GB1602106A

GB1602106A - Vehicle wheels

Info

Publication number: GB1602106A
Application number: GB11627/77A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: DAWSON HARMSWORTH Ltd
Current assignee: DAWSON HARMSWORTH Ltd
Priority date: 1977-03-18
Filing date: 1977-03-18
Publication date: 1981-11-04
Also published as: IT7821323A0; IT1093393B; JPS53138104A; JPS6321101U

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO VEHICLE WHEELS (71) We, DAWSON MARMSWORTH LIMITED, a British company, of 401--405 Penistone Road, Sheffield, England, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to vehicle wheels and is particularly, though not necessarily exclusively concerned with wheels for motor cycles.

Hitherto, motor cycle wheels have predominantly been of the type consisting of a rim, a hub and a large number of spokes interconnecting the rim and the hub. Because of the large number of component parts, the assembly of the wheel adds considerably to manufacturing costs, and considerable skill is required on the part of the operative to ensure that individual tensioning of each and every spoke (trueing the wheel) is correctly effected. Even with correct trueing, the wheel is not suited to withstand impact, as the spokes can be forced through an inner tube or the tyre itself, to burst the tyre, during a collision and this is a major contributory factor in injury to the rider and damage to other parts of the motor cycle.

So-called "cast" motor cycle wheels are also known and whilst assembly costs are minimised by the cast construction, casting costs inevitably increase the overall cost of the wheels, and there can be no guarantee that the wheel is properly pre-tensioned and again the wheel is not suited to withstand impact, as there can be little or no absorption of energy during a collision and which is another major contributory factor to injury of a rider and damage to other parts of the motor cycle.

According to the present invention, a vehicle wheel comprises a central hub and a rim, and means interconnecting said hub and said rim, said means comprising two plate-like members adapted to be placed in coaxial sideby-side relationship and secured together at or towards their outer peripheries, and at their inner peripheries spaced by and secured to the hub, each plate-like member having, prior to assembly, a bent cross-sectional shape, the shape being such that on assembly of the wheel each member has a predetermined stress, each plate-like member being at its outer periphery provided with a profiled section which sections combine to form the rim of the wheel.

Thus, each plate-like member may be suitably formed from flat sheet material by an appropriate cutting metal forming technique, and the profiled rim section is produced during forming or by spinning, although it will be understood that the profiled rim section could be separately formed and suitably secured to the plate-like member.

To enable the plate-like members to be secured to the hub, it is preferred to provide a central aperture in each plate-like member whereby each plate-like member can be fitted to a boss on the hub, and the plate-like members are spaced by a central portion of the hub that lies between the plates. The spacing of the plates by the hub and the bending of the plates constitutes an important feature of the invention by providing an exceedingly simple means of prestressing in tension or compression the plate-like members. Thus, the bending of the plate-like members may be such that with the plates mounted on the hub the peripheries contact each other with a compressive force. Alternatively, the bending of the plates may be such that when mounted on the hub the peripheries are in close proximity.The width of the hub and the degree of bending then determines the spacing at the peripheries and thus the extent of tensile stressing of the plate-like members on forcing them into contact with each other and securing them together. As a further alternative, the bending of the plate-like members may be such that with the plate-like members secured together at their outer peripheries with the hub located between them, and with the hub of a width smaller than would be required to contact the plate-like members, the plate-like members need to be urged into contact with the hub to be there secured with a degree of imposed compressive stress directlv related to the width of the hub.

Any suitable means of securing together the plate-like members and the hub may be employed. Thus, they could be welded or rivetted when the rim would include a conventional well to allow for the removal of the tyre, or they could be bolted together to allow dismantling when the rim would not require a well. This latter construction has the twofold advantage of first being a safer design in that if a tyre deflates during use, there is no well into which it would be forced and which seriously affects the control of the machine, and second, allowing for the removal and replacement of damaged parts of the wheel without the necessity of replacing the whole wheel.

