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A pneumatically operated gas valve includes a piston positioned in a cylinder with one closed end so that the piston may seat against a gas outlet to close the gas valve. A control reservoir may be formed in the cylinder between the piston and the closed end of the cylinder. Means for filling the co

A pneumatically operated gas valve includes a piston positioned in a cylinder with one closed end so that the piston may seat against a gas outlet to close the gas valve. A control reservoir may be formed in the cylinder between the piston and the closed end of the cylinder. Means for filling the control reservoir with gas to a control pressure may be provided so that the control pressure acting against the piston may close the gas valve. A release valve may be opened to allow the gas in the control reservoir to escape through an exhaust port to open the gas valve.

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1. A rapid opening gas valve comprising: a primary gas reservoir having a primary gas outlet with an outlet area, the primary gas reservoir being configured to hold primary gas at a primary gas pressure;a cylinder with one closed end fixedly positioned inside the primary gas reservoir;a piston shape

1. A rapid opening gas valve comprising: a primary gas reservoir having a primary gas outlet with an outlet area, the primary gas reservoir being configured to hold primary gas at a primary gas pressure;a cylinder with one closed end fixedly positioned inside the primary gas reservoir;a piston shaped to fit in the cylinder, the piston having a cross-sectional area greater than the outlet area of the primary gas outlet and positioned in the cylinder, the piston able to slide in a reciprocating motion in the cylinder, wherein a control reservoir having a control pressure is created in the cylinder between the closed end of the cylinder and the piston, a volume of the control reservoir dependent on a position of the piston in the cylinder, the control pressure acting on the piston produces a control pressure force;a compressed spring positioned between the closed end of the cylinder and the piston to produce a compression spring force on the piston, a sum of the control pressure force and the compression spring force acting to push the piston towards the primary gas outlet;a cushion positioned in the cylinder between the one closed end of the cylinder and the piston, wherein the piston presses the cushion against the one closed end of the cylinder in response to the release valve being in a fully open position;means for filling the control reservoir with control gas to the control pressure; anda release valve having an input and an outlet, the input of the release valve pneumatically coupled to the control reservoir;wherein a release force acts to push the piston in a direction opposite the compression spring force and the control pressure force, the release force being equal to an outlet pressure acting on the outlet area of the primary gas outlet plus the primary gas pressure acting on an area equal to the cross-sectional area of the piston less the outlet area;wherein the control pressure force plus the compression spring force being greater than the release force results in the piston being out of contact with the cushion and seated against the primary gas outlet, blocking primary gas from leaving the primary gas reservoir;wherein, in response to opening the release valve the control gas in the control reservoir escapes through the outlet of the release valve causing the sum of the control pressure force and the compression spring force to fall below the release force, resulting in the piston quickly sliding into the cylinder, away from the primary gas outlet, to the fully open position within 100 milliseconds, allowing the gas in the primary gas reservoir to flow through the primary gas outlet; andwherein the piston comprises a chamfered end configured to seal the primary gas outlet as the piston extends out from the cylinder. 2. The gas valve of claim 1, wherein the cylinder has a circular cross-section. 3. The gas valve of claim 1, wherein the piston includes a piston ring, the piston ring positioned on the outside of the piston in close engagement with an inside wall of the cylinder. 4. The gas valve of claim 3, wherein said means for filling the control reservoir comprise: at least one gap in the piston ring to allow the gas to flow from the primary gas reservoir, through said at least one gap, into the control reservoir. 5. The gas valve of claim 1, wherein said means for filling the control reservoir comprise: a control gas inlet pneumatically coupled to the control reservoir and configured to allow gas from an external source to flow from the control gas inlet into the control reservoir without first flowing through the primary gas reservoir. 6. The gas valve of claim 5, further comprising: a check valve positioned to allow the gas to flow from the control reservoir into the primary gas reservoir if the control pressure is greater than the primary pressure. 7. The gas valve of claim 1, wherein said means for filling the control reservoir comprise: a hole in the cylinder to allow the gas to flow from the primary gas reservoir, through said hole, into the control reservoir. 8. The gas valve of claim 1, wherein the release valve is a poppet valve. 9. The gas valve of claim 1, wherein the release valve is manually operated. 10. The gas valve of claim 1, further comprising: a primary gas input to the primary gas reservoir, the primary gas input located axially with the piston and the primary gas outlet. 11. The gas valve of claim 1, wherein the piston comprises a polymer. 12. The gas valve of claim 11, wherein the polymer is a polyacetal polymer. 13. A tire seating system comprising: a tank suitable for holding pressurized gas;the gas valve of claim 1, wherein the primary gas reservoir of the gas valve is pneumatically coupled to the tank; anda nozzle suitable for blowing gas between a rim and a tire mounted on the rim to seat the tire on the rim;wherein the nozzle is pneumatically coupled to the primary gas outlet of the gas valve. 14. The gas valve of claim 1, further comprising: an input port pneumatically coupled to the primary gas reservoir to allow compressed air to enter the primary gas reservoir;wherein the primary gas reservoir is configured to hold the compressed air after the input port is closed until the release valve is opened. 15. The gas valve of claim 1, wherein said means for filling the control reservoir comprise: space between the cylinder and the piston to allow the gas to flow from the primary gas reservoir, through said space, into the control reservoir. 16. A rapid opening gas valve comprising: a primary gas reservoir having a primary gas outlet with an outlet area, the primary gas reservoir being configured to hold primary gas at a primary gas pressure;a cylinder with a closed end and an open end fixedly positioned inside the primary gas reservoir and oriented with the open end toward the primary gas output;a piston with a chamfered end positioned in the cylinder and configured to slide in a reciprocating motion in the cylinder, the chamfered end of the piston configured to seal the primary gas outlet if the piston extends out from the cylinder;a compressed spring positioned between the closed end of the cylinder and the piston to provide a compression spring force that acts to extend the piston out from the cylinder;a cushion positioned at the closed end of the cylinder, the cushion configured to be out of contact with the piston if the piston is in a position to seal the primary gas outlet, wherein the piston presses the cushion against the closed end of the cylinder upon the release valve being in a fully open position;a control reservoir located between the closed end of the cylinder and the piston, the control reservoir having a control pressure that acts on the piston to produce a control pressure force, a volume of the control reservoir dependent on a position of the piston in the cylinder, wherein a sum of the control pressure force and the compression spring force acts to push the piston towards the primary gas outlet;a pneumatic coupler between the primary gas reservoir and the control reservoir to allow gas to pass from the primary gas reservoir to the control reservoir;a release valve having an input coupled to the control reservoir; anda gas inlet pneumatically coupled to the primary gas reservoir;wherein a release force acts to push the piston in a direction opposite the compression spring force and the control pressure force, the release force being equal to an outlet pressure acting on the outlet area of the primary gas outlet plus the primary gas pressure acting on an area equal to the cross-sectional area of the piston less the outlet area; andwherein, in response to opening the release valve the control pressure in the control reservoir drops causing the sum of the control pressure force and the compression spring force to fall below the release force, resulting in the piston quickly sliding into the cylinder, away from the primary gas outlet, to the fully open position within 100 milliseconds, allowing the gas in the primary gas reservoir to flow through the primary gas outlet. 17. The gas valve of claim 16, wherein the pneumatic coupler comprises space between the cylinder and the piston. 18. The gas valve of claim 1, wherein the cushion comprises an o-ring. 19. The gas valve of claim 16, wherein the piston comprises a polymer. 20. The gas valve of claim 19, wherein the polymer is a polyacetal polymer.