Abstract: Apparatus, method and sealing means for liquid urethane reaction mixture injection molding of a composite styled metal and plastic vehicle wheel wherein a metal wheel subassembly serves as a preform between the separable mold parts in the mold apparatus and which is united with the plastic body molding material to form the composite wheel. One of the mold parts has a mold cavity surface operable in mold closed condition to define with the outboard face of the wheel subassembly a mold cavity adapted to provide an ornamental configuration for an outboard face of the plastic body of the composite wheel. A gas permeable and liquid infiltratable mold sealing membrane has a first portion thereof communicating with ambient atmosphere externally of the mold cavity and a second portion thereof communicating with the mold cavity.

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: An automotive passenger vehicle full face wheel having a sheet metal disc-rim including a central bolt circle mounting portion, an intermediate portion extending generally radially outwardly therefrom and an outer peripheral portion surrounding the intermediate portion having an outboard tire bead retaining flange. The rim part includes a rim edge portion extending circumferentially continuously adjacent the rim outboard lead seat and permanently joined by a continuous weld to the disc-rim outer peripheral portion. In a first embodiment the disc-rim intermediate portion has an outboard-concave bowl shape with a radius of curvature ranging about 10.50 to about 11.00 inches. The bolt circle mounting portion has pad surfaces defining a wheel mounting plane and a frusto conical transition portion outboard divergent therefrom joined integrally to the bowl portion by an annular bend portion spaced axially from the mounting plane about 0.75 to 1.50 inches.

Abstract: An improved wheel disc and disc and and rim wheel assembly, and method and press apparatus for manufacturing the same. The wheel disc is adapted for telescopic press fit precision mounting into a mating wheel rim to form the wheel assembly. A flat disc blank is progressively die formed into a disc preform having a cross-sectional contour proximating that of the finished disc. The disc preform is then placed in a segmental expand punch and die tooling of the press apparatus which operates to apply radial expansion pressure to substantially the entire inner circumference of the peripheral flange portion of the disc preform to thereby permanently deform the same into a finished flange portion on the disc having precision finished predetermined dimensions.

Abstract: In one method of making the wheel the parts are temporarily assembled in a fixture with the connector flanges movably engaged with one another, and the center part is precision located relative to the rim in a predetermined orientation relative to the rim bead seats by bodily shifting of the center part as and if necessary relative to the rim to accomplish such alignment. The parts are then permanently assembled in fixed relationship while so located by permanently securing the connector flanges together in a non-take-apart mode to provide a final predetermined permanently fixed orientation of the center part relative to the rim bead seats.

Abstract: An improved wheel disc and disc and and rim wheel assembly, and method and press apparatus for manufacturing the same. The wheel disc is adapted for telescopic press fit precision mounting into a mating wheel rim to form the wheel assembly. A flat disc blank is progressively die formed into a disc preform having a cross-sectional contour proximating that of the finished disc. The disc preform is then placed in a segmental expand punch and die tooling of the press apparatus which operates to apply radial expansion pressure to substantially the entire inner circumference of the peripheral flange portion of the disc preform to thereby permanently deform the same into a finished flange portion on the disc having precision finished predetermined dimensions.

Abstract: A multi-piece, non-take-apart vehicle wheel disc and rim assembly and method of making the same. The wheel rim has a disc mounting flange extending radially inwardly of the rim which radially overlaps the disc. The disc and rim are each finish formed prior to assembly and each have a set of assembly-mounting holes extending parallel to the wheel axis which are generally registered in initial assembly. One assembly hole set is preformed slightly larger in diameter than the other. The rim is fixtured on an assembly apparatus to orient the average axis of the rim bead seats on a predetermined first axis of the apparatus. Then the disc is placed loosely on the rim with the sets of disc and rim assembly holes generally registered.

Abstract: A multi-piece, non-take-apart full-face vehicle wheel assembly having a multiple-part disc in which a wheel mounting disc center part and a disc outer part are each made separately from one another. Each disc part has an annular connector flange formed respectively at the inner and outer peripheries thereof engaging one another in assembly and permanently secured to join the disc parts. Various types of flange joints and fastening systems are employed to join the flanges, including welding systems and mechanical fastening systems. In one joint embodiment the connector flanges of the disc outer part and center part have either conical or cylindrical shape and extend respectively inboard and outboard of said wheel assembly and slidably telescopically overlap with a press fit in assembly. In another joint embodiment the overlapping flanges of the disc center and outer parts extend generally radially of the wheel assembly.

