US2056064A

US2056064A - Alarm and inflation equalizer for pneumatic tires

Info

Publication number: US2056064A
Application number: US637955A
Authority: US
Inventors: Fenton Warren
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1932-10-15
Filing date: 1932-10-15
Publication date: 1936-09-29
Anticipated expiration: 1953-09-29

Description

Sept. 29, 1936.

' W. FENTON ALARM AND INFLATION EQUALIZER FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES Filed Oct. 15, 1932 lllll 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR, Warrenfenfo n,

Sept. 29, 1936. w. FENTON ALARM AND INFLATION EQUALIZER FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES Filed Oct. 15, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 l N VEN TOR, WQrrenl en fan,

ATTORNEY.

Sept. 29, 1936. I w FENTQN 2,056,064

- ALARM AND INFLATION EQUALIZER FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES Filed Oct. 15, 1932 4 Sheets-Sfxeet 3 INVENTORH W0 rre nl en to n,

ATTORNEY.

W. FENTON Sept. 29, 1936.

ALARM AND INFLATION EQUALIZER FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 15, 1952 QwNN INVENTOR, Warre nFe' nfo n,

- ATTORNEY.

v Patented

ep1h

29,, 193$ NET ALARM AND INFLATION EQUALIZER IFQR PNEUMATIC TIRES 27 @iaims.

The object of the invention is to provide improvements in alarms for pneumatic tires, particularly in combination with means and mechanisms such as will hereinafter appear.

Another object is to provide a device, which comprises an attachment for a plurality of tires, and which provides for the inflation of such tires simultaneously to the point of equalized operaiive air' pressure, by means of but one attachment of the air supply hose or other connection.

Still another object is to provide a device which, when connecting a plurality of tires together, permits air to pass from one tire to another, in order to automatically equalize the pressure in such tires, as when a vehicle rests or runs upon uneven ground, crowned roads, or V-shaped driveways.

Again, another object is to provide a device which, when coupled to two or more tires, prevents the escape of air below a predetermined pressure from any and all other such coupled tires, when one is punctured or blows out, and simultaneously sounds an alarm.

Another object, on the'other hand, is to provide a device which when attached either to one or more tires, sounds an alarm when the pressure in a tire falls below a predetermined point, as when punctured, or if deflation is reached while a car carrying the tire is stationary, the alarm immediately sounds upon the starting of the car and the resulting rotation of the wheel I and .tire;

A further object is to provide in such a device safety means for automatically exhausting air to prevent excess pressure, as when inflating a tire equipped with the device, or when fast driving in hot weather produces an expansion of the air due to an excessive rise in temperature; and in such a device to provide for failure of the safety means to-operate, in which case a positively operating secondary exhaust mechanism functions.

Still further objects of the'invention are to provide a manually operable means in such a device to shut oil the alarm, as when it is desired to continue running the tire or tires adistance before changing the same; to provide a manually operable means to either or both shut olf the alarm and to re-set the individual valves 'of the tires connected together by the device; to provide for ready attachment of the device to the wheels or hubsof a vehicle, without necessitating any change in the wheel, hub, or tires; to pro vide a slightly different form of the device adapted to be built directly in awheel or hub;

to provide a device of this character which is adapted to tires of all pressures from the lowest to the highest, by the mere setting of two simple adjustments; to provide a device embodying all of these featuresyand which. when in operative position with respect to a plurality of tires, is shielded within the outer plane of the outer tire; to provide in such a device a visual air pressure gauge, to indicate the relative degree of pressure in the one or more tires to which the' device may be attached, and operative from the minimum pressure at which the alarm is sounded up to the maximum operative pressure of the tire or tires, or the point at which the excess pressure under certain conditions is automatically released or exhausted; to provide a construction of such a device in which the internal mechanism is characterized by'self-lubrication; to provide means for the application of a pressure gauge to each of the plurality of tires independently, after one has been deflated, in order to determine which tire must be replaced; and to provide further details of construction and operation, as will hereinafter appear.

The invention will be fully undestood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a diametrical sectional view of a mechanism comprising one embodiment of the invention, taken on the line ll of Fig. 4; Fig. 2 is a section taken thru a wheel, to the hub of which is attached the invention of Fig. l, in operative relation to a pair of pneumatic tires shown in dot-and-dash lines; Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the device .per se; Fig. 4 is a rear elevational view showing the supporting brackets in section and with the back plate partly broken away; Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the pendulum per so on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1'; Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-45 of Fig. '7; Fig. 71s a fragmentary elevational view of the front of the device with the diaphragm removed; Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the forward end portion of the bellows shaft with its lock nut, ball race, and securing means; Fig. 9 is a rear elevation of a slightly modified form of the invention; Fig. 10 is a similar view of another modification of the inventioml 'ig. 11 is a section on the line ||--li of Fig. 10; Figs. 12 and 13 are sectional views on the lines l2-| 2 and 'I3-l3, respecthe invention; Fig. 15 is an enlarged fragmentary of said tires are provided with angular inflationtubes 6, each having the usual valve which when associated with this device has its stem depressed by a suitable coupling of well-known construction, thus allowing air to escape into the device, and which coupling when disconnected allows said stem to close, and thus stop the outward flow of air from the tire. The tubes 6 are then connected by means of flexible tubes I to the combined inflation and alarm mechanism hereinafter described.

