Patent ID: 7784185

Claim:
A process for attaching a wheel cover to a wheel said process comprising the steps of: providing a wheel cover that includes an inboard surface and an outboard surface and a vent opening; providing a wheel that has an inboard surface and an outboard surface and a vent opening; positioning the wheel cover on a support with the inboard surface of the wheel cover directed upward, wherein the support includes a movable carrier having a clamping mechanism; positioning the wheel on the wheel cover so that the outboard surface of the wheel opposed to the inboard surface of the wheel cover forms a cover/wheel assembly with a gap defined between the outboard surface of the wheel opposed to the inboard surface of the wheel cover; sealing a gap between the wheel cover vent and wheel vent by positioning sealing elements over the gaps between the wheel cover vent and wheel vent on the inboard surface of the wheel and positioning a clamping plate over the sealing elements and activating the clamping mechanism to pull the clamping plate against the sealing elements; injecting a foamable adhesive in the gap defined between the outboard surface of the wheel and opposed inboard surface of the wheel cover at a first work station; and heating the cover/wheel assembly after injecting the foamable adhesive in a second work station to cure the foamable adhesive.