This invention relates to an apparatus and method for installing a wheel disc into a wheel rim to assemble a vehicle wheel.

Vehicle wheels are critical components of a motor vehicle. If the component ports of a vehicle wheel are misassembled or out of alignment, vibrations, premature tire wear, and other problem may result. Accordingly, it is necessary to assure proper assembly of vehicle wheels in a cost effective manner.

Vehicle wheels include a wheel rim and wheel disc that is pressed into the rim and is then welded into place. If the wheel rim and wheel disc are out of alignment, the aforementioned vibrations and other problems may result. Accordingly, it is very important to assure that the axis of the disc is coaxial with the axis of the rim, which is also the axis of rotation of the wheel when mounted on the vehicle. The wheel disc includes a surface through which holes are drilled to accept the lugs extending from the wheel hub when the wheel and tire are installed on the vehicle. The rim includes a tire bead engaging surface which must be held parallel to the aforementioned surface on the wheel disc.

The present invention relates to a machine having a pair of rim engaging members which include a surface engaging the tire bead engaging surfaces of the wheel, and also include a pair of disc engaging members which engage the central mounting portion of the wheel disc. The rim and disc are clamped between these members as the disc is installed in the rim. The bead engaging surfaces of the rim and the mounting surface on the disc are held parallel to one another, and the axis of the wheel disc is held coaxial with the axis of the rim. Accordingly, the critical surfaces of the wheel are maintained and parallel alignment and the disc is installed in the rim in an expeditious manner.

These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a transverse cross sectional view taken through a wheel rim and wheel disc assembly and illustrating the relative position of the rim and disc before the disc is installed in the rim in its final position; Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but illustrating the wheel assembly after the wheel disc has been installed in the final position within the wheel rim; and Figures 3-7 are cross sectional views taken through the assembly apparatus of the present invention which installs the wheel disc into the wheel rim; each of the Figures 3-7 showing a progressive step in the operation of the apparatus.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, a wheel assembly generally indicated by the numeral 10 includes a wheel rim 12 and a wheel disc 14. In Figure 1, the wheel disc 14 is illustrated as being lightly pressed into the wheel rim 12 and before it is fully installed within the wheel rim 12 by the method and apparatus of the present invention. In Figure 2, the wheel rim 14 is illustrated fully installed within the wheel rim 12, to thereby form the final wheel assembly 10. After the wheel disc 14 is fully installed then the wheel rim 12, the wheel disc 14 is welded to the wheel rim 12 by known process not a part of the present invention to complete the manufacture of the wheel assembly 10. As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the wheel disc 14 is coaxial with the wheel rim 12, and the wheel assembly 10 rotates about the axis indicated at X in Figures 1 and 2 when the wheel assembly 10 is installed in a motor vehicle. The rim 12 includes bead engaging surfaces 16 and 18, which engage the sides of the beads of the tire (not shown), to maintain the tire on the rim. The rim 12 further includes a circumferentially extending friction surface 20 on the inner diameter thereof which engages a corresponding friction surface 22 on axially extending skirt 24 of the disc 14 when the latter is forced into the position illustrated in Figure 2. In Figure 1, the surfaces 20 and 22 frictionally engage each other, but may be readily separated by applying an axial force to the rim 12 or disc 14.

The wheel disc 14 includes a central aperture 26 which receives a spindle or projecting portion of a wheel hub (not shown) when the wheel assembly 10 is installed on a vehicle. The aperture 26 is circumscribed by a pair of concentric ridges 28,30 that cooperate to define a plane P. Circumferentially spaced apertures 32 are formed between the ridges 28,30 and accept wheel lugs (not shown) projecting from the vehicle wheel hub when the wheel assembly 10 and tire (not shown) mounted thereon are mounted on the vehicle. To avoid wobble and vibration, it is necessary that the proper relationship between the plane P and the bead engaging surfaces 16 be maintained as the disc is forced into the Figure 2 position, and also that the concentricity of the disc and rim be maintained. This is effected by the apparatus and method described below.

According to Figures 3-7, the disc 14 is installed in the rim 12 by an apparatus generally indicated by the numeral 32. Apparatus 32 includes an upper inserting assembly generally indicated by the numeral 34 which is installed on an upper platen 36 of a conventional press (not shown) by conventional retaining mechanisms generally indicated by the numeral 38. Apparatus 32 further includes a lower inserting assembly generally indicated by the numeral 40 which is installed on a lower platen 42 of the aforementioned conventional press. The platen 42 is moveable toward and away from the platen 36.

The lower inserting assembly 40 includes an upwardly projecting mounting member 44 which is secured to the lower platen 42 by securing device 46. Mounting member 44 includes an inner circumferential surface 48 which slidably receives a plunger 50 which is moved relative to the mounting member 44 independently of movement of platen 42 by an actuating cylinder 52.

