US1902923A - Deflating machine - Google Patents

Description

March 28, 1933. J. WAHL DEFLATING MACHINE Filed Marh 5, .1930

INVENTOR M By Attorneys,

Patented Mar. 28, 1933 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN WAHL, F ROSEDALE, NEW YORK, .ASSIGN O R TO A. SCI-IRADLER IS SON, INCOR- PORATED, OF YORIQ Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK DEFLATING MACHINE The present invention relates to tube deflating machines and aims to provide certain'improvements therein.

In prior constructions of deflating machines of the general type to which the presentinvention is directed, it has been the usual practice to employ mechanical means in cooperative relation with the foot of a valve stem to maintain the walls of the tube separated at the point whereat the air is exhausted until sub stantially all the air has been evacuated from the tube, and to also employ expandible means for engaging the inner periphery of the tube V to cause its collapse during the evacuating 013-.

ness, others because of their lack of ease in" operation, and still others because of the fact that the deflated tubedid not lie flat nor conveniently lend itself to rolling or folding for packing, without buckling. This latter objection was particularly evident in tire tubes which are formed on curved mandrels.

According to the present invention I pro- 36: vide a machine in which the enumerated ob-' jections are obviated and which contains novel and efiicient means for supporting the tube in a manner such that'the walls of the tube will remain spaced apart at the foot of the valve stem throughout the deflating operation, and

one which causes the tube upon deflation to assume a shape which facilitates the rolling or folding of the tube for packaging. The invention also includes other features of novefty, all of which will be understood from the the detailed description which follows, when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawlng, wherein Figure 1 is a fractional elevation of a tube deflating machine with parts thereof shown in section. v 4 I Fig. 2-is a similar view of a slightly modified form of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a fractional top plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Application filed. March 5,

1930. Serial No. 433,371.

F i 4 is a longitudinal section of a pre fer-red form of valve opener for use with the present invention. v

Fig. 5 is a top plan viewof a detail of the invention shown in Fig. 1.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 3 and 5 ofthe drawin-g, let A indicate la'base upon which is mounted a vertical upright or standard B formed at its top with a hollow bearing C having an external circumferential groove '0 which communicates with the hollow interior of the bearing through openings 0. 7 Connected to the top of the interior of the bearing C is a tube D communicating with a suction pump (not shown).

Idotatablyv mounted upon the bearing is a movable carrier E having a plurality of radial ducts c communicatlng with the in tenor of the bearing C through the grooved and opening 0. The carrier E has mounted like, said portion fformingwith the h0ri-.

zontally disposed arm F .an' angle of approximately 135. i r

Mounted upon each arm F intermediate its ends through the medium of a suitable hollow T-fitting G and nipple g is a casing H within which is fitted valve opener means which comprises a check valve in normally held against a packing h by a coil spring If, one end of which presses against a shoulder on the check it and the other end of which'bears against a shoulder j provided within a plug element J fitted within thecasing H. The check valve at its seating end is provided with a-projection k which extends-through the packing h and is adapted to engage the end of a valvepin ofthetire valveto unseat the same when said tire valve is inserted into the open end of the casing and pressed against. the packing h. The tire valve unseatingelement or opener k isprovided with a tapered;

the valve unseating means used in valve chucks for many years. For guiding the nipple end of the tire valve into engagement with the valve opener, the forward or leading end of the casing His flared outwardly, as shown at 71. said outwardly flared portion connecting with a reduced bore if through an intermediate bore 72, which latter is preferably lined with antifriction material.

For establishing communication between the interior of the plug J and the casing H, the former is provided with a reduced end which provides an annular groove y" and with spaced radial openings j leading from said annular groove to the interior of the plug J. For providing a leak-tight seal between the plug J and casing H, a packing 7' is fitted between the rear end of said casing and an enlarged head on the plug J. For

9l guiding the check valve in its movements,

tapered toward each other, as shown at 73 I0 or forked. as shown at 7c in Fig. 5.

it is provided with a stem h which is slidable in a bore 3' in the plug; The interior of the plug J being in communication with the suction tube D through the medium of tube ings f, it will be apparent that the pressure exerted by the spring k upon the valve it must be suflicient to overcome the suction effect upon the back of said valve.

