Improvements in Valves and Air Compressing Pumps for the --Pneumatic-Tyres of Velocipedes and other Wheel Carriages, and for Air Beds and other Air Inflated Articles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Jan., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 11th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 23rd Oct.,
1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Valves and Air Compressing Pumps for the
--Pneumatic-Tyres of Velocipedes and other Wheel Carriages,
and for Air Beds and other Air Inflated Articles.
I, JOHN THOMAS MILSON HIRCOCK, of No. 1 Sambrook Place, Taylor Street,
Nechells, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in the valves
of pneumatic tyres of the wheels of velocipedes and other wheel carriages and of
air beds and other air inflated articles, and also of the improvements hereinafter
described in air compressing pumps for inflating the said pneumatic tyres, air
beds and the like.
That part of my invention relating to the valves of pneumatic tyres and the
like has for its object to simplify the construction and arrangement of the parts
cf the said valves and to increase the efficiency of the same. My improvements
in air compressing pumps relate to those kinds of pumps in which the cylinder
constitutes the handle of the pump the said cylinder on the working of the pump
moving over the stationary piston; and my improvements have for their object
to obtain on the working of the pump a continuous stream of compressed air
instead of an intermittent stream as is obtained from air compressing pumps of
the ordinary construction.
I will first describe my improvements in the valves of pneumatic tyres and
the like.
In constructing a valve according to one arrangement of my invention I make
the inner end or head of the tubular body of the valve, that is, that end which is
situated within the tyre nearly closed the said inner end or head having in it a
small axial hole of much smaller diameter than the internal diameter of the
tubular body. In the said tubular body I arrange a coiled spring the said spring
bearing at its inner end against the inner side of the head of the valve. On to
the externally screwed body of the valve I screw a cup having in its bottom a
small internally screwed axial hole above which hole I prefer to fit in the cup a
ring washer of leather or other material. The hole in the ring washer or bottom
of the cup is closed by a small metallic ball similar to the balls of a velocipede
ball bearing. When the cup is screwed on to the tubular body of the valve the
end of the coiled spring which projected from the open end of the tubular body;
seats itself on the ball in the bottom of the cup and preserves the said ball in such
close contact with its seat that an air tight joint between the ball and ring washer
or bottom of the cup is formed.
In order to open the valve and establish communication between the interior
of the tyre and the air compressing pump, the screwed connection or nozzle on
the end of the pump, or on the flexible tube of the pump, is provided with a nose

page_text: piece having in it a cross slit or slits which nose piece on the screwing of the
nozzle into the screwed hole in the bottom of the cup of the valve, comes against
the ball and lifts it off its seat and compresses the valve spring. Consequently
on the operation of the air compressing pump, 'air is forced through the slits of
the nose piece into the tubular body of the valve and passes through the axial
hole in the head of the said valve into the tyre. On the detachment of the air
compressing pump the coiled spring within the tubular body causes the ball to
follow the nose piece of the pump connection and thus to automatically effect
the closing of the valve the said closing being effected before the said pump con-
nection is completely unscrewed; the pressure of the air within the tyre also
tends to close the valve.
In constructing a valve according to another arrangement of my invention
I fit in the tubular body of the valve a headed pin the stem or body of which passes
through the axial hole in the head of the tubular body of the valve, the head of
the said pin bearing on the head of the tubular body. The stem of the pin is for
the greater part of its length hollow the axial hole in the said pin passing from the
bottom end to within a short distance of its head where it terminates in a cross
hole opening on opposite sides of the pin. On the stem of the headed pin is a
coiled spring, the said spring bearing at its upper end against a washer or stuffing
ou the inner side of the head of the tubular body of the valve and at its lower end
against a flange on the bottom end of the stem of the headed pin, thereby ensuring
the closing of the valve.
When the pump is attached to the valve for inflating the tyre the nose piece
herein before referred to on the nozzle of the pump connection comes against the
end of the stem of the headed pin and raises the said headed pin to such a height
that its cross hole comes above the head of the tubular body of the valve and
opens into the interior of the tyre. Consequently on the operation of the air
compressing pump air is forced directly into the tyre. On the detachment of the
air compressing pump the coiled spring within the tubular body causes the headed
pin to follow the nose piece of the pump connection and thus to automatically
effect the closing of the valve.
