Abstract: Apparatus for molding a composite metal-elastomer styled wheel in which a middle mold part consists of a metal wheel disc and rim subassembly. A base mold part seats against the outboard face of the metal wheel in the closed condition of the mold and has a mold cavity surface to provide an ornamental configuration for the outboard face of the plastic body of the composite wheel. A clamp seats against the inboard face of the middle mold part to urge the middle part into sealing engagement with the base mold part. The mold parts are axially separable from one another to open the molding apparatus to clear the middle mold part from said clamp and base mold parts. The clamp includes a funnel adapted for registry with a liquid reaction mixture injection nozzle coupled with injecting mixing apparatus. The funnel has a nozzle passage registering with a pour opening in the disc in the closed condition of the mold.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming bolt and center-pilot mounting openings in vehicle wheels, particularly styled-disc vehicle wheels. A preformed rim and disc assembly is engaged and fixtured around the rim bead seat with the inboard disc face resting on a lower die assembly and without plastic deformation to the rim or disc. An upper die assembly having an array of bolt hole punches is moved into piercing-and-coining engagement with the disc to form the bolt openings continued motion of the upper die assembly against the wheel disc pushes the disc and lower die assembly into shearing engagement with a center punch which forms the center-pilot opening. The axes of the bolt openings and/or center pilot opening and/or bead seats may be aligned or offset from each other.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for manufacturing a vehicle wheel rim and disc assembly with controlled lateral runout characteristics, as well as the resulting wheel and a pneumatic tire and wheel assembly having overall improved ride characteristics. The method and apparatus of the invention contemplate fixturing of a preformed rim so that the average plane of the rim bead seats is at preselected orientation with respect to the axis of interference pressfit of a preformed disc therein, and thus at preselected orientation with respect to the wheel mounting plane defined by the inboard disc surface. In one implementation of the invention, the average bead seat plane is made nominally parallel to the wheel mounting plane by selective adjustment of the fixturing bead seat locators, so as to minimize lateral runout of the resulting wheel.

Abstract: A balance weight for balancing first and second sizes of automobile wheels of the type having a tire rim of a given size range and having a generally radially extending tire bead retaining flange portion terminating in a generally axially outwardly extending flange portion. The balance weight body has first and second faces shaped to fit against the outboard corner of the different size rim flange portions. A weight attachment clip is cast into the body and has oppositely disposed first and second legs protruding from the body faces. The first leg projecting defines a predetermined first clearance space between it and the first body face adapted to provide an attachment fit with the first size range tire rim. The second leg defines a second predetermined clearance space between it and the second body face selected for fitting said balance weight to the second size range wheel rim flange portions.

Abstract: A composite styled wheel including a metallic disc and rim and an ornamental plastic overlay permanently affixed to the disc and/or rim. The overlay has a central cavity adapted to receive wheel hub and mounting parts therein inserted into said disc. A retainer is secured to the body and is spaced radially outwardly from the cavity surface, the overlay material engulfing the retainer so as to at least partially embed the same in the overlay to thereby hide the retainer from view and assist in securement thereof to the body. The body and retainer have cooperative detent structure disposed in the vicinity of the outboard face of said body encircling the outboard entrance to the body cavity and adapted to yieldably releasably engage a center ornament hub cap or the like for removable attachment of the same to the body to close the outboard end of the body cavity.

Abstract: System, apparatus, circuitry and method for improving electrical conductivity of contact between an electrically conductive workpiece and an electrically conductive work carrier while the workpiece is supported on the work carrier prior to moving the workpiece through an electrocoating treatment zone while supported by the work carrier. The workpiece is suspended on the carrier prior to entry into the zone bath, and then carried past a series of electrically conductive wipers during transit on the carrier toward said zone to cause successive contact with each wiper as the workpiece travels thereby. Each wiper is energized with a high voltage from a capacitor discharge power supply prior to contact with said workpiece, and the power supply is discharged from the wiper into said workpiece as a result of contact therebetween during transit of the workpiece past the wiper.

