Abstract:
This invention is an ornamental design for wheel rims of cars and trucks. The design is in the shape of tire chains that are twisted and simulate wheel spokes. These twisted link lace rims are manufactured out of 4140 grade steel and conventional stainless steel. Additionally, the chain design could be chrome or gold plated for decorative value.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     There are no previously filed, nor currently any co-pending applications, anywhere in the world. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to automobile wheels and, more particularly, to an automobile wheel having decorative load bearing twisted link lace replacing the conventional wire wheel spokes. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In the related art, decorative wheels, particularly spoked for automobiles, are well known. Various novel ways have been developed for conventional automobile wheels having a spoked look. The problem with conventional spoked wheels is that the ends of the spokes protrude through the rim of the wheel requiring a seal on the inside of the tire rim that often leaks. Consequently, conventional tubed tires must be used. Another problem with such wheels is that the spokes require periodic adjustment to keep the proper tension between the wheel hub and outer rim. Failure to do so may cause the wheel to be dangerously unbalanced. The designs in the art solve this problem by adding a non-load bearing simulated spoke structure to a conventional automobile wheel. Examples of these type of designs can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,782 issued to Reppert, U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,357 issued to Reppert, U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,293 issued to Norris, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,478 issued to Brown, U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,479 issued to Weld, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,785 issued to Norris, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,859 issued to Weld is an automobile wheel manufacturing for the wheel described in &#39;479 also issued to Weld. U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,252 is a design of a wheel having a simulated wire wheel cover. 
     However, many automobile owners still desire an aesthetically pleasing wheel design that functions like conventional spoked wheels yet still allows the use of conventional tubeless tires. The present invention solves this problem by replacing the load bearing spokes with a decorative load bearing twisted steel link lace design. The twisted steel link lace is pre-tensioned upon assembly and eliminates the need for periodic spoke adjustment as in conventional spoked. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an automobile wheel with a unique chain-link spoke pattern. 
     It is a feature of the present invention to allow an automobile owner to create a customized vehicle look. 
     It is a feature of the present invention to provide a stylish design. 
     It is a feature of the present invention to provide a both a gold and silver plated design. 
     It is a feature of the present invention to provide a variety of sizes to fit a variety vehicles. 
     Briefly described according to one embodiment of the present invention, an automobile wheel with steel twisted link lace replacing the load bearing spokes of a conventional spoked automobile wheel is provided. The steel twisted link lace is pre-tensioned at the factory using a novel adjustment means incorporated into the design of the wheel center assembly. Once the lace is tensioned, the factory welds the spindle assembly in the tensioned position permanently tensioning the lace. The links in the lace are then welded to each other and to the rim forming a rigid spoke structure. The resulting assembly can then be plated in gold or silver finish. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
     FIG. 1 a front view of an automobile wheel with twisted link lace spokes according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view thereof; 
     FIG. 3 a.  is an elevational view of the spindle assembly  130  portion of the center wheel assembly  13 ; 
     FIG. 3 b.  is an elevational view of the hub assembly  140  portion of the wheel assembly  13 ; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the felly assembly  12  of the invention; and 
     FIG. 5 is a cross sectional schematic sketch depicting the function of the assembled invention. 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 10 
                 Bull Wheel 
                 130a 
                 Spindle Assembly Connection 
               
               
                 11 
                 Tire Rim 
                   
                 Points 
               
               
                 11a 
                 Inner Tire Rim Wall 
                 131 
                 Anchor Blocks 
               
               
                 12 
                 Felly Assembly 
                 132 
                 Tubular Sleeve 
               
               
                 12a 
                 Felly Connection Points 
                 133 
                 Expansion Plug 
               
               
                 13 
                 Center Wheel Assembly 
                 134 
                 Expansion Plug Threads 
               
               
                 14 
                 Twisted Steel Link Lace 
                 140 
                 Hub Assembly 
               
               
                   
