Spark plug tire inflator

[Frank S]

One of the major articles we had in all of our vehicles on the farm as I was growing up was a Schrader spark plug tire inflator.
I don't remember us ever owning an air compressor but we didn't need one, because we had this

and one of these was kept in the shed which we carried with us when we went on long trips if we had a flat we would put on the spare then stop at a rest area and repair patch the tube

[Isambard]

I still have one! I don't know why, Threaded for 14mm & 18mm spark-plugs holes.
That dates it! 24 English shillings in 1958 and 1/2" & 3/4" pipe adapters were also available
according to my Buck & Hickman cat.

[hemmjo]

I have never used on of those inflators, but my grandpa did have one. I always wondered about pumping a gas/air mixture into a tire/tube. I wondered if you would use it with the fuel shut off, but then you might end up with a flat tire and a dead battery.

[Isambard]

If you look closely at the body of inflator you will see 4 slits, these opened the cylinder to atmosphere,
so on the intake stroke of the cylinder no vacuum was created in the manifold to draw the fuel mixture,
into that cylinder. Under pressure, the slits were closed off.
The inflator worked best at an idle, reving the engine appeared to overcome the valving.
As the Poms would say, bit of a chuffing success! :-)

[rebuilder1954]

Definitely remember that one. Got it with my drivers license in 1970, and I carried it till the hose fell apart.

Memory lane… thanks, Frank!

[NortonDommi]

Still have two. One unused.