A piston 54 is slidably mounted coaxial with the plunger 50 for movement thereby. Stop bolts 56 include opposite ends one of which is secured to the mounting member 44 and the other of which is received in bore 58 within the piston 54 stop bolts 56 extend. Accordingly, the stop bolts 56 limit upward movement of the piston 54 relative to the mounting member 44 by engagement of the head of the stop bolt 56 with the bottom of the bore 58. Downward movement of the piston 54 is limited by engagement of the piston 50 with stop surface 60 on the mounting member 44. Springs 62 yieldably urge the piston 54 upwardly viewing the Figures such that the head of the stop bolt 56 engages the bottom of the bore 58. An extension 64 and hub 66 concentric with the extension 64 are secured to the piston 54 by a fastener 68. The hub 66 is received within aperture 26 of the disc 14 and engages the walls thereof to thereby orient the disc 14 and position the latter as it is installed in the rim 12 as will hereinafter be described.

The extension 64 is provided with projections 70,72 which are received within ridges 28,30. A surface 74 extends between the projections 70,72.

An annular rim engaging member indicated by the numeral 76 is slidably mounted for movement relative to outer circumferential surface 78 of the mounting member 44. The rim engaging member 76 terminates in a circumferentially extending stop surface 80 which is adapted to engage the radially outwardly projecting, circumferentially extending surface 82 on the mounting member 44 to limit downward movement of the rim engaging member 76. Stop bolts 84 extend through the stop surface 82 and are secured to the member 44. The stop bolts 84 extend into a corresponding one of multiple bores 86 provided in the rim engaging member 76.

Stop bolts 86 terminate in a head 88, which is adapted to engage the lower end of the bores 86 to limit upward movement of the rim engaging member 76. Circumferentially spaced springs 90 yieldably urge the rim engaging member 76 upwardly, to bias the lower end of the bores 86 into engagement with the heads of stop bolts 88. The rim engaging member 76 further includes a lower rim engaging surface 92 which is adopted to engage the surface on the rim member 12 opposite the tire bead engaging surface 16, and an upper surface 94, which faces the surface 96 on the rim. member 12, although some clearance may exist between the surfaces 94 and 96 since the important surface to be controlled is the bead engaging surface 16. A surface 96 interconnects the surfaces 94 and 92, and extends along the corresponding surface on the rim member 12. A circumferentially extending, downwardly yielding engagement member 98 circumscribes rim engaging member 76 and is urged upwardly into engagement with a circumferentially extending radially outwardly projecting stop 100 by circumferentially spaced springs 102. Downward movement of the engagement member 98 is limited by the circumferentially extending outwardly projecting stop 104.

Upper inserting assembly 34 includes a fixture 106 extending downwardly from the upper platen 36. A cylinder 108 is secured to the fixture 106 and is coaxial therewith. A head 110 is secured to the lower end of the cylinder 108 and includes a portion projecting outwardly from the cylinder 108 to define a stop surface 112. A contoured disc engaging member generally indicated by the numeral 114 is mounted on the head 110. The disc engaging member 114 includes an aperture 116 that is adapted to receive the hub 66 as will be hereinafter described.

Drive engaging member 114 further includes a central disc engaging portion 118 that is adapted to engage the portion of the disc 14 radially outwardly of the aperture 26 and is particularly adapted to engage the ridges 28,30. The contoured disc engaging member further includes a downwardly projecting, circumferentially extending surface 120 that is adapted to engage circumferentially extending surface 122 of the wheel disc 14 radially inwardly of the skirt 24.

The cylinder 108 defines an outer sliding surface 120 which is slidably engaged by an upper rim engaging member generally indicated by the numeral 122. Upper rim engaging member 122 includes an upper stop surface 124 adapted to engage a radially outwardly projecting, circumferentially extending surface 126 on the fixture 106 to limit upward movement of the disc engaging member 122, and is also provided with a lower circumferentially extending surface 128 which is adapted to engage the stop surface 112 on head 110 to limit downward movement of the rim engaging member 122. Circumferentially spaced springs 130 yieldably urge the upper disc engaging member 122 downwardly to engage the stop surface 128 with the stop surface 112.

The upper rim engaging member 122 includes a radially outwardly extending portion generally indicated by the numeral 132 which carries a rim engaging surface 134 that is adapted to engage that part of the rim 12 opposite the bead engaging surface 18. The radially outwardly extending portion 132 further carries a circumferentially extending, deflectable engagement member 136 which is similar to the member 98 and is adapted to engage the upper edge of the rim 12 when the rim is installed in the apparatus 32. The engagement member 136 is yieldably urged into engagement with a radially outwardly projecting circumferentially extending stop 138 by circumferentially spaced springs 140. The springs 140 are retained by a member 142, which also serves as a stop for the engagement member 136, to limit upward movement thereof.