The axial hole in the bottom of each of the valves described, into which axial
hole the nozzle of the pump connection is screwed when the pump is attached to
the valve, is, on the detachment of the said pump, closed by a short screw pin
the inner end of which in the case of the ball valve first described is preferably
cupped, that is, is made of a hollow or concave figure.
In constructing an air compressing pump according to my invention I provide
a cylinder closed at both ends, the hollow piston rod working in a stuffing box
provided at the inner closed end of the cylinder. The piston of the pump is made
in the form of a chamber into which the inner end of the piston rod opens.
The said piston has at opposite sides small holes which are opened and closed by
flap or ball valves opening inwards. The opposite ends of the cylinder are also
provided with small charging holes opened and closed by flaps or ball valves
situated on the inner sides of the closed ends of the cylinder.
On the working of the air compressing pump the cylinder on its outward motion
causes the closing of the flap or ball valve at its inner end and the simultaneous
opening of the valve of the piston communicating with that end of the cylinder
and the air passes through the piston and piston rod into the tyre. During this
action of the cylinder the other or outer valve of the piston is closed, while the
valve of the outer end of the cylinder is open drawing a charge of air into that
end of the cylinder. On the inward motion of the cylinder the reverse action of
the valves described takes place and thus a continuous stream of air is made to
pass from the pump into the tyre or other article being inflated.
Dated this Second day of January 1897
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Valves and Air Compressing Pumps for the
Pneumatic Tyres of Velocipedes and other Wheel Carriages,
1. and for Air Beds and other Air Inflated Articles.
I, JOHN THOMAS MILSON HIRCOCK, of No.. 1 Sambrook Place, Taylor Street,
Nechells, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement;-
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in the valves
of pneumatic tyres of the wheels of velocipedes and other wheel carriages and-of-
air beds and other air inflated articles, and also of the improvements hereinafter
described in air compressing pumps for. inflating the said pneumatic tyres, air
beds and the like.
That part of my invention relating to the valves of pneumatic tyres and the
like has for its object to simplify the construction and arrangement of the parts
of the said valves and to increase the efficiency of the same. My improvements
in air compressing pumps relate to those kinds of pumps in which the cylinder
constitutes the handle of the pump the said cylinder on the working of the pump
moving over the stationary piston; and my improvements have for their object
to obtain on the working of the pump a continuous stream of compressed air
instead of an intermittent stream as is obtained from air compressing pumps of
the ordinary construction.
I will first describe my improvements in the valves of pneumatic tyres and
the like.
.
In constructing a valve according to one arrangement of my invention I make
the inner end or head of the tubular body of the valve, that is, that end which is
situated within the tyre nearly closed the said inner end or head having in it a
small axial hole of much smaller diameter than the internal diameter of the
tubular body. In the said tubular body I arrange a coiled spring the said spring
bearing at its inner end against the inner side of the head of the valve. On to
the externally screwed body of the valve I screw a cup having in its bottom a
small. internally screwed axial hole above which hole I prefer to fit in the cup a
ring washer of leather or other material. The hole in the ring washer or bottom
of the cup is closed by a small metallic ball similar to the balls of a velocipede
ball bearing. When the cup is screwed on to the tubular body of the valve the
end of the coiled spring which projected from the open end of the tubular body;
seats itself on the ball in the bottom of the cup and preserves the said ball in such
close contact with its seat that an air tight joint between the ball and ring washer
or bottom of the cup is formed.
In order to open the valve and establish communication between the interior
of the tyre and the air compressing pump, the screwed connection or nozzle on
the end of the pump, or on the flexible tube of the pump is provided with a nose
piece having in it a cross slit or slits which nose piece on the screwing of the
nozzle into the screwed hole in the bottom of the cup of the valve, comes against
the ball and lifts it off its seat and compresses the valve spring. Consequently
on the operation of the air compressing pump, air is forced through the slits of-
the nose piece into the tubular body of the valve and passes through the axial
hole in the head of the said valve into the tyre. On the detachment of the air
compressing pump the coiled spring within the tubular body causes the ball to
follow the nose piece of the pump connection and thus to automatically effect
the closing of the valve the said closing being effected before the said pump

page_text: connection is completely unscrewed; the pressure of the air within the tyre also
tends to close the valve.
This part of my invention is illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the
accompanying Drawings..
Figure 1 represents the valve in vertical section and Figure 2 represents in 5
elevation and plan the pump connection or nozzle to be used with the said valve;
Figure 3 represents the said valve with the pump connection attached thereto
and the valve thereby opened; Figure 4 represents the screw pin or plug of the
valve which is removed to permit of the attachment of the pump nozzle or
connection.