This mechanism is mounted upon the hub 2 by means of suitable brackets 8, the outer ends of which are secured in any desired manner to the cylindrical flange portion 9 of the rear wall member ill of the mechanism casing. Said flange portion 5 is provided with a recessed planular shoulder ii, to which are secured a back plate l2 and an intervening air-tight gasket it, said plate being provided with a central inwardly extending boss, into which extends from its inner surface a bearing recess M for the reception of the shaft is supporting the bellows, pawl carrying disc, etc.

The rear wall ill extends radially inwardly beyond its flange 9 and surrounds a threaded aper- 'ture M, in which is secured a hollow circular member it, having a central radially outwardly extending flange l5, spaced from the inner surface of the member in thru the medium of an' air-tight gasket ll, and beyond said central flange providing an exterior supporting surface for the inner ring l8 of a ball bearing unit, comprising balls l9 surrounded by the usual outer ring 20. Said member l5 inwardly terminates in a radially inwardly extending flange 2|, providing an annular shoulder 22 to which is secured in air-tight relation one end of a circumierentially corrugated, longitudinally expansible bellows 23, the outer end portion of which bellows surrounds and is similarly secured about a flange 24 of a ring 25, which is also rigidly secured in air-tight relation to, and abuts against a cylindrical flange 26 upon, the shaft I5.

The ring 25 is recessed upon its normal rear surface in order to receive and pass over the boss upon the back plate l2, and is provided with a radially outwardly extending flange 21, spaced from the flange 24 and adapted to bear against the inner arms of bell crank levers 28, which are 'mese terminals pivotally supported by the wall member ID in any suitable manner, and have their respective outer arms adapted to bear against and depress under certain conditions the elongated stems 29 of ordinary pneumatic inflation valves 30, such as those widely known as Dill and Schrader valves, and which in turn extend radially thru and are secured to the flange portion 9 of said member "I. These valves extend through air-tight gaskets 3i, and are provided with angular terminals 32. are then attached to the free ends of the flexible tubes 1, and it will be noted that the space surrounding said bell crank levers is normally filled with air under pressure, while said valve stems are depressed.

Surrounding the outer ring 20 of said ball bearing unit and secured thereto is a ring 33, to the rear surface of w ch is secured the annular portion 34of a plate extending partially over said ring, from the normal lower portion of which plate extends an integral portion 35, comprising a radially enlarged semi-circular sector, to which is secured a weight 35' of the same shape and formed, either of a single piece or of laminations, duly secured together by bolts 26. Obviously by reason of its ball bearing support, this weighted annulus tends to remain in a given or relatively fixed position with respect to the axle of the vehicle, while the. surrounding parts of the device normally rotate with respect thereto, thereby normally making said annulus and the remainder of the device relatively rotatable, under the force of gravity acting upon said weight.

To the outer face of said annulus is secured an annular member Z-l'l, provided with a plurality of spaced, circumferentially aligned arcuate slots or grooves 383, spaced from the radially inner marginal edge portion of said member by means of a bearing track 39, for and against which bear the inner ends of pins 40, comprising pawls which are parallel with each other and with the axis of the device. The outer ends of these pawls are adapted to engage the circumferentially disposed ratchet teeth ll, carried by the inner surface of a disc 62, the central portion only of which is in contact with and is secured as by rivets 62 to a resonant diaphragm 43, which comprises a closure for the normal outer portion of the casing of the device, the radially outer edge of which diaphragm if desired being directly secured by means of a plate 54 to, and preferably within an annular recess in the peripheral portion of a casing member 45, which is in turn secured to the corresponding portion of the rear wall member it) by means of screws ill, or otherwise as may be desired. However, louder and better tonal effects are obtained under some conditions by separating the diaphragm peripherally from the plate 34 and casing 46 by one or more rubber gaskets, in accordance with accepted practice in talking machine sound reproducers, thus preventing the diaphragm from contacting with other metal parts, other than a minimum portion of the ratchet plate 4!.

