Patent ID: 7097730

Claim:
A method for attaching an overlay to a wheel, said method comprising the steps of: providing a wheel having an inboard surface, an outboard surface and a plurality of apertures therethrough, said plurality of apertures each defining an aperture periphery; providing an overlay having an inboard surface, an outboard surface and a plurality of turbine openings therethrough, said plurality of turbine openings each defining a turbine opening periphery; attaching said wheel to said overlay thereby providing a wheel/overlay assembly having an inboard surface and an outboard surface, said wheel/overlay assembly defining a cavity between said inboard surface of said overlay and said outboard surface of said wheel; heating said wheel/overlay assembly to a predetermined temperature; providing a foam filling station having a first nest and an oppositely disposed second nest, said second nest having a nozzle disposed therein such that said nozzle radially aligns with one of said plurality of wheel apertures when said second nest engages said wheel/overlay assembly, said second nest further having a vent; engaging said first nest with said outboard surface of said wheel/overlay assembly; engaging said second nest with said inboard surface of said wheel/overlay assembly such that said nozzle is radially aligned with one of said plurality of wheel apertures; injecting a predetermined quantity of adhesive foam through said nozzle, through said one of said plurality of wheel apertures with which said nozzle is radially aligned, and into said cavity; releasing air trapped within said cavity through said vent in said second nest while injecting said predetermined quantity of adhesive foam; and disengaging said first and second nests and removing said wheel/overlay assembly from said foam filling station.