US5409049A — Tangential tire pressurizing and regulating appar…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 117 words

Apparatus for pressurizing a pneumatic tire mounted on a wheel, said apparatus comprising: a displacement type air pump including an oscillating unitary free piston mass reciprocal along a line by forces occurring with the rotational motion of a wheel for generating air under pressure; bearing means for antifrictional support of said piston mass during oscillation thereof within said pump when generating air under pressure; mounting means adapted for attaching said pump to a wheel having a pneumatic tire mounted thereon with said line of piston reciprocation positioned offset from center and tangential with respect to a path of wheel rotation; and connection means adapted for introducing air under pressure generated from said pump into the pneumatic tire.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 117 words

Apparatus for pressurizing a pneumatic tire mounted on a wheel, said apparatus comprising: a displacement type air pump including an oscillating unitary free piston mass reciprocal along a line by forces occurring with the rotational motion of a wheel for generating air under pressure; bearing means for antifrictional support of said piston mass during oscillation thereof within said pump when generating air under pressure; mounting means adapted for attaching said pump to a wheel having a pneumatic tire mounted thereon with said line of piston reciprocation positioned offset from center and tangential with respect to a path of wheel rotation; and connection means adapted for introducing air under pressure generated from said pump into the pneumatic tire.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 20 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said free piston mass includes a piston reciprocal along said line within a cylinder.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 35 words

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said piston and cylinder are constructed and arranged so that gravitational force will displace said piston in said cylinder to effect an air pressure working stroke for said pump.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 31 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said pump includes an opposing connected pair of said pistons reciprocal along said line in respective cylinders and thereby providing a double action piston assembly.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 38 words

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said double action piston assembly includes a central piston member with said opposing pistons operatively connected thereto, said central piston member having a mass substantially greater than both of said opposing pistons.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 85 words

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein compression ratio parameters of said pump are preselected for tuning said pump whereby said double action piston assembly is caused to oscillate to effect working strokes due to gas compression spring effect of the double acting piston-cylinder combination to respectively initiate movement in the opposite direction, at wheel rotation velocities in excess of such velocities where gravity can no longer provide sufficient force for displacing said pistons in said cylinders to effect an air working stroke for said pump.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 28 words

The apparatus of claim 6 including a pneumatic tire mounted on a wheel with said pump operatively secured to said wheel and connected to said tire for pressurization.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 23 words

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said bearing means is a linear anti-friction bearing supporting a circumferential portion of said central piston member.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 106 words

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said pump includes means for permitting introduction of air into and discharge of air from the said cylinders, whereby when said piston member is caused by said forces to move in one direction, air is drawn into a first of said two cylinders while simultaneously discharging pressurized air from a second of said to two cylinders for discharge into a pneumatic tire, and when said piston member is caused by said forces to move in a second direction air is drawn into said second cylinder while simultaneously discharging pressurized air from said first cylinder for discharge into a pneumatic tire.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 27 words

The apparatus of claim 6 including pressure level means operably connected to said pump for establishing and maintaining air pressure in the tire at a predetermined level.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 32 words

The apparatus of claim 2, including adjustable compression ratio means adapted for adjusting the compression ratio of said pump to thereby accordingly adjust the air pressure to be maintained in the tire.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 46 words

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said adjustable compression ratio means includes a residual cylinder volume chamber connected to said cylinder, said chamber having an adjustable set screw threadably protruding into said chamber for varying the volume of said chamber by threadably adjusting said set screw.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 167 words

Apparatus for pressurizing a pneumatic tire mounted on a wheel, said apparatus comprising: a positive displacement pump including a housing, a unitary free floating double action piston assembly having a central enlarged piston mass with opposing pistons connected to opposite sides of said mass, said piston assembly reciprocal between stops within said housing along a line with said pistons respectively received within respective opposing cylinders for alternately effecting air pressure working strokes; linear bearing means supporting said central piston mass for antifrictional reciprocation in said housing along said line of piston reciprocation; mounting means adapted for attaching said pump to a wheel having a pneumatic tire mounted thereon with said line of piston reciprocation positioned offset from the center of the wheel and tangential with respect to a path of wheel rotation so that gravitational force will alternately displace said pistons into said cylinders to effect working strokes for said pump; and connection means adapted for introducing air under pressure generated from said pump into the tire.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 167 words

Apparatus for pressurizing a pneumatic tire mounted on a wheel, said apparatus comprising: a positive displacement pump including a housing, a unitary free floating double action piston assembly having a central enlarged piston mass with opposing pistons connected to opposite sides of said mass, said piston assembly reciprocal between stops within said housing along a line with said pistons respectively received within respective opposing cylinders for alternately effecting air pressure working strokes; linear bearing means supporting said central piston mass for antifrictional reciprocation in said housing along said line of piston reciprocation; mounting means adapted for attaching said pump to a wheel having a pneumatic tire mounted thereon with said line of piston reciprocation positioned offset from the center of the wheel and tangential with respect to a path of wheel rotation so that gravitational force will alternately displace said pistons into said cylinders to effect working strokes for said pump; and connection means adapted for introducing air under pressure generated from said pump into the tire.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 86 words

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein compression ratio parameters of said pump are preselected for tuning said pump whereby said double action piston assembly is caused to oscillate to effect working strokes due to the gas compression spring effect of the double acting piston-cylinder combination to respectively initiate movement in the opposite direction, at wheel rotation velocities in excess of such velocities where gravity can no longer provide sufficient force for displacing said pistons in said cylinders to effect an air working stroke for said pump.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 27 words

The apparatus of claim 14, including pressure level means operably connected to said pump for establishing and maintaining air pressure in the tire at a predetermined level.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 38 words

The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said pressure level means includes an adjustable compression ratio device adapted for adjusting the compression ratio of said pump to thereby accordingly adjust the air pressure to be maintained in the tire.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 45 words

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said adjustable compression ratio device includes residual cylinder volume chambers connected to said cylinders, said chambers having adjustable set screws threadably protruding respectively into said chambers for varying the volume of said chambers by threadably adjusting said set screws.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 15 words

The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said linear bearing means includes spaced rotatable bearing elements.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1998-04-24	1998-10-24	1999-04-25	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2002-04-24	2002-10-24	2003-04-25	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2006-04-24	2006-10-24	2007-04-25	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Tangential tire pressurizing and regulating apparatus

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