on its shaft will only slightly engage the pro-
jection 9, and thereby operating the piston C to only a slight extent, compressing
but a small amount of air with each operation.
As the tire becomes sufficiently inflated, air will be forced back into the
cylinder K to operate its piston sufficiently to throw its cam arm fentirely out
of position to engage the pin g, thereby stopping the operation of the pump.
When the tire again becomes only partially inflated by the loss of air therefrom,
the piston will fall in cylinder K, again bringing the cam arm into position to engage
the pin 9, and again setting the pump into operation.
The side P of the box or casing may be made removable, to permit access to the
cylinder K, the tension of the spring in which cylinder may be adjusted by means
of the screw-cap K¹.
It will be seen that by the above device, the tire is automatically kept inflated at
all times to the proper degree of inflation.
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:
-
1. The inflator for pneumatic tires, which inflator is carried by the wheel hub
and operated by the revolution thereof, and a governor automatically throwing said
inflator into and out of operation, substantially as specified.
2. The inflator for pneumatic cycle tires, comprising the box or casing carried
by the wheel hub, and having an air compressor therein operated by the revolution
of said hub, and a governor operated by a surplus of pressure to automatically throw
said pump into and out of operation, substantially as specified.
3. The inflator for the purpose described, comprising the box or casing adapted
to be rigidly secured to the wheel hub, an air-compressing cylinder and piston in
Baid casing, a pipe communicating with said cylinder and with the tire, an arm con-
nected with said piston adapted to engage a projection of the frame upon the
.revolution of the wheel, and a governor for automatically throwing said arm into
and out of position to engage said projection, substantially as specified.
4. The inflator comprising the box or casing adapted to be rigidly secured to a
wheel hub, an air-compressing cylinder and piston in said casing, an oscillating
-beam or lever connected at one end to said piston, its shaft, the cam arm thereon,
adapted to engage a projection on the frame when the wheel is revolved, whereby
said piston is forced downwardly, the spring for returning said piston, the air-
conducting pipe, and a governor operated by back pressure from said pipe to throw
the cam arm into and out of position to operate the pump, substantially as
-specified.
Dated this 24th day of January 1893.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.