Extending radially thru the cylindrical wall portion of the said casing member is an axially oscillatable rod 48, to the outer end of which is secured a manually engageable lever 49, normally shielded to a large degree within a recess 50 in said member, while the inner end of said rod terminates in an eccentrically positioned cam 5|, preferably having a notch 52 at one point of its periphery. The peripheral surface of this cam is adapted in certain positions to engage the adiacent surface of, and to thereby shift, an irregularly shaped ringlever 53, and said notch to receive a lug 54 carried by said lever, which is pivotally mounted upon trunnions 55, carried by and extending inwardly from said casing member 46 (Fig. 7) At intermediate points between said trunnions and the uppermost free end portion of said lever, where said lug is located, the sides of said lever are provided with trunnion blocks 56, upon the diametrically opposite sides of and directed radially into a circumferential groove 51, in the outer surface of a centrally disposed disc 58.

aosaooc ate slots 38 in the annular member 37, as hereinafter described. The central portion of said disc is cut out and therein is secured in any suitable manner the outer ring of a ball bearing unit ti, the inner ring 62 of which surrounds the i0 outer end portion of the shaft 55, and abuts against a set nut 63! (Fig. 8), which with said inner ring is spanned by one or more U-shaped keys 56, the central portions of which are slidable in parallel grooves 65 in said shaft, under the infiuence of said nut when in engagement with screw threads 66 upon the adjacent end portion of said shaft. Thus, adjustment of said nut 63 upon the shaft 55 operates to nicely adjust the inner surface of the lever 53 with respect to the cam 55, and the lugs Bil with respect to the adjacent slotted surface of the annular member 377.

The lever 53 at any suitable point below the supporting trunnions 55 is provided with an extension tll, which carries a rack 63 in mesh with 5 a pinion 69, in turn carried by ashaft it, which passes radially thru a bore ii in said casing member 635, the outer end portion of said shaft being provided with a unitarily secured drum it, provided with any desired form of indicating indicia for a purpose hereinafter described. This drum is mounted within a cylindrical recess 13 within the casing member it, and said recess opens thru said member radially by way of an aperture M, normally spanned by a closure i5,

while said recess also opens forwardly thru an aperture it, so that the surface of said drum may be viewed from the diaphragm (13) side of the device, said last-named aperture being closed by a transparent cylinder ll? of glass or the like, which surrounds said drum within said cylindrlcal recess.

Finally, it will be seen that the ring 25 and shaft i5 are maintained in their innermost position, when the air pressures in the tires and that 5 surrounding said bellows are unequal, under the influence of a coil spring 'iil, which extends between said ring and the flange of a collar 19, which surrounds said shaft and is adjustably positioned thereupon by means of a set nut cc,

5min the form of an externally threaded sleeve which similarly surrounds said shaft, and is in adjustable threaded engagement with the threaded bore 8i of a plate 82, which is secured to the forward or outer surface of the cylindrical member [5. This construction makes it possible to construct and carry in stock a. device ofthis character in but one size, and by suitably adjusting said sleeve nut 88, to adapt the device to the protection of tires requiring widely different operating air pressures.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen that a safety valve 83, maintained in closed position by a spring 84, positioned within a suitable housing 85, communicates with the interior of the device outside of the bellows 23, thru the flange portion 9 of the rear wall member ID. However, if for any reason the valve 83 should fail to release excess air pressure super-inflation would be positively preventedby reason of the said valve being indi rectly actuated by the cooperation of'the; flange 21 of the ring 25 therewith thru the medium of a. third bell crank lever 86, similar in ilshape,

mounting and operation to the levers 28;hereinbefore referred to, and operatively eng g f y 7 said flange. Upon the diametrically opposite outside of the bellows 23, and as said safety valve I is set for a predetermined pressure at which the tires are desired to operate, injection of pressure thru the inflating valve beyond such operating, .pressure merely causes the automatic release of said safety valve, so that any such excess pres sure readily escapes therethru and prevents super-inflation.

In the operation of this device, it will be assumed that at the start the device is attached to a plurality of (in this instance, two) tires with both of said tires inflated, the relation of the parts of said device being as shown in Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive; also, that the pressure from a supply line thru the single valve 8? into the space around said bellows has partially collapsed said bellows into the position shown in Fig. 1, so that the ring flange 2? depresses each of the levers 2t and the cooperating valve stems 29. However, as long as the pressure designed for the tires, and for which pressure the device has been adjusted by properly setting the nut $8 is not exceeded, said flange 2? does not bear against the lever 86 suificiently to open the safety valve 83, the if too great pressure should continue to be forced into the device, and said safety valve should not im= mediately respond thereto, said ring flange and lever will positively actuate the same, and thus release the excess pressure.

With both of the levers 28 depressed, it will be evident that the pressures within the two tires are equalized, and therefore if the vehicle encounters and passes over a crowned road, or other irregularity, the tire receiving the greater external pressure, and which would ordinarily experience a correspondlngly increased internal pressure, automatically releases a suflicient portion of its own air pressure thru its valve, and thru the space around said bellows, and thru the valve of and into the other tire, to continue the maintenance of equal pressure in both tires, until another external pressure condition shall cause an additional flow of air in the same direction, or a recession of the air in the opposite direction.

