Method and a device for automatically mounting spokes in wheels

A method and a device for automatically mounting spokes in wheels. In the method, the hub of a wheel and the rim of a wheel are interconnected by an inner layer of spokes being supplied in a first station, whereafter the procedure is repeated in a second station for mounting an outer layer of spokes. If desired, this can be done simultaneously with the mounting of an inner layer of spokes in a new wheel in the first station. The device for automatically mounting spokes in wheels comprises rim support means, hub securing means, means for feeding spokes into flange apertures in the hub, means for clamping the ends of the spokes for defining the positions thereof, and means for threading nipples onto the spokes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention refers to a method and a device for automatically mounting 
spokes in wheels, primarily bicycle wheels. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Mounting spokes in bicycle wheels manually is a very tedious operation, and 
furthermore it is extremely monotonous. This mounting is carried out by 
the person mounting the wheel introducing one spoke at a time through an 
individual spoke aperture in the wheel hub and thereafter fitting the 
spokes into apertures in the wheel rim and threading a nipple on each 
spoke from the outside of the rim. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The manual mode of operation described above results in that it is only 
possible for a person to mount comparatively few wheels in a working day. 
The invention has the object of eliminating this disadvantage by 
disclosing a method and a device for automatically mounting spoke wheels 
so as to enable the rate of productivity to be multiplied as compared to 
mounting manually. In the method, the hub of a wheel and the rim of a 
wheel are interconnected by an inner layer of spokes being supplied in a 
first station, whereafter the procedure is repeated in a second station 
for mounting an outer layer of spokes. If desired, this can be done 
simultaneously with the mounting of an inner layer of spokes in a new 
wheel in the first station. The device for automatically mounting spokes 
in wheels comprises rim support means, hub securing means, means for 
feeding spokes into flange apertures in the hub, means for clamping the 
ends of the spokes for defining the positions thereof, and means for 
threading nipples onto the spokes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The device or machine disclosed by the invention operates in two individual 
cycles and basically comprises two identical halves or stations, viz. a 
right half or a first station as shown in the right hand portion of FIG. 1 
and a left half or a second station as shown in the left hand portion of 
FIG. 1. Generally speaking, a wheel hub and a wheel rim are interconnected 
in the first station by means of for example 18 spokes disposed in 
predetermined positions and their associated 18 nipples, with said spokes 
together forming an inner or internal layer of spokes, i.e. the entire 
spoke except the spoke head is disposed on the inside of the hub flange. 
The wheel which thus is only partially completed by said inner layer of 
spokes is thereafter moved to the second station. In the second station an 
additional 18 spokes and 18 nipples are mounted, whereby an outer or 
external layer of spokes is formed. The inner and outer layers of spokes 
and the wheel rim and hub together form a complete spoke wheel of the type 
having 36 spokes. 
The basic principle of the device of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 
1, wherein it may be seen that each station A and B, respectively, in an 
illustrated embodiment of the device comprises three rim support rollers 
1A, 2A, 3A and 1B, 2B, 3B, respectively, a hub clamp 4A and 4B, 
respectively, means 5A, 5B for feeding spokes into flange apertures in the 
hub, means 6A', 6B' for clamping the ends of the spokes for defining the 
positions thereof, and means 6A", 6B" for threading nipples onto the 
spokes. The clamps and means 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 6A', 6B', 6A", 6B" are 
diagrammatically illustrated in the form of blocks in FIG. 1 and they are 
shown more specifically in other figures. 
As the two stations of the device are substantially identical the 
abbreviated designations 1-6 will be utilized from now on instead of the 
designations 1A-6A and 1B-6B, respectively, wherever this is possible 
without danger of misunderstanding. 
The rim wheel is centered by means of the three support rollers 1, 2, 3, 
two of which may have stationary shafts whereas the third may be operated 
for example pneumatically or hydraulically. The hub clamp 4 may be 
comprised of two parts for each securing an individual end of the hub, 
with it being necessary to secure the hub arm in a predetermined position 
if the relevant hub is a rear wheel hub. The hub flanges are secured in 
their intended positions by means of two pins, each engaging a mating 
aperture in individual flanges, so that the spoke apertures of the hub 
flange always will be in one end the same position initially. The position 
of the rim is determined by a member 57 in cooperation with a member 58 
which will be described more specifically below. 
