Method of producing improved vehicle wheels

Claim 1

A METHOD OF FORMING A DISK TYPE VEHICLE WHEEL WITH INTEGRAL TIRE SUPPORTING RIM WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF ROLLING A STRIP OF METAL BETWEEN MILL ROLLS OF SUCH DETERMINED SURFACE CONFIGURATION AS TO PRODUCE DESIRED VARIED THICKNESSES THROUHGOUT THE STRIP WIDTH; SAID VARIED THICKNESSES BEING PRODUCED IN THE STRIP WITH A VIEW TO PROVIDING GREATER STRENGTH AND THICKNESS AT THE ANNULAR BEND LINES OF THE RIM PORTION AND DESIRED THICKNESSES AND TAPERS IN DETERMINED AREAS OF THE DISK PORTION OF THE WHEEL; THEREAFTER CUTTING THE STRIP TO DETERMINED LENGTH, FORMING IT INTO A CYLINDER WITH ABUTTING EDGES, WELDING THE ABUTTING EDGES, TRIMMING AND NORMALIZING THE WELD; RADIALLY EXPANDING, BY APPLICATION OF RADIALLY OUTWARD PRESSURE, ONE END AND A LARGE PORTION OF THE AXIAL LENGTH OF THE CYLINDER TO A DETERMINED GENERALLY STEPPED AND SLIGHTLY CONICAL FORM HAVING ITS LARGEST DIAMETER ADJACENT SAID ONE END; SAID EXPANDING SO FORMING THIS PORTION OF THE CYLINDER, WHICH LATER BECOMES THE RIM PORTION, AS TO PLACE ITS THICKER ANNULAR AREAS AT THE DETERMINED STEPS OF THE EXPANDED PORTION AND PROVIDE A SHAPE WHICH CAN BE READILY LOCATED AND FIRMLY HELD IN POSITION DURING SUBSEQUENT FORMING, YET EASILY REMOVABLE FROM SUBSEQUENT FORMING DIE, THEN WHILE FIRMLY HOLDING AND CONFINING THE INNER AND OUTER SURFACES OF THE EXPANDED PORTION FORCE THE OTHER END AND REMAINING PORTION OF THE CYLINDRICAL BLANK TO GATHER ARCUATELY INWARDLY BETWEEN PRESSURE YIELDING DIE SURFACES AND INTO A PLANE GENERALLY SURROUNDING AND PERPENDICULAR TO THE AXIS OF THE CYLINDRICAL BLANK TO REDUCE ITS DIAMETER TO WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 25% TO 35% OF THE FINAL DESIRED CENTER HOLE DIAMETER, ANNEALING THE SEVERELY COLD WORKED AREAS OF THE BLANK, THEN FURTHER GATHERING THE MATERIAL OF SAID OTHER END THE REMAINING AMOUNT OF APPROXIMATELY 25% TO 35%, FURTHER FORMING THE INWARDLY GATHERED PORTION AND CONICALLY EXPANDED PORTION TO THE DESIRED WHEEL DIMENSIONS.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF FORMING A DISK TYPE VEHICLE WHEEL WITH INTEGRAL TIRE SUPPORTING RIM WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF ROLLING A STRIP OF METAL BETWEEN MILL ROLLS OF SUCH DETERMINED SURFACE CONFIGURATION AS TO PRODUCE DESIRED VARIED THICKNESSES THROUHGOUT THE STRIP WIDTH; SAID VARIED THICKNESSES BEING PRODUCED IN THE STRIP WITH A VIEW TO PROVIDING GREATER STRENGTH AND THICKNESS AT THE ANNULAR BEND LINES OF THE RIM PORTION AND DESIRED THICKNESSES AND TAPERS IN DETERMINED AREAS OF THE DISK PORTION OF THE WHEEL; THEREAFTER CUTTING THE STRIP TO DETERMINED LENGTH, FORMING IT INTO A CYLINDER WITH ABUTTING EDGES, WELDING THE ABUTTING EDGES, TRIMMING AND NORMALIZING THE WELD; RADIALLY EXPANDING, BY APPLICATION OF RADIALLY OUTWARD PRESSURE, ONE END AND A LARGE PORTION OF THE AXIAL LENGTH OF THE CYLINDER TO A DETERMINED GENERALLY STEPPED AND SLIGHTLY CONICAL FORM HAVING ITS LARGEST DIAMETER ADJACENT SAID ONE END; SAID EXPANDING SO FORMING THIS PORTION OF THE CYLINDER, WHICH LATER BECOMES THE RIM PORTION, AS TO PLACE ITS THICKER ANNULAR AREAS AT THE DETERMINED STEPS OF THE EXPANDED PORTION AND PROVIDE A SHAPE WHICH CAN BE READILY LOCATED AND FIRMLY HELD IN POSITION DURING SUBSEQUENT FORMING, YET EASILY REMOVABLE FROM SUBSEQUENT FORMING DIE, THEN WHILE FIRMLY HOLDING AND CONFINING THE INNER AND OUTER SURFACES OF THE EXPANDED PORTION FORCE THE OTHER END AND REMAINING PORTION OF THE CYLINDRICAL BLANK TO GATHER ARCUATELY INWARDLY BETWEEN PRESSURE YIELDING DIE SURFACES AND INTO A PLANE GENERALLY SURROUNDING AND PERPENDICULAR TO THE AXIS OF THE CYLINDRICAL BLANK TO REDUCE ITS DIAMETER TO WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 25% TO 35% OF THE FINAL DESIRED CENTER HOLE DIAMETER, ANNEALING THE SEVERELY COLD WORKED AREAS OF THE BLANK, THEN FURTHER GATHERING THE MATERIAL OF SAID OTHER END THE REMAINING AMOUNT OF APPROXIMATELY 25% TO 35%, FURTHER FORMING THE INWARDLY GATHERED PORTION AND CONICALLY EXPANDED PORTION TO THE DESIRED WHEEL DIMENSIONS.