GB2154957A

GB2154957A - Vehicle wheel rim with separate bead seat ring

Info

Publication number: GB2154957A
Application number: GB08405442A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hubert George Deboo
Original assignee: STEEL STAMPINGS Ltd
Current assignee: STEEL STAMPINGS Ltd
Priority date: 1984-03-01
Filing date: 1984-03-01
Publication date: 1985-09-18
Also published as: GB8405442D0; GB2154957B

Abstract

The bead seat ring (4) is retained on the rim base (1) by a locking ring (5). The base (1) and ring (4) are provided axially inwardly of the locking ring, with an arrangement of interengaging tongue (8) and abutments (10, 11) to limit relative circumferential movement between the base (1) and ring (4). The location of the tongue and abutments away from the highly stressed axially outer edge of the wheel rim improves reliability by minimising rim deformation and failure. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Vehicle wheel rim This invention relates to a vehicle wheel rim, primarily for use on heavy vehicles such as earth movers, of the kind including a rim base having a pair of bead retaining flanges, one of which is formed on a separate bead seat ring which is retained on the rim base by a resilient locking ring engaging a formation provided on the rim base for this purpose.

In order to ensure that drive from the wheel is transmitted to the tyre without the bead seat ring moving circumferentially relative to the rim base, many proposals have hitherto been made effectively to lock these components together against relative circumferential movement. Many of these have involved the provision of locking arrangements at an axially outermost extremity of the wheel rim, adjacent to the bead seat ring, and such locking arrangements are thus secured to an already highly stressed part of the rim base with the attendant risk that additional stress imposed on such a part by the locking arrangement could result in rim deformation, or to failure of the part, in extreme cases.

An object of the present invention is to provide simple and robust means for preventing relative circumferential rotation, in a vehicle wheel rim of the aforesaid kind, between the bead seat ring and the rim base without imposing additional stress on an already highly stressed part of the assembly.

According to the invention, in a vehicle wheel rim of the aforesaid kind, the bead seat ring and rim base are provided with interengaging formations disposed axially inwardly of the locking ring and arranged to limit relative circumferential movement between the bead seat ring and the rim base.

Preferably, said formations are in the vicinity of the axially innermost extremity of the bead seat ring and may conveniently comprise an axially inwardly projecting tongue on the ring disposed between spaced abutments on the rim base. The formation on the bead seat ring conveniently extends over the entire thickness of the ring material at the location of said formation.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the single accompanying drawing, which is a fragmentary perspective view of one form of the vehicle wheel rim of the invention.

The drawing illustrates part of a wheel rim, suitable primarily for an off the road vehicle, such as an earth mover. The rim includes a rim base indicated generally at 1, the central portion 2 of which is of substantially uniform cross-section and extends between a pair of tyre bead retaining flanges, one of which, indicated at 3, is formed on a bead seat ring 4 retained on the rim base in conventional manner by a locking ring 5 engaged in a gutter 6 of the rim base. A sealing ring 7 is trapped between the bead seat ring and rim base to prevent leakage of air past the ring when a tubeless tyre is mounted on the wheel rim, in use. The other bead retaining flange (not shown) may be integral with the rim base or formed as a separate component for engagement with an upstanding flange of the rim base, as is well understood in the art.

When a tyre is mounted on a wheel rim of this kind, torque applied to the tyre and rim during driving of the wheel can give rise to relative circumferential movement between the bead seat ring 4 and the rim base. The invention provides an improved means for resisting such relative movement in the form of interengaging formations on the ring and rim base shown, in this embodiment, as a tongue 8 projecting from the axially innermost edge 9 of the ring, and a pair of abutments 10, 11 on the radially outermost surface 1 2 of the rim base, the tongue 8 lying between the abutments 10 and 11 in order to prevent, or at least limit, relative circumferential movement between the ring 4 and rim base 2.The tongue 8 and abutments 10, 11 may be separate parts secured in position by fillet welding 13, as illustrated, or by any other convenient means such as spot welding, rivetting, or bolting. Alternatively, they may be formed integrally, as by pressing for example, with their associated components.

The number of sets of formations may be chosen according to strength and load bearing requirements and when a plurality of sets is employed, these would normally be distributed evenly around the circumference of the rim. A typical arrangement could be three sets mutually spaced at 120 intervals around the rim.

It will be seen that the invention provides means for resisting relative circumferential movement between a bead seat ring and rim base, which means is simple, robust and adaptable and which, because of its position remote from the highly stressed outer edge of the wheel rim, is less likely to contribute to rim deformation or failure than some conventional arrangements.

1. A vehicle wheel rim comprising a rim base having a pair of bead retaining flanges, one of which is formed on a separate bead seat ring, a resilient locking ring engaging a formation on the rim base and acting to retain the seat ring on said base, and respective interengaging formations on the seat ring and rim base, said formations being disposed axially inwardly of the locking ring and arranged to limit relative circumferential movement between the seat ring and the rim base.