The means 5 for feeding spokes into the flange apertures of the hub are 
shown more specifically in FIG. 2. In this Figure, the designation 7 
relates to the flange of the wheel hub, said flange being provided with 
apertures 8. The designation 9 indicates an elongated tube having a 
longitudinal recess 10 whose side edges form a guide for a spoke 11 which 
is shown disposed in the tube 9 in such manner that the spoke 11 rests at 
two points 12 and 13, one of which, viz. 12, is located close to the left 
end of the spoke whereas the other one, 13, is formed by the downwardly 
directed spoke head at the right end of the spoke. The tube 9 is 
displaceable in its longitudinal direction by means of a feeder 14 of 
arbitrary appropriate type, for example a pneumatically or hydraulically 
operated piston, the feeder 14 actuating a flexible spiral spring 15 which 
by being guided in a tube 16 actuates tube 9 in consequence of a fastening 
member 17 being secured to the tube 9 at the end of spiral spring 15. Tube 
9 may thus be displaced in the direction of flange 7 and in the direction 
away therefrom, respectively. In similar manner spoke 11 may be fed to 
aperture 8 in flange 7 and in through the aperture, viz. by means of two 
motor-driven rollers 21 and 22 which advance a flexible spiral wire 24 
which extends through a tube 25 and which at its ends strikes the spoke 
head 13 with a shoulder 26 so as to displace spoke 11 through aperture 8. 
The spoke will now fall down on the left side of hub flange 7 and will 
hang vertically as the result of the influence of gravity, and it will be 
retained in hub flange 7 in consequence of spoke head 13 engaging said 
flange. The initial introduction of spoke 11 into tube 9 can be carried 
out in appropriate manner, for example by supplying it from a sorting 
device. 
The means or device 6' for securing the end of the spoke for defining the 
position thereof after the spoke has been fed in through aperture 8 of 
FIG. 2 and hangs vertically is illustrated in FIG. 3. This device consists 
of two mutually similar and cooperating sliding blocks 27 and 28 which are 
slidable in the directions marked out by double arrows. The device 6' is 
located at the lower end of the vertically hanging spokes which are 
designated 11' and 11" in FIG. 3 in such manner that when the sliding 
blocks 27 and 28 are located in their left and right end positions, 
respectively, the free lower ends of spokes 11' and 11" will be positioned 
somewhere along individual V-shaped guide surfaces 29 and 30 of the 
respective sliding blocks 28 and 27 when the spokes hang vertically 
downwards. When sliding block 28 is displaced towards the left, one end 31 
of a metal wire which is wound around a pin 32 and which continues with a 
straight end 33 will be actuated by a stationary shoulder 34, with the end 
33 being made to engage spoke 11' and to guide the latter in towards the 
center of the angular recess in guide surface 29. In consequence of 
sliding block 27 simultaneously being displaced to the right a wire 36 
which is secured to a shoulder 35 and which is bent angularly at its free 
end will guide spoke 11' to the vertex of the angular recess or the 
V-shaped guide surface 29 and will clamp the spoke there. The same 
procedure occurs with regard to spoke 11", and hence, if the sliding 
blocks 28 and 27 and the guide surfaces 29 and 30 are disposed in 
appropriate manner, each of the spokes 11' and 11" will become clamped in 
position over an individual aperture in the wheel rim. The sliding blocks 
27 and 28 may appropriately be driven by driving means comprising a motor, 
a slip coupling, a rack and a pinion. 
The means or device 6A", 6B" for threading nipples on the spokes is 
illustrated in FIG. 4. In this device the sliding blocks 27 and 28 of FIG. 
3 are utilized, said blocks being displaceable below the wheel rim 39 in 
the directions shown by the double arrows of FIG. 4. Nipple feeders 40 and 
41, respectively, are located each above a respective one of said sliding 
blocks 27 and 28. When the sliding blocks are set to their outermost end 
positions the center lines of the nipple feeders 40 and 41 coincide each 
with the center line of a sheath 48 and a tool 49 which are included in a 
nipple threading device associated with each one of the sliding blocks 27 
and 28, respectively. The nipple threading device comprises a motor 42, a 
slip coupling 43, a power transmission wheel 44 and a gear 45 which make a 
flexible spiral wire 46 rotate in a flexible sheath 47 which at one end is 
secured to sheath 48 which is secured in sliding block 27. The spiral wire 
46 is at one end provided with the tool 49 which ends with a resilient pin 
50. When sliding block 27 is disposed in its left position the pin 50, the 
tool 49, and the sheath 48 are located opposite to nipple feeder 40. Every 
time sliding block 27 is disposed in this end position a nipple is fed 
downwardly, said nipple falling down into sheath 48 and being intercepted 
by pin 50. When the sliding blocks 27 and 28 thereafter are displaced 
towards each other the center line of sheath 48 and tool 49 will in the 
other hand end position be disposed opposite to the lower end of a spoke 
which has been secured in position in manner described above. Spiral wire 
46 is now fed upwards by means of a feeder 51 and is rotated 
simultaneously, and the nipple is driven upwardly through an aperture 52 
in the rim opposite to the nipple and spoke and engages the spoke so as to 
be threaded thereon so that the spoke and rim become attached to each 
other. The same procedure as the one which now has been described is 
performed on the side of sliding block 28. 
