Wheel construction of shopping carts and the like

A wheel construction comprising

• a wheel of a first material comprising a central hub providing a central opening defining an axis of rotation for said wheel, a rim disposed radially outwardly of said hub, and web means connecting said rim and said hub,
• said rim defining an outermost peripheral surface and adjoining surfaces disposed radially inwardly of said outermost peripheral surface and merging into said peripheral surface,
• said rim further defining a plurality of circumferentially spaced notch means, each said notch means extending generally laterally of said rim and inwardly of said peripheral surface toward said hub, each said adjoining surface defining a plurality of notch segments each merging into a respective one of said notch means to provide a plurality of circumferentially spaced notches, each said notch segment being defined by a respective pair of inwardly-extending, inwardly diverging rim surfaces, and
• a tread member of a second material molded to said rim, said tread member being generally U-shaped in cross-section and defining an outer tread surface and an inner tread surface confronting said peripheral surface, said tread member defining a plurality of radially inwardly extending projection means substantially corresponding in shape to said notch means, and said tread member further defining a pair of radially inwardly extending lateral surfaces confronting said adjoining surfaces, and said tread member including a plurality of circumferentially spaced projection segments on each of said lateral surfaces, said projection segments respectively extending into and corresponding in configuration to said notch segments for interlocking said tread member to said rim.