Tire holding fixture for tire processing machine

A tire holding fixture for holding tires for processing by a tire processing machine, comprising:

• first and second wheel half support assemblies wherein one of said assemblies is shiftable between an open position for permitting insertion and removal of a tire between said assemblies and from said assemblies, respectively, and a closed position for holding said tire between said assemblies;
• said first assembly including a hollow, substantially cylindrical member having an inner peripheral surface;
• said second assembly including a spindle, having an outer peripheral surface, insertable into said hollow cylindrical member such that said outer peripheral surface of said second assembly is substantially concentric with respect to said inner peripheral surface of said first assembly;
• a plurality of detent recesses defined within one of said surfaces and arranged within an axial array extending along said one of said surfaces;
• detent means disposed upon the other one of said surfaces and movable between a first position at which said detent means engages one of said plurality of detent recesses for releasably locking said assemblies together at a predetermined axial position with respect to each other so as to hold different width tires therebetween for processing, and a second position at which said detent means disengages said one of said plurality of detent recesses so as to permit relative axial movement of said assemblies with respect to each other;
• and
• means for controlling movement of said detent means between said first and second positions when said spindle of said second assembly is disposed within said hollow cylindrical member of said first assembly.