GB2118493A

GB2118493A - A device for the repair of tubeless and tubular tyres

Info

Publication number: GB2118493A
Application number: GB08309983A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jean Paul Ferrary
Original assignee: Wolber
Current assignee: Wolber
Priority date: 1982-04-19
Filing date: 1983-04-13
Publication date: 1983-11-02
Also published as: FR2525155A1; IT1159386B; NL8301380A; GB8309983D0; ES278115U; FR2525155B1; IT8367420A0; DE3313424A1; JPS5918004A; IT8353220V0; GB2118493B; BE896479A; ES278115Y

Abstract

A device for repairing punctures in tubeless and tubular tyres by depositing a suitable cement on the inner surface of the tyre to seal the actual puncture hole comprises a hollow needle 10 connected to a source of the cement such as a tube or a syringe. The needle 10 has a lateral orifice 16 in its side wall for depositing the cement and a spatulate end 22 on which a bead of cement is deposited before the needle 10 is inserted into the tyre through the puncture hole; cement is deposited first from the orifice 16 around the puncture hole and then, as the needle is withdrawn, the bead of cement on the end 22 seals the hole. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A device for the repair of tubeless and tubular tyres The present invention relates to a device for the repair of tubeless and tubular tyres.

In the past few years, the Applicant has developed and marketed on the one hand tubular tyres for cycles as described in GB-1 576 468, and on the other hand tubeless tyres for cycles such as disclosed in its GB-2 017 015. In such tyres, the air-impermeable layer confining the air is entirely integral with the tyre casing. The result is that where there is a puncture, the hole perforated in the casing and the one situated in the air impermeable layer remain in register, in spite of the deflation of the tube or tyre.

In order to repair such tubeless and tubular tyres various solutions have been considered, amongst which the two main following ones can be cited: a) the injection through the valve of a rubber latex or of any other emulsion suspension adapted for sealing somehow the perforation. Taking into account the random distribution of the products thus injected, the repair is not always efficient; b) the injection through the hole as such of the puncture, flush with the inner surface of the tyre, of an appropriate cement, said injection being performed by using a needle which can be directly mounted on a source of the cement such as a dispensing tube.

In GB-1 584133 the Applicants disclose a method and a device of the type mentioned hereabove at b), and operating in two stages by using an injection needle formed with a lateral opening in its sidewall and having an opening at its end. During the first stage, cement is deposited through the lateral opening on the inner surface of the tyre around the puncture hole and, during the second stage, a bead of cement is deposited at the site of the puncture hole, via the opening provided at the end of the needle, said bead adhering to the annular deposit to form a repair patch centred on the puncture hole.

The object of the present invention is a repair device of the same type as recited hereabove, but designed so as to make the repair even more simple.

Consequently, this invention has as an object a repair device for tubleless tyres and cycle tubes, according which a glue of appropriate composition is injected through the hole as such of the puncture, flush with the inner surface of the tube or tyre, by using an injection needle which can be mounted directly on a glue tube or on a syringe containing the glue to be injected, said device being substantially characterised in that said needle is formed with a side slot opening into an axial bore providing the delivery of the glue and in that said needle ends in a spatula on which is deposited a glue drop before the introduction of the needle in the perforation and the injection of the glue.

Further features and advantages of this invention will become more apparentfrom the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, illustrating an embodiment thereof by way of example.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a view of a repair device according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a vertical axial section of the device of Figure 1, Figures 3 and 4 are schematic views illustrating an embodiment of an injection needle used in the device according to the invention, and Figures 5to 9 illustrate the successive stages of the repair of a cycle tyre without inner tube by using the device according to the invention.

Reference is first made to Figures 1 and 2 which show the device comprising a needle 10 of a length and diameter appropriate for the tyres to be repaired, which can be placed either at the end of a syringe containing a cement appropriate for the repair of tyres or, as shown here, directly on the mouth of a tube 12 of cement (Figures 5 to 8) by means of a screwed end-piece 14.

The injection needle 10 is formed with a longitudinal side slot 16 opening into an axial bore 18 providing the delivery of the cement from tube 12.

The position of the side slot 16 is chosen such that, when needle 10 is entirely driven into the tyre to be repaired (Figure 7), it is exposed inside said tyre 20, preferably flush with its inner surface. In practice, for a device intended for repairing tyres of a type presently available in the trade, the total length of the needle will be of the order of 11 mm, and the slot length will be of the order of 3 mm, the upper edge of the slot being at about 2.5 mm from the lower edge of the end-piece 14, and the outer diameter of the needle will be of the order of 1.5 mm. Of course, said dimensions are given purely as an indication.

The needle 10 ends into a spatula 22 the function of which will become clear from the following description of the operation of the device.

For performing a repair (Figure 5), the tube 12 is first pressed so as to bring out a drop of glue 24 which deposits on the needle spatula. The following stage (Figure 6) consists in squeezing the tyre 20 where the puncture 26 has been detected, then in introducing needle 10 into hole 26, as far as possible.

Then (Figure 7), the key 28 which is provided on the tube 12 is turned so as to deposit a mass of cement 24' inside the tyre, about the puncture hole. Then (Figure 8), the needle is slowly pulled back, while turning the tube as shown in the drawing. During this combined movement, the needle which ends in the spatula coats the edges of the puncture with glue and deposits a last drop of glue which seals the hole definitively (Figure 9). The mass of cement 34 forms, when dried, a real repair patch centred on the puncture hole, the repair being completed by the cement deposited on the walls of the puncture when the needle is being pulled out, as explained hereabove.

The repair is performed on the tyre mounted on the wheel rim. The tyre is then kept under a moderate inflation for a period sufficient for ensuring the drying and hardening of the cement previously deposited. The cement which is used can be chosen amongst the compositions presenting an array of properties allowing an easy injection, a quick drying and a good adhesion onto the inner wali of the tyre to be repaired, including liquid rubber.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a non limiting embodiment of an injection needle according to this invention. The starting point is a blank of a cylindrical needle 10' already formed with a side slot 16' and comprising an end 30 cut out into a sloping edge.

This needle blank is then crushed (Figure 4) between two punches 32, 32' so as to obtain the needle shape with a spatula-shaped flared out end shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Obviously, this invention is not limited to the embodiment described and shown but encompasses all the alternatives.

Claims

1. A repair device for tubeless and tubular tyres, comprising an injection needle connected to a source of a cement of appropriate composition to be injected through the hole as such of the puncture onto the inner surface of the tyre, wherein said needle is formed with a slide slot opening into an axial bore providing the delivery of the cement, and with a spatula end on which a bead of cement is deposited before the introduction of the needle into the puncture hole and the injection of the cement.

2. A device according to Claim 1, wherein said injection needle is mounted by means of a screwable end-piece directly onto the end of a tube of cement.

3. A device according to Claim 1, wherein said injection needle is mounted on a syringe containing the cement to be injected.

4. A repair device for tubeless and tubular tyres, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.