Claims
- 1. The method of inflating and stuffing an inflatable balloon of the type having an inlet aperture and a constricted neck portion comprising the steps of:
- (a) inserting the object to be stuffed into a tubular member having a first open end and a second closed sealed end and having a hollow, tubular, piston-like ejector rod passing through, and having an end portion projecting beyond, the second closed sealed end thereof and being axially slidable therein;
- (b) attaching an uninflated balloon to the first open end of the tubular member with the constricted neck portion thereof surrounding and in sealed engagement with the tubular member;
- (c) coupling the projecting end portion of the hollow, tubular, piston-like ejector rod to a source of fluid under pressure so as to pressurize the interior of both the tubular member and the balloon and thereby inflate the latter;
- (d) shifting the hollow, tubular, piston-like ejector rod axially towards the first open end of the tubular member so as to eject the object contained therein and project such object into the interior of the inflated balloon;
- (e) removing the inflated stuffed balloon from the tubular member; and
- (f) knotting or otherwise tying off the constricted neck portion of the balloon so as to seal the balloon with the object retained captive therein.
- 2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the projecting end portion of the hollow, tubular, piston-like ejector rod terminates in a mouthpiece having a unidirectional valve and wherein the interiors of the tubular member and the balloon are pressurized to inflate the balloon by blowing through the mouthpiece and the ejector rod is shifted axially to eject the object temporarily stored in the tubular member and to stuff such object into the inflated balloon by manually grasping the projecting end portion of the ejector rod and shifting it axially towards the tubular member.
- 3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the projecting end portion of the hollow, tubular, piston-like ejector rod comprises the piston rod of a hand-held, hand-operated air inflation pump having a pump housing and a pistion coupled to the ejector rod and axially translatable within the pump housing.
- 4. The method as set forth in claim 3 wherein the tubular member and the projecting end portion of the hollow, tubular, piston-like ejector rod are grasped to prevent relative axial movement therebetween during manual operation of the air inflation pump.
- 5. The method as set forth in claim 3 wherein: (i) the hollow, tubular, piston-like ejector rod is precluded from relative axial movement with respect to the tubular member and free to move axially relative to the pump housing during operation of the pump; and (ii), the hollow, tubular, piston-like ejector rod is released and freed for relative axial movement with respect to the tubular member and latched to the pump housing during ejection of the object from the tubular member and insertion thereof into the balloon.
- 6. The method as set forth in claim 3 wherein the pump is a double acting pump.
- 7. The method as set forth in claim 3 wherein the pump is a single acting pump.
- 8. A balloon stuffer for use in stuffing toys, stuffed animals, gifts, flowers and similar objects into the interior of conventional inflated balloons of the type having an inflation aperture and a constricted neck portion, said balloon stuffer comprising, in combination;
- (a) a tubular member having:
- (i) a first open end adapted to receive the object to be stuffed into a balloon and to temporarily store such object entirely within said tubular member;
- (ii) a second closed sealed end; and,
- (iii) a fluid impervious sidewall;
- (b) an injector mechanism postioned within said tubular member, said ejector mechanism having a hollow, tubular, piston-like ejector rod extending outwardly through, and having an end portion projecting beyond, said second closed sealed end of said tubular member with freedom for axial movement through said second closed sealed end;
- (c) means for coupling said projecting end portion of said hollow, tubular, piston-like ejector rod to a source of inflation fluid; and,
- (d) means for axially shifting said ejector mechanism towards said first open end of said tubular member so as to engage the object temporarily stored in said tubular member and eject such object from said tubular member;
- whereby stretching and seating of the inflation aperture and constricted neck portion of a conventional, uninflated, inflatable balloon over and about said first open end of said tubular member serves to create a totally enclosed sealed chamber comprising the interior of said tubular member and the interior of the balloon, and coupling of said projecting end portion of said hollow, tubular, piston-like ejector rod to a source of fluid under pressure serves to pressurize the totally enclosed sealed chamber and to inflate the balloon so that upon axial shifting of said ejector mechanism, the object contained within said tubular member is engaged thereby, ejected therefrom, and inserted into the interior of the inflated balloon, whereupon the inflated balloon and the object stored therein may be removed from said tubular member and the constricted neck portion of the inflated balloon knotted or otherwise tied off so as to seal the balloon in the inflated state with the object stored therein.
- 9. A balloon stuffer as set forth in claim 8 wherein said means for coupling said projecting end portion of said hollow, tubular, piston-like ejector rod to a source of inflation fluid comprises a mouthpiece mounted on the free end of said projecting end portion of said ejector rod and having: (i) an axial bore communicating with said hollow, tubular, piston-like ejector rod; and (ii), means defining a unidirectional valve for permitting passage of air under pressure through said mouthpiece and said ejector rod and into said tubular member and the balloon mounted on the open end thereof; whereby the balloon can be inflated by blowing into the mouthpiece.
- 10. A balloon stuffer as set forth in claim 8 wherein the source of inflation medium comprises a hand-held, hand-operated inflation pump having a pump housing and a reciprocable piston mounted therein, said piston dividing said housing into first and second air chambers and including a radial bore adapted to be coupled in fluid transmitting relation to one of said first and second air chambers during axial reciprocation of said piston within said housing in a first direction toward said one chamber; and, said means for coupling said projecting end portion of said hollow, tubular, piston-like ejector rod to said source of inflation medium comprises a fitting for connecting said hollow, tubular, piston-like ejector rod to said piston in fluid transmitting relation with said radial bore whereby during axial reciprocation of said piston within said pump housing in said first direction toward said one chamber, air contained within said one chamber is displaced therefrom through said radial bore and said hollow, tubular, piston-like ejector rod into said tubular member and the balloon mounted on said open end thereof so as to inflate the balloon.
- 11. A balloon stuffer as set forth in claim 10 wherein said pump is a single acting pump.
- 12. A balloon stuffer as set forth in claim 10 wherein said pump is a double acting pump and said radial bore in said piston is adapted to be coupled in fluid transmitting relation: (i) to one of said first and second air chambers during axial reciprocation of said piston within said housing in a first direction toward said one chamber; and (ii), to the other of said first and second air chambers during axial reciprocation of said piston within said housing in the opposite direction toward the other of said first and second air chambers, whereby the interior of said tubular member and the balloon mounted on said open end thereof are alternately pressurized by air transmitted thereto from said first and second air chambers during alternate reciprocating axial strokes of said piston within said pump housing.
- 13. A balloon stuffer as set forth in claim 10 wherein means are provided for selectively latching and unlatching said piston to and from said pump housing so as to permit unlatching thereof during an operating cycle of said pump while the balloon is being inflated and latching thereof following inflation of the balloon whereby when said piston is latched to said pump housing and said pump housing is moved axially toward said tubular member said ejector rod serves to engage the object temporarily stored in said tubular member and to eject the object therefrom and insert the object into the inflated balloon mounted on said open end thereof.
- 14. A balloon stuffer as set forth in claim 13 wherein means are provided for selectively latching and unlatching said ejector rod to and from said tubular member when said ejector rod is respectively unlatched from said latched to said pump housing.
- 15. A balloon stuffer as set forth in claim 11 wherein means are provided for selectively latching and unlatching said piston to and from said pump housing so as to permit unlatching thereof during an operating cycle of said pump while the balloon is being inflated and latching thereof following inflation of the balloon whereby when said piston is latched to said pump housing and said pump housing is moved axially toward said tubular member said ejector rod serves to engage the object temporarily stored in said tubular member and to eject the object therefrom and insert the object into the inflated balloon mounted on said open end thereof.
- 16. A balloon stuffer as set forth in claim 15 wherein means are provided for selectively latching and unlatching said ejector rod to and from said tubular member when said ejector rod is respectively unlatched from and latched to said pump housing.
- 17. A balloon stuffer as set forth in claim 12 wherein means are provided for selectively latching and unlatching said piston to and from said pump housing so as to permit unlatching thereof during an operating cycle of said pump while the balloon is being inflated and latching thereof following inflation of the balloon whereby when said piston is latched to said pump housing and said pump housing is moved axially toward said tubular member said ejector rod serves to engage the object temporarily stored in said tubular member and to eject the object therefrom and insert the object into the inflated balloon mounted on said open end thereof.
- 18. A balloon stuffer as set forth in claim 17 wherein means are provided for selectively latching and unlatching said ejector rod to and from said tubular member when said ejector rod is respectively unlatched from and latched to said pump housing.
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is related to, and a continuation-in-part application based in part on, the co-pending U.S. patent application of Craig J. Lovik entitled "BALLOON STUFFING SYSTEM" filed Feb. 12, 1988 and assigned Ser. No. 07/156,165.
US Referenced Citations (28)
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
156165 |
Feb 1988 |
|