Accuride Corporation

Ratko Cvijanovic

Daryl Siedelmann

A full faced vehicle wheel manufactured by stamping a steel disc, embossing a plurality of vent holes in the disc and rolling a partial steel rim. The partial steel rim has an outer beadseat with an outer edge, the outer beadseat at its inner surface rolled at a predetermined angle and to a predetermined inner diameter at its edge. The full faced disc has an outer flange with an inner surface smoothly flowing into a radius which smoothly flows into a circumferential beadseat area extending inwardly at a corresponding matching angle to the aforesaid predetermined angle. The vent holes are embossed to extend the beadseat area inwardly at the same matching angle at the outer periphery of the vent holes, to form inwardly extending, intermittent supporting and guiding areas only at the vent holes. The outer surface edge of each intermittent area has an outer diameter slightly less than the aforesaid predetermined inner diameter of the rim edge. The rim is assembled onto the disc by guiding the inner surface of the rim outer beadseat over the intermittent areas and then over the beadseat area of the disc up to the radius. A weld is applied. The radius centers and provides a 360&deg; fit up of rim and disc.

Full faced steel vehicle wheel and method of manufacture

A full faced vehicle wheel manufactured by stamping a steel disc, embossing a plurality of vent holes in the disc and rolling a partial steel rim. The partial steel rim has an outer beadseat with an outer edge, the outer beadseat at its inner surface rolled at a predetermined angle and to a predetermined inner diameter at its edge. The full faced disc has an outer flange with an inner surface smoothly flowing into a radius which smoothly flows into a circumferential beadseat area extending inwardly at a corresponding matching angle to the aforesaid predetermined angle. The vent holes are embossed to extend the beadseat area inwardly at the same matching angle at the outer periphery of the vent holes, to form inwardly extending, intermittent supporting and guiding areas only at the vent holes. The outer surface edge of each intermittent area has an outer diameter slightly less than the aforesaid predetermined inner diameter of the rim edge. The rim is assembled onto the disc by guiding the inner surface of the rim outer beadseat over the intermittent areas and then over the beadseat area of the disc up to the radius. A weld is applied. The radius centers and provides a 360.degree. fit up of rim and disc.

Method of manufacturing a full faced steel vehicle wheel

A vehicle wheel with a roll-formed rim has an interior rim section and axially spaced first and second beadseat sections. A disc is attached at its skirt flange to the first beadseat section. The first beadseat section has radially outward and radially inward surfaces, both angled radially outward from the wheel axis for example at a fifteen degree angle. A roll-formed groove is formed in the radially inward surface of the first beadseat section, the groove having an inwardly facing cylindrical first surface. The skirt flange has an outwardly facing cylindrical first surface, which engages and is press-fit with the groove cylindrical first surface. The skirt flange and rim are then welded. The groove has a second frusto-conical surface adjacent the groove cylindrical surface. The skirt flange may have a second frusto-conical surface to mate with the groove second frusto-conical surface. The skirt flange may have a third frusto-conical surface to mate with the radially inward surface of the first beadseat section.

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Henderson, KY, United States of America

Ratko Cvijanovic