Apparatus and method for retreading tires

In an apparatus for retreading tires with a continuous precured and premolded tread strip and wherein a flexible substantially air impervious annular envelope overlies the tread strip and surrounds the same for aiding in holding the tread strip in intimate contact with an underlying tire casing until a bonding material therebetween has been sufficiently heated to effect the desired bonding of the tread strip to the tire casing,

• said retreading apparatus having a curing chamber in which the tire casing is adapted to be positioned with the tread strip overlying the tire casing and wherein the annular envelope in turn overlies and surrounds the tread strip and wherein means for creating a pressure within the curing chamber is provided and is adapted to cooperate with the envelope and tire casing for providing forces to assist in bonding the tread strip to the tire casing, the combination therewith of
• means underlying the envelope and adapted to intimately engage the tread strip throughout the entire periphery of the tread strip for wicking away and removing substantially all air initially entrapped underneath the envelope between the interior surface of the envelope and the peripheral face of the tread strip as well as substantially all air initially entrapped between the tread strip and the tire casing, said means for wicking away and removing such entrapped air comprising an air porous elongate band of drapable fabric adapted to be positioned to underlie the envelope between the interior surface thereof and the peripheral surface of the tread strip and with opposite ends of the band in overlapping relation and with opposite side portions of the band extending along opposite side portions of the tread strip, a pair of spaced apart air porous tapes connected to the band and extending substantially throughout the length of the band along the inner surface thereof and defining therebetween that area of the band adapted to be in engagement with the peripheral surface of the tread strip, said pair of tapes being adapted to be positioned to overlie the inherently tacky bonding material along opposite side portions of the tire casing for thus serving to protectively shield the band from intimate contact with the bonding material and a plurality of air porous straps secured to said band and extending laterally thereof with free portions of the straps adapted to extend from opposite sides of the band along opposite sides of the tire casing to beyond the overlying envelope, whereby any air that initially might be entrapped underneath the air impervious annular envelope may quickly be wicked away outwardly beyond the confines of the envelope by the underlying band of air porous fabric and straps.