Motor Wheel Corporation

The Goodyear & Tire Rubber Company

Robert J Stalter, Sr

Theodore B Burkholder

Paul N Skotynsky

Albert H Prueter

A Prueter

An improved composite metal-elastomer styled automotive-type wheel with a three-dimensionally contoured ornamental outboard face formed by a plastic overlay body permanently adhered or affixed to the outboard face, and an improved molding apparatus and method for constructing such a wheel. A plastic overlay body has an annular row of outboard pockets disposed in radially offset, axially overlapping relation with a annular row of inboard pockets which in turn register with vent openings in the disc to thereby provide air passages through the wheel for brake ventilation. The outboard pockets preferably are disposed radially remote from the center of the wheel close to the wheel rim, and a relatively thin cross-section of plastic material is molded so as to overlie the outboard rim flange to provide a full-face appearance to the wheel. In the method and apparatus of the invention the mold cavity is provided with perimeter air vents to enable thin cross-section molding adjacent the outer perimeter of the mold cavity.

Composite metal-elastomer styled wheels and method and apparatus for

Method for molding a composite metal-elastomer styled wheel in which a middle mold part consists of a metal wheel disc and rim subassembly. A base mold part seats against the outboard face of the metal wheel in the closed condition of the mold and has a mold cavity surface to provide an ornamental configuration for the outboard face of the plastic body of the composite wheel. There is a clamp which includes a funnel adapted for registry with a liquid reaction mixture injection nozzle coupled with injecting mixing apparatus. The funnel has a nozzle passage registering with a pour opening in the disc in the closed condition of the mold. A sprue pin is affixed to the base mold part in juxtaposed relation to the disc pour opening and cooperates with the margin of the pour opening to define a restricted access opening to the mold cavity during the injection pour of the urethane reaction mixture. The sprue pin is operable to restrict back-flow of the reaction material during gelation of the same in the cure cycle. The sprue pin and disc in the vicinity of the pour opening define a zone of weakness in the cured urethane reaction mixture operable to induce fracture in the zone upon separation of the base mold part from the middle part to thereby cause cleavage of the urethane reaction material adjacent the inboard surface of the middle mold part.

Method for molding composite metal-elastomer wheels

A method and apparatus for making a composite styled wheel of the type including a metallic disc and rim and an ornamental plastic overlay permanently affixed to the disc. A disc and rim subassembly is placed in a mold. A retainer is formed as a separate part and releasable secured in the mold. A reactive plastic liquid mixture is injected into the mold cavity and the retainer is engulfed in the plastic material and permanently secured to the plastic overlay.

Method and apparatus for making a composite wheel

A composite styled wheel having a metal wheel mounting disc and rim secured together and adapted to receive a tire thereon, and a plastic ornamental overlay body permanently affixed and covering at least a part of the outboard face of the disc and/or rim. The body is made of an elastomeric material, and its outboard face has a decorative contour exposed to view from the outboard side of the wheel. Hub cap retainer grooves or pockets are provided in the outboard face of the body adapted to individually yieldably engage and retain attachment prongs of a hub cap for removable attachment of the same to the wheel. Each of the grooves or pockets has an opening at an outboard face of the body with juxtaposed entrance edges spaced apart a distance less than a maximum transverse dimension of the associated prong to provide an interference fit therewith. Each groove or pocket also has an interior wall surface defining an undercut relationship relative to the opening edges. The entrance edges and the contiguous interior wall surface are yieldable so as to spread apart to permit insertion of the associated prong and then to return to a spring keeper relationship once the associated prong reaches a seated position in the groove or pocket matching the fully seated position of the hub cap on the body.

Vehicle wheel with ornamental plastic overlay

Apparatus for molding a composite metal-elastomer styled wheel in which a middle mold part consists of a metal wheel disc and rim subassembly. A base mold part seats against the outboard face of the metal wheel in the closed condition of the mold and has a mold cavity surface to provide an ornamental configuration for the outboard face of the plastic body of the composite wheel. A clamp seats against the inboard face of the middle mold part to urge the middle part into sealing engagement with the base mold part. The mold parts are axially separable from one another to open the molding apparatus to clear the middle mold part from said clamp and base mold parts. The clamp includes a funnel adapted for registry with a liquid reaction mixture injection nozzle coupled with injecting mixing apparatus. The funnel has a nozzle passage registering with a pour opening in the disc in the closed condition of the mold. A sprue pin is affixed to the base mold part in juxtaposed relation to the disc pour opening and cooperates with the margin of the pour opening to define a restricted access opening to the mold cavity during the injection pour of the urethane reaction mixture.

Apparatus for molding composite metal-elastomer wheels

A composite styled wheel including a metallic disc and rim and an ornamental plastic overlay permanently affixed to the disc and/or rim. The overlay has a central cavity adapted to receive wheel hub and mounting parts therein inserted into said disc. A retainer is secured to the body and is spaced radially outwardly from the cavity surface, the overlay material engulfing the retainer so as to at least partially embed the same in the overlay to thereby hide the retainer from view and assist in securement thereof to the body. The body and retainer have cooperative detent structure disposed in the vicinity of the outboard face of said body encircling the outboard entrance to the body cavity and adapted to yieldably releasably engage a center ornament hub cap or the like for removable attachment of the same to the body to close the outboard end of the body cavity. In one form the retainer comprises a split annular wire member having radially re-entrant bowed portions disposed within circumferentially spaced detent projections of said body to reinforce the same. In another form the retainer has a generally hoop-like configuration with a series of circumferentially spaced anchor bit portions extending axially from the plane of the hoop and radially outwardly therefrom toward the disc. The retainer also is circumferentially continuous and has arcuate portions between the bite portions contiguous with the body cavity surface. A method and apparatus for molding a composite styled wheel is also disclosed.

Vehicle wheel with an ornamental plastic overlay

Foam mattress core

A polyurethane foamed body support member having an essentially inextensible plastic reinforcing member positioned below the surface of the foam and in the preferred embodiment has a density difference of at least 0.5 between the foam above and below said plastic member.

Reinforced foamed body support member

A process for casting a foamed mattress having a crown area with cored-out areas therein to modify the harshness of feel of said mattress. A mold cavity having gates therein to give the cored-out pattern in the crown of the mattress is provided and a liquid foamable urethane resin reaction mixture is deposited and distributed in a fan-shaped arc in the cavity from preferably two or more distributing beads in response to the relative movement of the depositing and distributing means to that of the mold. The deposited mixture is then permitted to foam in order to fill the mold and to their cure prior to removing the product from the mold cavity.

Method of molding a foamed mattress having a crown area with cored-out

A contoured foam seat characterized by having a foamed seat and back member with grooved-out portions to give a raised area whereby the seat has contoured body fitting aspects.

Contoured foam seat

A foam mattress having a crown area with cored-out areas therein to modify the harshness of feel of said mattress.

Contoured foam mattress

A foamed article having zones of varying hardness is prepared by moving a shaping means relative to at least two foam pouring means to distribute a foamable mixture over the surface of the shaping means in a fan-shaped pattern in response to the relative motion between the pouring means and the shaper, adjusting the fan-shaped pattern to define zones in the foamed article having the desired physical characteristics.

Growing community of inventors

Bowling Green, OH, United States of America

Robert J Stalter, Sr