Lacks Industries, Inc.

James A Woelfel

Brian C Wrase

A method and apparatus for attaching an ornamental overlay to a vehicle wheel by injecting adhesive foam through an aperture of the wheel and into a cavity formed between the wheel and the overlay. A first nest engages the outboard side of the wheel/overlay assembly to seal the inner periphery of the overlay, the valve stem opening of the overlay, the lug bolt receiving holes of the wheel, the pilot aperture of the wheel, and/or the valve stem opening of the wheel. A secondary nest engages the inboard side of the wheel/overlay assembly to seal the wheel apertures and a plurality of turbine openings in the overlay. A nozzle disposed within the secondary nest is adapted to inject the adhesive foam into the cavity through either a gap between the periphery of a wheel aperture and the periphery of a corresponding turbine opening in the overlay, through a straight or angled hole within a spoke, or through a groove within a spoke.

Method and apparatus for assembling a vehicle wheel

An apparatus and method for constructing a wheel assembly by adhesively bonding a wheel cover to a wheel using a bead of foamed-in-place adhesive. As the wheel and wheel cover are assembled together, the bead of foamed-in-place adhesive is compressed between the wheel cover and the wheel, and thereby spreads out therebetween. The method results in a more complete volumetric fill of adhesive between the wheel cover and wheel, and results in a faster cure time of adhesive when compared to the prior art, thereby enabling a reduction in manufacturing cycle time and work-in-process inventory.

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Holt, MI, United States of America

James A Woelfel