US1303236A - Andrew benson - Google Patents

Description

A. BENSON. SHEET METAL WHEEL AND THE LIKE AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9. Wm.

.L803,236I Patented May 13, 1919. I291 M2917 new InuenZZr:

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STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW BENSON, OF JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO JANESVILLE PRODUCTS I COMPANY, OF JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

SHEET-METAL WHEEL AND THE LIKE AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAlVIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'May 13, 1919.

Application filed February 9, 1918. Serial No. 216,200.

Wheels and the like and Processes of Making Same, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in sheet metal wheels and the like and process of making same.

So far as I am aware, no one has heretofore been able to manufacture satisfactorily a sheet metal wheel having a hollow tubular rim formed integrally with spokes or other central section of the wheel from a single sheet of metal, due to the inability to obtain a true tubular formation of rim by simply stamping and pressing of the rim.

One object of my invention is to provide as an article of manufacture and process of making same, a sheet metal wheel havin a'hollow tubular rim or grip portion, whic wheel is formed from a single sheet of metal by a novel series of stamping and die pressing operations and wherein the tubular rim is of substantially true circular form in cross section throughout to thereby form a smooth gripping surface for the user.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide as an article of manufacture and process, a sheet metal wheel of the character above indicated which can be obtained cheaply and by comparatively simple stamping and presslng operations.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, I have shown my invention as carried out in the manufacture of a sheet metal wheel suitable for steering childrens wagons or carts, but as will be obvious to those skilled in the art, the uses to which the completed article may be put are numerous and I do not intend that the specific description herein contained shall be construed in a limiting sense but rather as merely descriptive. It is evident, for instance, that the wheels which term is used generically throughout the specification and claims to mean any article of like characterlstics may be used for operating valves, steam fittings, etc.

In said drawing, Figure 1 is a top plan v1ew of a sheet of metal showing the same at the end of the first operation in carrying out the process. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustratmg the condition of the article at the .end of the next or stamping step. Fig. 4

is an enlarged side elevational view of a section of the rim flange portion of the article as shown in Fig. 3 and after certain notches have been out therein. Fig. 5 is a view similar to'Fi 4 illustrating the conditlonof the rim ange portion at the end of the next or die pressing operation. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional. view taken substantially on the line 66 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 1s a sectional view of the wheel after the rim has been completely formed, the section corresponding substantially to the line 7-7 of Flg. 3, although Fig. 3 is not intended to represent the article in the condition shown in Fig; 7. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating the completed wheel.

And Fig. 9 is a sectional view of'thecompleted wheel taken substantially on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

In carrying out my invention, I first take a sheet of metal of the desired gage, and with the same out to the desired shape and size, I press the same so as to provide an annular depending rim flange 10 and a central dished or concaved portion 11, the rim flange 10 and central portion 11 being united by a curved section 12. As shown most clearly in Fig. 9, the completed wheel has the spokes thereof ofl'set downwardly relatively to the horizontal plane defined by the rim and the central dished portion 11 shown in Fig. 2 is concaved to correspond to will be understood. a

The article as shown in Fig. 2, is next subjected to a stampin operation by-which the sections correspon ing to the spaces indicated at 13-13 in Fig. 3 arecut out, thus leaving a series of radial arms or spokes 14-44:. During this same operation, the central portion of the disk or plate may be -punched as indicated at 15, so as to prothe desired offsetting above mentioned, ,as

vide means, in the finished article, for suitably attaching the wheel to a post or other member. Also, during this step, the rim portion is bent so as to provide an upper substantially semi-circular section, as indicated most clearly at 16 in Fig. 3. Said semi-circular section 16 is made somewhat less than a true semi-circle by leaving an interior narrow flange 17, as also indicated in Fig. 3.

In the next step of the process, the marginal or rim flange 10 is cut with a series of tapered notches, as indicated at 1818 in Fig. 4, these notches being spaced at equal distances apart and being sodesigned as to compensate for the decreased circumference of the free edges 19 of the rim flange when said free edges 19 are brought to their final position, as shown in Figs. 7 and 9. The depth of the notches 18 is made such that the notches, in the finished wheel, will become slits 120, as indicated in Figs. 7 and 9, which extend only from the lowest point of the rim. During this step also, the narrow flange 17, referred to above in connection with Fig. 3, is bent-Ito conform to the substantially semi-circular portion 16 to thereby complete the semi-circular section of the rim, as indicated 1 at 116 in Fig. 6. That is,

the upper half of the wheel rim iscompleted at the end of the step illustrated in Fig. 4.

The next step in the process I consider radically new and the one which enables me to obtain a substantially perfect tubular annular rim in the completed article, and this step consists in bending or die pressing each section 20 of-the notched flange toward the center of the Wheel or transversely, as indicated by the portion marked 21in Fig. 6 and in also bending or die pressing each section of the rim flange 20 lengthwise thereof so as to present a concave outer surface for each section 20, as indicated at 22 in Figs. 5 and 6. The double bending of the sections 20 of the notched flange may be carried out simultaneously in actual practice. The curvature of the sections 20 as indicated at 21, that is, in a manner to,complement the semi-circular section 116, is done to facilitate the final curling or pressing of the rim into tubular form. The other bending of the notched flange portions, as indicated at 22, is made such that the radius of the concavity 22 will correspond to the radius from the center of the finished wheel to the nearest portion of the completed tubular rim thereof. In other words, the free edges of the notched sections of the rim flange are bent, before thefinal formation of the rim, in such a manner that said free edges become true sections of a circle corresponding to the inner circle of the annular rim. Were it not for the concaving of the sections 20 of the rim flange, said sections 20 in the completed tubular rim would form a series of bulges on the inner portion of the rim and the latter would not be of true circular cross section.

