Wheel with replacement spokes
AssigneeSuperior Industries International, Inc.
InventorRaymond C. Brown
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automotive vehicle wheel having a solid wheel body, provided with replaceable rows of inner and outer spokes. The spokes are purely ornamental and are readily replaceable in the event of damage. Such replaceability is made possible by providing each spoke with a spring-loaded longitudinally moveable mounting member which places such spokes in longitudinal compression so as to hold them in place upon the wheel body.
Claims7
In a vehicle wheel construction having a solid wheel that includes a radially extending bolt-on flange which merges into a tire-receiving rim;
- a plurality of replaceable spokes extending between radially inner and outer points on said wheel;
- a mounting member carried by each of said spokes that is longitudinally slidable relative to its respective spoke;
- and
- spring means interposed between each spoke and its mounting member biasing such spoke and its mounting member longitudinally apart, with said spokes being releasably retained in place between said inner and outer points by the compressive force exerted by said spring means between such spokes and their mounting members, and with said spokes being ornamental in function in that they do not lend any appreciable strength to said wheel.
In a vehicle wheel construction that includes a solid wheel body having a radially extending bolt-on flange that merges into a tire-receiving rim, and a cylindrical hub coaxially secured to the radially inner portion of said bolt-on flange and extending axially forwardly away from said flange, the combination of:
- a plurality of first recesses spaced circumferentially around the periphery of the front portion of said hub, and facing generally radially outwardly;
- a plurality of second recesses spaced circumferentially around the periphery of said hub rearwardly of said first recesses and facing generally radially outwardly;
- a plurality of first sockets spaced circumferentially around the periphery of the intermediate portion of said wheel body and facing generally radially inwardly;
- a plurality of second sockets spaced circumferentially around the periphery of said wheel body radially outwardly and forwardly of said first sockets, said second sockets facing generally radially inwardly;
- a first plurality of removable ornamental spokes, each having their radially inner end disposed within one of said first recesses;
- a second plurality of removable ornamental spokes, each having their radially inner end disposed within one of said second recesses;
- a spoke mounting member longitudinally slidably carried upon the outer portion of each of said spokes, each said mounting member carried by said first spokes having a ball that is removably disposed within one of said first sockets, and each said mounting member carried by said second spokes having a ball that is removably disposed within one of said second sockets;
- and
- spring means operatively interposed between the outer ends of each spoke and the spoke's mounting member, said spring means biasing said spoke and its mounting member longitudinally apart, with said spokes being releasably retained in place upon said wheel by the compressive force exerted by said spring between said mounting members and said spokes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.