Abstract: A composite styled wheel including a metallic disc and rim adapted to receive a tire thereon, and a plastic ornamental overlay comprising a body of an elastomer material permanently adhesively affixed to said disc and rim and exposed to view from the outboard side of said wheel. The disc has a central aperture and wheel bolt holes therein and a retainer is secured to the outboard face of the disc and has a wall encircling the disc holes which separates the overlay material from the bolt circle area of the disc. The overlay material engulfs the retainer wall and thereby hides the retainer from view and assists in securement thereof to the disc. The overlay is cast and cured against the disc with the retainer pre-secured thereto. The disc outboard surface is provided with nubbins for snap-in retention of the retainer on the disc. Hollow shield members may be inserted individually into retainer apertures and each associated disc bolt hole to prevent water collection in the interior space of the retainer.

Abstract: Apparatus for manufacturing a vehicle wheel rim and disc assembly with controlled lateral runout characteristics. The apparatus of the invention contemplate fixturing of a preformed rim so that the average plane of the rim bead seats is at preselected orientation with respect to the axis of interference press-fit of a preformed disc therein, and thus at preselected orientation with respect to the wheel mounting plane defined by the inboard disc surface. In one implementation of the invention, the average bead seat plane is made nominally parallel to the wheel mounting plane by selective adjustment of the fixturing bead seat locators, so as to minimize lateral runout of the resulting wheel. In another implementation of the invention, the average bead seat plane is intentionally angulated with respect to the disc mounting plane so as to locate a peak of the first harmonic of lateral runout circumferentially adjacent to a selected location on the wheel rim, such as the rim valve hole.

Abstract: An automotive passenger vehicle, full-face styled wheel construction having a sheet metal disc with an outer peripheral portion formed to provide an outboard tire bead retaining flange. The rim includes an inboard tire bead retaining flange, an inboard tire bead seat portion, a drop-center well portion and an outboard bead seat portion. The outboard edge of the rim has a radially in-turned flange portion extending circumferentially continuously around the rim edge with a radially extending abutment surface at the outboard extremity thereof. The disc outboard flange also has a radially extending rim mating surface disposed in abutment with the rim edge abutment surface. The rim edge flange has a radially inwardly sloping surface extending between the rim outboard bead seat and rim edge abutment surface which defines with the disc outboard flange a trench disposed radially inwardly of the rim outboard bead seat.

Abstract: A road wheel for track-laying vehicles having a wear surface exposed to abrasive contact with the track guide lugs, which wear surface is formed by a wear-resistant material embedded in and surrounded by a matrix which forms an integral part of the wheel structure. The wear-resistant material may comprise a lubricant such as fibers, particles and/or bands of graphite, molybdenum disulfide, nylon, Teflon or other self-lubricating plastics which reduce friction between the wheel and track. Alternatively or conjointly, the wear-resistant material may comprise fibers, particles and/or bands of steel, tungsten carbide or ceramic. Where the wheel is of molded construction, such as aluminum or fiber-reinforced resin, the wear-resistant material may be molded into position adjacent to and the wear surface at the time of wheel manufacture. Where the wheel is preformed, the wear-resistant material may be bonded in a separately-formed resin matrix which is then permanently affixed to the road wheel shoulder.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for forming an annular article from a circular blank. The blank is held in a rotatable chuck such that a peripheral portion of the blank is spaced from the chuck while rotated about an axis of revolution thereof. A work roller edge conditions the peripheral blank portion by engagement therewith under sufficient force and for a sufficient cycle time to impart an upset condition thereto. The blank edge surface is smoothed and hardened by the work roller to a given rounded curvature in radial cross section and a controlled thickness increase is obtained in the blank peripheral portion, the maximum thickness occurring at the rounded curvature edge surface. The work roller has an external circumferential groove with an entrance wider axially of the roller than the starting axial dimension of said peripheral portion of said blank. The roller is moved in a direction perpendicular to its rotational axis with the roller groove centered on the blank edge.

Abstract: Apparatus for molding a fiber-reinforced wheel construction having an imperforate disc structure. The wheel comprises a disc portion having reinforcing fibers in substantially random orientation disposed predominantly in planes perpendicular to the wheel axis, and a rim portion having directional first reinforcing fibers substantially parallel to each other and oriented circumferentially of or substantially parallel to the wheel axis, or both, and second reinforcing fibers which are substantially randomly oriented circumferentially of the wheel axis. An apparatus for molding the wheel features radially movable rim mold sections and axially reciprocable disc mold sections all having mold surface contours for forming a molded composite wheel of desired configuration.

