Improvements in Cycles and other Vehicles with Pneumatic Tyred Wheels,
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 15th July, 1897-Accepted, 9th Oct., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cycles and other Vehicles with Pneumatic Tyred
Wheels,
I, ALFRED JOHN BAILEY, of Albion Works, Salford, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in cycles and other vehicles the wheels of
which are fitted with pneumatic tyres and my improvements consist of a novel
method of and means for inflating the air tubes of such tyres.
In carrying my improvements into effect I apply a single force pump or any
convenient number of force pumps for example, three, to each wheel. These force
pumps are preferably placed at equal distances apart and each is in communication
through a valve with the air tube of the tyre. I connect the piston rods of the
pumps to the strap of an eccentric fixed on the arbor or axle of the wheel or
otherwise connect the piston rods to any equivalent arrangement whereby when the
wheel is rotated the piston rods are actuated and the force pumps are set to work.
By means of a suitable pressure regulator such as a diaphragm, plunger or the like
weighted preferably by a spring I arrange that the force pumps shall run idly or be
out of action whenever the required air pressure within the air tube has been attained
and shall be set to work again to inflate the tube immediately the air pressure
therein falls below the normal; or instead of a pressure regulator to control the
action of the force pumps automatically I may put them into and out of action by
hand.
In some cases for example in motor cars it might be advantageous to mount a
force pump (or pumps) on the body of the vehicle and connect it by pipes and
stuffing boxes to the hubs of the wheels from which it would be conducted through
suitable pipes or passages and valves into the air tubes of the tyres. In the case of
a motor car the force pump might be worked by the motive power which propels the
vehicle or by hand and in the case of a carriage or cycle by gearing from the wheels
or axles or by hand.
Dated this 14th day of October 1896
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cycles and other Vehicles with Pneumatic Tyred
Wheels.
I, ALFRED JOHN BAILEY, of Albion Works, Salford, in the County of Lancaster,
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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in cycles and other vehicles the wheels of

page_text: which are fitted with pneumatic tyres and my improvements consist of a novel
method of and means for inflating the air tubes of such tyres.
In carrying my improvements into effect I apply a single force pump or any
convenient number of force pumps for example, three, to each wheel.
pumps are preferably placed at equal distances apart and each is in communication
through a valve with the air tube of the tyre. I connect the piston rods of the pumps
to the strap of an eccentric fixed on the arbor or axle of the wheel or otherwise
connect the piston rods to any equivalent arrangement whereby when the wheel is
rotated the piston rods are actuated and the force pumps are set to work. By means
of a suitable pressure regulator such as a diaphragm, plunger or the like weighted
preferably by a spring I arrange that the force pumps shall run idly or be out of
action whenever the required air pressure within the air tube has been attained and
shall be set to work again to inflate the tube immediately the air pressure therein.
falls below the normal; or instead of a pressure regulator to control the action
of the force pumps automatically I may put them into and out of action by
hand.
In the accompanying three sheets of drawings-
Figure 1 is an elevation of part of a pneumatic tyred cycle wheel to which my
improvements are applied.
and
Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of the same.
Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of the eccentric for working the force pump
Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are detail views of the pump and parts of the same.
Fig. 8 is a view of a pressure regulator for automatically controlling the action of
the force pump.
In these views I show an eccentric or hollow cam 1, fixed on the arbor or stud 2
which is carried in the forks 3 and on which is mounted the wheel 4. I show only
a single force pump 5 with a piston 6 aud a hollow piston rod 7 on which is mounted
a boss 8 with an arm carrying an antifriction roller 9. The boss 8 is secured in
position but is free to be turned round on the piston rod 7 by means of a stud 10
the reduced end of which projects into an annular groove cut in the exterior of the
hollow rod 7 and the boss 8 is held with the roller 9 either in or out of gear with
the hollow cam 1 as required by means of a catch collar 11 and spring 12 compressed
between it and the washer 13 held in position by a nut 14. The hollow piston rod 7
fits over a rod 15 which is secured by a clip 16 on the hub 17 of the wheel 4 and the
rod 15 is slotted longitudinally at 18 to receive the reduced ends of two screws 19
whereby the piston rod 7 is guided and prevented from turning axially. Air is
admitted to the force pump 5 through a hole in its cover, see Fig. 5, and as the piston
rod 7 is raised, air flows past the single leather on the piston and when the rod 7 is
pushed down the air is forced through a back pressure or non-return valve 20 with
the air tube 21 of the pneumatic tyre 22.
In operation when the roller 9 is in gear with the hollow cam 1 and the wheel 4 is
rotated by hand or when the machine is driven the piston rod 7 receives a
reciprocating movement, whereby the force pump 5 delivers air into the air
tube 21 of the tyre until the latter is sufficiently inflated, when the roller is
disengaged.
It will be readily understood that I may employ more than one force pump for
each wheel, and also that the details of the mechanism for actuating the same may
be varied in any convenient manner..
Figure 8 illustrates an arrangement of pressure regulator particularly applicable
for motor cars and the like by which the force pump 5 may be allowed to work
without further inflating the air tube 21 when the normal pressure within it has been
attained. The regulator consists of a flexible diaphragm 23 in a chamber 24 in
communication on one side through a tube 25 with the air tube 21; on the other
side of the diaphragm are springs 26 coiled on a valve spindle 27 and adjusted by
nuts 28 to resist the required air pressure in the air tube 21. The valve spindle 27
carries a double beat valve 29 seated in a casing 30 in communication by a

page_text: passage 31 with the force pump 5 and open to the atmosphere through an
outlet 32.
When the pump 5 is working air is forced continuously into the air tube 21 until
the normal pressure has been attained any increase of air pressure beyond that point
however moves the flexible diaphragın 23 and thereby opens the valve 29 and
allows the air delivered by the force pump to be discharged through the
outlet 32.
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 cycles and other vehicles with pneumatic tyred wheels-
1. The combination with the air tube or chamber of a pneumatic tyred wheel and
a force pump (or force pumps) in communication therewith, of mechanism for
actuating the force pump by the rotation of the wheel substantially as herein set
forth.
2. In combination, the air tube or chamber of a pneumatic tyred wheel, a force
pump (or force pumps) in communication therewith, means for actuating the force
pump and means for putting the force pump into and out of action automatically or
by hand substantially as herein set forth.
3. The several combinations and arrangements of parts embodying my
improvements substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
Dated this 14th day of July 1897.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicant.