The history of PCL’s Presetair Meter

The history of PCL's Presetair Meter

All PCL products are manufactured from the highest quality material with reliability and durability in mind, this hasn’t changed over 85 years.

The Presetair was first manufactured in the 1950s, while the unit is now obsolete and has been replaced with PCL’s advanced range of fixed tyre inflators, the Presetair is still in use around the world today.

How the Presetair worked...

The easy to operate Presetair was manufactured between 1954 and 2005 and was arguably the world’s most efficient tyre inflator of that time. All the user had to do is set the required pressure on the large internally illuminated dial, place the connector on the tyre valve and the Presetair did the rest, automatically stopping when the desired pressure was reached. The bell would ring while the tyre was being inflated, if the tyre was already over-inflated the bell would not ring, in which case the user would simply need to release the excess air by pressing the connector gently on the tyre valve, then allow the Presetair to bring the tyre up to the correct pressure in the normal way.

The evolution of the Presetair...

The Presetair prototype dates back to 1954 when the prototype was displayed at the Motor Show. and was very nearly branded under the names of Dunlop and Messrs. C.C. Wakefield after the companies expressed an interest in the product, but the PCL board of the time chose to market the product under the PCL brand.

The Presetair range from the 1956 catalogue

A few years later, PCL revealed its improved Presetair in its 1958 brochure for the International Motor Show in London. As part of PCL’s continuous improvement ethos, the head was redesigned to create a neater appearance, and now featured a simplified internal mechanism with increased efficiency, the water trap and filter was enclosed in the head unit to facilitate easier service, and the dial was internally illuminated for night service.

The Prestair Wall & Post Models in PCL's 1958 brochure

By 1963, the Presetair wall model was now available complete with the ‘Companion’ Hose Reel featuring a speed-controlled mechanism to maintain the rate of retraction at a constant and safe speed, and a ‘pilfer-proof’ locking device, this allowed the hoses to be locked away when out of service.

The Presetair Wall Model with Companion Hose Reel from PCL's 1963 catalogue

In 1975, the Presetair De-Luxe joined the range. The De-luxe addition incorporated the same reliable and well-tried mechanism as the standard Prestair, but was now available in a new style of cabinet and built-in hose reels, similar to the Tyrair Meter following its success.

The Presetair De-Luxe 

After 50 years of the Presetair, the unit was made obsolete in 2005, following the successful launch of PCL’s new range of automatic digital tyre inflators for forecourts, garages and workshops at Automechanika Frankfurt in 2002.

PCL's range of forecourt equipment at Automechanika Frankfurt 2002

Where was the Presetair used?

For over 50 years, the Presetair Meter was the go to inflation solution for many industries around the world. Here’s just a few examples of where the Presetair was used.

PCL helped speed Raleigh production

Raleigh Industries Ltd, the world famous Nottingham based manufacturers of cycles and toys, inflated around 3600 tyres per day during the 1960s and 70s, with the help of PCL Presetair Tyre Inflation meters.

As the pressures of different types of tyres varied, the required pressure could be set on the Presetair to suit the batch of tyres being inflated.

Specially modified PCL Portair Meters were also supplied to Raleigh for use by their distributors, to inflate the tyres of cycles in stock in their warehouses.

More recently, PCL has launched the new fully digital Bicycle Inflation Station designed for public use. When using this unit, cyclists can feel sure they are setting off safely with the correct pressure in their tyres. 

PCL's Bicycle Inflation Station. Read more.

Presetair cut Tyreshop dangers

The force of an exploding tyre, particular a large one, is quite startling. In the 1980s, the ‘Airsafe’ machine from Aug. Huzell AB in Sweden, was designed for inflating a lorry or bus tyre quickly, easily and above all safely.

The Airsafe could be moved at a variable distance around a central pillar so that it can pick up a tyre place anywhere nearby. The tyre was secured inside the machine’s own safety cage and lifted off the ground by 600mm to reduce the shock wave along the floor, should the tyre explode during inflation.

Off the ground the wheel and its cage revolved to give convenient access to the valve. Inflation was controlled by a built-in PCL Presetair meter. The required pressure was set on the dial, the connector clipped to the tyre valve and the Presetair was left to get on with inflation, stopping automatically when the preset pressure was reached.

A special short hose was fitted to the Presetair on the Airsafe so that it would only reach a tyre fully raised inside the safety cage and cannot be used to inflate outside the cage.

Today, PCL products such as the ACCURA QUBE and ACCURA D12 Pre-set Tyre Inflators are a popular choices for tyreshops and mobile tyre fitting vans.

Forecourts around the world

In the 1970s, a Swedish distributor incorporated the Presetair into a special air and water dispensing unit for use at petrol service stations run by the OK petrol retailing chain. The dual sided units were stationed on each petrol pump island providing Swedish motorst with convenient, easy to use air and water services. 

The Presetair was installed in many forecourts around the world, and can still be spotted on some forecourts today.

Today, PCL still manufactures tyre inflation and self-service equipment designed for petrol forecourts. The now range includes the full set up for Air, Water, Screenwash, Nitrogen, Vacuum and Fragrance provision on a forecourt from the mechanical units through to the latest in electronic inflation and dispensing as well as payment technologies and smart communication.

Presetair eliminated over-inflation hazard at David Brown Tractors

David Brown Tractors Ltd considered accidental over-inflation could be a danger to work in the plant and decided to seek advice from PCL on the problem.

They required equipment that guarantees correct tyre pressures with no danger of over-inflation, so decided to invest in the Presetair Meter.

David Browns Engineering staff retrofitted the Presetair to a trolley so they could be used a various points in the factory for checking and inflating tractor tyres.

Today, PCL offers ‘Made in Sheffield’ compact mobile inflation solutions - The N72 and AM90 - which allow flexible working and positioning in the workplace. The battery-operated units mean no trailing wires, they can be moved quickly and conveniently on castors around sites and in between vehicles.

Have you spotted a Presetair on your travels? Or do you have own a PCL product? Old or new we’d love to see it! Tag us on Instagram @pclairtechnology.