Apparatus and devices for automatic control and supervision of the pressure of the tires of vehicle wheels

Claim 1

A SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATIC CONTROL, REGULATION AND SUPERVISION OF THE PRESSURE WITHIN PNEUMATIC TIRES ON VEHICLE WHEELS, THE TIRES HAVING CONVENTIONAL VALVES MOUNTED IN INFLATION STEMS CARRIED BY THE TIRES IN A CONVENTIONAL LOCATION, THE SYSTEM COMPRISING IN COMBINATION; (A) A SINGLE PIPE FOR EACH TIRE IN WHICH THE PRESSURE IS TO BE CONTROLLED, REGULATED AND SUPERVISED, THE PIPE EXTENDING ADJACENT THE TIRE VALVE, AND BEING CAPABLE OF CONTAINING FLUID UNDER PRESSURE (B) A COMPRESSED AIR SUPPLY MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH THE SINGLE PIPES AND PROVIDING COMPRESSED AIR THEREIN PERMANENTLY, AT LEAST WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION, (C) AN ACTUATOR FOR EACH TIRE VALVE ON EACH TIRE (D) MEANS FOR MOUNTING THE ACTUATOR ON THE CONVENTIONAL INFLATION STEM TO BE DISPOSED BETWEEN THE CONVENTIONAL TIRE VALVE AND THE ASSOCIATED SINGLE PIPE, (E) A DIFFERENTIAL MEMBER WITHIN THE ACTUATOR ADAPTED TO BE OPERATED BY PRESSURE IN THE SINGLE PIPE TO OPEN THE CONVENTIONAL VALVE AND TO PROVIDE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE PIPE AND THE TIRE, (F) A SPRING WITHIN EACH ACTUATOR ACTING DIRECTLY UPON THE DIFFERENTIAL MEMBER THEREIN SO AS TO RENDER THE SAME INOPERATIVE WHEN THE PRESSURE IN THE ASSOCIATED SINGLE PIPE IS BELOW A DESIRED PRESET LIMIT (G) CONTROLLABLE DISCHARGE MEANS CONNECTED TO THE SINGLE PIPE AND ADAPTED TO PROVIDE A CONTINUOUS DISCHARGE OF THE EXCESS COMPRESS AIR SUPPLIED BY THE COMPRESSED AIR SUPPLY WHEN A CRITICAL PRESSURE SELECTED BY A VEHICLE OPERATOR IS REACHED (H) INDICATING MEANS OPERATED BY THE CONTROLLABLE DISCHARGE MEANS, (I) ELECTRICALLY OPERATED VALVE MEANS FOR RAPID DISCHARE OF THE SINGLE PIPES, (J) SUPERVISORY MEANS CONNECTED TO THE SINGLE PIPES AND ADAPTED TO ELECTRICALLY OPERATED THE RAPID DISCHARGE VALVE MEANS ONLY WHEN THE PRESSURE IN THE SINGLE PIPES DROPS BELOW A PREDETERMINED VALUE AND NOT WHEN THE PRESSURE RISES TO SUCH VALUE, (K) ELECTRICAL CONNECTING MEANS ADAPTED TO OPERATE THE RAPID DISCHARGE VALVE MEANS ON SWITCHING OFF THE VEHICLE IGNITITION CIRCUIT.

Claim 2

A SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATIC CONTROL, REGULATION AND SUPERVISION OF THE PRESSURE WITHIN PNEUMATIC TIRES ON VEHICLE WHEELS, THE TIRES HAVING CONVENTIONAL VALVES MOUNTED IN INFLATION STEMS CARRIED BY THE TIRES IN A CONVENTIONAL LOCATION, THE SYSTEM COMPRISING IN COMBINATION; (A) A SINGLE PIPE FOR EACH TIRE IN WHICH THE PRESSURE IS TO BE CONTROLLED, REGULATED AND SUPERVISED, THE PIPE EXTENDING ADJACENT THE TIRE VALVE, AND BEING CAPABLE OF CONTAINING FLUID UNDER PRESSURE (B) A COMPRESSED AIR SUPPLY MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH THE SINGLE PIPES AND PROVIDING COMPRESSED AIR THEREIN PERMANENTLY, AT LEAST WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION, (C) AN ACTUATOR FOR EACH TIRE VALVE ON EACH TIRE (D) MEANS FOR MOUNTING THE ACTUATOR ON THE CONVENTIONAL INFLATION STEM TO BE DISPOSED BETWEEN THE CONVENTIONAL TIRE VALVE AND THE ASSOCIATED SINGLE PIPE, (E) A DIFFERENTIAL MEMBER WITHIN THE ACTUATOR ADAPTED TO BE OPERATED BY PRESSURE IN THE SINGLE PIPE TO OPEN THE CONVENTIONAL VALVE AND TO PROVIDE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE PIPE AND THE TIRE, (F) A SPRING WITHIN EACH ACTUATOR ACTING DIRECTLY UPON THE DIFFERENTIAL MEMBER THEREIN SO AS TO RENDER THE SAME INOPERATIVE WHEN THE PRESSURE IN THE ASSOCIATED SINGLE PIPE IS BELOW A DESIRED PRESET LIMIT (G) CONTROLLABLE DISCHARGE MEANS CONNECTED TO THE SINGLE PIPE AND ADAPTED TO PROVIDE A CONTINUOUS DISCHARGE OF THE EXCESS COMPRESS AIR SUPPLIED BY THE COMPRESSED AIR SUPPLY WHEN A CRITICAL PRESSURE SELECTED BY A VEHICLE OPERATOR IS REACHED (H) INDICATING MEANS OPERATED BY THE CONTROLLABLE DISCHARGE MEANS, (I) ELECTRICALLY OPERATED VALVE MEANS FOR RAPID DISCHARE OF THE SINGLE PIPES, (J) SUPERVISORY MEANS CONNECTED TO THE SINGLE PIPES AND ADAPTED TO ELECTRICALLY OPERATED THE RAPID DISCHARGE VALVE MEANS ONLY WHEN THE PRESSURE IN THE SINGLE PIPES DROPS BELOW A PREDETERMINED VALUE AND NOT WHEN THE PRESSURE RISES TO SUCH VALUE, (K) ELECTRICAL CONNECTING MEANS ADAPTED TO OPERATE THE RAPID DISCHARGE VALVE MEANS ON SWITCHING OFF THE VEHICLE IGNITITION CIRCUIT.