Motor Wheel Corporation

Other

The Goodyear & Tire Rubber Company

James A Woelfel

Richard W Smith

Thomas A Hineline

John H Golata

A fiber-reinforced composite vehicle wheel that comprises an annular rim for receiving a vehicle tire and a central disc internally spanning the rim for mounting the rim and tire on a vehicle. Mounting openings are formed in the wheel disc in an array that surrounds the wheel axis of rotation, and are received in assembly with a vehicle over mounting studs that project from a mounting plate. Mounting nuts are threaded onto the studs and seated against opposing axially-oriented conical surfaces of the wheel disc surrounding each mounting opening for clamping the wheel firmly against the mounting plate. A layer of antiseize lubricant is located on the disc seating surfaces surrounding the mounting openings prior to assembly of the fastener nuts.

Fiber-reinforced resin vehicle wheel mounting

A compression mold for manufacture of a fiber-reinforced composite vehicle wheel that has a circumferential array of radially reciprocable rim mold sections, a lower disc mold section affixed to a mold base, and an upper disc mold section axially reciprocable with respect to the lower disc mold section from an upper or retracted position to a lower or closed position in which opposing surfaces of the various mold sections form a wheel mold cavity. The radially reciprocable rim mold sections are slidably mounted on a retainer which is carried by springs above the mold base surrounding the lower disc mold section and are engaged by the upper disc mold section during downward motion of the latter so that the upper disc mold section and the rim mold sections move conjointly with respect to the lower disc mold section toward the closed cavity-defining position of all mold sections.

Compression mold for fiber-reinforced composite wheels

Apparatus for molding a fiber-reinforced wheel construction having an imperforate disc structure. The wheel comprises a disc portion having reinforcing fibers in substantially random orientation disposed predominantly in planes perpendicular to the wheel axis, and a rim portion having directional first reinforcing fibers substantially parallel to each other and oriented circumferentially of or substantially parallel to the wheel axis, or both, and second reinforcing fibers which are substantially randomly oriented circumferentially of the wheel axis. An apparatus for molding the wheel features radially movable rim mold sections and axially reciprocable disc mold sections all having mold surface contours for forming a molded composite wheel of desired configuration.

Mold for forming a fiber reinforced composite wheel construction

This invention discloses a creep resistant thermoset molding composition which is of particular value as a material from which wheels can be made. The creep resistant molding composition of this invention is comprised of a mixture of a vinyl ester resin and a dicyclopentadiene polyester resin.

Molding composition

A fiber-reinforced composite vehicle wheel, and a method and apparatus for construction thereof. The wheel comprises a disc portion having reinforcing fibers in substantially random orientation disposed predominantly in planes perpendicular to the wheel axis, and a rim portion having directional first reinforcing fibers substantially parallel to each other and oriented circumferentially of or substantially parallel to the wheel axis, or both, and second reinforcing fibers which are substantially randomly oriented circumferentially of the wheel axis. The method includes formation of separate rim and disc charges from sheet molding plastic resin compound and compression molding of the charges to form an integral composite rim and disc structure of essentially homogeneous resin reinforced by the fibers. An apparatus for molding the wheel features radially movable rim mold sections and axially reciprocable disc mold sections all having mold surface contours for forming a molded composite wheel of desired configuration.

Growing community of inventors

Lansing, MI, United States of America

James A Woelfel