With the existence of this condition of operation and the bellows partially collapsed, against the tension of the spring 18, the shaft I5 is in a right-hand position (as viewed in Fig. 1), and the disc 58 has its lugs 68 free from engagement with the slots 38 in the annular member 31, so that gravity in acting upon the pendulum weight 35' maintains the annular members 34 and 31 in relatively stationary position, as the remaining parts of the device rotate in accordance with the wheel 3 and tires 5. Now, if one of the tires is punctured or"blows out, its pressure immediately decreases and thereby bleeds air from within the device surrounding the bellows, thus permitting the spring 18 to force the ring 25 inwardly or towards the left (as shown in Fig. 1), and accordingly the shaft l5 with the disc 58, until the lugs 60 of the latter enter the slots 38, and upon engaging the ends of said slots cause said disc, normally rotating with the supporting wheel and diaphragm 43,

tively speaking) with respect to theratchet teeth M which in reality rotate with the wheel, with the result that very rapid vibrations are imparted means of the tube I as in the first instance. The

fresh tire it will be assumed is already inflated at operating pressure or above. After this tire is placed in operative position and duly connected, manually turning the lever (it for a moment will both release the alarm by virtue of its cam 5i shifting the disc 58 outwardly, so that its lugs are again free from engagement within the slots 38, and also thru the shaft I5 and ring .25 cause the valve stems '29 to be depressed, thereby permitting enough of the pressure within the fresh tire to pass thru the device and partially re-inflate the old tire remaining upon the wheel, until the pressures in the two tires are equal, the lever as and thereby the cam til then being returned to their normal positions (Figs. 1 and 3), and the pressures in the two tires then combining to hold the alarm disc 58 in inoperative or outer position, as before described. The vehicle can then be driven to the nearest or suitable air-filling station, where the air supply pipe will be connected to the valve 8?, and the pressure simultaneously raised in both tires to the desired degree. The desired pressure can be determined, either by the use of a separate pressure gauge, or upon the exhausting of excess air past the safety valve 83, or the appearance of Full or some similar indicium upon the drum thru the window aperture It. Note, however, that if the pressure in the spare tire is sufficiently above normal operating pressure, equalization will bring both tires to operating pressure, upon operatively mounting the spare tire and manipulating 1e device as described.

On the other hand, if the driver does not have a good spare tire, or is unable without aid to change the deflated tire for another, he will upon hearing the alarm dismount, probably tho not necessarily note which of the tires requires changing, and by turning the lever 09 only until its notch 52 engages and receives the lug 50, reset or release the alarm by effecting a withdrawal of the lugs I50 from within the slots 38, as before, but without shifting the disc 58 sufficiently to depress the valve stem as of the inflated tire, and thereby releasing the air pressure stored therein. However, when he finally reaches a locality where he can conveniently change the deflated tire, or where he will have the help needed, he will effect such change and then further turn said cam 5I until the valve stems 29 are depressed, as in the case previously described, after which said lever and associated cam will be returned to their normal positions as before.

In constructing this device, if the pawls and ratchet teeth are properly shaped, said device is made interchangeable for use upon wheels upon either the right or left sides of a vehicle. Also, the same size device of this construction is made adaptable for tires of widely different air pressures, by removing the diaphragm 43, nut 63, and disc 58, so that by means of a suitable spanner wrench the nut can be adjusted, to thereby vary the tension upon the spring 18 and correspondingly the pressures at which the bellows will respond in automatically shutting off one of the valves 30, when the tire of the other such valve is deflated below apredetermined pressure. After such setting, the said disc and diaphragm are replaced and the device is placed in operation as before.

Referring to Fig. 9, aconstruction is here shown which is similar in design and function to that hereinbefore described, but without there being present any manually operable means such as the lever 49 for indirectly re-setting the valves iii! by depressing their respective stems, as described, for the purpose of equalizing the pressures in the tires attached to said valves, following the substitution of a new or inflated tire for one that has become deflated for any reason. In this case, the exposed valve terminals 32, in addition to being connected by tubes 7 to the respective tires, as above described, are themselves provided with auxiliary valves to which couplings 89 detachably secure tubes 00, which in turn are normally connected. thru a common Y-shaped coupling QI with the central inflation valve 8i. It will-be noted that the stems 92 of the valves 88 extend thru the respective couplings 89 for manual actuation when desired, and that the coupling Ell is attached to said inflation valve except when it becomes necessary to inflate both tires, after one or both of them have been replaced upon the wheel and their internal pressure equalized. This equalization of pressure, followingthe attachment of an inflated tire to a wheel in combination with one in which the pressure has become diminished, as abov escribed, is accomplished by manually depressing for a moment the valve stem connected to the in flated tire, thereby permitting some of the air under relatively high pressure to rush into the chamber surrounding the bellows 23, which thereupon contracts and depresses the stems of both of the valves as, as a result effectin and. thereafter maintaining such equalization of ecure in the two tires.

