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. The rim is assembled onto the disc by guiding the inner surface of the rim outer beadseat over the intermittent areas and then over the beadseat area of the disc up to the radius. A weld is applied. The radius centers and provides a 360.degree. fit up of rim and disc.
Abstract:
A light-metal strip wheel, in particular for motor vehicles, which includes a wheel disk and a rim. The wheel disk comprises two wheel-disk parts each having a ventilation hole. The ventilation holes have necks that when pressed into one another, secure together the two wheel-disk parts with the two parts separated from one another in the region surrounding the ventilation holes, while coming to rest on one another in a hub region. The space between the two wheel-disk parts in the region surrounding the ventilation holes increases the stiffness of the strip wheel so that the wheel is suitable for accommodating large loads.
Abstract:
An improved method for forming a vehicle wheel includes the steps of steps of: (a) providing a rim defining a rim axis and including a generally axially extending well portion and a pair of opposed ends, one of said ends including an inboard tire bead seat retaining flange and an inboard tire bead seat, and the other end including an outboard tire bead seat; (b) providing a generally circular disc blank formed from aluminum and defining a disc axis, the disc blank including an inner annular wheel mounting portion and an outer annular portion; (c) initially stamping the disc blank to produce a generally bowl shaped disc having a first axial distance defined between an inner surface of the outer annular portion and an inner surface of the inner annular wheel mounting portion; (d) subjecting the bowl shaped disc to an intermediate metal forming operation to produce a partially formed disc having a second axial distance defined between the inner surface of the outer annular portion and the inner surface of the inner annular wheel mounting portion; the second axial distance being less than the first axial distance; (e) subjecting the partially formed disc to a final metal forming to produce a finished disc having a predetermined disc profile; and (f) joining the finished disc to the rim to produce a fabricated vehicle wheel.
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. A center pilot opening is finish formed in the disc preform in the progressive die forming operation, and then subsequently utilized to locate the disc relative to radial expansion die forming segments in press tooling to thereby ensure concentricity of the finished flange portion upon completion of the permanent radial expansion cold working operation thereon. The apparatus includes an expansion die set-up adjustment mechanism and set-up position sensors to facilitate both initial and running changes in the segmental expansion die set-up exteriorly of the tooling.
Abstract:
An improved method for producing a full face fabricated wheel. The method includes the steps of: (a) providing a rim defining an axis and including an axially extending well and a pair of opposed ends, one of the ends including an inboard tire bead seat retaining flange and an inboard tire bead seat, and the other end including an outboard tire bead seat; (b) providing a disc blank including an inner annular portion defining a wheel mounting surface; (c) flow spinning the disc blank to form an intermediate annular portion having a predetermined contour and an outer annular portion; (d) stamping the outer annular portion of the disc to form an outboard tire bead seat retaining flange of the full face wheel; (e) positioning the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange of the disc adjacent the outboard tire bead seat of the rim; and (f) securing the rim and disc together to produce the full face fabricated wheel.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a two-piece/full-face sheet metal disk wheel including a disk with a full-face structure which utilizes an outer peripheral: portion of the disk as a front-side flange of a rim. This wheel includes the rim, and the disk having the outer peripheral portion radially separated into an outer portion and an inner portion, wherein the outer portion forms the front-side flange of the rim and the inner portion forms an engagement portion for the rim, and wherein the engagement portion is engaged with and welded at the position of an inner peripheral surface on an inner side of an outer-side bead seat of the rim.
Abstract:
Process and apparatus for assembling a wheel rim and dish with a press fit wherein the abutting surfaces are of clean, unscored metal ready for subsequent welding. The rim and dish have relatively mating diameters, either over or undersized, which can be assembled without deformation and the rim and dish are then radially deformed into a press fit relationship. When the members are assembled, no lubricant is required on the surface to assemble which would interfere with welding and there is no deformation of the metal which would later cause stress cracks.
Abstract:
A light-weight vehicle wheel is formed, according to the invention, by shaping a profiled pressed or stamped sheet or band composed of a malleable aluminum alloy (AlMgSl or AlZn4.5Mgl) into the rim or felly, the wheel disk being cast from a casting alloy such as GK(GD)--AlSi12 or GK-AlSi7Mg.