An Automatic Inflating Arrangement for Pneumatic Tyres.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 25th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 9th Oct., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Automatic Inflating Arrangement for Pneumatic Tyres.
WILLIAM ELLIS CHUTE ELLIS Barrister at Law, Captain & Honorary Major 3rd
Batn. Yorkshire Regiment of The Knolls, Near Petersfield, Hants, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
An arrangement of piston and valves, within the circumference of wheels, by
which the rotation of the wheel, together with any weight applied to the axis, will
automatically work the piston and valves (together constituting an inflator) so as
to fill and keep filled a hollow tyre.
The pump barrel is fixed to the wheel and the piston either to the inside of the
tyre or to the shaft. In the latter case the shaft is free to move up and down in
the hub of the wheel and it is preferred to have two diametrically opposite barrels
with one piston common to both.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1896.
An Automatic Inflating Arrangement for Pneumatic Tyres.
I, WILLIAM ELLIS CHUTE ELLIS, Barrister at Law, Captain & Honorary Major
3rd Batn. Yorkshire Regiment of the Knolls Near Petersfield, Hants, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The drawings illustrate my invention as applied to a cycle wheel.
Figure 1 is a side elevation. Figures 2, 3 and 4 are respectively a side elevation,
a vertical longitudinal section and a vertical transverse section to a larger scale
of the hub and surrounding parts. In Figures 2 and 3 the spokes are omitted.
The hub a of the wheel is for the sake of lightness in the form of a hollow
cylinder, its ends a¹ a¹ are slotted at a a² to receive a rectangular block or bar b
which is free to turn on the ball bearings c around the shaft a fixed to the fork e.
Holes a³ a3 are preferably made in the ends a¹ to reduce their weight. b bare
plates at the ends of the block b serving to cover the slots a². f is a piston rod
fixed to the block b and carrying a piston f. g is a cylinder fixed to the hub a
having an air inlet at g' and connected by a pipe h to the inside of the pneumatic
tyre. h is a non return valve on the pipe g. The piston f¹ carries a cup leather f
which during the inward stroke of the piston allows the air to pass and so acts as
an air inlet valve, during the outward stroke however it makes a tight joint.
Other forms of pump may be employed.

page_text: In the drawings the block and shaft d are shown at the centre of the wheel and
the pump in its lowest position, the weight of the rider however tends to depress
the shaft and block carrying the piston fi downwards and forcing the air below the
piston into the tyre. After the wheel has made a quarter turn the tendency is
reversed and by the time a half turn has been made the piston has moved to the
end of the cylinder which is uppermost in the drawings but is then at the bottom.
When the piston is moving in this direction the air flows past it into the outer
end of the cylinder ready to be forced into the tyre.
If the area of the piston be properly proportioned to the weight of the rider and
the air pressure desired over-inflation and consequent bursting of the tyre will
be impossible for when the full pressure has been reached pumping will cease the
pressure on the piston sustaining the rider; such an arrangement however in the
case of a bicycle involves a very inconveniently large pump and it is therefore not
recommended, if however it be desired to adopt it then the portions of the slots a³
which in the drawings lie above the block b should be filled up so as to prevent the
block moving beyond its central position.
The more convenient plan however is to employ a small pump as shown and
when the tyre is fully inflated to pass a pin through one of the holes a³ and through
corresponding holes in the plates 6' so locking the shaft to the hub of the wheel;
in this case a safety valve may be provided to prevent over-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 combination of a pump fixed to the hub of the wheel and a piston fixed
to the shaft, the shaft being free to move up and down in the hub.
2. Automatic inflating arrangements for pneumatic tyres substantially as
described and shown in the drawings.
.
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