Universal wheel transport hook

Details Universal wheel transport hook Universal wheel transport hook

2000-03-09

2002-11-12

Cherry, Johnny D. (Department: 3652)

Handling: hand and hoist-line implements

Hoistline attached load supporting frame

L-frame

C198S687100, C211S113000, C294S067100, C294S082100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06478353

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to the manufacture of vehicle wheels and in particular to a universal hook for transporting wheels within a wheel manufacturing facility.
Cast vehicle wheels and cast vehicle wheel components are becoming increasingly popular. Such wheels are cast upon highly automated casting machines. The wheel castings are then machined to a final shape. The finished wheels are typically coated by a layer of paint and/or a layer of clear coat for an enhanced appearance of the wheel and for protection of the wheel surface. The paint or clear coat is usually sprayed onto the wheel and then cured in an oven. Prior to spraying, the wheel is prepared, or pretreated, by being dipped in vats of cleaning solution to remove any grease and cutting oil remaining upon the wheel surface from the machining process.
To reduce manufacturing time and labor costs, the wheels are usually transported between work stations by hooks suspended from overhead conveyors. The wheels are loaded upon the hooks and then transported by the conveyors through the vats of cleaning solution, spray booths and curing ovens. Thus, a continuous process is provided for finishing the wheels.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a universal hook for transporting vehicle wheels within a wheel manufacturing facility.
Referring now to the drawings, there are illustrated in
FIG. 1
three typical hooks which are currently used for transporting a vehicle wheel within a wheel manufacturing facility.
FIG. 1A
illustrates a hook
10
which is utilized to carry two automobile vehicle wheels through a clear coating booth. The hook includes a body portion
11
which has a suspension hook
12
formed at the upper end thereof The suspension hook
12
is attached to an overhead conveyor which moves the wheel about the wheel manufacturing facility. The hook
10
further includes upper and lower extensions,
13
and
14
, respectively, which terminate in curved upper and lower wheel support hooks,
15
and
16
, respectively. A cross bar
17
is mounted transverse to the extensions
13
and
14
below the wheel support hooks
15
and
16
. The wheel support hooks
15
and
16
cooperate with the cross bars
17
to receive a wheel rim tire bead retaining flange (not shown) and thereby retain a wheel upon the hook
10
. The hook body
11
includes upper and lower trapezoidal wheel rests,
18
and
19
, respectively, against which an end of the wheel rests. The hook
10
illustrated in
FIG. 1A
can support two automobile wheels, with a first wheel carried by the upper wheel hook
15
and a second wheel carried by the lower wheel hook
16
.
FIG. 1B
illustrates an alternate automobile wheel hook
20
which can be used for transporting wheel castings or machined wheels about a wheel manufacturing facility. The hook also is used to move machined wheels through paint pretreatment vats and a base paint booth. Portions of the hook which are similar to portions of the hook
10
shown in
FIG. 1A
have the same numerical designators. The hook
20
includes a generally straight body portion
21
. Upper and lower pairs of inverted U-shaped clamps,
22
and
23
, respectively, are mounted upon the body portion
21
. The lower clamp in each pair cooperates with the corresponding cross bar
17
to receive the end of a wheel casting while the upper clamp in each pair cooperates with the corresponding lower clamp to receive the tire bead retaining flange of a finished wheel. A pair of support bars
24
, which are transverse to the hook body portion
21
, support the inboard or outboard end of the wheel. As in the hook
10
shown in
FIG. 1A
, the hook
20
can carry two wheels.
FIG. 1C
illustrates a hook
30
for transporting motorcycle wheels, which have narrower width than automobile wheels. The hook
30
has a lower portion which is formed as a cradle
31
. The cradle
31
receives one motorcycle wheel (not shown). A pair of retaining pads
32
are mounted upon the lower portion of the cradle
31
. The motorcycle wheel well is nested within the cradle
31
with the retaining pads
32
being received between the tire bead retaining flanges to retain the motorcycle wheel upon the hook
30
. Accordingly, the hook
30
is limited to carrying a single motorcycle wheel.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, three different hooks are required to transport wheels about a wheel manufacturing facility. Accordingly, when production is changed at the facility, it is also necessary to change the wheel hooks. The unused hooks then must be stored. It is also necessary to transfer the wheels between hooks if the wheels receive both a base coat of paint and a final clear coat. Additionally, the capacity of the hook used for motorcycle wheels is half of the capacity of the hooks used for automobile wheels. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a higher capacity hook which could carry both automobile and motorcycle wheels.
The present invention contemplates a universal wheel transport hook which includes a body portion having a first end formed as a suspension hook and a second end formed as a C-shaped cradle. At least one retaining pad is mounted upon the C-shaped cradle. Also, at least one retaining clip is attached to the body portion between the suspension hook and the C-shaped cradle and a retaining bar is mounted transversely upon the retaining clip. The invention further contemplates that the wheel transport hook can include a plurality of C-shaped cradles and retaining pads. Additionally, a pair of retaining clips and bars would be mounted adjacent to each of the C-shaped cradles.
Various objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, when read in light of the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 1433019 (1922-10-01), McMillin
patent: 2141125 (1938-12-01), Braune
patent: 2889169 (1959-06-01), Soncrant
patent: 3291519 (1966-12-01), Burke
patent: 3450428 (1969-06-01), Zimmerman
patent: 3517959 (1970-06-01), Ferguson
patent: 3749437 (1973-07-01), Lynn
patent: 3900110 (1975-08-01), Soroka
patent: 3960264 (1976-06-01), Carbine et al.
patent: 4167996 (1979-09-01), Cutter

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Universal wheel transport hook does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Universal wheel transport hook, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Universal wheel transport hook will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2932042