Referring now to Figs. 10, ll, 12 and 13, a construction is here shown which does not depend upon the presence and use of a gravity-actuated pendulum as a relatively stationary element, the

the use of this form of the device is limited to vehicles in which a stationary axle 93 extends thru and is accessible from the outside of the wheel which surrounds such axle. In this instance, a back plate 90, having an internal circumferentially extending chamber 55, is secured by spaced brackets to any suitable points upon or built in the hub Ql'. Spaced ordinary pneumatic inflation type valves 98 extend radially thru the outer walls of this back-plate into said chamber, and upon their outer ends carry terminals 99, themselves being provided with valves I00, having freely extending, manually engageable stems IN, and also connected by tubes )2 to the respective tires, as in the cases above described. The stem I03 of each of the valves 98 engages one arm of a bellcrank lever I04, pivotally mounted within the chamber 95 and having another arm in engagement with a flange I05, attached to a bellows I00 which at its opposite end abuts against a shoulder I01 of a circular member I08, secured to the inner surface of said back-plate and provided with an axial opening I09, closed by the axially apertured boss I I0 of a plate III. As the position of said bellows is eccentric with respect to the axis of the backplate, said boss is eccentric with respect to aid last-named plate.

A shaft H2 has one end rigidly secured to said bid aosaoea -pawls to rapidly vibrate said diaphragm and axle 93 and extends thru a centrally disposed bore iii! in said back-plate, its opposite end extending thru the plate Hi and securely carrying adjacent thereto a disc ti l, having circumferentially spaced apertures H5, adapted to receive the lugs MS of a disc i ll, reciprocatably carried by the outer end portion of said shaft I it, thru the medium of anti-friction means H8. Said last-mentioned disc is provided with a peripheral groove H9, in which is. slidably positioned a yoke till, having an offset or enlargement iZi, which is secured to the outer free end of a shaft 022, in turn extending axially thru an adjustable nut H23, in the threaded aperture of the boss lib. Said shaft l22 thence extends thru the bellows We, is secured to the flange Hi and has its opposite end slidably positioned within a recess m l in a box 825, forming an integral inward extension of the rearward wall of the back-plate as. Thus-upon the inward extension of said bellows thru expansion under the influence ofa coil spring, similar to the spring it of Fig. 1, upon, a lowering of the pressure surrounding said bellows, the shaft 522 is forced inwardly, or to the left as viewed in Fig. 11, thereby shifting the disc ill in the same direction, so that the lugs lib enter the apertures H5 in the disc H t, and thereby arrest the norrnal rotation ofsaid disc iii (when the wheel and tires are revolving during movement of the vehicle).

This iast-mentioned disc' is provided at -circumferentially spaced intervals with parallel bores thru which extend pins 8%, one end of each of which normally bears lightly against the adjacent surface of the disc Mi, while the opposite end of each such pin is so shaped as to comprise a pawl in engagement with ratchet teeth i127, carried in a circular row by the peripheral portion or a relatively rigid plate are, and concentric with the shaft H2, said last-named plate being centrally secured to the central portion of a resonant diaphragm 029, which forms a closure for the otherwise open side of a cylindrical casing member ltd, secured to and forming with the back-plate 9 3 an enclosure for the mechanism just described. As in that form of the device first described, a rocking lever iii is suitably mounted as shown in Fig. 1, and is provided with a portionidii which at times may be engaged by the cam-shaped end portion H33 of a radiallyextending shaft iii, carrying upon its outer end a lever 635, together forming a cornstruction which is similar in construction and operation to the corresponding structure hereinbefore described in relation to Figs. 1 to 8. The opposite portion of the lever i3 5, as in the former case, is provided with an extension E36, provided with a rack idll in engagement with a pinion 538, carried by the inner end of a second radially extending shaft i358, to the outer end ofwhich is attached a drum Md, surrounded by a protecting transparent member Hi, the position of suitable indicia upon its periphery to indicate the relative degree tires connected to the improved device, all as also herelnbefore described. This form of the device is furthermore provided with an inflating valve M2 and exhaust valve M3, as in the first instance.

In operation, this modification of the invention, upon a decrease in air pressure surrounding the bellows, as before mentioned, causes the disc ill to cease rotating as the casing members b3 and I30 continue to rotate with the wheel to which they are connected, thereby causing the .lar flange M5, in engagement and operative by of inflation of the eflect a loud warning, designed to notify the driver of the vehicle that one of said tires has become deflated, whereupon he stops the ve- .hicle, replaces the deflated tire, equalize-s the pressures in said tires, re-sets the alarm by manually oscillating the lever 035, and re-inflates to standard pressure both tires, as hereinbefore described.

Referring finally to Figs. 14, 15 and 16, an adaptation of the invention is here shown which, instead of including a resonant diaphragm, signals information regarding the deflation of a tire directly to the vicinity of the driver of the vehicle. In this instance, a casing comprising a suitable back-plate M5 is secured in any desired manner to a wheel (not shown), represented by a concentrically arranged brake drum M6. .To the forward or outer surface of said plate is secured a second casing member Mil, carrying upon its inner surface a bracket M8, providing a pivotal mounting for a lever M9, one end of which is connected with one arm of a second lever i511, pivotally supported at tel and having its opposite end in turn pivotally connected to the outer end of a shaft H52, which extends thru the bellows i153, bearing member ltd, and circuwith levers use in cooperation with the stems i571 ofordinary pneumatic inflation type valves 658, having terminals 4%, adapted to be connected to tires by means of tubes or'the like, all as above described.

