Fluent material handling – with receiver or receiver coacting mea – Diverse fluid containing pressure filling systems involving... – Tire inflation
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-08
2003-05-13
Douglas, Steven O. (Department: 3751)
Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea
Diverse fluid containing pressure filling systems involving...
Tire inflation
C141S098000, C239S600000, C239S291000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06561233
ABSTRACT:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the inflation of tires mounted on dual wheel sets, it is customary to use an inflation chuck which comprises an elongate rigid tubular wand coupled at one end to a source of compressed air and having a bi-directional chuck head on the opposing end. The bi-directional chuck head includes two opposing tire inflation valves as are well known, the first valve installed in a coupler being generally disposed in the direction of the axis of the wand and the second valve installed in a second coupler disposed one hundred eighty degrees from the coupler housing the first valve. Having a first coupler in a forward direction facilitates inflation of the tire valve of a first tire of a dual wheel set while the second coupler oriented in a reverse direction facilitates inflation of the other tire of the dual wheel set.
Blow guns are frequently used around large truck tractors for the occasional need to use compressed air to expel debris and dust from a truck trailer or truck cab or sleeper and for other uses. The blow gun is coupled to an air hose coupled to a supply of compressed air which may be the compressor air system of the truck tractor.
There exists a need for a single appliance which may be used to expel debris with compressed air and also to inflate tires without attachment of additional devices. One device currently available is a WORK FORCE™ 2-IN-1 Blow Gun marketed by Legacy Manufacturing Company of Marion, Iowa. This device includes a handle with a trigger valve coupled to a nozzle which will mate with a tire valve of a wheel on which a tire is mounted. This device does not permit satisfactory inflation of dual mounted tires on large trucks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a handle having a trigger lever which opens a valve to permit compressed air from a source hose coupled to the handle to pass through the handle into an elongate wand on the end of which is mounted a two-headed tire inflation chuck member. In one embodiment, the chuck member comprises an elongate two-ended barrel having a side coupling which mounts to the free end of the wand. The elongate barrel is provided with opposing ends, each of which is sized to mate with the valve coupler of a tire valve stem. The first end of the elongate barrel is directed generally toward the handle at about a thirty degree angle from the axis of the wand and is provided with a plunging spring-loaded valve member which is opened when the first end is coupled to a valve stem coupler. Mounting of the first end to a valve stem coupler by insertion of the valve coupler depresses the valve plunger against a spring and opens a passageway from the first end to the valve in the handle. The trigger lever may then be actuated and compressed air permitted to flow down the wand and through the first end of the two-ended barrel.
The opposing second end of the two-headed coupler has an internal passageway which is open to the passageway in the wand when the valve plunger of the first end is not displaced from its rest position biased by the spring toward the first end of the two-headed coupler. A safety nozzle is provided on the second end of the two-ended barrel to permit escape of compressed air if an abutting obstruction such as a user's body part is disposed against the outlet of the second end. When a tire valve stem coupler is inserted within the second end of the two-ended barrel, the safety nozzle is bypassed and compressed air may be transmitted to the tire valve when the trigger of the handle is depressed to open the internal valve of the handle.
In the preferred embodiment, a chuck member is attached to a wand of a blow gun and comprises a body having a longitudinal axis coaxial with an inlet bore formed part way into the body. The wand couples to the inlet bore. A second bore on a second axis passes through the body, the second bore having opposing axial outlets each of which is matable with a tire stem. One outlet is located near the inlet bore opening. The other outlet is longitudinally aligned with the inlet bore but coaxial with the second bore. The inlet bore intersects the second bore inside the body. A plunger is slidable along the second bore and is urged by a spring toward the first outlet in a first position at which it obstructs passage of compressed air from the inlet bore to the first outlet near the wand coupling to the inlet bore. Compressed air can pass from the inlet bore to the second outlet when the plunger is in its first or rest position. When a tire stem is inserted in the first outlet, the plunger is forced inward against the spring and then obstructs passage of air from the inlet bore to the second outlet. This obstruction is achieved by a collar on the plunger which seals the first outlet when the plunger is in its first position or prevents entry of air into the bore near the second outlet when the plunger is in its second deflected position.
It is an object of the invention to provide a versatile inflation tool which provides a combined tire inflation chuck and compressed air blow gun.
A further object of the invention is to provide a valve controlled tire inflation tool with a double ended chuck which may be conveniently used with dual wheel sets in which one tire's valve stem is directed in a direction opposite the valve stem of the adjoining tire.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4798233 (1989-01-01), Mooney
patent: 5832974 (1998-11-01), Jou
Nye Donald A.
Thomas Douglas A.
Weems James M.
Douglas Steven O.
Harms Allan L.
Weems Industries, Inc.
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