Assembly of blower wheels

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF ASSEMBLING A SINGLE CENTER SUPPORT DISC WITHIN A BLOWER WHEEL HAVING PERIPHERALLY SPACED BLADES ARRAYED AS A SHELL WITH THE OUTER MARGINS OF THE BLADES LYING IN A CYLINDRICAL SURFACE AND THE ENDS OF THE BLADES INTEGRALLY JOINED WITH END RINGS, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PIERCING SLOT OPENINGS IN SAID BLADES AT A RADIUS INTERMEDIATE THE INNER MARGINS OF THE BLADES AND THE INNER MARGINS OF THE END RINGS, FORMING A PLURALITY OF HOOK FASTENERS SPACED ABOUTH THE PERIPHERY OF THE DISC, SAID FASTENERS COMPRISING RADIAL SHANK PORTIONS TERMINATED BY LATERAL HOOKS HAVING INWARD MARGINS LYING ALONG TANGENTS OF A COMMON CIRCLE CENTERED IN THE DISC AXIS, SAID HOOKS HAVING THROAT NOTCHES FORMED ADJOINING SAID SHANK PORTIONS, SAID HOOK NOTCHES AND SAID INWARD SLOT MARGINS HAVING RADIAL POSITIONS SUCH THAT AT LEAST SOME OF SAID SLOT MARGINS ARE DISPOSED IN INTERFERING RADIAL RELATION, INSERTING SAID DISC AXIALLY INTO SAID WHEEL, ROTATING SAID DISC TO ENTER SAID HOOKS INTO SAID SLOTS AND TO OVERCOME INTERFERENCE BY SPRINGING SAID BLADES INWARDLY TO SEAT SAID SLOTS IN SAID HOOK NOTCHES TO FORM A SELFSUSTAINING WHEEL ASSEMBLY, HOLDING SAID ASSEMBLY BETWEEN DIES, AND AXIALLY OFFSETTING AN ANNULAR PORTION OF SAID DISC ADJACENT SAID SHANK PORTIONS TO DRAW THE MARGIN OF SAID DISC RADIALLY INWARDLY A DISTANCE SUFFICIENT TO EFFECT INWARD BOWING OF ALL SAID BLADES AND TO GENERATE COMPRESSIVE TANGENTIAL STRESS IN EACH END RING.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF ASSEMBLING A SINGLE CENTER SUPPORT DISC WITHIN A BLOWER WHEEL HAVING PERIPHERALLY SPACED BLADES ARRAYED AS A SHELL WITH THE OUTER MARGINS OF THE BLADES LYING IN A CYLINDRICAL SURFACE AND THE ENDS OF THE BLADES INTEGRALLY JOINED WITH END RINGS, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PIERCING SLOT OPENINGS IN SAID BLADES AT A RADIUS INTERMEDIATE THE INNER MARGINS OF THE BLADES AND THE INNER MARGINS OF THE END RINGS, FORMING A PLURALITY OF HOOK FASTENERS SPACED ABOUTH THE PERIPHERY OF THE DISC, SAID FASTENERS COMPRISING RADIAL SHANK PORTIONS TERMINATED BY LATERAL HOOKS HAVING INWARD MARGINS LYING ALONG TANGENTS OF A COMMON CIRCLE CENTERED IN THE DISC AXIS, SAID HOOKS HAVING THROAT NOTCHES FORMED ADJOINING SAID SHANK PORTIONS, SAID HOOK NOTCHES AND SAID INWARD SLOT MARGINS HAVING RADIAL POSITIONS SUCH THAT AT LEAST SOME OF SAID SLOT MARGINS ARE DISPOSED IN INTERFERING RADIAL RELATION, INSERTING SAID DISC AXIALLY INTO SAID WHEEL, ROTATING SAID DISC TO ENTER SAID HOOKS INTO SAID SLOTS AND TO OVERCOME INTERFERENCE BY SPRINGING SAID BLADES INWARDLY TO SEAT SAID SLOTS IN SAID HOOK NOTCHES TO FORM A SELFSUSTAINING WHEEL ASSEMBLY, HOLDING SAID ASSEMBLY BETWEEN DIES, AND AXIALLY OFFSETTING AN ANNULAR PORTION OF SAID DISC ADJACENT SAID SHANK PORTIONS TO DRAW THE MARGIN OF SAID DISC RADIALLY INWARDLY A DISTANCE SUFFICIENT TO EFFECT INWARD BOWING OF ALL SAID BLADES AND TO GENERATE COMPRESSIVE TANGENTIAL STRESS IN EACH END RING.