US2198056A - Ornamental wheel disk structure - Google Patents

Description

April 4 G. A. LYON 2,198,056

1 ORNAMENTAL WHEEL DISK STRUCTURE Original Filed March 7, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 23, 1940. LYON 2,198,056

ORNAMENTAL WHEEL DISK STRUCTURE Original Filed March 7, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 eorge fllar d fyarz April 23, 1940. v LYON 5 2,198,056

ORNAMENTAL WHEEL DISK STRUCTURE Original Filed March 7, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 577? Eur:

Apiil 23, '1940 G. A. LYON 2,198,056

ORNAMENTAL WHEEL DISK STRUCTURE Original Filed March 7, 195a 4 Sh eetsSheet 4 Patented Apr. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March 7, 1938, Serial No. 87,654 Renewed April 19, 1939 6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in ornamental wheel disk structures highly desirable for attachment over the side surfaces of vehicle wheels, although the invention will have other uses and purposes as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

In the art of making ornamental disk structures for covering the side surfaces of vehicle wheels, such, for example, as automotive vehicle wheels, the disk structures must be such as to improve the appearance not only of the wheel but of the vehicle as a whole, and it is desirable to provide the disk structures as economically as possible. It is additionally desirable to have no means for holding the disk in place visible from the outer side of the wheel. Also, the disk must be firmly attached to the wheel in a manner to eliminate rattling, drumming and similar noises during operation of the vehicle. While such noises might be readily eliminated with means of the character of a hub cap which engage only with the body portion of a wheel, other difllculty is experienced when providing a disk which contacts not only the body portion of a wheel but the rim of the wheel as well.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of this invention to provide a wheel disk structure for disposition over the outer side surface of a wheel provided with attachment means so arranged as to urge the disk inwardly into tighter contact with the wheel at the time the attachment means are adjusted to hold the disk upon the wheel.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a wheel disk which may be attached to a wheel while under compression so that the metal of the disk structure itself is under a strain or tension between separate points of contact with the wheel, and which disk is provided with fastening means of a character to maintain such strain or tension in the disk after it is attached to the wheel.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of an ornamental disk structure attachable to a wheel in a manner to hold the disk under a strain or tension, the disk structure having such a formation as to enhance the straining of the disk and insure a tight contact with the wheel.

Also a feature of this invention is the provision of a disk structure for attachment to a wheel having apertures in the body part thereof, the disk being attachable to the wheel under a strain or tension by means engageable with the wheel through said apertures.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a wheel disk structure arranged to contact a wheel only along one line, but compressible so as to put the disk structure under strain and force a contacting along another line, whereupon securing means may become effective to hold the disk in contact with the wheel along both lines.

It is also a feature of this invention to provide a wheel disk structure which may be placed upon a wheel under compression by mechanical means and fastened to the wheel in the same manner.

Also an object of the invention is the provision of a wheel disk structure which may be placed upon a wheel either by mechanical means or by hand and automatically lock itself to the wheel under a strain or tension.

It is also an aim of the present invention to provide a wheel disk structure arranged for placing upon a wheel solely by hand, but which disk structure is under a strain or tension after mounting on the wheel.

Other objects and features of this invention will more fully appear from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate several embodiments thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a vehicle wheel, without a tire, equipped with a wheel disk structure embodying principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken substantially as indicated by the staggered section line 11-11 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional enlargement of the upper left hand portion of the structure shown in Figure 2, but illustrating an initial operation in positioning the disk structure upon the wheel;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, illustrating the structure in the upper left hand portion of Figure 2, after the wheel disk structure is attached to the wheel;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary rear elevational view of the structure seen in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, illustrating a slightly difl'erent form of disk structure, showing the same completely attached to a vehicle wheel;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary rear elevational view of the structure seen in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a fr gmentary sectional view, illustrating a still different form of disk structure attached to a wheel;

Figure 9 is a side elevational view of a wheel of slightly different construction, showing the same equipped with another form of disk structure embodying principles of the present invention;

Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary central vertical sectional view taken substantially as indicated by the line X--X of Figure 9, looking in the direction df the arrows;

Figure 11 is a fragmentary enlargement of the upper portion of the structure shown in Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a fragmentary sectional view, illustrating the application of a disk structure of somewhat different form to the wheel shown in Figure 9; and

Figure 13 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 12.

