Method and apparatus for injecting fluid into inflated tires

Apparatus used primarily with inflated tires mounted side by side on a dual wheel having a threaded valve stem port provided with a removable threaded valve core, in which the inboard tire has a valve stem directed outwardly at an aperture in the wheel and the outboard tire has a valve stem directed inwardly at an aperture in the wheel, the apparatus comprising:

• A) a first valve assembly with a sealable axial through passage, a first connecting means for sealably connecting with a valve stem port and a second connecting means for quick connection sealing;
• B) a core remover comprising:
• a body with an axial internal chamber having an opening at one end provided with means for sealingly communicating with the second connecting means;
• a vented chamber wall opposite the opening;
• an elongate operating shaft extending through, and guided by, the vented wall;
• the operating shaft having at a first extremity means for engaging and unfastening a core in the valve stem and the shaft having, at a second extremity located outside the vented wall, a control means to cooperate with the first end to fasten or unfasten the core, the shaft being mounted for reciprocating axial motion between an extended first position in which the first extremity extends past the opening and into the tire stem for engaging the core and a retracted second position in which the unfastened core is stored within the chamber and the first extremity is adjacent the vented wall;
• and
• C) a fluid applicator having a flexible hose operatively connected to a fluid supply at a first terminus and having, at a free second terminus, third connecting means for sealingly communicating with the second connecting means to pass fluid from the fluid supply into the inflated tire after the tire core has been removed and stored in the core remover.

A tire valve stem bender for bending a tire stem while it is on a wheel-mounted inflated tire to position the valve stem port for enhanced access to a fluid dispensing applicator, the bender comprising:

• A) a stem bending lever having an elongate intermediate portion;
• a handle at a first extremity;
• a stem receiving means movably mounted to a second extremity about an axis perpendicular to the lever long axis for receiving therethrough in a cylindrical passage the valve stem port;
• and means for adjustably fixing the angle between the cylindrical passage and the lever long axis;
• and
• B) a stem holder having an elongate shaft, a handle at a first end;
• a stem engaging member movably mounted to a second end about an axis perpendicular to the shaft long axis;
• the member having a slot means open at both ends and open at a side away from the shaft for receiving therein the valve stem at a location away from the valve stem port;
• and means for adjustably fixing the angle between the slot means and the shaft long axis, such that the stem may be held steady by the holder while the free end of the valve stem is bent by the bending lever.

A method for dispensing fluid through the valve stem port of an inflated tire mounted on a wheel, the method comprising the steps of:

• A) sealingly connecting a valve assembly to the valve stem port of an inflated tire;
• B) sealingly connecting a valve core remover to the valve assembly;
• C) opening the valve of the valve assembly;
• D) passing an operating shaft of the core remover through the valve to engage and unscrew the core from the valve stem;
• E) permitting pressure in the tire to blow the valve core through the valve and into the core remover;
• F) closing the valve;
• G) removing the core remover from the valve assembly;
• H) sealingly attaching a fluid dispenser outlet to the valve assembly;
• I) opening the valve;
• J) dispensing the fluid;
• K) closing the valve;
• L) detaching the fluid dispenser outlet from the valve assembly;
• M) sealingly attaching the core remover with its contained valve core;
• N) opening the valve;
• O) advancing the valve core through the open valve and the valve stem port and fastening it in place with the operating shaft;
• P) retracting the operating shaft;
• Q) removing the valve core remover;
• and
• R) removing the valve assembly from the tire stem.