All the Drawings of the valves and their connections are to a large scale.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawings.
a is the body or barrel of the valve having a head a² at the end, which when
the valve is attached, say, to a tyre projects into the interior of the tyre, and at 1
the other or opposite end a screw cap b. The said cap b has a small axial inter-
nally screwed hole by which the pump nozzle c (Figure 2) is attached to the valve.
The said axial screwed hole of the cap b is closed on the detachment of the pump
by a washered screw pin or plug d (shown separately in Figure 4) so as to preserve
the interior of the valve dust proof. The interior of the tyre or other article to
which the valve is attached communicates with the hollow or tubular body or
barrel a by a small axial hole passing through the head a² of the said valve. The
axial hole in the screw cap b is closed by a small metallic ball or spherical valve e
which is normally seated on a washer f, in the bottom of the screw cap b and is
preserved air tight thereon by a coiled spring g bearing at one end on the ball
valve e and at the other end against the shoulder at the inner end of the body or
barrel of the valve. The nozzle c has a cross slit i (see Figure 2) by which slit
when the nozzle c is attached to the valve as in Figure 3 air, forced through the
said nozzle by the working of the pump, gains access to the body or barrel of the
valve.
When it is desired to inflate the tyre or other article to which the valve is
attached the dust proof closing plug is removed and the nozzle c of the air
compressing pump is screwed into the axial hole of the cap b. When the end of
the nozzle c comes in contact with the ball e the further screwing home of the
said nozzle lifts the ball valve e from its seat and the nozzle is consequently placed
in communication with the interior of the body or barrel a of the valve as seen
in Figure 3.
Before the complete detachment of the pump nozzle the spring g assisted by
the compressed air within the tyre forces the ball e into such close contact with
its washer or seat f as to ensure the air tight closing of the valve.
The valve described may be modified in the manner illustrated in Figures 5, 6,
7 and 8 whereby the closing cap b is dispensed with. In this arrangement a
ringh carrying the ball valve washer or seat f is screwed into the interior of the
barrel a.
To open the valve, the pump connection is provided with a nozzle c
terminating in a plain or cylindrical nose c² with a cross slit i. On the attach-
ment of the pump nozzle c the plain nose piece c² passes through the ring h and
lifts the ball e from its seat.
In other respects the valve Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 resembles the valve
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 and corresponding parts in the two valves are marked with
the same letters of reference.
In constructing a valve according to another arrangement of my invention
I fit in the tubular body of the valve a headed pin the stem or body of which passes
through the axial hole in the head of the tubular body of the valve, the head of
the said pin bearing on the head of the tubular body. The stem of the pin is for
the greater part of its length hollow the axial hole in the said pin passing from the
bottom end to within a short distance of its head where it terminates in a cross
hole opening on opposite sides of the pin. On the stem of the headed pin is a

page_text: coiled spring the said spring bearing at its upper end against a washer or stuffing
on the inner side of the head of the tubular body of the valve and at its lower end
against a flange on the bottom end of the stem of the headed pin, thereby ensuring
the closing of the valve.
When the pump is attached to the valve for inflating the tyre the nose piece
herein before referred to on the nozzle of the pump connection comes against the
end of the stem of the headed pin and raises the said headed pin to such a height
that its cross hole comes above the head of the tubular body of the valve and
opens into the interior of the tyre. Consequently on the operation of the air
compressing pump air is forced directly into the tyre. On the detachment of the
air compressing pump the coiled spring within the tubular body causes the headed
pin to follow the nose piece of the pump connection and thus to automatically
effect the closing of the valve.
This arrangement of my invention is illustrated in Figures 9, 10, and 11.
a is the body or barrel of the valve through the axial hole in the head a³ of
which the hollow-or-tubular-pin k passes and is connected to a disc having on its
underside a washer 1, but the washer may be placed at the top of the interior f
the barrel a and be pressed to its seat by the coiled spring g. The said disc ³
constitutes a head for the pink. The axial hole in the said pin terminates near
the head in a cross hole m. The coiled spring g of the valve bears at one end
against the internal shoulder at the inner end of the body or barrel of the valve
and at its other end against a shoulder or flange near the outer end of the pin k.
