Method of making a wheel

Details Method of making a wheel Method of making a wheel

1999-04-27

2001-01-30

Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)

Land vehicles: wheels and axles

Wheel

Compression wheel

C301S011100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06179388

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method of making a wheel and more particularly but not exclusively a ground engaging wheel for a vehicle such as a tractor or an excavating/loading or like vehicle or machine. However the invention may be applied to a method of making a wheel for another purpose, although preferably for a ground engaging wheel of a vehicle or machine.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Tractor wheels for example, are made in different sizes to suit the vehicles on which the wheels are used. Tractor wheels made by different manufacturing methods are known.
First, a tractor wheel may be made by fixing a, usually round, disc in a rim, for example by welding. The configuration of the wheel is thus fixed and to produce a range of wheels of different diameters it is necessary to make a range of rims of varying diameter, and to make a range of discs of matching size. It is common for the disc of such a wheel to be fixed in the rim by means of a flange means which is secured to the rim and provides a mounting for the disc.
Thus for example, to produce a range of three wheel diameters, three alternative rims and three alternative discs need to be produced although a common configuration flange means for the wheels may be used.
Second, a tractor wheel may be made by securing in the rim e.g. by welding, a plurality of lugs to which the disc is attached at discrete mounting positions. The disc is usually nominally square with the corners removed to provide mounting positions.
Such a construction has the advantage over a fixed disc wheel that the disc may be mounted on either side of the lugs, with or without spacers, and the disc may be reversed, so as to provide a variety of wheel configurations so that the tracking between a pair of such wheels on a common axle, may be changed. This is a desirable feature for farmers for example who may require the tracking to be set to match the distance between furrows for example, in a field. Hence the disc is usually attached to the lugs by fastenings such as bolts which are releasable to enable track adjustments to be made.
With such a construction, to produce a range of wheels of different diameters it is necessary to make a range of rims of varying diameter as in the first construction described, and again to make a range of discs of matching size.
Thus again, to produce a range of three wheel diameters, three alternative rims and three alternative discs need to be produced although a common configuration lugs for the wheels may be used.
Third, to provide a wheel construction having sufficient torque strength for use on a modern higher power tractor, whilst being adjustable to accommodate different desired track widths, a construction similar to the lug construction described may be used but in which there is a flange means secured in the rim, e.g. by welding, rather than lugs. A disc is thus fixed in the rim by attaching the disc to the flange means, usually at discrete mounting positions provided by the flange means, again by means of releasable fastenings.
Again to produce a range of say, three wheel diameter sizes, three alternative diameter rims, and three alternative size discs are required, although a common flange configuration for the three wheel sizes may be used.
In each case described, it is necessary to produce a range of discs in order to provide different sized wheels which is expensive in terms of tooling and production.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the first aspect of the invention we provide a method of making a wheel from a rim selected from a plurality of rims of different nominal diameters, a plurality of flange means of different configurations, and a disc, the method comprising selecting from the plurality of rims a rim of a desired diameter, selecting from the plurality of flange means a flange means of an appropriate configuration so that when the flange means is secured to the rim, the flange means provides a mounting for the disc, and mounting the disc in the rim by attaching the disc to the flange means.
Thus in contrast with all of the prior art methods described, a range of wheels of alternative diameters may be produced in which each of the different diameter wheels utilises the same configuration disc thus resulting in a substantial saving in production costs. Of course, different flange means need to be made for the different diameter wheels but such flanges are much less expensive components to produce.
In one embodiment the disc may be circular around its periphery and may be attached to the flange means around substantially the entire circumference of the disc, for example by welding.
Preferably though the disc is of a non-circular configuration around its periphery, and the method comprises attaching the disc to the flange means at a plurality of mounting stations provided by the flange means.
Thus the disc may be nominally square around its periphery, with the corners of the square removed to provide positions at which the disc is attached to the flange means at the mounting stations.
Where it is desired to provide a wheel which is adjustable, the disc is preferably attached to the flange means by reusable releasable fastening means such as threaded fasteners which may provide formations whereby the fasteners may readily be released and re-used, so as to provide an adjustable wheel. The attachment of the disc to flange means may utilise spacers as desired so that the wheel tracking of a pair of wheels on a common axle may be adjusted to a desired tracking.
However it is envisaged that the disc may be attached to the flange means by permanent fasteners by which we mean fasteners which cannot be readily released and re-used, such as rivets, for one example, or even threaded fasteners which when tightened to a desired torque, become permanently damaged and are not re-usable. For example a formation necessary to tighten and release such a fastener may break off so that the faster cannot then readily be released.
In this way, the wheel is not adjustable by for example a vehicle operator, although the disc and flange means may be separated e.g. by drilling out the fastener so that the wheel may be repaired for example, by replacing a component part thereof, i.e. the rim or the disc.
The flange means may each comprises a first generally circular part which is adapted to be secured to the rim and a second generally circular flange part which is adapted to extend radially inwardly of the rim and provide the mounting for the disc, the method comprising attaching the disc to the second flange part.
The flange means may be of alternative configurations by virtue of at least some of the second flange parts of the plurality of flange means being longer in a direction in use radially inwardly of the rim, than others of the second flange parts, so that the method may comprise selecting a flange means from the plurality of flange means, in which the second flange part is of a sufficient length so that in use the second flange part extends radially inwardly sufficiently far for the disc to be attached to the second flange part of the selected flange means.
A typical range of wheels comprises three wheels of different diameter. Thus the method may comprise providing at least three alternative configurations of flange means, the first configuration having a second flange part of a length greater than the length of the second flange part of the second configuration of flange means, and the second flange part of the second configuration flange means being of a length greater than the second flange part of the third configuration of flange means.
According to a second aspect of the invention we provide a method of making a wheel from a rim and a disc, utilising mounting means secured to the rim to provide a mounting for the disc in the rim, wherein the method comprises attaching the disc to the mounting means by permanent fasteners which cannot be readily released and re-used.
According to a third aspect of the invention we provide a set of wheels each comprising a rim, a disc and a flange

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