That end of the lever M9 opposite to the lever E50 is connected by means of a stiff wire or the like I60,- extending thru a. protective guidetube iii, o one end of a bell-crank lever E62 pivotally carried by the brake drum M6, and having its opposite arm connected to and operative to reciprocate a rod see, the opposite end of which carries an anti-friction roller i641, which as the said drum rotates and said rod is in its innermost position, as a result of the contraction of the bellows (upon the deflation of a tire), depresses a cam-shaped lever its, pivotally carried by the stationary backing plate ltd, which closes the interior of the drum. Said last-named lever, which is normally maintained in outward position under tension of a spring i671, upon being intermittently depressed by said rod, closes a contact between an extension of said lever and a fixed contact point see, carried by said backing plate.

An electric current thereupon passes from a batinbefore described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent oi the United States is:-

1. An alarm for pneumatic tires, comprising a resonant member, an actuating member, one

of said members being rotatable with respect to the other, an intermediate member cooperating with said resonant member and normally stationary with respect thereto, means operative to effect inter-engagement of said intermediate member with said actuating member, to cause said intermediate member to rotate, with respect to and actuate said resonant member to produce sound, and an air conduit extending between a tire and said means, to permit air in such tire to actuate said means upon a change in pressure within the tire.

2. An alarm, comprising a normally rotating sound producing member, a relatively stationary actuating member, an intermediate member cooperating with said first member and normally stationary with respect thereto, and means operative to effect inter-engagement of said actuating member with said intermediate member, to cause said intermediate member to rotate with respect to and actuate said first member to produce sound.

3. An alarm, comprising a diaphragm having ratchet teeth, mounted upon and adapted to rotate with a wheel, a substantially stationary pendulum also carried by such wheel, a disc normally rotatable with said diaphragm and carrying a pawl engageable with said teeth, means to interlock said disc withsaid pendulum, and resilient means controlled by the pressure in a tire carried by said wheel, operative upon a decrease in such pressure to cause said interlocking means to operatively connect said disc to said pendulum, and cause said pawl in engagement with said teeth to vibrate said diaphragm.

a. An alarm, comprising a diaphragm having irregularities, mounted upon and adapted to rotate with a gravity-actuated member also carried by said wheel, a reciprocatable disc normally rotatable with said diaphragm and carrying a reciprocatable pawl engageable with said irregularities, means to interlock said disc with said gravityactuated member, said pawl. bearing against said member and operative to be maintained thereby in engagement with said irregularities, a shaft carrying said disc, a support for said member and said shaft, and collapsible means operative to shift said shaft with respect to said member and to operate said interlocking means, as the pressure varies in a tire connected thereto.

5. An alarm, comprising a resonant member mounted upon and adapted to rotate with a vehicle wheel, a substantially stationary member also carried by such wheel, means normally rotatable with said resonant member and engageable therewith, expansible means controlled by the pressure in a tire carried by the wheel, operative upon a decrease in such pressure to permit said rotatable means to interengage said stationary member, to cause said resonant member to audibly vibrate, a casing for said stationary member, said rotatable means, and said expansible means, of which casing said resonant member forms a portion, means to operatlvely secure said casing to a vehicle wheel, and an air conduit connecting a tire to the interior of said casing.

6. An alarm, comprising a diaphragm having ratchet teeth, mounted upon and adapted to rotate with a wheel, a substantially stationary pendulum also carried by such wheel, a disc normally rotatable with ing a pawl engageable with said teeth, means to interlock said disc with said pendulum, and resilient means controlled by the pressure in a tire carried by said wheel, operative upon a decrease in such pressure to cause said interlocking means to operatively connect said disc to said pendulum, and cause said pawl in engagement with said teeth to vibrate said diaphragm, a casing for said pendulum, said disc, said interlocking means, and

wheel, a substantially stationary said diaphragm and carrysaid resilient means, and formed in part by said diaphragm, means to operatively secure said casing to a vehicle wheel, and an air conduit connecting a tire with the interior of said casing.

'7. The combination of a casing adapted to be secured to and rotatable with a vehicle wheel, a valve extending into an air-tight chamber within said casing, an air conduit connecting a tire upon said wheel with said valve, a resiliently positioned bellows within said chamber operative in one position to open said valve, a gravity-actuated member relative movable with respect to said casing, a resonant diaphragm rotatable with said casing, an intermediate member normally rotatable with said diaphragm and adapted to interlock with said gravity-actuated member and become rotatable with respect to said diaph agm, and means movable by said bellows upon a change of pressure within said tire and said chamber.

to permit closing of said valve and shift said lastnamed member into locked relation with said gravity-actuated member, to cause the actuat ing member to audibly vibrate said diaphragm.

