Vehicle wheel construction

A composite vehicular wheel assembly (10) has a permanent ornamental surface treatment. The wheel assembly (10) includes an annular rim (12) having two rim flanges (14). A spider (20) is fixed within the rim (12) and attaches to a rotating hub (22). The spider (20) includes a plurality of radial spokes (24). Lug stud holes (32) are formed in the spider (20) and are circumferentially spaced about a central axis of the assembly (10). A stamped sheet metal applique (34) conforming to the outer surface curvature of the rim (12) and spider (20) is adhesively attached with an epoxy (42). The applique (34) is chrome-plated to simulate a conventional prior art electroplate chrome wheel assembly. The applique (34) includes vent openings (40) positioned between the spokes (24) of the spider (20), and apertures (52) aligned over each of the lug stud holes (32) of the spider (20) for passage of tile lug studs (31). A separately detachable center cap (29) attaches to the spider (20) and/or the hub (22).

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The invention relates to a vehicular wheel, and more particularly to an 
ornamental vehicle wheel assembly of composite construction to simulate 
conventional chrome plate wheel assemblies. 
BACKGROUND ART 
Vehicular wheels are used in automobiles to interconnect the rotating hub 
and the rubber tire. The wheel is a generally annular member having a rim 
with a pair of spaced rim flanges for engaging the bead of the tire. A 
spider is fixed within the rim. The spider typically includes a plurality 
of spokes with interposed openings for aesthetic reasons and for venting 
air to the brakes. The spider also includes a plurality of lug stud holes 
for receiving lug studs protruding from the rotating hub. Lug nuts are 
threaded on the lug studs for securely clamping the wheel and tire to the 
rotating hub. 
Automobiles are adorned by many motorists to project a fashion statement. 
In such attempts, the wheels are treated with various styling 
configurations to conform with popular tastes. Presently, the 
chrome-plated look is in style. The prior art is replete with examples of 
either steel wheels or aluminum wheels which are chrome-plated in an 
electro chemical bath to achieve the desired results. 
Today, automobile manufacturers may pay the supplier approximately $50.00 
for each chrome-plated steel wheel. However, the same steel wheel having a 
painted finish instead of a chrome-plated finish will cost under $20.00 
each. A chrome-plated aluminum wheel may cost the manufacturer $80.00 
each. However, the same aluminum wheel having a simple machined and 
clear-coated finish will only cost about $40.00 each. Accordingly, there 
is a steep additional cost for chrome plating both steel and aluminum 
wheels. 
There are several factors contributing to the high additional costs for 
chrome-plated wheels over the same wheels having a nonchrome finish. 
First, most manufacturers of wheels do not typically chrome plate 
"in-house". Therefore the wheels must be shipped to a chrome plating 
specialist before final delivery to the automobile manufacturer. The 
administrative costs associated with shipping and handling the wheels to 
the chrome plating specialist are appreciable. 
Second, the actual cost the chrome plating operation is high because chrome 
plating expenses are determined in large part upon the surface area of the 
part to be immersed in the electroplate bath. Because the entire wheel is 
dunked in the electroplating tank, a very large surface area attracts the 
chrome metal. 
Third, and most importantly, an inordinately large amount of time and 
effort is required to prefinish the wheel prior to chrome plating. This is 
because, during the manufacture of steel wheels, welding operations and 
metal forming operations leave considerable surface imperfections on the 
outer surface of the wheel. Because chrome plating amplifies all surface 
imperfections, each wheel is manually and tediously finished and inspected 
to remove all surface flaws. To an even greater degree, considerable and 
extensive surface preparation is also required for aluminum wheels to be 
chrome-plated. 
Various attempts have been made in the prior art to ornament the wheel 
while avoiding the usual expense of immersion chrome plating. For example, 
U.S. Pat. No.1,858,228 to Lyon, issued May 10, 1932, U.S. Pat. No. 
1,985,378 to Lyon, issued Dec. 25, 1934 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,517,968 to 
Tully et al, issued Jun. 30, 1970, all disclose ornamental trim rings 
utilizing a formed sheet metal ring attached to the rim portion only of 
the wheel. In Lyon '228, the rim trim ring is held in place under 
compression along the outer edge of the rim flange. In Tully et al, '968, 
the trim ring is fastened in place with an adhesive. In none of these 
references does the trim ring extend to cover the spider portion of the 
wheel assembly. Thus, these prior art attempts to ornament the wheel do 
not simulate an actual chrome-plated wheel because the spider spoke 
section remains unchromed. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,669,501 to Derleth, issued Jun. 13, 1972, discloses a 
vehicle wheel assembly having the typical rim and spider members, with a 
decorative plastic skin extending over both the rim and spider portions 
and permanently attached thereto by a structural foam. Derleth discloses 
that the plastic skin may be chrome-plated. Although this construction 
would appear to provide an acceptable alternative to the prior art full 
immersion chrome plating of a steel or aluminum wheel, it is, in 
actuality, just as expensive or more expensive. This is because expensive 
plastic forming machinery is required to form the plastic skin and foam 
underlay. Additionally, it is well known that chrome plating over plastic 
has many disadvantages. The most significant of which is that, once the 
chrome begins to chip away from its substrate, the dull, unattractive 
plastic is revealed. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES 
The subject invention provides a composite vehicular wheel assembly having 
a permanent ornamental surface treatment. The assembly comprises an 
annular rim defining a central axis and having a pair of spaced rim 
flanges. A spider is concentricly fixed within the rim for connecting to a 
rotating hub. The spider includes a plurality of spokes. An ornamental 
applique of uniform material thickness overlaps the rim and the spider. 
