Inflating apparatus

Claim 1

INFLATING APPARATUS FOR ATTACHMENT TO AN INLET OF AN INFLATABLE ARTICLE, SAID INFLATING APPARATUS COMPRISING (A) A HOLLOW HOUSING HAVINE A BORE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THERETHROUGH WHICH TERMINATES AT ITS INNER END IN A TUBULAR END PORTION ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A COMPRESSED GAS CARTRIDGE AND WHICH TERMINATES AT ITS OUTER END IN A SLOTTED END PORTION, (B) SAID HOUSING HAVING ADJACENT THE INNER END OF SAID BORE A GAS-CONDUCTING PASSAGE EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM SAID BORE TO AN OUTLET OPENING IN SAID HOUSING FOR RECEIVING THE INLET OF THE INFLATABLE ARTICLE, (C) A VENTING PASSAGE SPACED INWARDLY FROM THE OUTER END OF SAID BORE AND EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM SAID BORE TO THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID HOUSING FOR COMMUNICATION WITH THE AMBIENT ATMOSPHERE, (D) A PUNCTURING MEMBER LONGITUDINALLY MOVABLE WITHIN SAID BORE FOR DISPOSITION SEQUENTIALLY AT A VENTING POSITION, A PUNCTURING POSITION, AND A PARTIALLY RETRACTED POSITION, SAID PUNCTURING MEMBER INCLUDING AN ACTUATING END PORTION CONNECTED TO A PIERCER PORTION WITH THE DIAMETER OF SAID MEMBER OTHER THAN THE SAID ACTUATING END PORTION BEING LESS THAN THAT OF SAID BORE, AN (E) A SEALING MEANS INTERMEDIATE SAID PIERCER AND ACTUATING PORTIONS IN SEALING COOPERATION WITH SAID BORE AND MEMBER AND POSITIONABLE OUTWARDLY OF SAID VENTING PASSAGE, WHEN SAID MEMBER IS IN THE VENTING POSITION, TO PERMIT COMMUNICATION THROUGH SAID BORE, OF SAID GAS-CONDUCTING PASSAGE AND SAID VENTING PASSAGE, AND POSITIONABLE INTERMEDIATE THE SAID PASSAGES TO SEAL SAID VENTING PASSAGE FROM SAID GAS-CONDUCTING PASSAGE, WHEN SAID MEMBER IS IN EITHER THE PUNCTURING POSITION OF THE PARTIALLY RETRACTED POSITION.