8. The combination of a casing adapted to be secured to and rotatable a valve extending into an air-tight chamber within said casing, an air conduit connecting a upon said wheel with said valve, a resiliently positioned bellows within said chamber operative in one position to open said valve, a gravityactuated member relatively movable with respect to said casing, a resonant diaphragm rotatable with said casing, an intermediate member normally rotatable with said diaphragm and adapted with a vehiclewheel, w

to interlock with said gravity-actuated member and become rotatable with respect to said di aphragm, means movable by said bellows upon a change in pressure within said tire and said chamber, to permit closing of said valve and shift said last-named member into locked relation with said gravity-actuated member, to cause the actuating member to audibly vibrate sa diaphragm, and means extending outside of said casing to permit the release of said actuating member from engagement with said gravity-actuated member, and the shifting of said bellows to reopen said valve.

9. The combination of a casing adapted to be secured to and rotatable with a vehicle wheel, a plurality of valves extending into an air-tight chamber within the casing, an air conduit connecting each of said valves with one of a plurality of tires upon such wheel, a resiliently positioned bellows within said chamber operative in one position to open said valves simultaneously, 5.

to permit the maintenance of equalised pressure within the tires thru said chamber, a gravityactuated member relatively movable with respect to said casing, a resonant diaphragm rotatable with said casing, an intermediate member normally rotatable with said diaphragm and. capable of moving into inter-engagement with said gravity-actuated member, so as to become rotatable with respect to said diaphragm, and means movable with said bellows upon a change of pressure within one on said tires and said chamber, to permit closing of said valves and prevent the deflation of the other tire, and to shift said actuating member into inter-engagement with said gravity-actuated member, to cause the latter to audibly vibrate said diaphragm, and means for adjusting the resiliency with which said bellows is positioned, to accommodate its operation to tires of diflerent operating pressures.

aosaocc I 10. The combination of a casing adapted to be secured to and rotatable with a vehicle wheel, a plurality of valves extending into an air-tight chamber within said casing, an air-conduit con- .to said casing, a resonant diaphragm rotatable with said casing, an intermediate member nor mally rotatable with said diaphragm and capable of moving into inter-engagement with said lastnamed member, so as to become rotatable with respect to said diaphragm, and means movable with said bellows upon a change of pressure within one of said tires and said chamber, to permit closing of said valves and prevent the deflation of the other tire, and to shift said actuating member into inter-engagement with said gravity-actuated member, to cause the latter to audibly vibrate said diaphragm, and visual means movable in accordance with the reciprocation of said actuating member, to indicate the relative degree of inflation of the tires when inter-connected, and ofv either tire when deflated.

11. The combination of a casing adapted to be secured to and rotatable with a vehicle wheel, a plurality of valves extending into an air-tight chamber Within said casing, an air conduit connecting each of said valves to one of a plurality of tires upon such wheel, a resiliently positioned bellows within said casing chamber operative in one position to open said valves simultaneously, to permit the maintenance of equalized pressure within the tires thru said chamber, a gravityactuated member relatively movable with respect to said casing, a resonant diaphragm rotatable with said casing, an intermediate mem- ,1 ber normally rotatable with said diaphragm and capable of moving into inter-engagement with said last-named member, so as to become rotatable with respect to the diaphragm, means movable with said bellows upon a change of pressure within one of said tires and said chamber,

to permit closing of said valves and prevent the deflation of the other tire, and to shift said actuating member into inter-engagement with said gravity-actuated member, to cause the latter to audibly vibrate said diaphragm, and means accessible from the outside of said casing to release said actuating member from said gravityactuated member and to re-open said valves, and permit the increase of pressure within said chamher to maintain said bellows in normal position, said valves open, and said last-mentioned members in released relation.

12. An alarm, comprising a resonant member having irregularities, mounted upon and adapted to rotate with a vehicle wheel, a substantially stationary gravity-actuated member also carried by said wheel, a disc normally rotatable with said resonant member and having movably mounted members engageable with said irregularities,

means for interlocking said disc with said stationary member, d expansible means controlled by the pressure in a tire carried by the wheel, operative upon a decrease in such pressure to permit said interlocking means to secure said disc to said stationary member, to cause said movably mounted members in engagement with said irregularities to vibrate said resonant member.

13. The combination of a casing adapted to be opening, and valves in said last-named conduits,

between said separate valves and said opening.

