Georg Fischer Aktiengesellschaft

Hans Kopp

Max Widmer

Helmut Kempf

The vehicle wheel comprises a rim containing an external closed ring and an internal rim ring composed of three segments and connected to a segmentally separated or segment-shaped divided disc. The beads of the pneumatic tire lie in grooves disposed between the external closed ring and the internal rim ring. Each of these grooves is formed by a bead seat, a vertical web and the external closed ring. Due to the internal pressure of the air in the pneumatic tire, each tire bead is drawn against clamping surfaces of the associated groove and sealed in relation to the external closed ring.

Vehicle wheel

A centering arrangement for aligning a wheel hub with a brake drum is disclosed. The centering arrangement includes a wheel hub, a spoke portion of substantially three-dimensional, circumferential wave shape, and at least three centering pins. The centering pins are formed as ribbed elements and are disposed in a zone remote from the regions of stress occurring in the wheel hub during operative use. Preferably, the centering pins are disposed in the wave troughs of said spoke parts.

Centering arrangement for a wheel hub

A vehicle wheel, of the type that carries a tubed tire includes a wheel body, a rim which has a plurality of segmental rim parts, a solid retaining ring which engages all of the rim parts along one side thereof, cam and cam follower means between the rim parts and the wheel body which, when powered, urge the rim parts outwardly, and a power device connected to the wheel body which is capable of actuating the cam and cam follower to urge the rim parts radially outwardly into a final position, wherein there is established an equilibrium between the urging force applied to the rim parts from the power device, and, respectively, a restraining force applied to the rim parts by the ring due to its tensile stress.

Vehicle wheel with segmental rim parts and retaining ring

In casting an annular rim member for use in a vehicle wheel for mounting a pneumatic tire, a mold cavity is formed so that the casting has at least one of a radial overdimension or a radial underdimension and its outer surface which faces the tire has an unsegmented annular area. After the casting is solidified and removed from the mold, it is plastically deformed by radially directed cold forming or working to remove the radial overdimension or underdimension. A modular cast iron is used for the casting to provide a ductile structure whose yield point is exceeded in carrying out the plastic deformation.

Cast one-piece annular rim member for a vehicle wheel

In a mold for casting an annular rim member for use in a vehicle wheel for mounting a pneumatic tire, the mold cavity is formed so that the casting has at least one of a radial overdimension or a radial underdimension and its outer surface which faces the tire has an unsegmented annular area. After the casting is solidified and removed from the mold, it is plastically deformed by radially directed cold forming or working to remove the radial overdimension or underdimension. An iron-carbon melt is used for the casting to provide a ductile structure whose yield point is exceeded in carrying out the plastic deformation.

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Uhwiesen, Switzerland

Hans Kopp