Patented Jul 3, 1928. 196759706, y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. HENRY S. HOLXES, OF NIIW YORX, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THOXAS S. MUR3&AY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YONX. WHEEL NAVZ AND THE LIKE AN]) XETHOI) OF FORXING IT. Applitation Med April 21, 1936. Serial No. 108,461. The inventiOD, aims to provide an improved wheel nave or similar structure which shall be stroitg and rigid ind a method by whicli it,can be produced economically. The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention. Figs. I and 2 are opposite, face elevations of a nave; Fig. 3 is a vertical radial section thereof; 10 Fig. 4 is a section on the annular line " of Fig. 2; Fi 9- 5 is a similar view illustrating the welding operation; FiLr. 6 is an elevation similar to Fig. 1 15 shov@@ing the nave formed as.a single' plate; Fig. 7 is an annular section of the same; Fio,. 8 is a similar view showino, the parts in process of being w@ldedl, Fig. 9 is a similar view of another method 20 of production; Figs. 10, 11, 12, and 13 are annular sections of alternative designs; Fig. 14 is a f ace elevation of a modified design; and 25 Fio, annular section of Fig. 14. t-nl 15 is an In producing metal wheels it is often desirable t6@ unite wedge-shaped ends of the spokes in such a way as to produce substantially a onerpiece structure at this point, 3o giving strength @and rigidity to the whole wheel ' The present invention provides such a nave of radially ribbed section combined, if desired with a coverino, plate to produce a box section. The sarne ideas may be ap35 plied to the producti I on of . plates oi ribbed or box section for other uses. Fig. I illustrates a number of spokes 1 with their wedged-shaped inner eiids 2 assembled to form the nave. The spokes are 40 of channel or' similar shape with.flanges 3 which come together to form rfldial ri])S as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. -They mtiy be spot-welded togetber as at 3@. A coirer plate 4 (Fig. 2) of annular shape 4r) overlies the edges of the several ribs and is provided with. backwardly turned flanges.5 extending in the axial direction, at the ends of which are transverse flan(yes 6 r)earirig against the inner fac,@s of the spokes 1. 50 The parts being assembled in the. positions described, are welded together. For example,,they may be spot-welded at the points 7 thr@ugh the fliinges 6 and the spokes, ind also spot-welded at points 8 between the ri bs so as to 5 5 at e and also the t spokes. a n alternative m etho o we h e, spokes 1 h&ve the ri bs fo d b fl anges 3 butt-welded to 6 o th e pla e . ef ore welding the parts are as in l'ig. 5. The successive flanges 5 are practically continuous but. with slots into whicli the ribs 3 project nearly to the point of contact with the plate 4. 'JChe parts are pressed fm together between positive and negative electrodes 9 and 91, respectively. A current is applied to soften the parts at the'points of contact, and is continued while the metal is taken up aiad the p@rts welded and brought 7o t6 the@ position of u ig. 4. The flaiige 6 ma Y be omitted from the const ' ruction shown in these Figs. 1 to 5. The same is true of the flange 5 thou(-Yh preferably this is retained as well as a flanoe 10 Fio, 3 around the inner 7i edge of the @late i, so 'a's'to close t@e space between the two plates. In fact, the flange 10 is unnecessiry for a closiire in a iiave, since this space will be. closed by parts of the hub. so Fig. 6 illustrates a nave formed only of the ends of the spokes'l. The parts may be sliaped and assembled in, a variety o.f wa@s. Fig. 7 4sbows the inner ends united Y welding to form ribs 11. For this purpose, 85 as shown in Fig. 8, the alternate kes are provided witli extra long flangessrent ov er as at 12 to abut against the edges of the flanges on the intermediate spokes. The p arts ai-e pressed to ether between electrodes g o 9 9 and 91, and welded on the ends and at their si des as at 13. The flash or extruded meial in dicatedlat 14 may be cut away for the sake of appearance. Fig. 9 illustrates a slight variation in 95 w hich the edges of the alternate spokes are b ent over as at 15 to bring their faces against t he edges of t-he adjacent flanges. The take u p movement brings the flat portions of the s pokes into a common plane, producing a l oo st ructure substantially like Fig. 7. According to@ Fig. 10, the spokes 1 have si mple flang4@s alongside of each other and a re spot-welded togetlier as at 16. Th.e desi@n of Fig. 11 is siniilar except that 105 t he spot-welds 17 are at the edges of the fl anges. According to Fig. 12, one set of flanges 18