Hess Engineering, Inc.

Erik Waelchli

Tad A Dickerson

Timothy J Haynie

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.

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South Bend, IN, United States of America

Erik Waelchli