Patents Assigned to Accuride Corporation
  • Patent number: 6193321
    Abstract: A full faced vehicle wheel manufactured by stamping a steel disc, embossing a plurality of vent holes in the disc and rolling a partial steel rim. The partial steel rim has an outer beadseat with an outer edge, the outer beadseat at its inner surface rolled at a predetermined angle and to a predetermined inner diameter at its edge. The full faced disc has an outer flange with an inner surface smoothly flowing into a radius which smoothly flows into a circumferential beadseat area extending inwardly at a corresponding matching angle to the aforesaid predetermined angle. The vent holes are embossed to extend the beadseat area inwardly at the same matching angle at the outer periphery of the vent holes, to form inwardly extending, intermittent supporting and guiding areas only at the vent holes. The outer surface edge of each intermittent area has an outer diameter slightly less than the aforesaid predetermined inner diameter of the rim edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Accuride Corporation
    Inventors: Ratko Cvijanovic, Daryl Siedelmann
  • Patent number: 6073347
    Abstract: A full faced vehicle wheel manufactured by stamping a steel disc, embossing a plurality of vent holes in the disc and rolling a partial steel rim. The partial steel rim has an outer beadseat with an outer edge, the outer beadseat at its inner surface rolled at a predetermined angle and to a predetermined inner diameter at its edge. The full faced disc has an outer flange with an inner surface smoothly flowing into a radius which smoothly flows into a circumferential beadseat area extending inwardly at a corresponding matching angle to the aforesaid predetermined angle. The vent holes are embossed to extend the beadseat area inwardly at the same matching angle at the outer periphery of the vent holes, to form inwardly extending, intermittent supporting and guiding areas only at the vent holes. The outer surface edge of each intermittent area has an outer diameter slightly less than the aforesaid predetermined inner diameter of the rim edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2000
    Assignee: Accuride Corporation
    Inventors: Ratko Cvijanovic, Daryl Siedelmann
  • Patent number: 6029351
    Abstract: A vehicle wheel with a roll-formed rim has an interior rim section and axially spaced first and second beadseat sections. A disc is attached at its skirt flange to the first beadseat section. The first beadseat section has radially outward and radially inward surfaces, both angled radially outward from the wheel axis for example at a fifteen degree angle. A roll-formed groove is formed in the radially inward surface of the first beadseat section, the groove having an inwardly facing cylindrical first surface. The skirt flange has an outwardly facing cylindrical first surface, which engages and is press-fit with the groove cylindrical first surface. The skirt flange and rim are then welded. The groove has a second frusto-conical surface adjacent the groove cylindrical surface. The skirt flange may have a second frusto-conical surface to mate with the groove second frusto-conical surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: Accuride Corporation
    Inventor: Ratko Cvijanovic
  • Patent number: 5772288
    Abstract: A vehicle wheel with a roll-formed rim has an interior rim section and axially spaced first and second beadseat sections. A disc is attached at its skirt flange to the first beadseat section. The first beadseat section has radially outward and radially inward surfaces, both angled radially outward from the wheel axis for example at a fifteen degree angle. A roll-formed groove is formed in the radially inward surface of the first beadseat section, the groove having an inwardly facing cylindrical first surface. The skirt flange has an outwardly facing cylindrical first surface, which engages and is press-fit with the groove cylindrical first surface. The skirt flange and rim are then welded. The groove has a second frusto-conical surface adjacent the groove cylindrical surface. The skirt flange may have a second frusto-conical surface to mate with the groove second frusto-conical surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1998
    Assignee: Accuride Corporation
    Inventor: Ratko Cvijanovic
  • Patent number: 5692811
    Abstract: A centering apparatus for centering a detachable vehicular wheel with a central opening on a hub. The one-piece centering apparatus fits in an annular groove in the hub pilot boss. The one-piece centering apparatus may be in the shape of a ring, with bendable and resilient fingers extending outwardly from the ring at an angle away from the outer end of the pilot boss. As the wheel is mounted over the hub pilot boss, a flange at the wheel central opening presses against the fingers on the ring. This causes the fingers to bend slightly to compensate for any interference fit. The resilient action of the fingers keeps the wheel centered on the hub. The wheel is then bolted to the wheel assembly. In other embodiments, the centering apparatus has a cross-section in the approximate shape of a "V", "U", "N", or "M", one leg of which serves as the bendable and resilient finger. The fingers may be replaced by a continuous member extending around the circumference of the pilot boss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 2, 1997
    Assignee: Accuride Corporation
    Inventor: Larry Keith Rogers
  • Patent number: 5228754
    Abstract: A standardized wheel balance weight with a weight, a resilient clip attached at one end to the weight, and the opposite end of the clip split into at least two clip portions each defining a different unloaded gap dimension with respect to the weight to accommodate different rim flange thicknesses and contours. The opposite end of the clip may be trifurcated or split into four or more clip portions to define the two different unloaded gap dimensions. The opposite end of the clip also may be at least trifurcated into at least three clip portions to define at least three different unloaded gap dimensions with respect to the weight. Five clip portions may define the three different unloaded gap dimensions. The clip is self-retaining in all instances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1993
    Assignee: Accuride Corporation
    Inventor: Larry K. Rogers