Automobile spider wheel having a stainless steel face layer and a process for manufacturing the wheel

Abstract

An automobile spider wheel is made of aluminum alloys and has an outer face layer made of stainless steel. A process for manufacturing the automobile spider wheel includes working the stainless steel insert by a known press process based on side face shapes of an automobile wheel. Joining faces of the insert are treated roughly by sanding or brushing for joining with melted aluminum alloys. Protrusions are fixed on the joining faces of the insert in positions corresponding to rim support faces of the insert. The stainless steel insert is inserted in surface-to-surface relationship with a surface of a lower mold of a molding device with the protrusions projecting upwardly. The stainless steel insert is integrally molded to the melted alloys to form the wheel by a known die casting process after closing the molding device. The automobile spider wheel of Al alloys with a viewable face layer of the stainless steel plate insert has a pleasing appearance without any of the aluminum plating showing in the external appearance of the wheel and the wheel faces are easy to clean.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.