14. An alarm, comprising a resonant member mounted upon and adapted to rotate with a vehicle wheel, a substantially stationary member attached to the axle of such wheel, means nor mally rotatable with said resonant member and engageable therewith, and expansible means controlled by the pressure in a tire carried by the wheel, operative upon a decrease in such pressure to permit said rotatable means to inter-engage said stationary member, to cause said resonant member to audibly vibrate. I

15. An alarm, comprising a resonant member mounted upon and adapted to rotate with a vehicle wheel, a substantially stationary member attached to the axle of such wheel, means normally rotatable with said resonant member and engageable therewith, expansible means controlled by the pressure in a tire carried by the wheel, sure to permit said rotatable means to inter-engage said stationary member, to cause said resonant member to audibly vibrate, a casing for said stationary member, said rotatable means, and

, said expansible means, of which casing said resonant member forms a portion, means to secure said casing to a vehicle wheel, a valve extending .into said casing, an air conduit connecting a tire i upon the wheel to said valve, and means accessible from the outside of said. casing to release said rotatable means from inter-engagement with said stationary member and to open said valve, and permit the increase of pressure within said chamber from the tire to maintain said expansible means in normal position, said valve open, and said mter-engaging members in released relation 16, Analarm, comprising an audible means, actuating means for said first means carried by a vehicle, a casing carried by and rotatable with a wheel of such vehicle, a valve leading into said casing, an air conduit connecting a tire upon such wheel with said valve, expansible means in said casing and operative in one position to maintain said valve open, and power transmitting means actuated by said expansible means to cause said actuating means to operate said audible means upon a decrease in the air pressure within the perative upon a. decrease in such pres ing a pneumatic tire normally resting upon a sup porting surface, with an alarm, comprising a sound producing element, a gravity actuated member relatively movablewith respect to the wheel when rotating, and at all times free and independent of such tire-supporting surface and means operative upon a change in pressure in the tire to cause said member to sound the alarm.

18. The combination of a vehicle wheel carrying a pneumatic tire normally resting upon a supporting surface, with a sound producing element, a gravity actuated member at all times free to rotate with respect to said wheel and tire and g5 independently of such tire-supporting surface, and means operative upon a change in pressure in the tire to cause said member to operate said element.

19. The combination of a wheel carrying a pneumatic tire normally resting upon a supporting surface, with an alarm, in turn comprising a gravity actuated member at all times free to rotate with respect to said wheel and tire and independently of such tire-supporting surface, and a sound producing device adapted to be operated by said member upon a change in the pressure within the tire.

20. The combination of a shaft, a wheel rotatably mounted thereon and a pneumatic tire in turn mounted upon said wheel, a gravity actuated pendulum also supported by said shaft, an audible alarm, and pneumatically actuatedmeans operative upon a change in pressure in the tire, to cause said pendulum to operate said alarm.

21. The combination with a vehicle wheel and its pneumatic tire, of a normally inoperative audible alarm, comprising parts producing sound upon. relativemovernent therebetween but normally rotating with the wheel, means nonrotatit-e with the wheel, and means operative upon a cl'lange in tire pressure to connect one oi? said parts with the non-rotative means, whereby to produce said relative sound producing movement.

The combination with a vehicle wheel and ii: pneumatic tire, of a normally inoperative comprising parts producing an alarm upon 1e movement thereof but normally rotating mer and with the wheel, means non-rotative ith the wheel, and means operating upon a change in tire pressure to connect one of said parts with the non-rotative means, whereby to produce said relative alarm producing movement.

The combination with a wheel with dual pneumatic tires, of a pressure equalizer means operating to shut off a given the after a predetermined drop in pressure produced therein by a drop in the pressure of the other tire, an audible alarm device carried by the wheel, and adjustable means operative to permit the operation of said alarm either during or after said predetermined drop in pressure.

24. The combination of a vehicle wheel and its pneumatic tire with an audible alarm comprising a casing unitarily attached to said wheel, and rotatable therewith, a gravity-actuated member within said casing, means to operatively connect the interior of said casing with said tire, and means actuated upon a decrease in the pressure within said tire below a predetermined degree to cause said gravity-actuated means to sound said alarm.

25. The combination of a vehicle wheel with its plurality of pneumatically inflated tires, an audible alarm comprising a casing forming a unitary part of said wheel and rotatable therewith, a gravity-actuated member carried by said casing, means to operatively connect the interior of said casing with each of said tires, and means actuated upon a decrease in the pressure within one of said tires below a predetermined degree to cause said gravity-actuated means to actuate said alarm.

26. The combination of a vehicle wheel with its plurality of pneumatically inflated tires, a casing unitarily attached to said Wheel and rotatable therewith, an audible alarm comprising a part of said casing, a gravity-actuated member carried by said casing, means operative to connect the interior of said casing with each of said tires, and means actuated by a decrease in the pressure within one of said tires below a predetermined degree to cause said gravity-actuated means to actuate said alarm. I

27. The ccmbination of a wheel and its pneumatic tire, a normally inoperative sound producing element, a non-rotating gravity actuated member carried by and rotatable with relation to said wheel when said wheel is itself rotated, and

means whereby said member while hanging freely suspended causes said element to produce sound,

when the pressure within said tire falls below a pre-determined degree.

- WARREN FENTON.