US1329208A - Air-bag - Google Patents

Description

P. POWELL. AIR BAG.

APPLICATION FILED APR- 15 I918 Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

UNITED snares PATENT ornion.

PETER POWELL, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 JAMES ROSENFIELD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AIR-BAG.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

' Application filed Aprii15, 1918. Serial in. 228,541.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER POWELL, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Air-Bags, of whigh the folowing is a specification.

This invention relates to air-bags adapted to be used in repairin automobile tires and I mg r1g1d flat .end mem ers in the outer for other purposes an more particularly to a tubular air-bag adapted to fit into a section of an automobile tire casing and to expand the section of the casing while it is being vulcanized or otherwise treated.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide an air-bag the various functions of which are performed by different parts which may be respectively replaced, to provide an airbag which possesses strength and durability, which has strong ends, which is effective for its intended purpose throughout its entire length, which may be inflated through one end while in a tire asing, and to provide a simple and effective method of producing an air-bag of the character referred to.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from. the following description and accompanying drawings, in wh1ch,.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an air-bag embodying the present invention, a port on of the bag being shown in section on line 1-1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is an elevation ofthe right-hand end of Fig. 1; I

Fig, 3 is a left end elevation of the bag in partially completed form;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line H of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the inner tube of the air-bag before one end of the tube has been secured in position, this figure illustrating my improved method of closing the end of the inner tube; a

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a portion or the outer casing of the air-bag viewed from the bottom of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal central section of a modified form of outer casing.

My improved air-bag comprises essentially an outer casing 1 and an inner tube 2, the inner tube adapted to be inflated and the outer tube adapted to restrain the expansion of the inner tube. The outer tube is preferably expansible only to a slight extent and may be formed of canvas or other suitable material. The inner tube is air tight and is preferably formed of rubber.

A cardinal feature of the present inventlOIl consists in closing the ends of the tubular bag in such mannerthat the bag, is of substantially uniform diameter throughout and does not taper inwardly at its ends. This is preferably accoln lished by employcasing adapted ,to prevent the inner tube from bulging out at the ends. The inner tube is also made substantially fiat so as to fit against the fiat ends of the outer casing.

A preferred method of closing the ends of the outer casin is illustrated in Figs. 1,-

2, and 3, where isks 3 and 4 of steel or other material possessing the necessary degree of rigidity are. disposed on the inside and outside respectively of the end of the casing. Theend of the tubularcasing 1 is notched so as to rovide a plurality of pointed sectors 5 (P are bent inwardly between the inner and outer disks 3 and 4. A series of rivets 6 pass through the disks 3 and 4 to clamp the sectors 5 between the disks, and as shown in Fig. 3 I preferably provide a rivet for each sector of the casing. I may also provide disks 7 and 8 of canvas or other suitable material between the sectors 5 and the disks 3 and 4 respectively.

In order to permit the insertion and removal of the inner tube 1 provide means for opening and closing the outer casing, which is preferably comprised as follows: Theouter casing is split on its inner side throughout its entire length as shown at 9 in Fig. 4, and secured on opposite sides of the split 9 are interfitting means for. secur 1g. 5) and these sectors fitting means preferably comprise twometallic plates 10 and 11 secured along the inner side of the casing 1 adjacent the opening 9 and having interfitting loops 1? and 13 extending alternately into the opening 9 so that the openings in the loops are in ahnement. A rod 14: is inserted lengthwise through the openings in the loops 12 and 18, thereby securely holding the casing closed at the opening 9. In order to prevent the inner tube from coming into contact w th the metallic plates 10 and 11 I may provide a flap 15 of canvas or other suitable ma= terial between the metallic plates and-the inner tube and this flap is preferably'secured to the casing at one side of the plates, as for example at 16. A suitable means for securing the plates 10 and 11 to the casing 1 comprises two series of rivets 17 and 18 passing respectively through the plates and through the casing adjacent the opening 9.

As above stated the end of the inner tube is preferably made flat 'so that the inner tube will conform to the contour of the outer casing, and the present invention comprises an improved method of forming an air tube having flat ends, the preferred embodiment of this method being substantially as follows: A flat rigid member such as illustrated at 19 in Fig. 5 is inserted in the end of the air tube and the edges 20 of the tube are bent over the flat member 19. A flat end member, such as illustrated at 21 in Fig- 1, may then be vulcanized or otherwise secured to the bent-over edges 20 of the tube. After the end has been secured to the bent over edges the member 19 is removed from the tube. In closing the first end of the tube the member 19 may be removed from the opposite open end of the tube or may be shifted to the opposite end of the tube preparatory to closing the opposite end. However, after both ends-have been closed the member 19 may only be removed through an opening in the side of the tube, such an opening being shown at 22 in Fig. 5. After the member 19 has been removed the openin 22 is sealed by vulcanizing or other suitable means. The member 19'is preferably of-substantially the same peripheral contour as the air tube 2, and when the tube 2 is circular in cross-section, as is usually the case, the member 19 preferably comprises a circular disk. In this connection it will be understood that the word disk as herein employed does not necesgaiglily mean a circular disk unless so speci- While the disk 19 employed for closing the ends of the air-tube may be of substantially the diameter of the tube 2, or even of somewhat less diameter, it is preferably made larger in diameter so that the tube 2 is expanded when the disk is inserted thereinto, as shown for example in Fig. 5. In this way the bent-over edges of the tube extend outwardly beyond the periphery of the tube so that the portion of the tube to which the end is to be secured is disposed in a perfectly flat plane, thereby rendering it easier to vulcanize or otherwise secure the end member to the bent-over edge. This will be apparent when it is observed that if the disks 17 were of substantially the same diameter as the tube the bent-over edge of the tube would be rounded in the region of the edge of the end member.

