Wheel rim stacking device

A method for creating a stack of coaxially placed wheel rims, said method comprising the steps of:

• (i) placing onto a first wheel rim, a wheel rim stacking apparatus having an annular flange including an inwardly directed substantially cylindrical shaped wall of a diameter substantially commensurate with an outside diameter of a rim flange of said wheel rim to allow said wheel rim to engage said cylindrical wall which is to be located outside of said rim flange, said cylindrical wall including an upper edge and a lower edge, a landing web extending radially inwardly from said annular flange and positioned intermediate of said upper and lower edge of said cylindrical wall, said landing web presenting (a) an upwardly facing surface providing vertical support to an upper one of said wheel rims, and (b) a downwardly facing surface to locate on top of an adjacent lower one of said wheel rims, said annular flange having disposed at a periphery at least one connector to allow connection between aplurality of said annular flanges, to be positioned co adjacent to each other, in order to allow two or more adjacent stacks of supported wheel rims to depend from each other, said connector facilitating mechanical and releasably lockability with adjacent annular flanges,
• (ii) placing onto said upwardly facing surface of said landing web a second wheel rim, said second wheel rim being captured by said annular flange in a manner coaxial with said first wheel rim,
• (iii) repeating steps (i) and (ii) with a subsequent wheel rim to generate a stack of wheel rims, and
• (iv) engaging adjacent ones of the wheel rim stacking apparatus of said stack with like stacking apparatus of an adjacent stack by said connectors.

A wheel rim stacking apparatus to stack at least two wheel rims in a coaxial and vertical relationship, said apparatus comprising:

• an annular flange including an inwardly directed substantially cylindrical shaped wall of a diameter substantially commensurate with an outside diameter of a rim flange of said wheel rim to allow said wheel rim to engage said cylindrical wall, said cylindrical wall being located on the outside of said rim flange, and said cylindrical wall including an upper edge and a lower edge,
• a landing web extending radially inwardly from said annular flange and said landing web being positioned intermediate of said upper and lower edge of said cylindrical wall, said landing web presenting (a) an upwardly facing surface providing vertical support to an upper one of said wheel rims, and (b) a downwardly facing surface to locate on top of an adjacent lower one of said wheel rims,
• said annular flange having disposed at a periphery at least one connector,
• each said connector including a slot extending in an upward/downward direction into which a leg of a bifurcated connector element is located, the other leg of said bifurcated connector element being likewise engagable with an adjacent connector of an adjacent wheel rim stacking apparatus to selectively engage the adjacent wheel rim stacking apparatus.