Tire finishing apparatus

A tire finishing apparatus for trimming and removing spews formed on the outer peripheral wall of a cured tire during a vulcanizing process, comprising:

• a tire holding mechanism including a pair of tire receiving rollers of substantially cylindrical shape disposed in spaced relation from each other along the tread surface of said tire and each having a rotational axis substantially parallel to the rotational axis of said tire, a pair of tire pressing rollers of substantially hand-drum shape disposed above said tire receiving rollers and in spaced relation with each other and movable toward and away from said tire receiving rollers to be brought into contact with the outer peripheral wall of said tire for preventing up and down motion of said tire during rotation thereof in cooperation with said tire receiving rollers and each having a rotational axis substantially parallel to said rotational axis of said tire, centering means including a first pair of tire centering rollers of substantially spherical shape and a second pair of tire centering rollers also of substantially spherical shape disposed in spaced relation with said first pair of tire centering rollers along the outer peripheral wall of said tire, each pair of said first and second pairs of tire centering rollers being disposed in spaced opposed relation from one another along the rotational axis of said tire and being movable toward and away from each other to be brought into contact with the side walls of said tire for preventing the equatorial plane of said tire from being vibrated during rotation thereof, each of said tire centering rollers having a rotational axis substantially parallel with the radial direction of said tire, a pair of tire pressing roller actuator means for moving said tire pressing rollers toward and away from said tire receiving rollers, first tire centering roller actuator means for moving said first pair of tire centering rollers toward and away from each other, and second tire centering roller actuator means for moving said second pair of tire centering rollers toward and away from each other;
• a tire rotating mechanism driving at least one of said tire receiving rollers to rotate said tire about its rotational axis while being held by said tire holding mechanism;
• a stationary frame structure;
• a movable frame structure vertically movably mounted on said stationary frame structure;
• a driving mechanism for vertically moving said movable frame structure;
• an additional movable frame structure disposed below said movable frame structure and vertically movably mounted on said stationary frame structure;
• an additional driving mechanism for vertically moving said additional movable frame structure;
• and
• a spew trimming cutter mechanism comprising a first tread spew trimming cutter arrangement which includes a first rockable arm having one end pivotally connected to and supported by said stationary frame structure, a first trimming cutter holder rotatably mounted on the other end of said first rockable arm, a first tread spew trimming cutter substantially in the form of a comb held by said first trimming cutter holder, and first actuator means mounted on said stationary frame structure to cause said first rockable arm to be swung about its one end so that said first tread spew trimming cutter is contactable with the tread surface of said tire for trimming said spews projected from the tread surface of said tire, a second tread spew trimming cutter arrangement which includes a second rockable arm having one end pivotally connected to and supported by said movable frame structure, a second trimming cutter holder rotatably mounted on the other end of said second rockable arm, a second tread spew trimming cutter substantially in the form of a comb held by said second trimming cutter holder, second actuator means mounted on said movable frame structure to cause said second rockable arm to be swung about its one end so that said second tread spew trimming cutter is contactable with the tread surface of said tire for trimming said spews projected from the tread surface of said tire, a third tread spew trimming cutter arrangement which includes a movable bracket mounted on the underside of said movable frame structure to be movable in a direction substantially parallel to the rotational axis of said tire, a bracket moving device including an air cylinder, mounted on said movable frame structure, including a piston rod pivotally connected to said movable bracket to move said movable bracket in a direction substantially parallel to the rotational axis of said tire and which is filled with an incompressible liquid, a third rockable arm located beneath said movable frame structure and having one end pivotally connected to and supported by said movable bracket, a third trimming cutter holder rotatably mounted on the other end of said third rockable arm, a third tread spew trimming cutter substantially in the form of a comb held by said third trimming cutter holder, and third actuator means for swinging said third rockable arm about its one end so that said third tread spew trimming cutter is contactable with the tread surface of said tire for trimming said spews projected from the tread surface of said tire upon downward movement of said movable frame structure by said driving mechanism and is axially moved along the tread surface of said tire upon movement of said movable bracket by the action of said bracket moving device for trimming said spews projected from the tread surface of said tire along its entire axial extent, said third actuator means including an air cylinder, mounted on said movable bracket, including a piston rod pivotally connected to a longitudinally intermediate portion of said third rockable arm and which is filled with an incompressible liquid, and a pair of side wall spew trimming cutter arrangements disposed in opposed and spaced relation from one another, each of which includes fourth, fifth and sixth rockable arms having respective longitudinally intermediate portions pivotally connected to and supported by said additional movable frame structure in stepped relation with each other along the equatorial plane of said tire;
• fourth, fifth and sixth trimming cutter holders pivotally mounted on respective ends of said fourth, fifth and sixth rockable arms by respective pivotal pins substantially parallel to the equatorial plane of said tire;
• first, second and third side wall spew trimming cutters substantially in the form of a comb held by said respective trimming cutter holders, and fourth, fifth and sixth actuator means for swinging said fourth, fifth and sixth rockable arms about their respective longitudinally intermediate portions so that said first, second and third side wall spew trimming cutters are contactable with the side wall surface of said tire for trimming said spews projected from the side wall surface of said tire and are radially moved along the side wall surface of said tire upon vertical movement of said additional movable frame structure by the action of said additional driving mechanism for trimming said spews projected from the side wall of said tire along its entire radial extent, said fourth, fifth and sixth actuator means respectively including air cylinders, pivotally mounted on said additional movable frame structure, which include piston rods respectively pivotally connected to the other ends of said fourth, fifth and sixth rockable arms and which are filled with an incompressible liquid, said first, second and third tread spew trimming cutters and said first, second and third side wall spew trimming cutters each including a number of sharp point edges and a stepped portion formed on the reverse side of said trimming cutter rearwardly of said sharp point edges so as to produce a small gap between said sharp point edges and said tread surface of said tire.