Accordingly, the engagement 136 is constrained to move between the stops 138 and 142. The upper disc engaging member 122 further includes an inwardly projecting key 144 which engages a slotted key way 146 which extends axially along the surface 121 of the cylinder 108 and prevents rotation of the rim engagement member 122 relative to the cylinder 108.

In operation, the wheel assembly 10, with the disc lightly pressed into the rim 12 is transferred by a conventional transfer operation to the position illustrated in Figure 3, in which the axis X of the wheel 10 is in substantially actual alignment with the upper and lower inserting assemblies 34 and 40. The lower platen 42 is then raised to engage the lower rim engaging member 96 with the rim 12, as illustrated in Figure 4. It will be noted in this position that the surfaces 92,94 on the rim engaging member 96 are displaced from their final positions in engagement with the corresponding surfaces on the rim, that the lower edge of the rim merely rests on the lower engagement member 98 without depressing the spring 102 and that, although the hub 66 has been received in the aperture 26, the extension 64 is displaced from the disc. The lower platen 42 is then raised further to engage the upper edge of the rim with upper engagement member 136. Further upward movement the platen 42 seats the rim on the upper and lower engagement members, thereby engaging the surface 92 of the lower rim engaging member with the corresponding surface of the rim and engaging the upper rim engaging surface 134 with the corresponding surface on the rim. As illustrated in Figure 5, when this occurs, the upper disc engaging member 114 is received within the skirt 24 of the disc 14, but the disc has not been seeded on the disc engaging members. It will be noted that the spring 98 has been compressed slightly to allow the lower rim engaging member to move downwardly a small distance.

As discussed above, the springs 88 exert a force on the lower rim engaging member 76 that is somewhat less than the force exerted on the upper rim engaging member 122 by the springs 130. Accordingly, in response to further upward movement of the lower platen 42 toward to the Figure 6 position, the rim member 76 is moved downwardly relative to the mounting member 44 until the stop surface 80 engages the stop surface 82 as illustrated in Figure 6. At the same time, the upper disc engaging member 114 is fully seated within the disc 14, and the lower disc engaging member 64 is fully seated on the opposite side of the disc, such that the disc 14 is clamped between the upper disc engaging member 114 and lower disc engaging member 64. It will be noted that the hub 66 is received within the aperture 116 of the upper disc engaging member and thus extends through the aperture 26 of the disc. It will also be noted that the ridges 28,30 are fully seated on the projections 70,72. Since during the seating operation of the disc engaging members the rim has moved downwardly relative to the disc engaging members, a relatively small gap G is opened between the wheel rim 12 and wheel disc 14. Since the disc 14 is clamped between the disc engaging members, the separation of the disc from the rim allows the rim and disc to be brought in proper axial and parallel alignment, since the loose fit between the disc and the rim illustrated in Figure 1 may not assure that the disc and rim are coaxial and parallel. It will also be noted that the lower stop surface 128 of the upper disc rim engaging member 122 has been moved from the stop surface 112. Since the disc is clamped between the upper disc engaging member 14 and lower disc engaging member 64, the upper and lower rim engaging members 122,76 have been engaged with the corresponding surfaces on the rim opposite the tire bead engaging surfaces 18 and 16, and the proper axial relationship between the inner portion of the disc containing the apertures 32 and the tire bead engaging surfaces is assured.

Further upward movement of the lower platen 42 forces the upper and lower rim engaging members 122 and 76 into the positions illustrated in Figure 7. In this position, the lower stop surfaces 80,82 are of the mounting member 44 and the lower rim engaging member 76 are engaged with one another, and the surfaces 124,126 of the upper rim engaging member 122 and the upper fixture 106 are also engaged with one another. A small additional upward movement of the lower platen 42 is then effected thereby providing an axial directed compressive force on the rim, thereby controlling stresses within the rim to allow the disc to be properly seated in the rim. At the same time, the plunger 50 is permitted to move downward relative to the platen 42 as the latter is moved upwardly, thereby allowing the disc engaging members 114,64 to seat the disc within the rim in its final position illustrated in Figure 2, it being noted that the outer circumferential surface 22 of the skirt 25 frictionally engages the surface 20 of the rim 12 with a tight friction fit in which the disc and the rim are coaxial with one another due to the clamping of the disc and rim between the corresponding upper and lower disc engaging member and the upper and lower rim engaging members respectively. Since the portion of the disc through which the apertures 32 are provided is held parallel to the tire bead engaging surfaces 16 and 18, undesirable wobble is avoided. The wheel is removed from the apparatus 34 by separating the platens and then removing the wheel in the normal way. The wheel may then be transferred to machinery in which a welding operation is performed to secure the disc to the rim.