To allow for the use of tubeless tyres, it is possible to provide a sealing means between the outer peripheral portions of the plate-like members, and one profiled rim forming section can be provided of greater width than the other to accommodate an inflating valve or to produce a wheel where the plane of the tyre is offset from the plane of the hub.

To enhance the appearance of the wheel and to lighten it, each plate-like member may be produced with a number of spaced "spokes" connecting the rim to the hub, the precise shape of the "spokes" being determined either by the required rigidity of the wheel, or purely visually, and when a strengthening ring can be provided. It is also possible to fill any open space of the wheel with an appropriate plastics material again to enhance the appearance.

A wheel constructed in accordance with the invention not only allows for much easier and more reliable pre-stressing (trueing) it also provides an ability to vary the pre-stressing to suit the known use of the machine (road racing, trials riding etc.). In addition, it provides a much safer wheel than hitherto.

During impact, the pre-stressed plate-like members will deform progressively to provide a degree of energy absorption on impact not possible with other wheel constructions, with its consequent effect of reduction of rider injury. Also damage to other components of the cycle, particularly the hub is minimised during a collision.

Several embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; Figures 3 and 4 correspond to Figure 2 but show two techniques of introducing tensile pre-stressing of the wheel; Figure 5 is an enlarged view of a construction of rim section for a wheel of the invention; Figure 6 corresponds to Figure 5 but shows an alternative construction of rim; Figure 7 corresponds to Figure 5 but shows a method of sealing the wheel component at the rim; Figure 8 corresponds to Figure 5 but shows a still further alternative construction of rim; and Figure 9 corresponds to Figure 5 but shows yet another alternative construction of rim.

In Figures 1 and 2, a wheel for a motor cycle is formed from two plate-members 1 each suitably formed from flat sheet material by an appropriate forming and bending technique, and having a hub section 2, a rim section 3 and spoke sections 4. Each hub section 2 has an appropriate hole through which passes a boss 5 on a hub 6, and hub section 2 is secured to the hub 6 by bolts 7.

As is shown by Figure 3, the plate-like members can be so bent that when secured to the boss, the rim sections 3 are initially spaced such that when forced together and secured, e.g., by rivets, the spoke sections are pre-stressed with a tensile stress. Alternatively as shown by Figure 4, the plate-like members 1 can be secured at their rims 3 and so bent that with a hub of an appropriate size, the hub sections 2 are spaced from the hub so that on urging the hub sections into contact with the hub by the bolts, with a compressive stress of the spoke sections 4 effected. A prestressing can also be effected by so bending the plate-like members 1 that the Figure 2 arrangement is brought about with a compressive force present at the rim sections.

The precise shape of spokes provided on the plate-like members is not of special significance, and can be dictated by the visual effect required, so long, of course, that the members have sufficient strength. The visual effect of a spoked construction can if desired be further enhanced by providing a synthetic plastics filler 8 as shown in Figure 2. The shape of the rim, however is of significance, no matter how they are provided (spinning, stamping or the like). Thus as is shown in Figure 5, each plate-like member 1 has a rim section 3 to provide a symmetrical rim having a well 9 to facilitate the removal of a tyre from the wheel. Alternatively, as is shown in Figure 6, the rim section 3 of one plate-like member is larger than that of the other member to accommodate an inflating valve 10 and to produce a wheel where the plane of the tyre is offset from the plane of the wheel.

When tubeless tyres are used, it is possible to provide a sealing ring shown as 11 in Figures 5 and 6. It is however possible to utilise a sealing strip 12 as shown in Figure 7 secured between the rim sections 3 by the rivets holding the rim sections.

In the further alternative construction shown in Figure 8, the rim sections 3 are secured together by bolts 13. This has the advantage of providing a fully dismantleable construction which has the added advantage that no tyre removal well needs to be provided with its effect on safety as has been referred to earlier.

Figure 8 also shows that where the use to which the wheel is to be put makes it desirable, rim strengthening plates 14 can be provided suitably secured to the rim sections by the means (rivets or bolts) securing the rim sections together.