In order to enable the wheel rim to be set into such position that hub 
apertures and spoke apertures mate with each other when a spoke initially 
is introduced into the hub aperture and thereafter is to be clamped in 
position over a rim aperture pending a nipple being threaded on, the rim 
must be given the correct initial position and must be indexed in correct 
manner. The correct initial position can be achieved by means of pins 
being introduced into apertures in the rim. Each time a pair of spokes has 
been mounted the rim is indexed in the manner shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The 
hub 7 is indexed by means of a mounted spoke. In FIG. 5 the designation 52 
refers to the rim, and the designation 11 refers to a spoke. The rim 
support rollers 2 and 3 correspond to the ones of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 shows a 
view of roller 2 taken at right angles to the view of FIG. 5 but on a 
larger scale and with associated driving means, viz. motor 53, slip 
coupling 54, gear 55, and a clutch 56 located in roller 2. In this case, 
too, the designation 52 refers to the rim. Indexing the rim is carried out 
by a terminal stopping pin 57 in a spoke aperture in rim 52 (FIG. 5) 
located in the plane of the drawing being made to disengage the rim 
simultaneously with a prestopping pin 58 for a spoke 11 in the wheel at 
right angles to the plane of the drawing being advanced to blocking 
position. Motor 53 drives indexing roller 2 over slip coupling 54 and gear 
55 as well as coupling 56 in the direction of the arrow 59 so that the rim 
52 is displaced as illustrated by the arrow 60. This continues until a 
spoke strikes prestopping pin 58 and stops there. At the time coupling 54 
begins to slip. The drive of roller 2 is disconnected, and coupling 56 
releases roller 2 of all actuation by the drive. Finally the terminal 
stopping pin 57 is moved upwardly and into a spoke aperture in the rim so 
as to carry out final adjustment and locking thereof, and thus the 
indexing has been completed. 
The device disclosed by the invention operates in the following manner. 
A wheel rim is rolled in from a station with a line of rims on the right 
hand side of the device of FIG. 1 and is positioned in the center of the 
right hand station A of the device. Centering is carried out by means of 
rollers 1A, 2A, and 3A in consequence of roller 1A being displaceable in 
the directions of the double arrow. Furthermore, a hub is advanced from a 
station with a line of hubs behind and above the device and is placed in 
the hub clamp 4, with any existing hub arm being placed in correct 
position and the shaft of said hub being secured and clamped. 
Two spokes are thereafter advanced from two sorting devices each to a spoke 
advancing tube 9 and down into the latter and are conveyed each through an 
aperture in the respective hub flanges in manner disclosed above. Every 
time the tube 9 reaches its rearmost position a new spoke falls down into 
tube 9. 
Two nipples supplied by a nipple sorting device are advanced to and down 
into the two nipple feeding tools 49. Every time the sliding blocks 27, 28 
reach their outer end positions new nipples fall down and are guided up by 
the tools 49 and the pins 50 (FIG. 4). 
A complete cycle in each half or station of the device comprises a starting 
cycle, seven subcycles and a terminating cycle (in the case when 18 spokes 
are to be mounted in a spoke inner layer and a spoke outer layer, 
respectively). The two cycles of stations A and B may to advantage be 
carried out simultaneously. 
During the starting cycle the hubs are clamped against rotation by means of 
their two pairs of clamping members 4A, 4B, and furthermore the spokes are 
advanced as illustrated by FIG. 2, with the spokes being supplied to their 
respective apertures in the hub flange, in which they hang vertically 
downwards. The two pairs of hub clamps 4A, 4B of FIG. 1 release. The hubs 
are thereafter rotated 1/9 of a complete revolution by a turning member 
(not shown), whereafter the hubs are again clamped by the hub clamps 4A, 
4B. The sliding blocks 27, 28 of FIGS. 3 and 4 are advanced and clamp the 
spoke ends, whereafter the means for threading nipples illustrated in FIG. 
4 operate in the manner described above, whereupon the sliding blocks 
return. Simultaneously therewith double pairs of spokes are advanced into 
their respective apertures of the hub flanges in accordance with FIG. 2. 
In each of the seven subcycles the following occurs. 
The hub clamps 4A, 4B are released. The rim is indexed in accordance with 
FIGS. 5 and 6. The hub clamps 4A, 4B secure the hub. The sliding blocks of 
FIG. 3 secure the previously introduced spokes, nipples are threaded on, 
and thereafter the sliding blocks are returned. Double pairs of spokes are 
simultaneously advanced into their respective apertures in the hub flange 
in accordance with FIG. 2. 
In the terminating cycle the procedure is the same as in each of the seven 
subcycles but without new spokes being supplied. 
After a cycle as described above has been carried out the right hand 
station A of the device will have a mounted inner layer of spokes, whereas 
the left hand station B of the device will contain a complete wheel which 
is made to roll away to the left. Thereafter the wheel of the right hand 
station is moved to the left hand station of the device simultaneously 
with a new rim and a new hub being supplied to the right hand station. 
The invention is not limited to the embodiment described above and 
illustrated in the drawings, and said embodiment merely comprises an 
example of the invention and its mode of application.