Tire splitter

Tire cutting apparatus comprising:

• first and second tire locating members;
• tire cutting means on at least one of the tire locating members;
• and
• drive means for movement of a tire relative to the tire cutting means,
• wherein the tire locating members are relatively moveable between a loading position, in which the members are separated to permit location of a tire therebetween, and a cutting position, in which the first tire locating member engages an inner surface of a tire, the second tire locating member engages an outer surface of a tire and the tire cutting means cuts through a portion of the tire between the members, the drive means effecting relative movement of the tire locating members and the cutting means and the tire to produce a circumferential cut in the tire and thus cut the tire into at least two parts,
• wherein the first and second tire locating members include respective first and second tire engagement portions rotatably mounted about respective first and second axes to permit movement of a tire between the members inn the cutting position and thus rotation of a tire around a third axis,
• wherein the cutting means includes a cutting blade mounted to and extending from one of said first and second engagement portions of the locating members,
• wherein the cutting means further includes a blade receiving slot in the other of said first and second engagement portions of the locating members, wherein when the tire locating members are in the cutting position, the cutting blade extends into the blade receiving slot,
• wherein the drive means drives one of the first and second engagement portions of the tire locating members to rotate about said respective first or second axis, and
• further comprising a tire supporting surface wherein the first and second tire locating members extending above the surface, the first tire locating member extending from the surface to permit a tire to be located over the member.