As shown on the drawings:

All of the illustrated embodiments of the present invention embody attachment means having a bent portion designed to extend through an aperture in the body part of the wheel and engage behind the rear edge of the aperture to hold the disk in place. embodiment, the wheel will be provided with a plurality of such apertures, and the disk with a proper number of formations for engagement through the apertures, it not being necessary to have means extending through all of the apertures in the body part of the wheel in case the wheel is provided with apertures to simulate spoke holes.

In another instance, the disk is provided with a plurality of projecting elements, each to extend through an aperture in the body part of the wheel, and the disk is held to the wheel by me chanical means under compression, and other mechanical means, such as dies or the like, are utilized to bend the projections from the disk over the inside edge of the body part adjacent the apertures. The disk is thus locked to the wheel under tension in the body part of the disk structure itself.

In another instance, the projections in the disk are made sufficiently long so as to be bendable by hand while the disk is being held tightly against the wheel.

In both the aforesaid instances, the projections are preferably so shaped that the bending of the projections augments the engagement of the disk with the wheel by urging the disk inwardly into tighter contact with the wheel during the bending operation.

In another instance, the projections in the disk are initiallybent and are of a resilient character so that the disk may be forced on the wheel either mechanically or by hand, and after the projections have passed through the apertures, they will automatically expand and engage the rear face of the body part of the wheel due to their own resiliency, thus holding the disk tightly on the wheel and also preferably under a strain or tension in the body part of the disk,

In Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, I have illustrated a wheel structure equipped with a disk construction which is applied to the wheel by mechanical means, such as die means or the like. In this instance, the wheel includes a rim, generally indicated by numeral l, of the drop center type and comprising a base flange 2, intermediate flanges, 3-3 which terminate in the outer rim edges 4-4. Inside the rim is a wheel Of course, in the preferred body part, generally indicated by numeral 5, and having an inwardly extending flange 8 secured to the base flange of the rim in any suitable manner, such as by riveting or welding. This body part is provided with a central fastening flange I having the usual hub opening 8 therein, and arranged to accommodate securing means, such as bolts 9, by means of which the wheel may be attached to some vehicle part, such as the brake drum ill or the usual type of spare wheel carrier.

Radially outward from the fastening flange I, the body part of the wheel is provided with an annular bulge II, and between this bulge and the rim, the body part is provided with a plurality of apertures l2 in simulation of the holes or openingsbetweenspokesof a wheel, the body part being shaped in simulation of spokes between adjacent apertures. The central opening in the body part of the wheel may normally be covered by means of a suitable hub cap l3 shaped to rest against the annular bulge II. In this instance, the hub cap is retained in position by a plurality of resilient elements !4 secured in any suitable manner to the fastening flange l of the body part 5, these elements engaging over the inwardly turned edge of the hub cap, as seen clearly in Figure 2.

In this instance, the ornamental disk structure, generally indicated by numeral l5, comprises an annular ring of relatively thin sheet metal having a tortuously shaped inner edge as indicated at IS in Figme l for the purposes of decoration. The disk I5 is designed, when properly attached to the wheel, to seat against the rim l and also against the body part of a wheel. Of course, the disk may be of any desired size, from a relatively narrow band to a size covering substantially the entire outer side surface of the wheel with the cooperation of a hub cap.

In the illustrated instance, the disk I5 is provided with an inwardly curled outside margin H for contact with the wheel rim, this curled margin being so shaped as to permit an inward flexing of the body portion. of the disk, as will later appear. The opposite edge of the disk is bent as indicated at l8 to provide substantially edgewise contact with the body part of the wheel and also permits flexing of the body portion of the disk. The disk is further provided with apertures corresponding to the apertures l2 in the body part of the wheel and is so shaped, as indicated at I9, to extend-in the wheel indentations around the apertures to simulate spokes and the openings therebetween. As many as may be deemed necessary of the inwardly pressed and apertured portions l9 are provided along an edge thereof, in this instance the upper edge, with a projection 20, each of which is preferably dove-tailed in shape so as to define a line of bend 2| at the narrow part of the projection or tab.

