US1757275A - Steel felly and rim construction - Google Patents

Description

May 6, 1930. A. s. VAN HALTEREN 1,757,275

STEEL FELLQIv AND RIM CONSTRUCTIOI.

Filed March 12, 1928 Patented May 6, 1930 UNITED STATES( PATENT OFFICE' ANDREW S, VAN HALTEREN, F EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO MGIEOR WHEEL CORPORATW, 0F LANSING, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN ASTEEL FELLY AND RIM CONSTRUCTION Application led March 12, 1928. i Serial No. 260,824.

My invention relates to the construction and assembly of a metal felly about a spoke spider within a tire-carrying rim.

It is common practice to connect the Wood spokes of a wheel spider by a metal felly of radially open channel formation, the channei receiving the spoke tenons in spaced aperturefsand supporting the rim upon one or both of the two legs of the channel and being secured thereto at one or both lines of contact.

It is difficult in manufacture to secure an exact fit of the two channel legs within the .rim to provide an equal bearing of the rim on both. Due to small variations in inner rim diameterand in outer diameter of the two felly legs, it is practically impossible to be assured of a press fit between both sides of the felly and the two sides of the rim.

To obviate this difficulty, I form one leg of the felly channel of less radial height than the other and preferably incline the edge of the same to correspond to the lower rear face of the gutter portion of the Q. D. (quick de..

t'achable) Tim- The other leg of the fellyi/l of an outer diameter corresponding snugly to the inner diameter of the rim base to secure a press fit, and its edge is preferably flanged over to give an extended bearing against the inner face of the rim base whereby to afford an area for welding, riveting or otherwise securing to. the rim against lateral displacement. The legs of the felly are spaced apart a suiicient distance so that they can be deformed slightly to'place the front leg under llateral stress against the gutter portion of the rim when the felly isassembled with the rim. By this construction it is only necessary to size the rear le of the felly accurately,

the-fit of the front lobeg within and against the gutter at the front edge of the rim being assured by. forcing the rim and felly laterally into pressure contact with sufficient force to slightly deform the legs of the felly and 5 maintaining the front leg, under stress by permanently attaching the rim and rear leg as by riveting or welding. The front leg being thus maintained under lateral pressure against the gutter of the rim, due to the elas= ticity of the metal in the felly, a snug fit is secured, thereby eliminating relative movenient between the front leg and the rim which would otherwise result in noise and squeaks.

In order that the invention may be'more readily understood from the following description. a preferred and modified embodiments of' trie invention are set forth by way of illustratiorV 1 1 he accompanying drawing; it being und ood 'ihat other modifications are contcnny-.afed as within the scope of the mechanic following upon a disclosure of the invention herein. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a wood spoke wheel embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a radial section of a wheel corresponding to the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

F ig. 3 is a similar view taken on a line corresponding to line 3 3 of the drawing and illustrating a modified Connection between the rear leg of the felly and the rim; 1

Fig. 4 is a detail of the felly and rim assembly illustrating upon a .larger scale one form of bearing connection between the front leg of the felly and the rim; and

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 illustrating a modified bearing connection between the front felly leg and the gutter.

Referring to the drawings, the spokes 11 having tenons 11a are secured in assembled spider relation at the hub portion by the plates l2 and 12a and the ferrule rivets 13.

The rim here illustrated is of the well known Q. D. type and comprises the rim base 14, the tire-retaining flange 15 and the front gutter or rib 16 for receiving the usual split ring, not shown.

The metal felly,of outwardly open channel formation, comprises a drop base 17, apertured to receive the spoke tenons, a rear leg 18 ianged over at 19 and a front leg 20 of less radial height than the rear leg 18 and provided with an inclined face to fit the rear face Aof the gutter 16, either by bevelingas indicated at l21 in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, or inwardly turned as indicated at 22 in Fig. 5. The valve'fstem o eningis indicated at 17a.

