Hayes Wheels International, Inc.

Kelsey-hayes Company

Walter L Ashley, Jr

Daniel F Jansen

George Y Meyer, Jr

An improved method is disclosed for producing a wheel rim for use in a vehicle wheel. The method includes the steps of: (a) providing a flat sheet of material; (b) forming the flat sheet into a hoop having a first predetermined axial length; (c) expanding the hoop to a predetermined inner hoop diameter; (d) flow spinning the hoop to produce a wheel rim preform having a second predetermined axial length greater than the first predetermined axial length, the wheel rim preform including opposed axial ends and a thinned axially extending intermediate portion located between the axial ends; (e) subsequent to step (d), flaring at least one axial end of the wheel rim preform; and (f) subsequent to step (e), subjecting the wheel rim preform to a series of roll forming operations to produce a finished wheel rim having at least one tire bead seat retaining flange, at least one tire bead seat surface, and a generally axially extending well.

Method for producing a rim for a vechicle wheel

An improved method for producing a full face fabricated vehicle wheel is disclosed, wherein a full face disc is formed by combining stamping and flow spinning operations. The method includes the steps of: (a) providing a generally circular rim defining an axis and including a generally axially extending well and a pair of opposed ends, one of the ends including an inboard tire bead seat retaining flange and an inboard tire bead seat, and the other end including an outboard tire bead seat; (b) providing a generally circular disc blank including an inner annular portion defining a wheel mounting surface; (c) stamping the disc blank to form an intermediate annular portion having a predetermined contour and an outer annular portion; (d) flow spinning the outer annular portion of the disc to form an outboard tire bead seat retaining flange of the full face wheel; (e) positioning the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange of the disc adjacent the outboard tire bead seat of the rim; and (f) securing the rim and disc together to produce the full face fabricated wheel.

Method for producing a full face fabricated vehicle wheel

An improved method for producing a full face fabricated wheel. The method includes the steps of: (a) providing a rim defining an axis and including an axially extending well and a pair of opposed ends, one of the ends including an inboard tire bead seat retaining flange and an inboard tire bead seat, and the other end including an outboard tire bead seat; (b) providing a disc blank including an inner annular portion defining a wheel mounting surface; (c) flow spinning the disc blank to form an intermediate annular portion having a predetermined contour and an outer annular portion; (d) stamping the outer annular portion of the disc to form an outboard tire bead seat retaining flange of the full face wheel; (e) positioning the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange of the disc adjacent the outboard tire bead seat of the rim; and (f) securing the rim and disc together to produce the full face fabricated wheel.

Method for producing a full face fabricated wheel

A method for producing vehicle wheel rims is disclosed. The method, as applied to a wheel rim preform having given axial width and having bead seat areas, as well and an inboard leg, entails a thinning and stretching operation applied to the well and inboard leg thereby producing a finished wheel rim having an axial width greater than the axial width of the preform and a weight of twenty to thirty percent less than similar prior art wheel rims.

Growing community of inventors

Detroit, MI, United States of America

Walter L Ashley, Jr