Abstract: Expanding apparatus and method for sizing a one-piece drop-center wheel rim having first and second ganged arrays of rim sizing die segments insertable into the rim from one side thereof, and a third array of rim sizing die segments insertable into the opposite side of the rim, all three arrays cooperating to form a complete array of die segments for expansion sizing of the rim. A single wedge mechanism moves the arrays radially outwardly to individually size the inboard bead seat, outboard bead seat and drop-center well zones of the rim in response to relative coaxial movement of the wedge and arrays in a rim expansion working stroke along a longitudinal axis of the wedge. The wedge includes an expansion cone mechanism comprising first, second and third cone cams respectively individually operably associated with the first, second and third die arrays for radially expanding the same in such working stroke.

Abstract: An improved wheel disc and disc and rim wheel assembly, and method and press apparatus for manufacturing the same. The wheel disc is adapted for telescopic press fit precision mounting into a mating wheel rim to form the wheel assembly. A flat disc blank is progressively die formed into a disc preform having a cross-sectional contour proximating that of the finished disc. The disc preform is then placed in a segmental expand punch and die tooling of the press apparatus which operates to apply radial expansion pressure to substantially the entire inner circumference of the peripheral flange portion of the disc preform to thereby permanently deform the same into a finished flange portion on the disc having precision finished predetermined dimensions.

Abstract: A multi-piece, non-take-apart vehicle wheel disc and rim assembly and method of making the same. The wheel rim has a disc mounting flange extending radially inwardly of the rim which radially overlaps the disc. The disc and rim are each finish formed prior to assembly and each have a set of assembly-mounting holes extending parallel to the wheel axis which are generally registered in initial assembly. One assembly hole set is preformed slightly larger in diameter that the other. The rim is fixture on an assembly apparatus to orient the average axis of the rim bead seats on a predetermined first axis of the apparatus. Then the disc is placed loosely on the rim with the sets of disc and rim assembly holes generally registered.

Abstract: Manufacture of brake drums having an annular brake ring and a drum back for mounting the ring for rotation about an axis defined at least in part by one or more openings in the back. Radial runout of the brake ring is measured, and the mounting openings in the drum back are located at a position to substantially cancel the first harmonic of measured radial runout. The radially inwardly directed braking surface of the drum ring is then finish-machined on a cylinder of revolution coaxial with the drum back mounting openings so as to provide a brake ring of substantially uniform thickness and weight distribution about the axis of rotation defined by the drum back mounting openings.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming the bolt openings and/or the center-pilot opening in a vehicle wheel that includes a circumferential array of locating jaws for engaging and locating the rim portion of the wheel. 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. The locating jaws are movable between a first or outer position, and a second or inner position radially inward of the outer position and in which the locating jaws engage the rim portion of the wheel positioned within the locating jaws. A ring mechanism surrounds the first axis and is disposed for radial abutment by the mechanism for moving the locator jaws at the second or inner position of the locator jaws so as to define the second or inner position of the locating jaws concentrically with each other on a second axis, which may be either concentric with or eccentric to the first axis.

Abstract: A take-apart tire and wheel assembly including a multi-piece wheel rim having axially spaced bead flanges, a rim base, and a pneumatic tubeless tire, preferably adapted to removably receive in its tire inflation chamber a safety runflat insert. The wheel assembly also includes a safety vent for preventing inflation of the tire cavity in the event of improper assembly or disassembly of the safety tire and wheel assembly, including an O-ring seal disposed between opposing portions of rim segments of the wheel assembly, and mounting studs and associated nuts that releasably clamp the rim segments together with the O-ring captured in compression therebetween. The outboard wheel rim segment includes a wheel mounting disc and also a safety inflation valve coupling fixed to the outboard rim segment. The rim segment and coupling each have a through passageway and together define an interior air passage which communicates with the tire cavity.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacture of a vehicle wheel rim and disc assembly with controlled lateral runout characteristics in which a preformed rim is fixtured and rotated while gauges measure lateral runout of the inboard and outboard rim bead seats. Phase angle and amplitude of the first harmonic of average lateral runout of the bead seats are determined, which effectively identify a rim plane of substantially zero first harmonic of bead seat lateral runout. The wheel disc is fixtured with its mounting surface, defined by the inboard face of the disc, at predetermined orientation with respect to the rim plane of substantially zero first harmonic of bead seat lateral runout, either parallel thereto for a true running wheel or at predetermined angular orientation with respect thereto for placing the high point or low point of the first harmonic of lateral runout of the rim and disc assembly adjacent to a predetermined location circumferentially of the rim.

