Valve stem hole tire seating device
AssigneeHennessy Industries, Inc.
InventorSteven Davis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Briefly, the present invention relates, in one embodiment, to an air channeling apparatus for sealing a tubeless tire on a corresponding wheel rim. The air channeling apparatus may have a supply end and an insertion end opposite the supply end. The supply end may be directly or indirectly connected to an air supply that supplies pressurized air. The air channeling apparatus is further sized to be inserted through the valve stem hole of a wheel rim. An inner surface of the air channeling apparatus includes threads that can thread onto a valve stem of the wheel. At least one opening in the air channeling apparatus may blast pressurized air into the space between the wheel rim and the tubeless tire.
Claims17
An air channeling apparatus for sealing a tubeless tire on a corresponding wheel rim having a valve stem hole defined therein, the air channeling apparatus comprising:
- a supply end configured to receive pressurized air from an air supply;
- an insertion end opposite the supply end, the insertion end having an outer surface and an inner surface;
- the outer surface having a first outer surface diameter sized such that the insertion end of the apparatus can pass through the valve stem hole of the wheel rim;
- the inner surface comprising a threaded portion configured to threadingly engage another threaded surface;
- and
- at least one opening defined in the insertion end, the at least one opening extending from the outer surface to the inner surface.
A method of sealing a tubeless tire on a corresponding wheel rim, the method comprising:
- (a) threading an air channeling apparatus onto a valve stem disposed in a valve stem hole defined in the wheel rim;
- (b) inserting an insertion end of the apparatus into a space between the tire and the rim through the valve stem hole with the valve stem retained by the apparatus;
- (c) blasting at least one stream of pressurized air into the space between the tire and the rim through the apparatus and through at least one opening defined in the apparatus;
- (d) sealing the tire to the rim;
- (e) withdrawing the insertion end of the apparatus from the space between the tire and the rim through the valve stem hole;
- (f) securing the valve stem in place in the valve stem hole;
- and
- (g) unthreading the apparatus from the valve stem.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.