' The next step in the process is illustrated by Fig. 7 and consists in completing the curling or bending of the rim portion of the wheel so as to bring the free edges of the notched portions 20 to abut the inner edge 23 of the upper semi-circular section of the rim, this action completing the formation of the tubular rim.

To provide additional strength in the spokes of the wheel and also to have the finished article present a better appearance, the wheel is finally subjected to a drawing operation whereby the spokes are provided with ribs 24-24 and a boss at the center of the wheel, as indicated at 25.

From the preceding description, it will be seen that with my invention I am enabled 85 to manufacture a sheet metal spoked wheel having an integral tubular rim by a comparativcly simple process and one which may be carried out in five steps to form the completed article illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9. It will also be noted that I'avoid the use of flexible or collapsible cores in the formation of the rim.

While I have herein described the steps as occurring in a certain sequence which I 95 consider preferable, nevertheless it is evident that the sequence of some of the steps may be varied without departing from the spirit 'of the invention and also that various other changes and modifications may be employed within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

'1. The herein described process which consists in; providing a sheet of metal stamped and pressed into circular form withthe rim comprising a substantially semi-circular portion and a flange tangential thereto, said flange portion being notched at intervals along its free edge; bending the portion of the flanges between the notches in a direcion to continue the curvature of said semicircular portion of the rim; bending each portion of said flange between pairs of notches to a concave form; and completing the rim by bending said portions of the rim flange until the free edges thereof come into engagement with the inner edge of said semi-circular rim portion.

2. The process of manufacturing a sheet metal wheel and the like which consists in; providing a sheet of metal stamped and pressed 1nto circular form with the rim thereof comprising a substantially semi-circular portion and a flange tangential thereto, the flange being notched at intervals; then simultaneously bending the portions of said flan e between notches transversely and 3. The process of manufacturing sheet metal wheels and the like which consists in;

providing a sheet of metal stamped and pressed into circular form with the rim comprising a curved portion and a flange portion, said flange portion being notched atintervalsalong its freeedge; then die pressing each portion of said flange between pairs of notches longitudinally thereof so as to gresent anouter concave surface; and then ie'pressing the flange portions of the rim so as to complete the circular cross section thereof.

4. The process of manufacturing sheet metal wheels and the like which consists in; providing a sheet of metal stamped and pressed to a cireular formation with a rim comprising a curved portion and a flange; notching said flange in its free edge to compensate for a. smaller circumference when the flange is subsequently bent; then bending said flange so as *to bring the free edges thereof into contact-with the inner edge ofsaid curved portion of the rim.

5. The process of manufacturi-n sheet metal wheels and the like which consists in;

providing a sheet of metal of circular form having a central portion. and a eripheral flange; cutting out sections of t e central portion to thereby provide a series. of; radially extending spokes; notching said periphsaid flange so as to bring the free edges of t e notched ortions inwardly and upwardly to'the' leve of the central portion. v

6. The process of manufacturing sheet metal wheels and the like which consists in;

. taking a sheet of metal and pressing the same val's; bending each portion 0 so as to provide a central dished portion and a circular rim flange; cutting out sections of saidcentral portiomto' thereby provide spokes; notching said fiangeportion at intersaid rim flange betweena pair of notches in a direction lonitudinally of each said portion; and finally bending said rim flange to a circular form in cross section.

7. The herein described process of manufacturing sheet metal wheels and the like which consists in; stamping and pressing a sheet of metal into circular form with a central dished portion and a peripheral flange; cutting away sections of said dished portion to form spokes and at the same time formin the rim of the wheelwith a substantial y semi-circular section to which said flan 'e is tangential; notching said flange at pre etermined intervals; simultaneously die pressing the sections of said flange between notches transversely and longitudinally of each said section; and then die pressing the flange sections transversely of the latter until the freeedges of the notched flange sections engage with the inner edge of said semi-circularportion of the rim.

8. As an article of manufacture, a wheel like member having a plurality of spokes and an annular hollow rim, said spokes and rim leaving s aces each of which isbounded by a pair 0 spokes and a portion of the rim, said rim bein circular in cross section taken 1 on a radial p ane passing between any pair of spokes, all portions of said member beinglntegrally formed from a single sheet of metal. 1 1

9. The process of manufacturing sheet metal wheels and the like which consists inproviding a sheet of metal. stamped and pressed into circular form with the rim com prising a curved portion and a flange; ortion, said flange portion being notche at intervals therealong; then die pressing-the flange portions of the rim so as tocomplete ANDRE BENsoiSI;

Witnesses:

W. R. KonLER, R. EL WISNER.

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