2. A vehicle wheel rim according to Claim 1 wherein said formations are in the vicinity

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Vehicle wheel rim This invention relates to a vehicle wheel rim, primarily for use on heavy vehicles such as earth movers, of the kind including a rim base having a pair of bead retaining flanges, one of which is formed on a separate bead seat ring which is retained on the rim base by a resilient locking ring engaging a formation provided on the rim base for this purpose. In order to ensure that drive from the wheel is transmitted to the tyre without the bead seat ring moving circumferentially relative to the rim base, many proposals have hitherto been made effectively to lock these components together against relative circumferential movement. Many of these have involved the provision of locking arrangements at an axially outermost extremity of the wheel rim, adjacent to the bead seat ring, and such locking arrangements are thus secured to an already highly stressed part of the rim base with the attendant risk that additional stress imposed on such a part by the locking arrangement could result in rim deformation, or to failure of the part, in extreme cases. An object of the present invention is to provide simple and robust means for preventing relative circumferential rotation, in a vehicle wheel rim of the aforesaid kind, between the bead seat ring and the rim base without imposing additional stress on an already highly stressed part of the assembly. According to the invention, in a vehicle wheel rim of the aforesaid kind, the bead seat ring and rim base are provided with interengaging formations disposed axially inwardly of the locking ring and arranged to limit relative circumferential movement between the bead seat ring and the rim base. Preferably, said formations are in the vicinity of the axially innermost extremity of the bead seat ring and may conveniently comprise an axially inwardly projecting tongue on the ring disposed between spaced abutments on the rim base. The formation on the bead seat ring conveniently extends over the entire thickness of the ring material at the location of said formation. The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the single accompanying drawing, which is a fragmentary perspective view of one form of the vehicle wheel rim of the invention. The drawing illustrates part of a wheel rim, suitable primarily for an off the road vehicle, such as an earth mover. The rim includes a rim base indicated generally at 1, the central portion 2 of which is of substantially uniform cross-section and extends between a pair of tyre bead retaining flanges, one of which, indicated at 3, is formed on a bead seat ring 4 retained on the rim base in conventional manner by a locking ring 5 engaged in a gutter 6 of the rim base. A sealing ring 7 is trapped between the bead seat ring and rim base to prevent leakage of air past the ring when a tubeless tyre is mounted on the wheel rim, in use. The other bead retaining flange (not shown) may be integral with the rim base or formed as a separate component for engagement with an upstanding flange of the rim base, as is well understood in the art. When a tyre is mounted on a wheel rim of this kind, torque applied to the tyre and rim during driving of the wheel can give rise to relative circumferential movement between the bead seat ring 4 and the rim base. The invention provides an improved means for resisting such relative movement in the form of interengaging formations on the ring and rim base shown, in this embodiment, as a tongue 8 projecting from the axially innermost edge 9 of the ring, and a pair of abutments 10, 11 on the radially outermost surface 1 2 of the rim base, the tongue 8 lying between the abutments 10 and 11 in order to prevent, or at least limit, relative circumferential movement between the ring 4 and rim base 2.The tongue 8 and abutments 10, 11 may be separate parts secured in position by fillet welding 13, as illustrated, or by any other convenient means such as spot welding, rivetting, or bolting. Alternatively, they may be formed integrally, as by pressing for example, with their associated components. The number of sets of formations may be chosen according to strength and load bearing requirements and when a plurality of sets is employed, these would normally be distributed evenly around the circumference of the rim. A typical arrangement could be three sets mutually spaced at 120 intervals around the rim. It will be seen that the invention provides means for resisting relative circumferential movement between a bead seat ring and rim base, which means is simple, robust and adaptable and which, because of its position remote from the highly stressed outer edge of the wheel rim, is less likely to contribute to rim deformation or failure than some conventional arrangements. CLAIMS

2. A vehicle wheel rim according to Claim 1 wherein said formations are in the vicinity of the axially innermost extremity of the bead seat ring,

3. A vehicle wheel rim according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the said formations comprise an axially inwardly projecting torque on the ring disposed between spaced abutments on the rim base.

4. A vehicle wheel rim according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the formation on the bead seat ring extends over the entire thickness of the ring material at the location of said formation.

5. A vehicle wheel according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said formations are constituted by separate parts secured to the seat ring and rim base respectively.

6. A vehicle wheel according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein said formations are formed integrally respectively with the seat ring and rim base.

7. A vehicle wheel according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said formations limit said relative circumferential movement in both directions.

8. A vehicle wheel according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the formations lie wholly within an envelope defined, in use, by a tyre mounted on the wheel.

9. A vehicle wheel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.