Abstract: An apparatus for pressurizing a pneumatic tire mounted on a vehicle wheel which includes a displacement type air pump having a spring loaded piston and cylinder combination for generating air under pressure. The air pump is axially attached to the vehicle wheel and an air pressure connection conduit introduces air under pressure generated from the pump into the pneumatic tire. A cam and cam follower arrangement is mounted in the housing for the pump for creating relative cam actuated movement therebetween which is utilized for driving the air pump. A pendulum is mounted for free axial rotation relative to the pump housing and the pendulum is connected to one of the cam or cam follower, and the other is secured to the pump housing for rotation therewith to provide this cam actuated driving movement. The axis of piston reciprocation in its cylinder is substantially aligned axially with the wheel axis of rotation.

Abstract: Apparatus for harnessing and utilizing, inter alia, gravitational and centrifugal forces generated at a location eccentric from the axis of rotation of a rolling wheel. The apparatus includes pumps that can be attached in a tangential relationship to a path of wheel rotation of an automobile wheel in order to pressurize under-inflated tires and maintain tire pressure at a preset value. A double acting unitary piston assembly is supported for antifrictional reciprocation in a pump housing along a line tangential with respect to a path of wheel rotation so that gravitational force will principally displace the piston assembly to effect working strokes for inflating a pneumatic tire. Compression ratio parameters of the pump are preselected to cause the pump to be effective at wheel rotation velocities above which gravitational forces are no longer effective to operate the pump. A device is also provided to adjust the compression ratio of the pump to thereby adjust the air pressure to be maintained in the tire.

Abstract: Apparatus for harnessing and utilizing, inter alia, cyclic forces generated at a location eccentric from the axis of rotation of a rolling wheel. The apparatus may include, for example, pumps that can be attached to the valve stem of an automobile wheel in order to pressurize under-inflated tires and maintain tire pressure at a preset value.