Auxiliary system for decelerating vehicle

Claim 2

An auxiliary system for decelerating a motor vehicle in imminent danger of collision, said system being operable to supplement the braking effect of the vehicle''s brakes, said system comprising one or more wheels having a pneumatic tire equipped with laterally inwardly extending valve means on the inner sidewall thereof, deflating means movably supported on said vehicle laterally inwardly of said valve means, shifting means normally restraining said deflating means out of engagement with said valve means and upon being actuated urging said deflating means into engagement with said valve means to reduce pressure of said tire upon actuation of said shifting means by command means by the operator of the vehicle, said valve means comprising two or more circumferentially spaced valves each having a laterally inwardly directed valve stem and a tubular housing around said stem and terminating short of the free end of said stem, said deflating means comprising an annular plate member supported for movement laterally of the vehicle into and out of engagement with said valves, and upper support means for said annular plate member including an L-shaped bracket fixedly secured to said plate member and formed with a laterally extending guide slot through which extends a rod in supporting relationship with said bracket.

Claim 3

The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said rod extends in a generally vertical direction and is connected at its upper end to the interior of a fender extending around the said wheel.

Claim 4

The system as recited in claim 2 wherein said rod is connected to said fender by a pivot joint whereby said rod is free to articulate at least laterally of said vehicle.

Claim 5

The system as recited in claim 3 wherein said plate member is further connected to secondary support means at positions both forwardly and rearwardly of said wheel and wherein said secondary support means includes said shifting means.

Claim 6

The system as recited in claim 4 wherein said shifting means are in the form of solenoids and said secondary support means at each of said forwardly and rearwardly positions includes a coil spring having one end fixedly secured to said plate member and a second end fixedly secured to an armature of said solenoids, the armature of each solenoid being biased toward the center of said vehicle when the solenoid is de-energized and outwardly to urge said plate member into engagement with said valve means when the solenoid is energized.

Claim 7

The system as recited in claim 5 wherein said armature is enclosed in a tubular housing and spaced therefrom by a cushioning washer or sleeve.

Claim 8

A vehicle in which both left and right wheels on a common axle are equipped with the system as defined in claim 6 and wherein the respective pairs of solenoids of said left and right wheels are connected in a parallel circuit and said command means which is a control switch located in the operator''s compartment.

Claim 9

The combination as recited in claim 7 wherein said circuit includes a time-set circuitbreaker across said switch.

Claim 10

An auxiliary system for decelerating a motor vehicle in imminent danger of collision, said system being operable to supplement the braking effect of the vehicle''s brakes, said system comprising one or more wheels having a pneumatic tire equipped with laterally inwardly extending valve means on the inner sidewall thereof, deflating means movably supported on said vehicle laterally inwardly of said valve means, shifting means normally restraining said deflating means out of engagement with said valve means and upon being actuated urging said deflating means into engagement with said valve means to reduce pressure of said tire upon actuation of said shifting means by command means by the operator of the vehicle, said valve mEans comprising two or more circumferentially spaced valves each having a laterally inwardly directed valve stem and a tubular housing around said stem and terminating short of the free end of said stem, said deflating means comprising an annular plate member supported for movement laterally of the vehicle into and out of engagement with said valves, and said tubular valve housing includes a radially extending flange on the free end thereof, spring means integral therewith disposed around the free end of said valve stem, extending beyond said valve stem, and having a disk integral with the free end thereof normally out of engagement with said valve stem, but which may be caused to engage said valve stem by said deflator plate.

Claim 11

An auxiliary system for decelerating a motor vehicle in imminent danger of collision, said system being operable to supplement the braking effect of the vehicle''s brakes, said system comprising one or more wheels having a pneumatic tire equipped with laterally inwardly extending valve means on the inner sidewall thereof, deflating means movably supported on said vehicle laterally inwardly of said valve means, shifting means normally restraining said deflating means out of engagement with said valve means and upon being actuated urging said deflating means into engagement with said valve means to reduce pressure of said tire upon actuation of said shifting means by command means by the operator of the vehicle, said valve mEans comprising two or more circumferentially spaced valves each having a laterally inwardly directed valve stem and a tubular housing around said stem and terminating short of the free end of said stem, said deflating means comprising an annular plate member supported for movement laterally of the vehicle into and out of engagement with said valves, and said tubular valve housing includes a radially extending flange on the free end thereof, spring means integral therewith disposed around the free end of said valve stem, extending beyond said valve stem, and having a disk integral with the free end thereof normally out of engagement with said valve stem, but which may be caused to engage said valve stem by said deflator plate.

Claim 12

The system as recited in claim 9 wherein said tubular housing includes one or more radially directed discharge ports and said valve stem extends out from said housing for a substantial distance.

Claim 13

The system as recited in claim 10 wherein said annular plate member includes a wear-resisting material on its operating surface of contact.

Claim 14

The system as recited in claim 11 wherein each of said wheels is dynamically balanced.