Grotnes Machine Works, Inc.

Aujit Tan

Vernon R Fencl

Johann T Hess

Kurt Debrunner

A welding machine for welding the longitudinal seams in wheel rim blanks which have been rolled into cylinders with the longitudinal edges of each blank forming a longitudinal gap includes a pair of clamping assemblies each having an inside member and an outside member for engaging the inner and outer surfaces, respectively, of the rim blank adjacent the longitudinal edges thereof on opposite sides of the longitudinal gap so as to align the longitudinal edges with each other. At least one of the clamping assemblies is movable relative to the other clamping assembly in a direction transverse to the longitudinal gap so as to permit the longitudinal edges of the rim blank to be pressed against each other. The longitudinal edges of the blank are pressed together in the transverse direction to close the gap and hold the longitudinal edges together during the welding thereof. An electric welding current is passed transversely through the longitudinal edges of the blank while continuously pressing the edges together and while continuously clamping the rim blank on both sides of the gap to maintain the edges in alignment with each other. The electric welding current is supplied to the rim blank through the outside clamping members so that the welding current flows perpendicularly through the weld line. Both the inner and outer clamping members of at least one of the clamping assemblies are supported on bearings to permit sliding movement of these clamping members.

Machine for welding seams in automotive wheel rim blanks

A system for forming wheel rim blanks in which a coiling station, an end conditioning press, a welding station, and a weld seam finishing station are all arranged to form a continuous path in the direction of the axis of the rim blank so that blanks can be readily transferred from one station to the next, with each station being simultaneously loaded and unloaded. In the coiling station a blank of strip material is coiled into the form of a cylinder with the longitudinal edges of the coiled blank defining a preloaded longitudinal gap. The coiled blank is then axially transferred to an end conditioning press while moving the longitudinal edges of the blank to predetermined circumferential positions so that the gap has a preselected width and circumferential location as it enters the press. Each time a coil blank is axially transferred from the coiling station to the end conditioning press, an end conditioned blank is simultaneously axially transferred from the press to the welding station. The end conditioning press flattens the longitudinal edge portions of the coiled blank, and these longitudinal edges are then welded together in the welding station. From the welding station, the welded blanks are axially transferred to a finishing station where they are advanced through a longitudinal trimming station for removing weld flash from the longitudinal surfaces of the weld seam, a planishing station for planishing the longitudinal surfaces of the weld seam, and an edge trimming station for removing weld flash from the ends of the weld seam. The system is adjustable throughout for forming rim blanks of different diameters and axial lengths.

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Chicago, IL, United States of America

Aujit Tan