In applying the disk I5 to the wheel, suitable mechanism, such as die means, is employed. The disk will initially assume the position shown in full lines in Figure 3 relatively to the wheel, with the projections 20 extending only partially through the respective apertures l2 in the body part 5. The disk is then placed under compression so that the central part of the disk is caused to assume the dotted line position of Figure 3 or the full line position of Figures 2 and 4, and while the disk is held in this compressed position, the projections or tabs 20 are bent by the mechanism along the line 2| to the position seen in Figures 2, 4 and 5. The disk is thereby held upon the wheel with the central portion of the disk under a definite strain or tension so that the disk will tightly contact therim of the wheel at the part I! of the disk and the body part of the wheel at the edge |8 of the disk, and the strain or tension to which the disk is subjected effectively eliminates rattling, drumming, vibratory and similar noises. It will be noted that the dovetail shape of the tabs 20 not only define a line of bend, but also by their shape tend to urge the central portion of the disk axially inwardly during the bending operation, thereby augmenting the tightness of the engagement between the disk and the wheel and adding to the tension of the central portion of the disk.

In Figures 6 and 7, I have shown the same' wheel as above described equipped with a disk 2| which may be mounted upon the wheel and secured thereto by hand manipulation. The disk 2| is provided with a turned inner edge Ila and also with a plurality of recessed and apertured portions |9a to fit within the simulated spoke openings in the wheel. The outer edge of the disk, in this instance, is curled as indicated at 22 to support a hollow cushioning element 23 for contact with the wheel rim This cushioning element 23 may be of substantially any desired character, but as shown is of the same kind as that set forth, described and claimed in my co-pending application entitled Ornamental wheel disk structure, filed November 26, 1934, Serial No. 754,699. Mounting the disk upon the wheel manually may not, in all instances, result in a definitely tight engagement with the wheel, and the cushioning element insures the elimination of rattling, drumming, vibratory and similar noises. It, of course, will be readily understood that the disk |5 above described may also be provided with a cushioning element if so desired.

The disk 2| isprovided with a projection 24 on certain of the portions l9w, which projection is preferably dove-tailed to define a line' of bend 25. These projections 24 are in each instance preferably larger than the aforesaid projections 20 so that the projections or tabs 24 may be bent by hand, it being understood that when the disk is applied to the wheel the projections extend through the apertures |2 substantially in an axial direction.

In applying the disk 2| to the wheel, it is a simple expedient to place the disk in position upon the wheel with the various projections 24 extending through the respective apertures l2, and while holding the disk in tight engagement with the wheel, bend the projections to the position seen in Figures 6 and 7 by hand. The shape of the projections augments the tight association of the disk with the wheel during the bending operation and together with the hand pressure upon the disk insures the central portion of the disk being subjected to a strain or tension under which it is maintained by the bent tabs 24.

In Figure 8, I have illustrated the same wheel provided with a disk 2|a of the same general construction as the aforesaid disk 2|. The difference between the disk 2|a and the disk 2| resides only in the fact that the disk 2|a. is provided with a projection on certain of the parts |9a initially or originally bent as indicated at 26. When the disk is forced upon the wheel, the part 26, after passing through the respective aperture l2, will, by its inherent resiliency, spring outwardly into the position seen in Figure 8 and thereby hold the disk tightly upon the wheel. The arrangement is preferably such that the central portion of the disk must be placed undertension as above described in order to have the projections 26 spring outwardly into hooked engagement with the body part of the wheel. The disk 2h: may be applied to the wheel either by hand or by mechanism, as may be deemed most desirable.

In Figures 9 to 13, inclusive, I have illustrated ornamental disk structures embodying principles of the present invention shown associated with a slightly different type of vehicle wheel. In this instance, with special reference to Figure 10, it will be seen that the wheel includes a rim of the drop center .type generally indicated by numeral 21. This rim includes a base flange 28, intermediate flanges 29- -29, and outside edges 30-40,

all connected in the usual manner. In this instance, the body part 3| of the wheel is relatively narrow and includes an inwardly extending flange 32 secured in any desired manner to the rim,

such as by welding or riveting. The body part inside these openings the body part projects axially outwardly as indicated at 40.

In the present instance, the ornamental disk structure is illustrated as extending over the part 40 of the body part of the wheel suiiiciently to be inside the large portion of the hub cap. The disk 4|, seen in Figures 9, 10 andv 11, in-- cludes an outer curled edge 42 shaped to hold a cushioning element 43, asabove described, for contact with the wheel rim. The inner edge 44 of the disk is, in this instance, a relatively plain edge for somewhat tangential contact against the part 46 of the body portion of the wheel. Between the edges thereof, the disk is formed inwardly as indicated at 45 to project into the openings 39 of the body part 3|. For as many vas desired of the portions 45, initially or originally bent tabs 46 project inwardly for engagement over the inside edge-of the formations 39 of the body part. These tabs are of such resiliency that when the disk is forced on the wheel, preferably with sufllcient pressure to subject the central part of the disk to tension, the tabs 46 will automatically spring into the engaged position seen in Figures 10 and 11.