The applique has an annular outer connecting portion disposed adjacent one 
of the rim flanges and an annular inner connecting portion and a plurality 
of vent openings aligned between the spokes of the spider and located 
between the inner and outer connecting portions. An adhesive of 
substantially uniform thickness permanently bonds the applique to the rim 
and the spider along overlapping surfaces to achieve permanent fixation. 
The subject invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by 
forming the applique with a uniform thickness material so that forming can 
be inexpensively accomplished by simple stamping operations. Also, if 
desired, the applique can be chrome-plated or the like. Its thin, uniform 
thickness creates a relatively small surface area so that chrome plating 
costs are low. Further, the thin, light weight applique is much more 
easily shipped and handled during the chrome plating phase than the prior 
art full wheel. Also, the adhesive of uniform thickness can be easily 
applied to permanently bond the applique to the spider and rim without 
requiring costly machinery. When chrome plated, the ornamental applique 
covers the visible portions of the rim and spider so that the completed 
composite assembly is virtually indistinguishable from the conventional 
prior art chrome-plated wheel assemblies wherein the entire wheel is 
immersed in an electro-chemical bath.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate like or 
corresponding parts throughout the several views, a composite vehicular 
wheel assembly according to the subject invention is generally shown at 
10. The assembly 10 has a permanent ornamental surface treatment, 
preferably chrome-plated stainless steel, which eliminates the need for a 
separate detachable wheel cover. The wheel assembly 10 constructed in 
accordance with this invention is virtually indistinguishable from a prior 
art chrome-plated wheel assembly, yet more durable and substantially less 
expensive. 
There are several general requirements for any wheel assembly having a 
permanent ornamental surface treatment. There must be an open center 
portion to receive the protruding portion of the hub and its dust cap. 
There must be access to the lug nuts. Tire mounting/demounting machinery 
must be able to operate without damaging the ornamental surface treatment. 
The wheel assembly must be capable of receiving the standard clip-on 
balance weights at the rim flanges. There must be no sharp exposed edges. 
There can be no loose components which would cause vibration and noise. 
The ornamental surface treatment must be secured so that it will not 
become accidentally disassembled or stolen. The wheel assembly must be 
durable so that it will not rust or corrode. And finally, the permanent 
ornamental surface treatment must be economical relative to other prior 
art surface treatments and ornamentation. 
Keeping these requirements in mind, the subject assembly 10 includes an 
annular rim, generally indicated at 12, defining a central axis A. The rim 
12, as shown in FIG. 4, includes a pair of rim flanges 14 spaced on 
opposite sides of a well portion 16, over which a standard tube-type or 
tubeless tire 17 is mounted. A bead seat radius 18 is interposed between 
each of the rim flanges 14 and the well portion 16 for remaining the tire 
beads 19. 
The spider, generally indicated at 20, is concentrically fixed within the 
rim 12 for connecting to a rotating hub 22. The spider 20 includes a 
plurality of spokes 24 which radiate from a center section 26 to a spoke 
flange 28. Venting spaces are interposed between adjacent spokes 24. The 
spoke flange 28 interconnects with the rim 12. However, these 
well-establish distinctions become somewhat obscured in the preferred 
embodiment where the assembly 10 is of the "full face" type, with the 
spider 20 extending integrally into the outer rim flange 14. 
In this "full face" configuration, a weld line 27 is present at the one 
outer bead seat radius 18, as shown in FIG. 5. The effect of the weld line 
27 is that considerable surface disturbance is created on the visible side 
of the assembly 10, in the area of the rim flange 14 and the spoke flange 
28. In conventional prior art chrome plating situations, extensive surface 
preparation of this area of the wheel would be required due to the trauma 
induced by the weld line 27. That is, because chrome plating inherently 
amplifies all surface flaws, extra care would normally be required to 
prepare this area adjacent the weld line 27 prior to chrome plating the 
wheel. 
