Pressure gauge

Abstract

A combined gauge and inflator for a tire includes a support member threaded on the tire stem with a body slidably disposed within the support member and locked in a first position. The body has a passage extending therethrough with a spring-biased piston slidably disposed therein. With the body in the first position, the piston rests against a spring-biased plunger, which opens the valve in the tire stem when the plunger spring is overcome. The plunger spring is overcome either by an air chuck acting on the piston to move the piston against the plunger or when the body is moved from its first position to a second position in which the body engages the plunger. When the body is moved against the plunger, sealing means on the piston seal the body passage so that air pressure in the tire moves the piston relative to the body. A scale on the piston cooperates with a marker on the body to indicate the pressure of the tire.

What we claim is: .[.1. A pressure gauge for indicating the fluid pressure in an enclosed chamber including: 
     
        accordance with the position of said responsive means in said body..]. 2. .[.The.]. .Iadd.A .Iaddend.pressure gauge .Iadd.for indicating the fluid pressure in an enclosed chamber including .Iaddend..[.according to claim 1 in which.].: .Iadd. a support member for connection to the enclosed chamber;   a body supported by said support member for movement relative thereto between first and second positions;   means to open a valve that controls communication to the enclosed chamber, said valve opening means being unconnected to said body and supported by said support member, said valve opening means being movable independently of said body;   means urging said valve opening means to an inactive position, said urging means being supported by said support member;   said body overcoming said urging means to move said valve opening means to its active position when said body is moved from its first position to its second position;   means supported by said body and responsive to the fluid pressure of the enclosed chamber when said valve opening means is in its active position and said body is in its second position;   at least one of said responsive means and said body having means to indicate the pressure of the fluid within the enclosed chamber in accordance with the position of said responsive means in said body; .Iaddend.   said body .[.has.]. .Iadd.having .Iaddend.a passage extending therethrough and providing communication from exterior of said body to the enclosed chamber when said valve-opening means is in its active position and said body is in its first position;   said responsive means .[.is.]. .Iadd.being .Iaddend.slidably disposed in said body passage;   and one of said responsive means and said body .[.has.]. .Iadd.having .Iaddend.sealing means to seal said passage only when said body is in its   
     
     
        second position. 3. A pressure gauge for indicating the fluid pressure in an enclosed chamber including a support member for connection to the enclosed chamber;   a body supported by said support member for movement relative thereto between first and second positions;   said body opening a valve that controls communication to the enclosed chamber, said body opening the valve when said body is in its second position;   said body having a passage extending therethrough to provide communication from exterior of said body to the enclosed chamber when the valve is open and said body is in its first position;   means slidably disposed in said body passage and responsive to the fluid pressure in the enclosed chamber when said body is in its second position;   at least one of said slidably disposed means and said body having means to seal said body passage only when said body is in its second position to prevent flow of fluid pressure from the enclosed chamber through said passage to exterior of said body;   and means to indicate the fluid pressure in the enclosed chamber in accordance with the position of said slidably disposed means in said body.   
     
     
        . The pressure gauge according to claim 3 in which: said sealing means is mounted only on said slidably disposed means;   and said sealing means is disposed exterior of said passage when said body   
     
     
        is in its first position. 5. The pressure gauge according to claim 3 in which: said indicating means includes:   a scale on one of said slidably disposed means and said body;   and marking means on the other of said slidably disposed means and said   
     
     
        body for cooperation with said scale. 6. A pressure gauge according to claim 3 in which said sealing means is mounted only on said slidably 
     
     
        disposed means. 7. A combined tire gauge and inflator for mounting on a tire including: a support member for mounting on a tire stem;   a body supported by said support member for movement between first and second positions;   said body and said support member cooperating to form a chamber therebetween when said body is in its first position;   said body having a passage extending therethrough to provide communication from exterior of said body to the chamber;   means to open a valve in the tire stem, said valve opening means being supported by said support member;   means urging said valve opening means to an inactive position;   means slidably disposed in said passage in said body and in engagement with said valve opening means when said body is in its first position;   said slidably disposed means being responsive to the air pressure in the tire when said body is moved to its second position, said body moving said valve-opening means to a valve-opening position to open the valve in the tire stem when said body is in its second position;   at least one of said slidably disposed means and said body having sealing means to prevent flow of air through said passage when said body is in its second position, said sealing means being ineffective when said body is in its first position;   means to indicate the air pressure of the tire in accordance with the position of said slidably disposed means when said body is in its second position;   and said slidably disposed means being movable by an air chuck or the like to move said valve-opening means to a valve-opening position when said body is in its first position to allow air to be supplied from the air chuck through said body passage to the chamber and from the chamber to the   
     
     
        tire. 8. The combined tire gauge and inflator according to claim 7 
     
     
        including means to lock said body in its first position. 9. The combined tire gauge and inflator according to claim 7 in which said indicating means has means on at least one of said slidably disposed means and said 
     
     
        body. 10. The combined tire gauge and inflator according to claim 7 including means to form a seal between said body and said support member. 
     
