US1855023A - Appearance ring and method of constructing and fitting the same - Google Patents

Description

H. G. KELLOGG 1,855,023

APPEARANCE RING AND METHOD OF CONSTRUQTING AND FITTING THE SAME April 19, 1932.

Filed g 27, 1931 2' Sheets-Sheet omer e a Y Wm 14%!- WMAQ ATTORNEYS.

April 19, 1932. KELLQGG 1,855,023

APPEARANCE RING AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING AND FITTING THE SAME Filed Aug. 27, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E- :2 I NVENTOR Homer Q, Kellogg.

BYWW'W MM-dM ATTORN EYS.

Patented Apr. 19, 1932 "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOMER G. KELLOGG, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO MOTOR PRODUCTS COR- PORATION, 013 DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK APPEARANCE RING AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING AND FITTING THE SAME Application filed'August 27, 1931. Serial No. 559,798.

This invention relates to appearance rings in the form of annular finish or trim strips or rails for vehicle rims, hubs and the like, and also to the method of constructing and fitting devices of this character.

At present it is customary to apply an annular finish strip, usually called an appearance ring, to, for instance, a wheel rim for the purpose of imparting an ornamental appearance thereto. These appearance rings are usually in the form of a complete annulus and are secured to the rim either by means of anchorage strips attached to the supporting surface, or by means of beads, grooves or the like formed therein. However, because of the variances in the diameters of the rims and in the appearance rings in mass production, difiiculty is frequently experienced in fitting these appearance rings to the rims. Likewise, if the rims are finished before the appearance rings are attached, the finished surface of the rim is frequently marred.

It is therefore one of the primary objects of this invention to provide an appearance ring so constructed that the same may be quickly and easily fitted and attached to the vehicle rim.

The several objects, or advantages and; novel details of construction of this invention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is an elevational view of a vehicle rim having attached thereto an appearance ring constructed in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional perspective view taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line 22 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the manner in which the appearance ring is assembled with the vehicle rim.

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line 44 in Figure 6;

Figure 5 is a separated perspective view of the connecting means for the ends of the appearance ring;

Figure 6 is a view of the ends of the ap pearance ring united; and

Figure 7 is a view somewhat similar to Figure 2 showing a slightly modified form of construction.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will be noted that there is illustrated a vehicle rim 10 provided with an appearance ring 11 in the form of an annular or ring-like finish strip or rail. This appearance ring is adapted to be attached to the vehicle rim in any one of a number of ways but is here shown as engaging recesses 12formed in the rim.

In accordance with this invention I propose making the appearancering in the form of a split ring member, thus providin a pair of free ends A and B. By forming tie ring as a splitring member, it may be more readily associated with the wheel rim and the end faces of the ends A and B can then be engaged with a tool to expand the split ring memberinto firm engagement with the wheel rim. Such a tool as shown and indicated by the reference character C in Figure 3.

The reference character 13 indicates an anchorage strip, which, as illustrated in Figures 4=-and 5, is provided at its longitudinal edges with return-bent portions 14 forming shoulders 15.- This anchorage stri 13 will be secured to one of the free ends 0 the split ring member, as, for instance, by welding as indicated at 16 (see Figure 6), the other end of the anchorage strip sliding within the other free end of the split ring member.

In fitting these appearance rings to rim, I will provide a number of segmental strips or segments 17 of varying widths, but otherwise of the same general contour as the split ring member itself. Thus when the split ring member 11 applied to the rim as suggested in Figure 3, the expanding tool C will be employed and the split ring will be expanded into tight engagement with the rim. The ends A and B of the split ring member will thus be moved apart and the ring can be held in this expanded position by any suitable clamping means (not shown). Thereafter one of the segments 17 is selected which has a width equal to the distance between the i,

I opposed faces of the ends A and B and this necessary.

segment will then be secured in position by a snap-on engagement with the exposed portion of the anchorage strip 13. For this purpose the segment 17 is provided at its longi-' tudinal edges with open return-bent portions 18 adapted to snap over the shoulders 15 of the anchorage strip 13. When the segment 17 is thus secured in place, the clamping means will be removed and a substantially complete annulus will be produced, the joints between the segment and the ends of the split ring member being scarcely noticeable when the wheel rim is mounted upon a vehicle wheel.

As shown in Figure 7, the segment 17 may be additionally secured in place by means of a rivet, screw or the like 19. However, when the segment 17 is provided with a firm snapon engagement with the anchorage strip, such additional attaching means will be un- From the foregoing it will be apparent that appearance rings constructed and fitted in accordance with this invention will have the advantage that the surface of the rim will not be marred, and the variances in diameter incident to mass production of the rims and appearance rings may be compensated for. That is, the distances between the opposed faces of the ends A and B of the appearance ring may vary within certain limitations and the segment 17 can be supplied in varying lengths so that one of the proper-length can be selected for attachment to the anchorage strip to produce the complete annulus.

It will be obvious to those skilled in this art that various changes in many of the nonessentials of the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention and to this end reservation is made to make such changes as may come within the purview of the accompanyin claims.

What I c aim as my invention is:

1. An appearance ring of the class described comprising, a split ring member having spaced ends, and a se ment insertable between said spaced ends or forming a complete annulus.

-2. An appearance ring of the class described ccmprising, a split ring member having spaced ends. a segment insertable between said spaced ends in abutting relation thereto for forming a complete annulus, and means for securing said segment in.place.

3. Anappearance ring of the a class described comprising, a split ring member, an. anchorage strip secured to said rin member,

. and a segment arranged between the ends of said split ring member and secured to said anchorage strip.

4 A ring-like finish strip of the class descrlbed comprising, a s lit ring member, an anchorage strip secure at one end of said split ring, and a segment having a snap-on engagement with said anchorage strip located between the ends of said split ring.

5. A ring-like finish strip of the class described comprising, a split ring member, an anchorage strip secured to one end of said split ring and slidably engaging the other end thereof, and a segment adapted to fill the space between the ends of said split ring mem er and shaped for snap-on engagement with said anchorage strip.

6. The method of attaching an annular finish strip to a supporting surface of fixed dimensions which consists in shaping the finish strip into a. split ring, fitting the strip to said surface whereby the ends are spaced,

Images