Abstract: A tool for mounting and demounting of large tires from associated multi-piece wheel rims. The tool includes upper and lower tubular arms each having a length adapted to span the diameter of a demountable tire retaining flange of the wheel rim while oriented perpendicular to the axis of the wheel and tire assembly. Each arm has pusher plates dependent therefrom adapted to engage the outer periphery of the tire bead retaining flange. The arms are connected by a pivot bolt so that the same can pivot relative to one another about the axis of the wheel assembly and are lockable in a given transverse crossing orientation. A pair of hold down bolts are carried on each arm spaced from one another to correspond with the diameter of the wheel disc mounting bolt hole pattern for insertion of the bolts through diametrically-opposed pairs of wheel mounting bolt holes.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a disc vehicle wheel having both bolt openings and a center pilot opening in the wheel disc wherein the average axis of the wheel bead seats is eccentrically offset from both the bolt hole circle and center hole axes by an amount and in a direction so as to locate a peak of the first harmonic of bead seat radial runout adjacent to a predetermined location on the wheel rim where the disc punch tooling is constructed such that the bolt hole circle and center hole axes are non-coincident. The location of the average bead seat axis is within a zone bounded by the angular range of the peak location with respect to the predetermined location on the wheel rim, and by radii from the bolt and center openings determined by the maximum allowable bead seat eccentricity.

Abstract: A method of forming a one-piece vehicle wheel disc and rim segment from a circular blank which includes the steps of clamping the circular blank in a spinning chuck having a mandrel with an outer surface that corresponds to the final desired geometric contour of the rim portion of the disc and rim segment. The periphery of the circular blank is then subjected to a draw spinning operation wherein a first spinning roller is cycled through a number of passes across the blank while the blank is spun by the chuck, and with the drawn portion of the blank being spaced from and unsupported by the mandrel surface.

Abstract: A ventilated disc brake rotor in which spacing between and/or radial length of cooling fins are varied around the rotor for frequency and/or amplitude modulated damping of vibration harmonics, and for balancing the rotor.

Abstract: A fiber-reinforced composite vehicle wheel, and a method and apparatus for construction thereof. The wheel comprises a disc portion having reinforcing fibers in substantially random orientation disposed predominantly in planes perpendicular to the wheel axis, and a rim portion having directional first reinforcing fibers substantially parallel to each other and oriented circumferentially of or substantially parallel to the wheel axis, or both, and second reinforcing fibers which are substantially randomly oriented circumferentially of the wheel axis. The method includes formation of separate rim and disc charges from sheet molding plastic resin compound and compression molding of the charges to form an integral composite rim and disc structure of essentially homogeneous resin reinforced by the fibers.

Abstract: A safety tire and wheel assembly which includes an improved multiple-piece wheel rim assembly for preventing inflation and/or venting to atmosphere when the rim assembly components are improperly assembled, and an improved safety insert mounted on the wheel rim base for supporting the tire tread during operation following loss of inflation pressure. The wheel rim assembly includes telescoping rim segments and an O-ring normally captured in compression between opposing portions of the rim segments for sealing the tire cavity. Air bleed passages are formed in one rim segment adjacent the sealing ring externally of the cavity to vent the tire cavity to atmosphere when sealing compressive stresses are absent from the O-ring as in the event of improper assembly or disassembly. The safety insert includes a ledge normally disposed within the tire cavity and having a radially facing surface roughened by a circumferential series of axially extending splines.

Abstract: A tire dismounting method and machine used in dismounting a tire from a rim. The machine has a frame which diametrically spans one side of the rim flange, and engages diametrically opposite portions of the rim flange to restrain movement of said machine axially of the rim, while the rim and tire assembly are supported freely on a surface. A ram is pivotally supported on the frame adjacent one end thereof for orientation of the ram with its axis generally parallel to the rim axis in operation. The ram has a piston with a presser shoe pivotally carried on its free end for movement in a travel path radially outwardly of and adjacent the rim flanges and generally parallel to the rim axis through a working stroke extending axially beyond the remote rim flange. The ram is supported such that the rim axis can move through a range of about 15.degree. from generally parallel to the rim axis to an acute angle intersecting the rim axis on the machine side thereof.