11 Flg. 7 1 have illustrated a modified -means for closing the outer casing, this means comprising two disks 23 and 21 clamping the pointed ends 25' of the outer casing therebetween. Thisconstruction differs from that shown in Fig. 1 in that bolts 26 are employed instead of the rivets 6, and in that the canvas disks 7 and 8 are omitted. With the construction shown in Fig. 7 the inner tube may be removed from the outer casing through the end of the outer casing by removing the bolts 26 and the disks 23 and 24, in which case the closing means 1014 illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 is unnecessary.

For the purpose of inflating the inner tube a valve 27 of the ordinary tire type is axially disposed at one end of the tube, the valve being secured to the tube by a nut 28 as usual and the valve extending outwardly through an axial opening in the outer casing 1. With the valve thus arranged the device may be inflated either before or after it is placed in a tire casing.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of an air tube formed of flexible material and a flat member of flexible material closing one end of the tube.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of an air tube formed of flexible material and fiat members formed I of flexible material of substantially the same outline as the tube closing the opposite ends of the tube.

3. The method of closing the end of an elastic tube which comprises inserting in the end of the tube a member of larger diameter than the tube, thereby expanding the tube, bending the edge of the tube over the member, and securing an end to the bentover edge of the tube.

1. The method of closing the end of an elastic tube which comprises inserting in the end of the tube a member havin substantiallythe same contour as the tn e but having a larger diameter than the tube, thereby expanding the tube, bending the edge of the tube over the member, and secufiing an end to the bent-over edge of the tu e.

5. The method of closing the end of an elastic tube which comprises inserting in the end of the tube a member of larger diameter than the tube, thereby expanding the tube, bending the edge of the tube over the member, securing an end to the bent-over edge of the tube, and removing the disk.

6. The method of closing the ends of an elastic tube which comprises inserting disks in the ends of the tube, bending the edges of the tube over the disks, securing end members to the bent-over edges, and removing the disks through an opening in the side of the tube.

7. The method of closing a flexible tube which comprises inserting disks in the ends of the tube, bending the edges of the tube over the disks, securing end members to the bent-over edges, removing the disks through an opening in the side of the tube, and sealing the opening in the side ofthe tube.

8. In a device of the character. described, the combination of an inner tube adapted to be filled with air under pressure, an outer casing arranged to confine the inner tube when inflated, the casing having an elongate opening in one side, and means comprising interfitting loops secured to the casing on opposite sides of the opening for closing the opening.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination of an inner tube adapted to be filled with air under pressure, an outer casing arranged to confine the inner tube when inflated, the casing having an elongate openingin one side, a plurality of loops secured to the casing on opposite sides of the opening so as to interfit with the loops in alinement, and a rod extending through the loops.

10. A tube adapted to fit inside a tire having an elongate opening along one side, and means comprising interfitting loops secured to the tube on opposite sides of the opening for closing the opening.

11. -A tube adapted to fit inside a tire having an elongate opening along one side, I

a plurality of loops secured to' the casing on opposite sides of the opening so as to interfit withthe loops in alinement, and a rod extending through the loops.

12. A casing of substantially cylindrical form, slit throu hout its length, a plurality of loops secure to the casing on opposite edges of said slit so as to interfit with the loops in alinement, and a rod extending through the loops.

13. A casing of substantially cylindrical form, slit throughout its length, metallic members, each provided with a plurality of loops, secured. to the casing on opposite edges of the slit so as to interfit with the loops in alinement, and a rod extending through the loop.

'14. Ina device of the character described, the combination of a tubular casing having one of its end edges notched to provide a plurality of pointed sectors, said sectors being bent inwardly toward the axis of the. casing and an end closure comprising two disks clamping the sectors therebetween.

15. In a device of the character described, the combination of a tubular casing havin one of itsend edges notched to provide a plurality of pointed sectors, said sectors being bent inwardly toward the axis of the casing, fiat disks embracing said sectors therebetween and rivets passing through said disks and said sectors for clamping said sectors between said disks.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this first day of April, 1918.

PETER POWELL.

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