The center section 26 of the spider 20 includes a center hole 30 for 
receiving the protruding portion of the hub 22 and its dust cap. As shown 
in FIGS. 1 and 2, various cap or cover 29 options are available for 
aesthetically trimming the center hole 30. In FIG. 1, the cover 29 for a 
steel wheel is generally frustroconical. In FIG. 2, the cover 29 for an 
aluminum wheel is a flat plate-like member. 
Disposed circumferentially about the center hole 30 are a plurality of lug 
stud holes 32. Standard threaded lug studs 31 extending from the hub 22 
pass through the holes 32. The wheel assembly 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1 
and 3 includes five such lug stud holes 32. In typical fashion, lug nuts 
33 are threaded onto the studs 31 to secure the wheel assembly 10 to the 
hub 22. Between adjacent lug stud holes 32 is formed a hole 35 in the 
spider 20, extending completely through the material of the center section 
26. Five such holes 35 are provided. 
Preferably, the rim 12 and spider 20 sections of the assembly 10 are 
manufactured from fabricated steel, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3-7. However, 
the same construction can be manufactured from fabricated aluminum to 
reduce weight. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2, the rim 12 and spider 20 
sections can be manufactured from cast aluminum. 
An ornamental applique, generally indicated at 34, is formed of a uniform 
thickness material, such as sheet steel or, preferably, stainless steel. 
The applique 34 overlaps the rim 12 and spider 20 to present an ornamental 
surface treatment to the visible outer portions of the assembly 10. The 
applique 34 has an annular outer connecting portion 36 disposed adjacent 
the one outer rim flange 14. The outer connecting portion 36 overlies the 
one rim flange 14 and the spoke flange 28 of the spider 20. The applique 
34 also includes an annular inner connecting portion 38 overlying at least 
a portion of the center section 26. 
Further, the applique 34 includes a plurality of vent openings 40 aligned 
between the spokes 24 of the spider 20. The vent openings 40 are radially 
positioned between the inner 38 and outer 36 connecting portions. 
Preferably, the vent portions 40 correspond precisely with the open 
portions between the spokes 24, as best illustrated in FIGS. 1-4. However, 
as shown in FIG. 7, the vent openings may vary from the spoke 24 
configuration so that different and unique ornamental designs can be 
achieved. In some cases, the number of vent openings 40 need not be equal 
to the number of spokes 24. Thus, the rim 12 and spider 20 configuration 
of FIG. 7 can be used with many different vent opening 40 options of the 
applique. This practice allows the same rim 12 and spider 20 structure to 
be used for many different vehicles. 
In the preferred embodiment, the applique 34 is fabricated from a uniform 
thickness material in a stamping operation. It will be readily appreciated 
that such a forming technique is quick, easy, and relatively inexpensive. 
Also, the durable sheet metal construction is ideal for plating with 
chrome. Because no welding operations are preformed on the applique 34 
during its fabrication, the finishing operation to prepare the surface for 
chrome plating is relatively minor and thus inexpensive. Also, if the 
applique 34 is formed of stainless steel sheet stock, the favorable grain 
growth phenomena of the stamping process yields minimal surface defects. 
Further, the stainless steel provides an excellent bonding surface for the 
chrome, and will not corrode when portions of the chrome plating are 
subsequently chipped away. Thus, the subject invention provides a 
heretofore unavailable option, viz., a stainless steel substrate. Because 
stainless steel is much more expensive than the steels conventionally used 
for rim 12 and spider 20 constructions, the prior art could not 
practically consider chrome plating stainless steel with all its 
advantages. However, the applique 34 is small enough that stainless steel 
sheet stock can be used affordably. Thus, only with the subject invention 
can the benefits of a stainless steel substrate be realized. 
Turning now to FIG. 5, it is shown that an adhesive 42 of substantially 
uniform thickness is provided for permanently bonding the applique 34 to 
the rim 12 and the spider 20 along overlapping surface areas. Preferably, 
the adhesive 42 is an epoxy material applied in a tacky, uncured condition 
between the rim 12 and spider 20. In practice, the adhesive 42 may be 
applied to the inner surface of the applique 34 or the outer surface of 
the rim 12 and spider 20. Favorable results have been achieved when the 
thickness of the adhesive 42 is less than twice the thickness of the 
applique 34. Alternatively, instead of using a glue type substance, the 
adhesive 42 may comprise double-sided tape or the like. Regardless of the 
specific adhesive 42 employed, it must be heat resistant so that its 
holding power is not compromised under high heat conditions. 
When the adhesive 42 comprises an epoxy material, there is naturally a 
required drying or curing time. To aid in fixation, the subject invention 
further includes a locking means, generally indicated at 44 in FIG. 5, for 
mechanically locking the applique 34 to at least one of the rim 12 in the 
spider 20. The locking means 44 maintains the applique 34 in pressing, 
compressive contact with the adhesive 42 to ensure proper adhesion and 
thereby prevent the applique 34 from becoming disconnected from the rim 12 
and spider 20 during operation. 
