초록 ▼

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

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. Then the disc is precision located relative to the rim by a locating mechanism to align the axes of the disc bolt holes and/or center pilot opening on a predetermined second axis of the apparatus by lateral bodily shifting of the disc radially relative to the rim to accomplish such alignment as necessary. Assembly fasteners are inserted in the registering assembly holes, and then, while so fixtured and located, the disc and rim are permanently fixed together by permanently fixing the fasteners in a non-take-apart mode.

대표청구항 ▼

A multi-piece non-take-apart vehicle wheel construction comprising a single piece drop-center-well rim having an inboard bend seat and an outboard bead seat for mounting of a pneumatic tire thereon, said rim having mounting flange means affixed thereto and extending radially inwardly of the rim, and

A multi-piece non-take-apart vehicle wheel construction comprising a single piece drop-center-well rim having an inboard bend seat and an outboard bead seat for mounting of a pneumatic tire thereon, said rim having mounting flange means affixed thereto and extending radially inwardly of the rim, and a wheel mounting disc having a center pilot opening and a circular row of wheel mounting bolt holes encircling said center pilot opening for receiving wheel mounting fasteners for fixing said wheel to the wheel mounting structure of a vehicle, said disc having a generally radially extending annular rim mounting portion radially overlapping said rim mounting flange means in assembly therewith, said disc having a first set of mounting holes formed in said disc mounting portion, said rim mounting flange means having a second set of mounting holes formed therein, said first and second set of assembly fastener mounting holes having their axis extending axially and parallel to the wheel axis and being disposed in general registry with one another in assembly, the diameter of each hole of one of said sets of assembly holes being preformed to a predetermined dimension slightly larger than the diameter of each of the holes of the other of said sets of assembly holes, and fasteners means being constructed and arranged to individually extend through individually registering ones of said first and second sets of assembly holes to permanently interconnect said disc and rim together in assembled relation with said disc and rim, said fastener means each having a shank having a diameter sized to fit tightly in the smaller diameter set of assembly holes and at least initially loosely in the larger diameter set of assembly holes to permit misalignment of the axes of the first set of assembly holes with the axes of the second set of assembly holes, the final permanent assembly of said disc and rim providing a final predetermined precision permanently fixed orientation of the axis of the center pilot opening of the disc and the axis of the circle of bolt holes of the disc relative to the average axis of the bead seats of the rim within the range of possible misalignment of the axes of said first and second set of assembly holes.