The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 19, 2002
Filed:
Sep. 23, 1998
Applicant:
Inventors:
Erik Waelchli, South Bend, IN (US);
Tad A. Dickerson, South Bend, IN (US);
Timothy J. Haynie, Union, MI (US);
Assignee:
Hess Engineering, Inc., Niles, MI (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
B23P 1/700 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
B23P 1/700 ;
Abstract
An apparatus and method for installing a wheel disc into a wheel rim to manufacture a vehicle wheel includes upper and lower disc engaging members, which are clamped against opposite sides of the disc, and upper and lower rim engaging members, which engage upper and lower edges of the rim. The disc is first separated from the rim to assure proper alignment between the disc and rim and then forced into frictional engagement with the rim, while a compressive force is applied axially along the rim to relieve stresses and facilitate installation of the disc into the rim.