Pneumatic tire inflator

Claim 1

A pneumatic tire inflator requiring only a source of pressurized air and a device for controlling the air flow from the source, the air pressure of the source being greater than the desired air pressure of the inflated tire; said inflator comprising first and second air flow circuits, each having an inlet end for communicating with a discharge side of the device and an outlet end, the outlet end of said second flow circuit being adapted to communicate with an inlet valve on the pneumatic tire; the first circuit includes a manually adjustable regulator means having an inlet communicating with the first circuit inlet end and an outlet, said regulator means being preset whereby the air pressure at the outlet thereof substantially corresponds to the desired tire air pressure, a pressure sensitive first valve means biased to normally assume an open position and provided with a first inlet communicating with the outlet of said regulator means, an outlet adapted to normally communicate with said first inlet, a second inlet segregated from said first inlet and said outlet, and pressure responsive means for effecting interruption of the communication between said first inlet and said outlet when there is a predetermined pressure at said second inlet overcoming the opening bias, and air accumulator means communicating with the outlet of said first valve means and being charged with air flowing from the outlet of said first valve means, said accumulator means having an outlet communicating with the first circuit outlet end; said second circuit including a pressure sensitive second valve means biased to normally assume a close position and provide with a first inlet communicating with the second circuit inlet end, a second inlet communicating with the first circuit outlet end, an outlet communicating with the second circuit outlet end, and a pressure responsive means for effecting opening of said second valve means and communication between the first inlet and outlet thereof when the air pressure at the second inlet overcomes the closing bias, and the second inlet of said first valve means and the outlet end of said second circuit being in continuous communication with one another whereby the pressure responsive means of said first valve means is responsive directly to air pressure within the inflated pneumatic tire.