Method for assembly of vehicle wheels
AssigneeHess Engineering, Inc.
InventorsErik Waelchli, Tad A. Dickerson, Timothy J. Haynie
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for installing a wheel disc into a wheel rim to manufacture a vehicle wheel includes upper and lower disc engaging members, which are clamped against opposite sides of the disc, and upper and lower rim engaging members, which engage upper and lower edges of the rim. The disc is first separated from the rim to assure proper alignment between the disc and rim and then forced into frictional engagement with the rim, while a compressive force is applied axially along the rim to relieve stresses and facilitate installation of the disc into the rim.
Claims26
Method of installing a wheel disc into a wheel rim to assemble a vehicle wheel comprising the steps of providing a wheel disc and wheel rim assembly wherein said disc is pre-engaged with said rim, engaging axially offset surfaces of said rim with coaxial rim engaging members, engaging said disc with disc engaging members, disengaging said disc from said rim to permit alignment of the disc with the rim before the disc is fully inserted into the rim, and forcing said disc into the rim by moving said members relative to one another while maintaining the rim coaxial with the disc.
Method of installing a wheel disc into a wheel rim to assemble a vehicle wheel comprising the steps of providing a pair of coaxial rim engaging members each having a support surface for supporting an area of the rim opposite bead engaging surfaces and further having a yieldable engagement member for engaging an edge of the rim, engaging transversely extending opposite sides of said disc with disc engaging members to thereby maintain the disc in a predetermined plane, engaging the edges of said rim with said yieldable engagement members, moving said yieldable engagement members relative to the respective support surface of each rim engaging member, and forcing said disc into the rim by moving said members relative to one another while maintaining the disc coaxial with the rim.
Method as claimed in claim 18, wherein one rim engaging member is attached to a first base and the other rim engaging member is attached to a second base, and further comprising the step of moving the support surfaces relative to and closer to each respective base as said disc is being installed into said rim.
Method of installing a wheel disc having a rim engaging surface into a wheel rim having a disc engaging surface defining a recess for receiving said rim to assemble a vehicle wheel rotatable about an axis comprising the steps of providing a pair of bases and a pair of coaxial rim engaging members wherein each rim engaging member has a support surface for supporting an area of the rim opposite bead engaging surfaces and wherein one rim engaging member is connected to one base and the other rim engagement member is connected to the other base, engaging said rim with said support surfaces, engaging the disc with disc engaging members, engaging the rim engaging surface with the disc engaging surface, moving said support surfaces relative to one another, moving each support surface closer to the base to which it is connected, and forcing said disc into said recess while compressing said rim to control stresses.
Method of installing a wheel disc having a rim engaging surface into a wheel rim to assemble a vehicle wheel rotatable about an axis comprising the steps of providing a wheel rim and a wheel disc with the wheel disc removably engaged with the rim, disengaging said disc from said rim to permit alignment of the disc with the rim before the disc is inserted into the rim, and then inserting the disc fully into the rim.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.