                 Sections 
                 141 
                 Inner Tubular Sleeve 
               
               
                 120 
                 Outer Housing Ring 
                 145 
                 Outer Disc 
               
               
                 122 
                 Anchor Block Support Ring 
                 145a 
                 Outer Disc Inner Surface 
               
               
                 124 
                 Inner Housing Ring 
                 146 
                 Inner Disc 
               
               
                 125 
                 Rectangular Aperture 
                 146a 
                 Inner Disc Outer Surface 
               
               
                 127 
                 Anchor Blocks 
                 147 
                 Lug Nut Holes 
               
               
                 129 
                 Steel Anchor Pin 
                 148 
                 Receiving Notches 
               
               
                 130 
                 Spindle Assembly 
                 149 
                 Anchor Pin Aperture 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted within the Figures. 
     1. Detailed Description of the Figures 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a front view of an automobile wheel with steel twisted lace spokes  10  is shown comprised of a conventional tubeless tire rim  11  with a felly assembly  12  located concentrically inward and adjacent to the inner wall  11   a  of tire rim  11  and integrally joined by welding. A center wheel assembly  13 , comprising a spindle assembly and a hub assembly as further described below, is held at the rotational center of the wheel  10  by a plurality of twisted link lace sections  14 . 
     As further shown and described in conjunction with FIG. 2, FIG. 3 a,  and FIG. 3 b,  each center wheel assembly is formed by a spindle assembly  130  threadedly engaged in a linearly aligned manner with a hub assembly  140 . Each spindle assembly  130  is formed of a series of radially spaced and aligned anchor blocks  131  placed along the outer end of a tubular sleeve  132 . The tubular sleeve  132  forms a series of female threads (not shown) that receive an expansion plug  133  that has outer threads  134  for engaging with the female threads of the tubular sleeve  132 . 
     As further shown and described, each hub assembly  140  includes an inner tubular sleeve  141  supporting in a perpendicular fashion an outer disc  145 . An inner disc  146  is further provide located concentrically, adjacent to and on the inward side of an outer disc  145 . Inner disc  146  is butt welded in a perpendicular fashion to one end of an outer tubular sleeve  141 . The other end of the outer tubular sleeve  146  receives one end of an inner tubular sleeve  145  with the other end extending therefrom for receiving one end of a tubular sleeve  132 . The threaded inner diameter of one end of tubular sleeve  132  is for both receiving the threaded expansion plug  133  and a cavity axially centered and bored into the rear side of inner disc  146  of the center wheel assembly  13  for receiving the hub of an automobile axle in an otherwise conventional manner. Further, the outer disc  146  has a plurality of lug nut holes  147  bored there through and spaced radially at 72-degrees from each other for receiving the lug nuts from an axle of an automobile and for securing the outer disc  145  and center wheel assembly  13  to said axle. The outer disc  146  of the center wheel assembly has a plurality of receiving notches  148  located adjacent to and spaced radially at 72-degrees from each other on the outer circumference of said outer disc  145  for receiving said twisted link lace  14 . Further shown is a plurality of pairs of anchor pin aperture  149  located in each of said twisted link lace receiving notches  148  for securing one end of said twisted link lace  14  to the outer disc  145 . 
     It is envisioned that the inner tubular sleeve  141  is received within the interior of the tubular sleeve  132  of the spindle assembly  130 . In this manner, it is envisioned that the entire hub assembly  140  can be urged in a linear fashion upon rotation of the expansion plug  133  such that the anchor block assembly  131  can be urged away from the outer disc  145  in a steady, secure manner. 
