Motor Wheel Corporation

Richard C Ball

Elvin E Tuttle

David W Kratzer

Anwar R Daudi

Manufacture of brake drums having an annular brake ring and a drum back for mounting the ring for rotation about an axis defined at least in part by one or more openings in the back. Radial runout of the brake ring is measured, and the mounting openings in the drum back are located at a position to substantially cancel the first harmonic of measured radial runout. The radially inwardly directed braking surface of the drum ring is then finish-machined on a cylinder of revolution coaxial with the drum back mounting openings so as to provide a brake ring of substantially uniform thickness and weight distribution about the axis of rotation defined by the drum back mounting openings.

Brake drum manufacture

A method and apparatus for manufacture of a vehicle wheel rim and disc assembly with controlled lateral runout characteristics in which a preformed rim is fixtured and rotated while gauges measure lateral runout of the inboard and outboard rim bead seats. Phase angle and amplitude of the first harmonic of average lateral runout of the bead seats are determined, which effectively identify a rim plane of substantially zero first harmonic of bead seat lateral runout. The wheel disc is fixtured with its mounting surface, defined by the inboard face of the disc, at predetermined orientation with respect to the rim plane of substantially zero first harmonic of bead seat lateral runout, either parallel thereto for a true running wheel or at predetermined angular orientation with respect thereto for placing the high point or low point of the first harmonic of lateral runout of the rim and disc assembly adjacent to a predetermined location circumferentially of the rim. The rim is then assembled to the disc by interference press fit.

Method and apparatus for manufacture of a vehicle wheel having

Process for manufacturing a vehicle brake drum

System, apparatus, circuitry and method for improving electrical conductivity of contact between an electrically conductive workpiece and an electrically conductive work carrier while the workpiece is supported on the work carrier prior to moving the workpiece through an electrocoating treatment zone while supported by the work carrier. The workpiece is suspended on the carrier prior to entry into the zone bath, and then carried past a series of electrically conductive wipers during transit on the carrier toward said zone to cause successive contact with each wiper as the workpiece travels thereby. Each wiper is energized with a high voltage from a capacitor discharge power supply prior to contact with said workpiece, and the power supply is discharged from the wiper into said workpiece as a result of contact therebetween during transit of the workpiece past the wiper. This produces a successive series of spark arc discharges across the workpiece-carrier interface prior to entry of the workpiece into the zone for either graphitizing or burning off of any coating material on the work carrier creating a resistive barrier between the workpiece and carrier to thereby improve electrically conductivity therebetween during subjection thereof to the subsequent electrocoating treatment.

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Lansing, MI, United States of America

Richard C Ball