Abstract: A method of making one-piece vehicle wheels and the like includes providing a generally circular blank from sheet stock. The blank is preferably preformed with a center portion in the final shape of the disc portion of the wheel, and a peripheral portion for spin shaping the final shape of the rim portion of the wheel. The preformed blank is positioned between an outer mandrel and an inner mandrel having a fixed outboard surface, and an inboard shaping surface which conforms to the final shape of at least a portion of the rim well and the inboard bead seat and flange. An inboard section of the blank peripheral portion is spin formed against the inboard shaping surface of the inner mandrel to form the final shapes of at least a portion of the rim well and the inboard bead seat and flange.

Abstract: A full face fabricated sheet metal wheel having a rim with dual bead seats and inboard flange and a disc welded to the outboard edge of the rim and providing an outboard tire bead retaining flange with a curl rolled to finish profile without machining. Method and apparatus for making such wheel includes a roll forming machine with modified roll forming tooling and workpiece clamping mechanism so as to rotatably spring clamp and rotationally drivingly support a wheel workpiece in the machine roll forming station on axially opposed outboard and inboard power driven lower rolls during roll forming the flange curl profile. An upper outboard roll operates to first clamp a flange pre-cursor portion of the workpiece to securely stabilize and prevent tilting of the workpiece on the lower clamping support rolls and then by further successive roll forming engagement cause cold flow of the flange metal to thin and iron the flange curl to finished profile.

Abstract: A full face fabricated sheet metal wheel having a rim with dual bead seats and inboard flange and a disc welded to the outboard edge of the rim and providing an outboard tire bead retaining flange with a curl rolled to finish profile without machining. Method and apparatus for making such wheel includes a roll forming machine with modified roll forming tooling and workpiece clamping mechanism so as to rotatably spring clamp and rotationally drivingly support a wheel workpiece in the machine roll forming station on axially opposed outboard and inboard power driven lower rolls during roll forming the flange curl profile. An upper outboard roll operates to first clamp a flange pre-cursor portion of the workpiece to securely stabilize and prevent tilting of the workpiece on the lower clamping support rolls and then by further successive roll forming engagement cause cold flow of the flange metal to thin and iron the flange curl to finished profile.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming at least one mounting opening in a vehicle wheel that includes a circumferential array of locating jaws movable between an outer position and an inner position radially inward of the outer position in which the locating jaws engage the rim portion of the wheel positioned within the locating jaws. An upper die is reciprocable for forming at least one mounting opening on a first axis in the disc portion of a wheel engaged by the locating jaws. Position sensors are operatively coupled to the locating jaws for providing electrical sensor signals as a function of position of the locator jaws relative to the axis of the mounting openings formed in the wheel. The sensors are coupled to electronics for indicating position of the locator jaws relative to such axis.

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.