Apparatus for deflating tires of moving vehicles

A tire deflating apparatus, comprising:

• (a) a plurality of spikes which are oriented so as to penetrate a tire of a vehicle as the vehicle travels over said tire deflating apparatus;
• (b) means for holding said plurality of spikes in the said orientation;
• and
• (c) means for protecting the user while handling said tire deflating apparatus, comprising an exterior collapsible cover at least partially surrounding said plurality of spikes, said collapsible cover having a longitudinal dimension which is much greater than its transverse dimension, and said orientation of said plurality of spikes tending to puncture a tire which rolls over the tire deflating apparatus in said transverse direction, apparatus comprising an elongated element having a substantially triangular cross-section.

A tire deflating apparatus comprising:

• (a) a plurality of spikes which are oriented so as to penetrate a tire of a vehicle as the vehicle travels over said tire deflating apparatus;
• (b) means for holding said plurality of spikes in the said orientation;
• (c) means for protecting the user while handling said tire deflating apparatus, comprising an exterior collapsible cover at least partially surrounding said plurality of spikes, said collapsible cover having a longitudinal dimension which is much greater than its transverse dimension, and said orientation of said plurality of spikes tending to puncture a tire which rolls over the tire deflating apparatus in said transverse direction;
• and
• (d) a collapsible end cap operationally attached to each of the two distal ends of said collapsible cover.

A spike assembly comprising:

• (a) a tubular member having a first open end and a second open end, said first open end having an inner diameter and said second open end having an inner diameter;
• (b) a first tip having a conically-shaped portion, said conically-shaped portion including a base and terminating in a pointed first end distally located from said base, said first tip additionally having a cylindrically-shaped longitudinal portion protruding from said base of said conically-shaped portion, said cylindrically-shaped longitudinal portion terminating at a second end, said base of the conically-shaped portion having a greater diameter than the diameter of said cylindrically-shaped longitudinal portion, said cylindrically-shaped longitudinal portion's diameter being significantly less than the inner diameter of said tubular member such that the second end of said first tip fits loosely into the first open end of said tubular member while said tubular member's longitudinal axis is substantially aligned with said first tip's longitudinal axis;
• and
• (c) a second tip having a conically-shaped portion, said conically-shaped portion including a base and terminating in a pointed first end distally located from said base, said second tip additionally having a cylindrically-shaped longitudinal portion protruding from said base of said conically-shaped portion, said cylindrically-shaped longitudinal portion terminating at a second end, said base of the conically-shaped portion having a greater diameter than the diameter of said cylindrically-shaped longitudinal portion, said cylindrically-shaped longitudinal portion's diameter being significantly less than the inner diameter of said tubular member such that the second end of said second tip fits loosely into the second open end of said tubular member while said tubular member's longitudinal axis is substantially aligned with said second tip's longitudinal axis.