New-York tribune., 1921-05-21
Bethlehem Steel
To Make Wheels
For Motor Trucks
Samples Have Been Shown
to Trade and Have Met
With Favor; Rapid
Production Is Possible

The Bethlehem Steel COMPANY sub.
sidiary of the Bethlehem Steel Cor.
poration, has gone into the business 81
making steel wheels for motor trucks.
the automobile trade heard YESTERDAY
The first unit of the plant to be used
for this purpose is already in operation
at Bethlehem, Pa. Sample wheels nave
already been produced and shown ia
truck manufacturers, who have shown
much interest in the steel compsny's
venture.
4 The company's new product is de.
scribed as a structural steel wheel
Fabricated from specially rolled stock
which is punched, formed and bent in
such way that the flange of the chan
mel becomes the rim of the wheel,
while the spokes, shaped from the web,
from an interlocking keystone hub
construction.
an other words" explains Automo-
bile Topics commenting on the new
wheel, each length OF channel stock
is blanked out and formed into two
pieces, from each of which the spokes
project at right angles to the fanges.
The spokes are then staggered, and
finally the ianges are bent around into
a circle, bringing the spokes into their
final and proper relation. The ends Of
the rim are then welded. Two wheels
are thus produced from each section OF
MATERIAL
This form of construction, it is said,
permits the wheels to be manufactured
by continuous, sequential processes. II
has been found that in the first unit Of
the plant material can be put through
in exactly one hour and thirty minutes,
from the raw stock to the finished
wheel. The calculated rate of the shop
is one wheel every two and one-hah
minutes. On this basis about 200
wheels day, working one shift, can
be turned out.
The finished product" adds Auto
noble Topics, sis said to compare IA
vorably in every way with wood and
cast steel wheels. A complete set Of
motor bus wheels, recently turned ont
and sent to Europe as a sample
weighed 700 pounds. 'On each rear
wheel there was a saving of forty
seven pounds over the cast steel equip
ment replaced. Favorable comparison
IS also made with the wood wheel on
the important point OF resiliency'
which is recognized protection for
axles, bearings and other parts OF the
truck
Special advantages are claimed for
the interlocking hub construction
which constitutes, in effect, two con-
tinuous plates with a space between.
This permits considerable weight say
ing to be effected in the hub, which,
however, is designed in such way
that standard bearings and other tt-
ings may be used"
The price of the new Bethlehem
wheel is said to compare favorsbly
with that Of other wheels, with posi-
bilities of further economies when
may bring down the price in the III,
ture. In its original form the wheei
was the invention of Morris Lachmah'
who has been at work on the process
for number of years. The preseaV
wheel and the rights covering 1t are
owned by the Structural Steel Wheel
Company, of which Mr.. Lachman y
president, and which has been taken
over by the Bethlehem company.
Although current production, oss
been confined TO motor truck wheeis
it is intended eventually to extend tas
manufacture to the passenger
cor GaTd