The locking means 44 is shown in two forms which may be used independently 
or simultaneously. First, the locking means 44 may include an annular 
catch 46 formed in the one outer rim flange 14. A peripheral edge 48 of 
the outer connecting portion 36 of the applique 34 engages the annular 
catch 46 to hold the applique 34 in place while the adhesive 42 cures. 
Preferably, the peripheral edge 48 must be forced into engagement behind 
the catch 46 so that a spring-like pressure is exerted against the 
adhesive 42 by the applique 34. As shown in FIG. 4, this configuration 
will not restrict the use of conventional wheel balance weights 49 which 
clip over the periphery of the rim flanges 14. 
Also, the locking means 44 includes a plastically deformed section 50 of 
the inner connecting portion 38. The plastically deformed section 50 is 
created by forcing the inner connecting portion 38 through one or more of 
the holes 35 in the center section 26 of the spider 20, i.e., the holes 35 
between the lug stud holes 32. A swaging, pressing or extrusion process 
can be used to deform the applique 34 into the holes 35. As best shown in 
FIG. 5, the plastically deformed sections 50 may be peened in rivet-like 
fashion on the back side of the respective hole 35 to effect a 
structurally secure mechanical lock. 
The inner connecting portion 38 of the applique 34 may or may not extend 
radially inwardly as far as the lug stud holes 32. If the inner connecting 
portion 38 extends over the lug stud holes 32, corresponding apertures 52 
are aligned over each of the lug stud holes 32 to permit passage of the 
studs 31. The specific configuration of the cap 29 determines the inward 
extend of the inner connecting portion 38. FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of 
the invention where the inner connecting portion 38 does not extend over 
the lug stud holes 32, because the cap 29 completely covers the lug nuts 
33. 
In FIG. 6, a cross section of one spoke 24 is shown with the overlying 
portion of the applique 34. Of particular note is the boundary 54 of the 
vent openings 40 where the applique 34 is curled around the edges of the 
spokes 24. This construction further rigidifies the applique 34, 
eliminates sharp edges to prevent cuts, and also helps seal or protect the 
adhesive 42 from direct contact with debris and the elements. The curled 
boundary 54 further helps prevent the applique 34 from rotating upon the 
spider 20 and assists in the alignment of the applique 34 over the spider 
20 during assembly. 
The subject wheel assembly 10 is formed by the steps of forming the annular 
rim 12 with a pair of rim flanges 14, forming the spider 20 with a 
plurality of spokes 24 and interposed spaces, supporting the spider 20 
concentrically within the rim 12, forming an ornamental applique 34 having 
a substantially uniform material thickness and an annular outer connecting 
portion 36 and an annular inner connecting portion 38, relieving a 
plurality of vent openings 40 in the applique 34 between the outer 36 and 
inner 38 connecting portions, positioning the applique centrally over the 
spider 20 and the rim 12 while aligning the applique vent openings 40 in 
the spaces between the spokes 24, compressing the adhesive 42 into a 
substantially uniformly thick space between the applique 34 and the spider 
20, and mechanically maintaining the compressing step until the adhesive 
42 is set. 
The step of mechanically maintaining the adhesive in compression between 
the applique 34 and the spider 20 and rim 12 includes forming an annular 
catch 46 in the one outer rim flange 14, and force fitting the peripheral 
edge 48 of the applique 34 into the catch 46. Further, the adhesive 42 is 
maintained in compression under pressure of the applique 34 by plastically 
deforming a section 50 of the inner connecting portion 38 into the hole in 
the center section 26 of the spider 20. 
The method further includes plating the applique 34 with a metallic 
composition containing a percentage of chromium prior to positioning the 
applique over the spider 20 and rim 12. This plating step is accomplished 
using well-known electro-plating technology. 
The subject wheel assembly 10 as constructed in accordance with the 
preferred embodiment described above creates a functional and durable 
composite wheel assembly 10 having a permanent ornamental chromium surface 
treatment at a relatively low cost. The wheel assembly 10 is constructed 
to permit access of tire mounting equipment and the normal inclusion of 
balance weights 49 about the rim flanges 14. Further, the assembly 10 is 
permanently fixed so as to preclude theft of components or accidental loss 
of the applique 34. Further, the full surface adhesive 42 fixation 
technique creates an assembly 10 which will not vibrate between the 
applique 34 and the remainder of the assembly 10. 
The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be 
understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in 
the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. 
Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are 
possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be 
understood that within the scope of the appended claims wherein reference 
numerals are merely for convenience and are not to be in any way limiting, 
the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.