As is shown by Figure 9, it is possible to provide rim sections 3, the base of which is inclined whereby the inclined inner edges of a tyre 15 lie flush with the base of the rim sections.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A vehicle wheel comprising a central hub and a rim, and means interconnecting said hub and said rim, said means comprising two plate-like members adapted to be placed in coaxial side-by-side relationship and secured together at or towards their outer peripheries, and at their inner peripheries spaced by and secured to the hub, each plate-like member having, prior to assembly, a bent cross-sectional shape, the shape being such that on assembly of the wheel each member has a pre-determined stress, each plate-like member being at its outer periphery provided with a profiled section which sections combine to form the rim of the wheel.

2. A vehicle wheel as in Claim 1, wherein each profiled section is formed integrally with the respective plate-like member.

3. A vehicle wheel as in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein each plate-like member is suitably formed from flat sheet material by an appropriate cutting metal forming technique, and the profiled rim section is produced during forming or by spinning.

4. A vehicle wheel as in any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein a central aperture is provided in each plate-like member whereby each platelike member can be fitted to a boss on the hub, and the plate-like members are spaced by a central portion of the hub that lies between the plates.

5. A vehicle wheel as in any of Claims 1 to 4 wherein the plate-like members have an initial bent shape such that on assembly of the wheel and securing to the hub the outer peripheries of the plate-like members contact each other with a compressive force.

6. A vehicle wheel as in any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the initial bent shape of each plate is such that when mounted on the hub the outer peripheries are spaced from each other and whereby on securing the plate-like members towards their outer peripheries, ten sile stressing is induced in the plate-like members.

7. A vehicle wheel as in any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the width of the hub is such that with the plate-like members first secured together towards their outer peripheries the hub is spaced from each plate-like member and whereby urging of the plate-like members into contact with the hub and securing the plate-like members to the hub induces com pressive stressing in the plate-like members.

8. A vehicle wheel as in any of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the plate-like members are secured by welding or by riveting towards their outer peripheries, and the rim includes a well to allow for removal of the tyre.

9. A vehicle wheel as in any of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the plate-like members are removably secured together towards their peripheries and the rim has a plane base.

10. A vehicle wheel as in any of Claims 1 to 9, wherein sealing means are provided between the outer peripheral portions of the plate-like members.

11. A vehicle wheel as in any of Claims 1 to 10, wherein the profiled rim forming section associated with one plate-like member is of greater width than the profiled rim forming section associated with the other plate-like member to provide a well whereby the plane of the tyre is offset from the plane of the hub and to accommodate an inflating valve.

12. A vehicle wheel as in any of Claims 1 to 11, wherein each plate-like member is produced with a number of spaced spoke-like connecting means between the rim portion and the hub portion.

13. A vehicle wheel as in any of Claims 1 to 12, wherein angular strengthening memhers are provided secured -to the plate-like members towards their outer peripheries.

14. A vehicle wheel as in Claim 12 or Claim 13, when appended to Claim 12, wherein any open space of the wheel is filled with an appropriate plastics material.

15. A vehicle wheel substantially as bere- inbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 2, Figure 3, Figure 4, Figure 5, Figure 6, Figure 7, Figure 8, or Figure 9 of the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. removal well needs to be provided with its effect on safety as has been referred to earlier. Figure 8 also shows that where the use to which the wheel is to be put makes it desirable, rim strengthening plates 14 can be provided suitably secured to the rim sections by the means (rivets or bolts) securing the rim sections together. As is shown by Figure 9, it is possible to provide rim sections 3, the base of which is inclined whereby the inclined inner edges of a tyre 15 lie flush with the base of the rim sections. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A vehicle wheel comprising a central hub and a rim, and means interconnecting said hub and said rim, said means comprising two plate-like members adapted to be placed in coaxial side-by-side relationship and secured together at or towards their outer peripheries, and at their inner peripheries spaced by and secured to the hub, each plate-like member having, prior to assembly, a bent cross-sectional shape, the shape being such that on assembly of the wheel each member has a pre-determined stress, each plate-like member being at its outer periphery provided with a profiled section which sections combine to form the rim of the wheel.