Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc.

John D Nitz

Romulo A Prieto

Jiang Z Shi

Douglas P Mason

Michael C McGrath

Garth Lawrence

John J Nichols

An improved mold for casting motorcycle wheels includes a wider rim cavity having smooth contours to facilitate the flow of molten metal within the mold cavity.

Apparatus and method for gravity casting a motorcycle wheel

A mold for casting a vehicle wheel includes a plurality of mold members that cooperate to define a mold cavity. The mold cavity includes an annular rim cavity for casting a wheel rim and a disc cavity for casting a wheel disc. The mold members define a central axis and have a passageway for introducing molten metal into the rim cavity. The rim cavity has a radial width that changes in a circumferential direction between a maximum width portion of the rim cavity located proximally relative to the passageway, and a minimum width portion of the rim cavity located distally relative to the passageway. In a method for casting a vehicle wheel, a mold as described above is provided. Molten metal is introduced through the passageway into the rim cavity to fill the mold cavity and form a wheel casting. The wheel casting is allowed to cool sufficiently to solidify the metal. The changing width of the rim cavity causes a thermal gradient in the molten metal such that solidification proceeds in a circumferential direction from the minimum width portion of the rim cavity to the maximum width portion of the rim cavity. The solidified wheel casting is removed from the mold.

Mold and method for casting a vehicle wheel

A one piece cast wheel having a lightener recess formed in the wheel disc which extends axially beneath the wheel outboard tire bead seat. A method of casting such a one piece wheel which utilizes a multi-piece wheel mold having side members which include a plurality of components. A core for forming the lightener cavity is formed integrally with the side member components. The side member components are sequentially moved relative to each other to release the core from the lightener cavity.

One piece cast vehicle wheel having a circumferential lightener pocket

A one piece commercial highway vehicle wheel cast from a light weight metal in mold having a core insert which forms a circumferential lightener recess in the outboard end of the wheel.

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Ypsilanti, MI, United States of America

John D Nitz