Abstract: A one-piece sheet metal automotive passenger vehicle spare wheel and tire integrated thereon, having a mounting disc and a non-pneumatic tire-supporting rim. The rim has a radially outwardly arched rim portion of toroidal geometry with a generally uniform radius of curvature and cross-section thickness. The rim is cantilevered from the disc and has a radially in-turned flange at its free end thereof extending convergently toward the disc. The disc part has three successively contiguous integral and annularly continuous disc zone portions: (a) a radially outermost generally frusto-conical face zone having air vent openings therein, (b) a radially innermost face zone with an annular hat section protruding outboard of the wheel, and (c) a bolt circle mounting portion adapted for removable mounting to an automotive passenger vehicle wheel hub, axle or other mounting part. The cross sectional thickness of the rim portion is generally less than that of the disc and rim flange.

Abstract: Manufacture of brake drums having an annular brake ring and a drum back for mounting the ring for rotation about an axis defined at least in part by one or more openings in the back. Radial runout of the brake ring is measured, and the mounting openings in the drum back are located at a position to substantially cancel the first harmonic of measured radial runout. The radially inwardly directed braking surface of the drum ring is then finish-machined on a cylinder of revolution coaxial with the drum back mounting openings so as to provide a brake ring of substantially uniform thickness and weight distribution about the axis of rotation defined by the drum back mounting openings.

Abstract: A composite style wheel, and method and apparatus for making the same, including a metal wheel mounting disc and a rim secured thereto adapted to receive a tire thereon, and a composite plastic ornamental overlay covering at least part of the outboard face of the disc and/or rim. The overlay includes a molded in-situ body of relatively high density resilient urethane plastic material permanently affixed to the disc and/or rim and a plastic insert having a weight-to-volume ratio much less than that of the body plastic material. At least the major portion of the insert is disposed radially outwardly from the overlay, aperture wheel mounting and the overlay body plastic material covers the insert so as to completely embed the same in the composite overlay to thereby hide the insert from view and assist in securement thereof to the wheel. The overlay body is cast and cured against the wheel metal with the insert pre-secured thereto.

Abstract: A fiber-reinforced composite vehicle wheel that comprises an annular rim for receiving a vehicle tire and a central disc internally spanning the rim for mounting the rim and tire on a vehicle. Mounting openings are formed in the wheel disc in an array that surrounds the wheel axis of rotation, and are received in assembly with a vehicle over mounting studs that project from a mounting plate. Mounting nuts are threaded onto the studs and seated against opposing axially-oriented conical surfaces of the wheel disc surrounding each mounting opening for clamping the wheel firmly against the mounting plate. A layer of antiseize lubricant is located on the disc seating surfaces surrounding the mounting openings prior to assembly of the fastener nuts.

Abstract: A road wheel for a track laying vehicle comprising a metallic disc and rim part wherein the rim portion of the part is of toroidal geometry. An elastomeric tire .[.tread.]. .Iadd.part .Iaddend.is bonded to the outer surface of the rim part and has a .Iadd.tread with .Iaddend.a cylindrical outer face adapted for engagement with the track treads of the track laying vehicle. The cross sectional thickness of the metallic disc and rim part is substantially uniform throughout the same. The rim portion has a radially in-turned flange at the free end thereof extending at an acute angle to the axis of the road wheel. The disc portion merges with the rim portion integrally through a bend portion and extends radially inwardly a given distance to provide a track lug wear surface. The disc portion also has a reverse bend offset axially toward the outer free edge of the rim portion to provide clearance for track guide lugs in the operation of said wheel.