In Figures 12 and 13, I have illustrated the same wheel construction seen in Figure 10 provided with a disk 41 designed to be mounted on the wheel by mechanism, such as suitable die means. The disk 41 has a rolled outer margin 48 for contact with the wheel rim, and substantially a plain inner edge 49 for engagement against the bulge 40 of the body part 3|. The disk is also shaped with rearwardly projecting and apertured portions 50 to extend in the simulated spoke openings 39 of the wheel. On certain of the projecting portions 50 are a plurality of inwardly extending tabs 5|, preferably of dovetailed shape for the reasons given above, and which are initially substantially horizontal or axial in direction as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 12.

The disk ll is-so shaped thatupoii initial contactwith the wheel, the disk {hill contact the wheel at the part It on' e ofthe wheel, the body portion of the. disk including g the inner edge 4! thereof beingspaced from the the tension imposed upon the central portion of the disk and retains this tension upon the disk. holding the disk firmly to the wheel, in contact at the rolled edge ll with the rim of the wheel and at the inner edge it with the body part of the wheel, the disk being held firmly against drumming. rattling or vibratory noises.

It will be understood that any of the disk structures shown in the drawings may be equipped in an obvious manner with any of the fastening means, as may be deemed most desirable.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have provided ornamental disk structures for attachment to the outer side surface of vehicle wheels, which disk structures may be placed upon a wheel either mechanically or manually, as the case may be. the disk structures when placed upon the wheel being held with the central portion of the disk under a strain or tension so as to insure a tight engagement with the wheel,.the fastening means for the disk being so arranged as to augment the strain or tension during the fastening of the disk to the wheel and to hold this tension upon the disk after it is attached to the wheel. It is also apparent that the disk structure is durable, may be provided with substantially any desirable a decorative appearance, enhances the appearance not only of the wheel, but also of the entire vehicle, is simple and positive in its functioning and operation, and may be economically manufactured.

I'am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of the present invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent lo granted hereon otherwise than is'necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention: 1. In combination, a vehiclewheel including rim and body parts, said body part having aperll tures therein, and an ornamental metallic disk disposed over the side surface of the wheel, said disk being shaped to contact both said rim part and said body part, and bent elements on said disk extending through said apertures and engaging said body part, said disk being placed under a bending strain when mounted on said wheel and being maintained under tension between the lines of contact of said disk with the rim and body parts by said elements.

a,1as,osc

2. In combination. avehicle wheel having aper I tures'thereimandanornamentaldiskattachedto said wheeiover a side surface thereof and engaging said wheel along spaced lines of contact, and

projections carried by said disk at points thereon spaced from said lines of contact of said disk with said wheel spaced to extend through said apertures and bent into contact with the wheel to at-' tach said disk to the wheel, said projections being shaped to apply and maintain a predetermined said vehicle wheel and carrying resiliently deiiectable projections thereon spaced to extend through said apertures in the wheel at the time of attachment and deflectable by a snap-on engagement with the wheel to hold the disk on the wheel, said disk engaging said wheel along spaced lines of contact, said resilient projections being shaped to apply a predetermined tension to said disk intermediate said spaced lines of contact.

4. In combination, a vehicle wheel and an ornamental metal member attached to said wheel over a side surface thereof and formed to engage said wheel at radially spaced inner and outer portions of said member, and resilient snap-on wheel engaging means ,on said member between said spaced portions for 'securingsaid member to said wheel, said member being placed under a transverse bending strain when mounted on said wheel and being maintained under tension by said resilient means.

5. In combination, a vehicle wheel and an ornamental metal member attached to said wheel over a side surface thereof and formed-to engage said wheel at radially spaced inner and outer portions of said member, and resilient wheel engaging means on said member between said spaced portions for securing said member to said wheel, said member being placed under a transverse bending strain when mounted on said wheel and being maintained under tension by said means, said wheel including an apertured body part through the apertures of which said means extends for resilient snap-on cooperation withshoulders provided in said body part at said apertures.

6. In combination, a vehicle wheel and an ornamental member of thin flexible sheet-metal attached to said wheel over a side surface thereof and having a portion in engagement with a part of said wheel, and wheel engaging means on said member remotely spaced from said contacting

Images