Mounted upon'each arm F and disposed in line "with the axis of the valve opener h is a support K for a pneumatic tube to be de flated, which support K comprises an arm 70 extending longitudinally and preferably in supe'rposed relation to the arm F, the end of said arm is nearest to the valve unseating means being curved upwardly to form a seat or cradle for a pneumatic tube, the upwardly extending end of said arm being bifurcated The distance between the arms or prongs of the fork is sufiicient to receive th-erebetween the valve stem of the pneumatic tube to be de fiated, and the end faces of said prongs are at an angle correspondingto angles provided by the dlvergent wings of a bridge washer with its base. The height of the prongs 10' is such that when the valve stem of a pneu, matic tube to be deflated is received within the forked end of the support K between the tube and the bridge washer, the lower edge of the bridge washer will seat on the base 70 of said forked end, and function to support said tube thereon.

The tube support K is carried by a fitting L which is slidably mounted upon the arm F, the rear end of the support being guided in its sliding movement by passing through a guide opening formed in a member M which is rigidly mounted in upright position upon the arm F. Pivotally mounted to the top of the member M is an operating lever N which is connected with the top of i the element L through the medium of a'link 0, the ends of which are pivotally connected respectively to the top of the element L and move the upturned endof the support K to ward the valveopener. To limit the support in its forward movement it is provided with a stop pin 10 In lieu of the lever and link connection L, M, N, O for controlling the movement of the tube support, as shown in Fig. 1, I may employ the modified form of tube support K shown in Fig. 2, wherein the. rear end of the support is provided with a downwardly projecting lug 70 having an 7 axial opening through which extends the arm F and upon which said support is slid-able. For guiding and preventing relative circumferential movement of the support upon the arm, any suitable means may be employed, for example, the sides of the arm F may be grooved, as indicated by the reference character f and the'lug 76 may be fitted with pins 10 engaging in said grooves. The pin and groove connection 70 f can also serve to limit the axial movement of the support K on the arm F. Normally it is intended that the support F be urged toward the valve opener means so that when a tube is mounted on said support the valve stem thereof will be automatically moved against the valve opener to unseat the tire valve.

For accomplishing this end, I mount in encircling relation upon the arm F, a spring P and provide an abutment for said spring by rigidly securing a collar Q, to said arm;

In the operation'of the first being to mount the tire to be deflated upon the supports, and the duty-of the second being merelyto remove the deflated tires from the supports when they reach him, the

the device two operators are preferably employed, the duty of cally, the deflating operation is carried out r as follows: 7

The first operator will mount the'tube on the support K or K in a manner such that the forked arm will engage between the tube and the bridge washer on the valve stem,

with said stem directed toward the valve opener. With the construction disclosedin Fig. 1, the end of the lever N is then pressed downwardly to move the end of the valve against the valve opener. The weight of the handle a is sufficienttohol-d the end of the valve stem against the packing h in tire valve opening position. With the apparatus disclosed in Fig. 2 substantially the same procedure is followed excepting that the spring P will normally move and hold the valve in valve opening position. With the construction of Fig. 1 in the course of time, or if desirable, to begin with, the parts may be so proportioned and weighted that the weight of the handle a will automatically, due to the action of gravity thereon, move and hold the tube support in proximity to the valve opener. In this event, when mounting a tube to be deflated it will be necessary for the operator to first move the support away from the valve opener to permit the mounting of the tube thereon, and upon releasing or lessening the applied force counteracting that of the weight of the handle, the valve willbe moved to valve opening position. The tube R is then mounted upon the support with portions 1" and 1* thereof disposed on opposite sides of the support, as best shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1, 2 and 8. When so positioned, the tube is sent on its circuit around the bearing C either by being given a gentle push by the operator or by mechanical means for rotating the carrier E at a predetermined rate. The mounting of the tubes R is continued by the first operator, and as deflation progresses the portions of the tubes on opposite sides of the support will fall and assume substantially semi-circular forms which will have a substantially flat condition, as best shown in fulllines in Figs. 1 and 3, by the time said tubes reach the second operator, whereupon said tubes are removed from the support by merely moving the tube support K or K away from the valve opener and lifting the deflated tube from said support.

