摘要 |
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.
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