     
         1. The combined tire gauge and inflator according to claim 7 in which 
     
     
        said sealing means is mounted only on said slidably disposed means. 12. The combined tire gauge and inflator according to claim 11 in which said sealing means is mounted on the portion of said slidably disposed 
     
     
        means in the chamber when said body is in its first position, 13. The combined tire gauge and inflator according to claim 12 in which said body is supported by said support member for sliding movement between its first 
     
     
        and second positions. 14. The combined tire gauge and inflator according 
     
     
        to claim 13 including means to lock said body in its first position. 15. The combined tire gauge and inflator according to claim 7 in which: said indicating means includes: a scale on one of said slidably disposed means and said body;   and marking means on the other of said slidably disposed means and said     
     
     
        body for cooperation with said scale. 16. The combined tire gauge and inflator according to claim 15 in which: said slidably disposed means has said scale thereon;   
     
     
       and said body has said marking means thereon. 17. The combined tire gauge and inflator according to claim 7 in which said support member has an inner threaded portion for cooperation with the outer threaded portion of 
     
     
        the tire stem to mount said support member on the tire stem. 18. The combined tire gauge and inflator according to claim 7 including sealing means carried by said support member to seal said support member at the connection of said threaded portion of said support member with the outer 
     
     
        threaded portion of the tire stem. 19. The combined tire gauge and inflator according to claim 7 in which said body is supported by said support member or sliding movement between its first and second positions. 
     
     
        0. The combined tire gauge and inflator according to claim 19 including means to lock said body in its first position. .Iadd.21. A combined gauge and inflator for indicating the fluid pressure in an enclosed chamber and allowing the supply of fluid thereto including: a support member for connection to the enclosed chamber;   a body supported by said support member for movement between first and second positions;   said body and said support member cooperating to form a chamber therebetween when said body is in its first position;   said body having a passage extending therethrough to provide communication from exterior of said body to the chamber;   means to open a valve that controls communication to the enclosed chamber, said valve opening means being supported by said support member;   means urging said valve opening means to an inactive position;   means slidably disposed in said passage in said body;   said slidably disposed means being responsive to the fluid pressure in the enclosed chamber when said body is moved to its second position, said body moving said valve opening means to a valve opening position to open the valve that controls communication to the enclosed chamber when said body is in its second position;   at least one of said slidably disposed means and said body having sealing means to prevent flow of fluid through said passage when said body is in its second position;   means to indicate the fluid pressure of the enclosed chamber in accordance with the position of said slidably disposed means when said body is in its second position;   and said slidably disposed means has means to cause movement of said valve opening means to a valve opening position when said body is in its first position and said slidably disposed means is moved by a fluid dispensing chuck or the like to allow fluid to be supplied from the chuck through said body passage to the chamber and from the chamber to the enclosed chamber, said sealing means being rendered ineffective when said body is in its first position and said slidably disposed means has moved said valve opening means to its valve opening position. .Iaddend..Iadd.22. The combined gauge and inflator according to claim 21 in which said slidably disposed means is in engagement with said valve opening means when said body is in its first position. .Iaddend..Iadd.23. The combined gauge and inflator according to claim 21 including means to lock said body in its first position. .Iaddend..Iadd.24. The combined gauge and inflator according to claim 21 in which said indicating means has means on at least one of said slidably disposed means and said body. .Iaddend..Iadd.25. The combined gauge and inflator according to claim 21 in which said sealing means is mounted only on said slidably disposed means. .Iaddend..Iadd.26. The combined gauge and inflator according to claim 25 in which said slidably disposed means has a portion in the chamber when said body is in its first position; and said sealing means is mounted on the portion of said slidably disposed means in the chamber when said body is in its first position. .Iaddend. .Iadd.27. The combined gauge and inflator according to claim 26 in which said body is supported by said support member for sliding movement between its first and second positions. .Iaddend..Iadd.28. The combined gauge and inflator according to claim 27 including means to lock said body in its first position. .Iaddend..Iadd.29. The combined gauge and inflator according to claim 21 in which:   said indicating means includes: a scale on one of said slidably disposed means and said body;   and marking means on the other of said slidably disposed means and said body for cooperation with said scale. .Iaddend..Iadd.30. The combined gauge and inflator according to claim 29 in which:     said slidably disposed means has said scale thereon;   and said body has said marking means thereon. .Iaddend..Iadd.31. The combined gauge and inflator according to claim 21 in which said body is supported by said support member for sliding movement between its first and second positions. .Iaddend..Iadd.32. The combined gauge and inflator according to claim 31 including means to lock said body in its first position. .Iaddend. .Iadd.33. The pressure gauge according to claim 3 in which the pressure gauge is a combined pressure gauge and inflator wherein:   said slidably disposed means has means to cause movement of the valve that controls communication to the enclosed chamber to an open position when said body is in its first position and said slidably disposed means is moved by a fluid dispensing chuck or the like to allow fluid to be supplied from the fluid chuck through said body passage to the enclosed chamber, said sealing means being ineffective when said body is in its first position and said slidably disposed means has moved the valve that controls communication to the enclosed chamber to an open position. .Iaddend.