Importance

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Abstract

An apparatus and method for inflating a tire mounted on a wheel having first and second rims spaced apart from one another includes a reciprocal inflation head moveable along a fixed path between a first position spaced from the wheel and tire, and a second position in operable engagement with a sidewall of the tire. The inflation head has an annular sealing surface engageable with the sidewall of the tire to provide a sealed passage for introducing compressed fluid between the tire and the wheel for inflating the tire on the wheel. A floating connection allows passive angular orientation of the inflation head with respect to the sidewall of the tire as the head moves between the first and second positions to achieve sufficient contact between the sealing surface of the head and the sidewall of the tire for creating the sealed passage and for maintaining sufficient contact during inflation of the tire on the wheel to maintain the sealed passage. A reorientation member resets the head to a neutral angular orientation with respect to the fixed path of travel of the head between the first and second positions as the head returns to the first position from the second position.

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First Claim