Apparatus for producing a vehicle wheel rim

A wheel rim expanding tooling apparatus comprising:

• an inboard wheel rim expanding tooling assembly including an inboard expander press, an inboard barrel head, and an inboard expander press guide support, said inboard expander press guide support including a base plate, an inboard barrel head support bracket, and a pair of runners, said base plate adapted to be secured to a surface of the wheel rim expanding tooling apparatus, said base plate including a pair of spaced apart rails, said inboard barrel head support bracket including a main body having a pair of spaced apart mounting legs extending therefrom, said main body defining a generally U-shaped cradle having a plurality of apertures formed therethrough and adapted to receive a fastener to thereby secure said inboard barrel head thereto, said runners being secured to said mounting legs, said runners and said rails cooperating to enable said inboard wheel rim expanding tooling assembly to be selectively moveable between a retracted non-working position and an extended working position;
• and
• an outboard wheel rim expanding tooling assembly including an outboard expander press, an outboard barrel head, and an outboard expander press guide support, said outboard expander press guide support including a base plate, an outboard barrel head support bracket, and a pair of runners, said base plate adapted to be secured to a surface of the wheel rim expanding tooling apparatus, said base plate including a pair of spaced apart rails, said outboard barrel head support bracket including a main body having a pair of spaced apart mounting legs extending therefrom, said main body defining a generally U-shaped cradle having a plurality of apertures formed therethrough and adapted to receive a fastener to thereby secure said outboard barrel head thereto, said runners being secured to said mounting legs, said runners and said rails cooperating to enable said outboard wheel rim expanding tooling assembly to be selectively moveable between a retracted non-working position and an extended working position.

A wheel rim expanding tooling apparatus comprising:

• an inboard wheel rim expanding tooling assembly including an inboard expander press, an inboard barrel head, and a pair of inboard expander press guide supports, each of said pair of inboard expander press guide supports including a base plate, an inboard barrel head support bracket, and a pair of runners, said base plate adapted to be secured to a surface of the wheel rim expanding tooling apparatus, said base plate including a pair of spaced apart rails, said inboard barrel head support bracket including a main body having a pair of spaced apart mounting legs extending therefrom, said main body defining a generally U-shaped cradle having a plurality of apertures formed therethrough and adapted to receive a fastener to thereby secure said inboard barrel head thereto, said runners being secured to said mounting legs, said runners and said rails cooperating to enable said inboard wheel rim expanding tooling assembly to be selectively moveable between a retracted non-working position and an extended working position;
• and
• an outboard wheel rim expanding tooling assembly including an outboard expander press, an outboard barrel head, and a pair of outboard expander press guide supports, each of said outboard expander press guide supports including a base plate, an outboard barrel head support bracket, and a pair of runners, said base plate adapted to be secured to a surface of the wheel rim expanding tooling apparatus, said base plate including a pair of spaced apart rails, said outboard barrel head support bracket including a main body having a pair of spaced apart mounting legs extending therefrom, said main body defining a generally U-shaped cradle having a plurality of apertures formed therethrough and adapted to receive a fastener to thereby secure said outboard barrel head thereto, said runners being secured to said mounting legs, said runners and said rails cooperating to enable said outboard wheel rim expanding tooling assembly to be selectively moveable between a retracted non-working position and an extended working position.