Bead retaining member, bead retaining device and bead handling assembly

A bead retaining device comprising a plurality of bead retaining members for retaining a bead in a retaining plane,

• wherein the bead retaining device further comprises an annular frame extending circumferentially about a central axis perpendicular to the retaining plane,
• wherein the annular frame has an inner frame edge that forms a frame opening for receiving a tire building drum,
• wherein the bead retaining members are movable in a radial direction perpendicular to the central axis between a first radial position at or inside the frame opening and a second radial position radially inward with respect to said first radial position,
• wherein the bead retaining members each comprise a body having a concave first concave edge extending in said retaining plane,
• wherein the bead retaining members each further comprise one or more retaining elements which are distributed over the body along said first concave edge for retaining a first bead of a first size along a first retaining curve having a first retaining radius and for retaining a second bead of a second size along a second retaining curve having a second retaining radius larger than the first retaining radius,
• wherein the first retaining curve intersects with the second retaining curve at a first intersection point and a second intersection point spaced apart from the first intersection point,
• wherein the first concave edge is non-circular and is located radially outside of the second retaining curve in a center region of the first concave edge between the first intersection point and the second intersection point and radially outside of the first retaining curve in a first lateral region of the first concave edge opposite the center region with respect to the first intersection point and a second lateral region of the first concave edge opposite to the center region with respect to the second intersection point,
• wherein the first retaining curve is concentric to the central axis in one radial position of the bead retaining members between the first radial position and the second radial position and the second retaining curve is concentric to the central axis in another radial position between the first radial position and the second radial position.