The-I assembly of the felly with the spider is accomplished by seating the spoke tenons llain the a ertures provided in the felly and clamping t e inner ends ofthe spokes 1n the hub zone between plates 12 and .12 in the usual manner. The assembly of the rim with the wheel spider and encompassing felly is attained by forcing the rim laterally towards the rear upon the felly or the felly laterally towards the front Within the rim. In practice it is found desirable to apply sufficient pressure to the elly to spring the ends of the legs 18 and 20` towards each other approximately one-sixteenth bien inch and fasten the flange 19 to the rim `llvhiie the felly is under pressure, thus utilizingthe elasticity of the metal in the elly to maintain the leg 20 in pressure Contact -with the inclined rear face ofv the gutter 15E.' The flange 19 of the rear leg 18 is securedv to the rim b spot or line welding as indicated at 23 in ig. 2, or by indenting into'interlocked relation as indicated at 24 in F ig. 3, or by riveting as indicated at 25 in Figs. 4 and 5, either method of attachment providing a metal interlock of the felly and' rim.

It is obvious that any inwardly extending flange or rib carried by the rim in frontof its median line may be utilized as the equivavlent of the gutter 16 to provide an incline bearing for the front felly leg.

It will thus be understood that I have devised a felly construction and rim assembly wherein accuracy ofmanufacture as to the radial dimensions of the front edges`of the elly and rim is rendered of no consequence inasmuch as an exact fit is 'atta-ined due to the legs of the felly beingslightly deformed so that the elasticity lofthemetal,forces the front leg against theinclined rear face of the ,gutter or :equivalent flange or rib. The requirement for manufacturing accuracy of dimensions applies only to the rear leg of the felly in relation to the rim diameter at the rear,-any slight inaccuracies at this point being compensated by the permanent `attach ment e'ected by the welding of'F ig. 2, the indenting of Fig. 3 and the riveting of Figs. 4 and 5, whereby any lateral shifting of the front leg of the felly out of pressure contact with the gutter 16 1s precluded.' The Astepy of manufacture and of assembly are greatl; simplified and cheapened by this construction. j

I claim: f l

1. In a wheel assembly, a spoke spider, an

outwardly opening channel .elly member encompa-ssing the spider and accommodating the spoke tenons within apertures of its base,

'Ia tire-carrying rim havingalo'ng its front -vedge an inwardly extending rib, the rear leg of the felly adaptedv to 'lit closely within the.'

rim and the liront leg bearing against and'in stressed relationship with the rib, the rear` leg o f the felly being permanently' secured to the rlm.

wardly opening channe .felly member encompassing the xspider, al tire-carrying rim 2. In a wheel assembly, a spider, an outhaving along its front edge an inwardly extending rib, the rear leg of the elly adapted to fit closely within the rim and the front leg bearing laterally against and in pressure contact with the rib, the rear leg of the felly being permanently secured to the rim.

3. In a wheel assembly, a wheel body, an. outwardly opening channel felly member eni compassing and secured to the wheel body, a tire-carrying rim having along its front edge an inwardly extend'ingrib, the rear leg'of the felly adapted to lit closely withinjhe rim and the front leg bearing againstvand in stressed relationship with the rib, the rear leg ofthe elly being permanently secured to the rim.

4. In a Wheel assembly, Aa metallic felly, and a rim having an inwardly extending rib with an inclined face, the felly comprising a channel member having one leg permanently secured to the rim base and the other leg arrangedl to bear against the inclined face of the rib and in stressed relation thereto.

5. vIn a wheel'assembly, a-wheel body, a metal felly, and a rim having an inwardly extending rib, the felly comprising a channel member encompassing and secured to the Wheel body and having legs of 'unequal radial height, one leg fitting closely within and bearing being under pressure and maintained by the permanent attachment of the other leg to the rim. Y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto s ubscribed my name.`

ANDREW s. VAN HALTEREN. I i

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