GB754250A - Wheel rims - Google Patents

Abstract

754,250. Wheel-building apparatus; wheel rims for pneumatic tyres. WINGFOOT CORPORATION. March 29, 1954 [Nov. 23, 1953], No. 9071/54. Classes 144 (1) and 144 (2). [Also in Group XXII] A one-piece rim for mounting a tubeless pneumatic tyre and having one edge portion shaped to include tyre bead mounting means such as the bead seating 4, Fig. 1, and the bead retaining flange 6 and a rim mounting surface 11 with a closed cavity between the seating 4 and mounting surface 11, is formed from a one-piece cylindrical band, e.g. as produced by buttwelding together the ends of a blank sheet, by applying pressure to one edge of the band in an axial direction, as in a high-pressure platen press, to force the opposite edge into engagement with forming means such as a U-shaped cavity 25, Fig. 5, in the upper die 23 to cure first outwardly and then axially toward the said one edge of the blank in spaced relation to the band and subsequently applying pressure to the undeformed said one edge in an axial direction in a platen press, Fig. 6, to upset the curled edge against a forming die to form in the curled portion the rim mounting surface 11 extending radially inwardly and to form, at least partially, the bead-retaining flange 6 and the bead seat 4. The curled edge is then further upset against a die, Figs. 7 and 8 (not shown), to complete the retaining flange 6, Fig. 1, and bead seat 4 and to form the portion 15 extending radially inwardly to the inner portion 10 terminating in an axially extending portion 17. The undeformed edge portion of the blank is then expanded in a conical expanding die, Fig. 9 (not shown) to substantially the diameter of the bead seat 4 to form the bead seat 3. The band so shaped is submitted to a first rolling operation, Fig. 10 (not shown), between rolls shaped to form finally the bead-retaining flanges 6 and bead seat 4 and partially form a bead retaining edge 7 on the expanded end portion and then to a second rolling operation, Fig. 11 (not shown), to finally shape the bead retaining flange 7 and seat 3. The shaped band is sized to a predetermined size as by expanding to slightly oversize and then shrinking. The axiallyextending portion 17 supports the bead seat 4 on the portion 10 and is prevented from relative movement thereto as by inter-engaging peripherally-extending ridges in the portions 17 and 10 formed during one of the rolling stages. Alternatively these portions may be secured together by spot or tack welding at intervals. The portion 17 may be omitted and the end of portion 15 tack-welded at intervals to the portion 10. In this case the stage represented by Fig. 6, may be omitted and the curled edge 30, Fig. 5, shaped in the succeeding stage as the second operation to form the rim mounting portion 11 and partially form the bead seatings 4 and bead retaining flange 6 to be completed in the rolling stage.