Tire press, loader and method

A tire press loader comprising a series of chuck segments each movable radially to grip and release an uncured tire, respective actuators for each segment, ring means supporting said segments and the respective actuators, and means mounting said segments and actuators on said ring means for uniform simultaneous radial expansion and contraction to accommodate tires of different sizes.

A tire curing press loader comprising a support ring, a series of chuck shoes mounted on said support ring, actuator means to extend and retract said chuck shoes to grip and release an uncured tire, and means mounting said chuck shoes on said support ring uniformly to expand and contract the gripping range thereof to accommodate tires of different sizes.

A tire curing press comprising separable mold sections, each having a bead ring, a loader chuck in at least one of said mold sections comprising chuck segments movable from a retracted cylindrical condition to a progressively increasing apex angle conical condition and then to an extended horizontal condition to engage the uncured tire bead and properly position it on the bead ring of the mold section pivot means for each chuck segment, and means vertically to move each pivot means to cause said chuck segments to move to said extended condition in which the chuck is mounted.

A tire curing press including relatively movable top and bottom mold sections each including a bead ring, a tire loader in the upper of said mold sections which includes a plurality of chuck segments movable from a generally cylindrical condition when retracted to a progressively increasing apex angle conical condition and then to an extended horizontal condition as extended into the uncured tire to engage the uncured tire on the bead ring of the top mold section pivot means for each chuck segment, and means vertically to move each pivot means to cause said chuck segments to move to said extended condition.

A tire curing press comprising upper and lower relatively movable mold sections, said bottom mold section including a vertically movable bladder well in the center of said mold section with the bead ring of the lower mold section on the upper end thereof, a shaping bladder mounted on bladder clamp rings on respective post sections extending coaxially from the bottom of the well, means to move said bladder clamp rings independently of each other to position the bladder in an uncured tire for shaping and drawing the bladder from the cured tire for stripping and unloading, means at least partially to deflate the bladder following cure to retain the bladder overlying the bottom bead of the cured tire, means to elevate the bladder well and the cured tire with the bladder overhanging the bottom bead to retain the cured tire on the bottom bead ring, continued upward movement of the well bringing the bladder clamps to the end of their movement with further upward movement drawing the bladder from the cured tire into the well.

A method of stripping a tire from a tire press which includes a bladder and a vertically movable bottom mold ring comprising the steps of at least partially deflating the bladder and positioning it in such condition overlying the bottom bead of the tire to hold it on the bottom mold ring, elevating the bottom mold ring and the bladder in such condition therewith, and continuing to elevate the mold ring while holding the bladder against movement to draw the bladder from the tire.