In the normal or closed position of the valve represented in Figure 9 the cross
hole m is situated within the axial hole in the head a² of the said valve and the
said valve is consequently closed by the washered head of the pink bearing on
the head a².
The nozzle c'of the pump connection shown separately in Figure 10 and attached
to the valve in Figure 11, is provided with a plain nose piece 2 similar to the
nose piece of the nozzle Figure 6 but without a cross slit in its end. On the attach-
ment of the pump the nose piece 2 acting against the conical mouth of the
pin the said pin is raised until the cross hole m communicates with the interior
of the tyre as will be understood by an examination of the opened valve Figure 11.
In constructing an air compressing pump according to my invention I provide
a cylinder closed at both ends, the hollow piston rod working in a stuffing box
provided at the inner closed end of the cylinder. The piston of the pump is made
in the form of a chamber into which the inner end of the piston rod opens.
The said piston has at opposite sides small holes which are opened and closed by
ball valves opening inwards. The opposite ends of the cylinder are also
provided with small charging holes opened and closed either by ball valves or
flap valves situated on the inner sides of the closed ends of the evlinder.
A double acting air compressing pump constructed according to this part of
my invention is represented in longitudinal section in Figure 12.
is the cylinder of the pump the said cylinder constituting the handle and
r is the hollow or chamber like fixed piston connected by the tubular piston rod s
to the pump connections. The two ends of the cylinder p are provided with flap
valves marked respectively p¹², opening inwards, and the hollow or chambered
piston is provided with ball valves marked r2, also opening inwards.
It will be seen by an examination of Figure 12 that the valves at the ends of
the cylinder differ in construction from the valves of the piston. The valves p', pa
consist of thin elastic strips or diaphragms secured across the end of short tubes
screwed in the ends of the cylinder of the pump while the valves r¹, consist of
india rubber balls secured in cups by cages over the larger ends or mouths of the
said cups. Ball valves may also be used in the ends of the cylinder in place of
the elastic strips or diaphragms represented.
On the working of the air compressing pump described and represented, the
cylinder p on its outward motion causes the closing of the valve at its inner end
and the simultaneous opening of the valve r¹ of the piston r communicating with

page_text: [
that end of the cylinder and the air passes through the piston and piston rod into
the tyre. During this action of the cylinder 2 the other or outer valve of.the
piston is closed while the valve 2 of the outer end of the cylinder is open drawing
a charge of air into that end of the cylinder. On the inward motion of the
cylinder the reverse action of the valves described takes place and thus a con-
tinuous stream of air is made to pass from the pump into the tyre or other articlé
being inflated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as
my invention :-
'
First. The improvements in valves and air compressing pumps for the
pneumatic tyres of velocipedes and other wheel carriages and for air beds and
other inflated articles hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 8
both inclusive of the accompanying Drawings, the said improvements consisting
essentially in providing the barrel or tubular body of the valve with a ball or
spherical valve proper which in the normal position of the parts is pressed to its
seat by a coiled spring and the valve thereby closed air tight, and in making the
screwed nozzle of the pump connection of such a length and providing it with a
slitted end that on the attachment of the pump the said nozzle lifts, the ball valve
from its seat and by its slits establish a communication between the pump and the
article to be inflated substantially as herein before described and illustrated.
Secondly. The modified valve and pump nozzle hereinsofore described and
illustrated in Figures 9, 10, and 11 of the accompanying Drawings the said
modified valve consisting essentially in the combination with the tubular body or
barrel of the valve of a washered headed pin constituting the valve proper the
said headed in having an axial hole extending from its outer end or mouth to
near the head of the same where it terminates in a cross hole the said valve being
closed air tight by the action of a coiled spring which preserves the head of the
pin and its washer in close contact with the head of the tubular body or barrel of
the valve, the said valve being opened on the attachment of the pump by a nose
piece on the screwed nozzle of the pump which entering the mouth of the axial
hole in the headed pin lifts the same and opens the valve substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated.
Thirdly. The improvements in air compressing pumps delivering a continuous
stream of air into the article to be inflated herein before described and illustrated
in Figure 12 of the accompanying Drawings; that is to say, the combination with
the two sides of the hollow or chambered piston of the pump of ball valves opening
inwards and the use with the said ball valved hollow or chambered piston of ball
or flap valves also opening inwards, in the ends of the pump cylinder for the
purposes and substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this Eighth day of September 1897.
JOHN THOMAS MILSON HIRCOCK.