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US 4,223,805 AGranted
Automatic inflator
OwnerGlenn H. Mackalinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerGlenn H. Mackalinventor
Estimating the term…
There is disclosed an inflator for the inflation of inflatable articles such as life vests and the like, such inflator being operated automatically upon being subjected to water as upon the ditching or parachuting of an aviator wearing a life vest provided with such inflator. In the preferred embodiment of the inflator disclosed, the automatically operating portion of it is embodied as an attachment to a known manually operated inflator, the resulting inflator being capable of operation both manually and automatically. The automatically operating portion of the inflator incorporates a latch which holds a plunger operated by a coil compression spring in cocked condition until the latch releases the plunger, which thereafter thrusts a piercing pin against and through the sealing diaphragm of a gas-containing capsule. The latch is provided with a water-destructible member which retains the latch in plunger cocking position until the water-destructible member is subjected to water in an amount sufficient to weaken it so that the latch releases the plunger.
A gas inflator for an inflatable article, the inflator being selectively operable either manually or automatically upon its subjection to water, comprising an inflator body, means for attaching a gas-containing capsule to said body, a capsule-piercing pin movable in the body toward the capsule, manually operated means acting directly on the outer end of the piercing pin to thrust the inner end of the piercing pin toward the capsule, a second pin aligned with the piercing pin and having an end confronting and adapted selectively to engage said outer end of the piercing pin, and automatically operated means responsive to its subjection to water to thrust the second pin axially against the said end of the piercing pin to thrust the piercing pin toward the capsule, the manually operated means for thrusting the piercing pin toward the capsule comprising a rotable cam directly engaging the said end of the piercing pin, and a pivot pin mounting the cam on the body, the second pin having a first slot in the end thereof which confronts the said end of the piercing pin, the pivot pin passing through said first slot, the first slot permitting the longitudinal movement of the second pin relative to the pivot pin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.