I have found that because of the angular relation between the supporting arms F and f and the relative position of the valve opener with respect to said angular portlons of the supporting frame, the tubes in deflated condition will assume a substantially semi-circular flat formation which admirably facilitates the rolling or folding of the tube for packaging. This is of particular value in the packaging of pneumatic tubes which have been formed on a circular mandrel, since difiiculties have always been experienced in satisfactorily packaging such tubes. Of course, the invention is equally applicable to tubes formed on a straight mandrel.

While I have shown and described certain preferred embodiments of my invention and the manner in which same is to be used, I do not wish to be limited to the specific details of construction disclosed or the man ner of operation defined, since these may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is: r

1. In a deflating machine for pneumatic tubes or the like, a valve opener, means for bodily supporting the tube, said means being movable with the tube tolpresent thefree end.

of the tube valve to the opener, and means normally urging the tube supporting means toward the opener. p i 1 i 2. A machine for deflating pneumatic tubes or the like, com prising'a-supporting arm and means for supportingfi'alltube in a manner such that its walls will ,be. separated at the foot of the -valve, said means being movable with the tube as aunitalongsaidarm.

3. A machine for deflating pneumatictubes or the 1ike,--comprising a'supporting'arm, a valve opener carriedby said arm, and means for supporting atube in a manner such that' its walls will be separated at' thefoot-ofthe valve, said means'beingmovable-with the tube as a unitalong said arm. 1 I

4. A machine .fordeflating pneumatic tubes or the like, comprising a'horizontallydlsposed supporting arm, a valve opener'carried by said arm and disposed in parallel relation thereto, and meansfor supporting a tube comprising a pair of fingers which are movable withv the tube as a unit along said arm.

5. A machine for deflating pneumatic tubes or the like, comprising a supporting arm, and a forked member slidable along said arm for engaging a tube valve stem between the walls of the tube, and the wings of a bridge washer on the valve stem, the prongs of said fork being in a plane disposed transversely to the arm.

6. A machine for deflating pneumatic tubes or the like, comprising a supporting arm, and a tube supporting means compris- 7 ing a forked member slidable along said arm and adapted to engage between the wall of a tube and the wings of the bridge washer on the tube valve stem. V

7. A mechanism for deflating pneumatic tubes, comprising a support having portions thereof disposed substantially in a common 7 plane at an angle'to eachother with the top portlonof the angle of said support extendmg horizontally, over which support a tube to be deflated can be placed, which tube when so positioned will have portions thereof disposed on opposite sides of the plane of the support, means carried by the top portion of the support connecting with a suction device for engaging the end of the tube valve, and means for holding the tube walls spaced apart at the foot of the valve stem slidably mounted on the top portion of the support.

8. A deflating machine for pneumatic tubes or the like, comprising a plurality of radially-extending tube-supporting arms, each arm having means for connecting with a tube valve stem andprovided with a valve opener, and with spreader means forengaging a tube to maintain its walls separated at the foot of the valve stem, said spreader means being slidably mounted on the support- 1 ing arms. I v

9. A deflating machine for pneumatic tubes or the like, comprising a plurality of radially-extending tube-supporting arms which are angular in form with one branch. ofeach arm extending horizontally and the other branch'forming an obtuse angle with the first, the horizontal branch of each armv 1Q having means for connecting with a tube valve stem and provided with a valve opener, and withspreader means for engaging a tube to maintainits walls separated at the foot of the valve stem, said spreader means being slidable relatively to the arm.

10. A deflating mechanism according to claim 9, wherein each of the horizontal branches of the supporting arms is provid ed with a passage which connects the member provided with the valve opener to a suction device.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name. JOHN WAI-IL.

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