     As further shown and described in conjunction with FIG. 4, the felly assembly  12  includes an outer housing ring  120  fixedly connected concentrically to the outer diameter of an anchor block support ring  122  and inner housing ring  124  fixedly connected concentrically on the inner diameter of anchor block support ring  122 . A plurality of rectangular aperture  125  are located tangentially on the outer surface of said anchor block support ring  122 . In the preferred embodiment in which twenty steel twisted link lace sections  14  are utilized, each rectangular aperture  125  is spaced 72-degrees apart for receiving there through one end of said twisted link lace  14  for attachment to a pair of anchor blocks  127  located on either side and adjacent to said rectangular aperture  125 . One end of steel twisted link lace  14  is fixedly connected to said pair of anchor blocks  125  by means of a steel anchor pin  129  passed through end link of twisted link lace  14  and anchor pin aperture  149  bored through anchor blocks  127 . 
     Finally, each twisted link lace section  14  is formed as a linearly elongated length of an otherwise conventional chain and having two opposed ends. In the preferred embodiment, one end of each of twenty steel twisted link lace sections  14  are connected to ten connection points  12   a  spaced radially and evenly on the inner circumference of said felly assembly  12 . As best shown in conjunction with FIG. 2, the other ends of ten of the twenty steel twisted link lace sections  14  are received by a spindle assembly  130  having five receiving points  130   a  where each receiving point  130   a  receives the end of two of the plurality of twenty steel twisted link lace sections  14 . Of these ten link lace sections, five of the sections are five links in length while the remaining five are six links in length. The sections of varying length are placed in an alternating pattern radially around said spindle assembly  130  for the reason discussed below. The other end of the remaining ten of twenty steel twisted link lace sections  14  are received by a plurality of five notches  148  cut in the outer surface  146   a  of inner disc  146  and the inner surface  145   a  of outer disc  145  spaced radially at a distance of seventy two degrees from each other on the outer circumference of said discs  145  and  146  where each said notch  148  receives two of the ends from the plurality of said ten steel twisted link lace sections  14 . Of these ten sections, five of the sections are eight links in length while the remaining five are nine links in length. Again, the steel link lace sections  14  of varying length are placed in an alternating pattern radially around said outer disc  145  for the reason discussed below. 
     2. Operation of the Preferred Embodiment 
     In operation, as best described in combination with FIG. 5, the present invention is assembled by connecting one end of the plurality of steel twisted link lace  14  to the anchor blocks  127  through the rectangular aperture  125  in the felly assembly  12  by means of an anchor pin  129 . Once the pin  129  is inserted it is welded to make the attachment permanent. The other end of the plurality of steel twisted link lace  14  is connected to the anchor blocks  131  located on the spindle  130  of the center wheel assembly by means of anchor pins  129 . Once both ends of the lace  14  are connected, the expansion plug  133  is inserted into the threaded end of the tubular sleeve  133  that serves as the base of the spindle assembly. As the expansion plug is screwed farther into the tubular sleeve  132 , the inserted end of the plug butts up against and is biased against one end of the inner tubular assembly  141  fixedly connected to the outer disc  145  forcing further separation between the two. The net effect is to cause the spindle  130  to move further away from the inner and outer disc causing a greater distance between the aperture in the anchor blocks on the spindle and the aperture in anchor blocks on the felly causing the twisted link lace spanning between them to tension the lace. The expansion plug is torqued in this manner until a desired tension in the steel twisted link lace is reached. Because the link lace sections are of varying length in an alternating pattern radially around said spindle  130  and said outer disc  145 , said spindle  130  assembly is rotated about said inner tubular sleeve  132  to give a more fashionable appearance to the design. Assembly is completed by welding adjoining links in the steel twisted link lace, welding the ends of the steel link lace to the anchor blocks, welding ends of the anchor pins to the anchor blocks, and welding the receiving end of the tubular sleeve to the outer surface of the inner tubular sleeve. 
     Once this is completed the expansion plug  133  is completely removed and a dummy expansion plug is inserted in its place. The resulting assembly is then placed into a conventional automobile rim  11  and the outer diameter of the felly assembly  12  is welded to the inner wall of said conventional tire rim. The assembled wheel can then be plated in gold or silver giving the invention a finished look.