Abstract:
A flaring apparatus including at least one of die member positional adjustment apparatus and a defective rim element ejecting apparatus. The positional adjustment apparatus includes a connecting shaft provided between a die member mounting block and a link mechanism for moving the mounting block. The connecting shaft has shaft portions, axes of which are radially offset from each other. By rotating the connecting shaft, the die member position can be adjusted. Therefore, there is no need to provide a shim between the die member and the mounting block. The defective rim element ejecting apparatus includes a pressure sensing switch which can detect an increase in pressure within a space defined by a rim element and the die members during flaring. When the pressure sensing switch does not detect a predetermined increase in the pressure of the space, for example, when the rim is cracked, a conveyor path device opens and the defective rim element will drop into an ejecting duct thereby ejecting the defective rim element from the manufacturing line.
Abstract:
A radial truing device is disclosed having two sets of parallel jaws that are spaced apart to engage the opposite bead seats of a wheel, and the like. The jaws comprise radially extending slides, and each set of jaws is actuated by a separate ring, which rotates to move overcenter devices to an inline position to move the jaws radially inwardly. The overcenter devices bear against one half of a ring, and an antifriction bearing capable of absorbing radial and lateral movement is positioned between the other half of the ring and the frame. In the preferred embodiment, the overcenter devices are toggles that are connected to the jaws and to the rings by pins, and the bearings are generally in line with the connection of the overcenter device and the ring, so that the overcenter devices run true. The rings are actuated separately so that a lateral working of the wheel can be provided and so that a sequential deformation of the wheel is accomplished by forces exerted over a greater period of time than is possible by the prior art. In addition, a radially shiftable table having a resilient surface is provided which will accommodate the complex movement of the workpiece that is produced by the two sets of jaws.
Abstract:
A method of manufacturing a solid wheel rim having a wheel-rim flange at one end of a wheel-rim base and a spring-ring groove at an opposite end of the base, from a rolled and longitudinally welded sheet metal ring of a predetermined inner diameter having a reduced wall thickness over at least a part of its length, includes the expansion of a portion of the ring to produce an annular groove zone having an inner diameter equal to the predetermined inner diameter, an enlarged zone having an inner diameter greater than such predetermined diameter, and a tapered zone located between the annular groove and enlarged zones, the wall thickness of the ring being reduced during a pressing operation, and forming the spring-ring groove and the wheel-rim flange upon application of pressure. The pressing operation and the applications of pressure may constitute a single working operation, or may be carried out by using first, second and third presses, respectively. SUThe invention relates to a method of manufacturing solid wheel rims, for example for trucks or lorries, with a wheel flange at one side of the wheel rim base and a spring ring groove at the other side, from a rolled (rounded) and longitudinally welded sheet metal ring which is shaped to the respective section shape and the wall thickness of which is reduced over at least part of its length.In a known method of this kind (German Federal Republic Offenlegungsschrift 2343247) the spring ring groove is first of all impressed at one end of the sheet metal ring, the sheet metal ring is then shaped in determined zones from the spring ring groove towards the flange end and then stretched to its desired wall thickness and thereafter the other end is opened out to form the flange. The stretching takes place therewith through two rolling surpluses, the wheel rim base being extended in the second surplus. This known method is relatively complicated on the one hand having regard to its separate operations or procedures, as the extension of the wheel-rim base and the formation of a recess for the spring ring have to take place in separate operations, and on the other hand is relatively expensive having regard to the tools employed. Over and above that there is also not attained at least in the zone of the spring ring groove the optimum varying wall thickness which is in comformity with the incident loads, as the spring ring groove is formed before the extension is effected. Thus, too much unneccessary material is always accumulated. Moreover after the known method the outer edging must subsequently be calibrated and the radii between the wheel rim base and on the one hand the annular groove, and on the other hand the flange, have to be smoothed.An object of the present invention is to provide a method of the initially-mentioned kind in which there is obtained over the whole profile of the wheel rim a varying wall thickness precisely conforming in all points and zones to the required cross-section, and which can be conducted simply and with cheaper tools.In attaining this objective provision is made according to the invention for the rolled and longitudinally-welded sheet-metal ring to be partially enlarged during the rounding operation by variable expanding, for this enlarged zone together with the annular groove end and an inclined zone located therebetween to be then reduced in wall thickness by hydraulic pressure or application of pressure, for the annular groove outer end to be pressed through about 90.degree. and for the sheet-metal ring then to be bent outwardly flat acute-angled at its flange end and to be shaped to a rounded flange.In this way there is produced a relatively simple method of manufacturing solid wheel rims, in which, by hydraulically pressing the enlarged sheet metal ring at each zone of the later flange, of the wheel-rim base and of the annular groove, precisely these wall thicknesses and that transition between two different wall thicknesses can be achieved which conforms to the later loading in the working condition. This effects a saving in material and makes possible an increase in strength and rigidity of the wheel-rim surface in specific zones. It is possible with this procedural step to stretch those zones at which little material is repuired, and to put or displace this material into those zones at which much material is required. This can be reproduced with a very high degree of accuracy. The simplicity of this procedural step is a result of the possibility of pressing in one working operation also the conical transition to the later wheel-rim flange together with the reduction in wall thickness. A further advantage consists in that the likewise necessary rounding of the sheet-metal ring after its longitudinal welding is used at the same time for the purpose of expanding the ring in such a way that the later wheel-rim base and zone of the later flange receives a greater diameter relative to the annular groove, there being formed between these two different diameters a conical zone which later forms the transition from the annular groove to the wheel-rim base. After these two essential procedural steps which make possible a wall thickness adaptation to optimum requirements and compensation for tolerances in the starting material by the axial displacement of the material and hence simple trimming operations and a constant contour yield in the critical zones, there takes place the further pressing operations which with simple tools and simpler types of machines achieve an economic improvement in the hydraulic pressure profiling. A further advantage consists in that, in the method according to the invention, subsequent smoothing in the rounded zones between the wheel-rim base and both the annular groove and the flange is not necessary, since the smoothing effect is attained on pressing of the annular groove and the flange.In an embodiment of the present invention the inclined wall zone extending between the annular groove and the wheel-rim base is pressed to a cone the inner surface of which subtends an angle .gamma. of 28.degree. with the axis of rotation. This is essential for the centering on mounting the wheel rim on the wheel spider.In order to achieve an improved loading of the wheel-rim, the flange end is preformed by first of all being bent off at an angle smaller than that at which it is finally bent.In further embodiments of the invention, the wall thickness reduction and also all other procedural steps take place in one press or a plurality of presses.
Abstract:
A system for forming flat base truck rims from flat strips of steel rolled into the form of smooth cylinders and welded together along the abutting axial edges. The system is capable of forming rims from hot rolled, rimmed, low carbon steel strips. The smooth cylinder is initially formed by a plurality of dies located at opposite ends of the cylinder and mounted for advancing movement relatively toward each other in the direction of the cylinder axis to flare a first end of the cylinder radially outwardly while rough forming a rim gutter on the other end of the cylinder. The radial thickness of the metal forming the rim gutter is increased during the rough forming thereof by applying a compressive axial load to the cylinder and providing a gutter-forming die cavity wider than the starting thickness of the cylinder. The rim gutter is warm or hot formed by heating that end of the cylinder before advancing the dies to roughly form the gutter. The flaring step is performed with an expandable die which is expanded during the flaring step and then collapsed and advanced to deform the outwardly flared portion of the cylinder to rough form a fixed flange, so that different portions of the same die are used to effect both the flaring and the flange forming. The flat base of the rim is shear formed to reduce the radial thickness thereof in the low stress area between the gutter and the fixed flange. The final profile in the fixed flange and the gutter is produced by roll forming the rim.