Tire vulcanizing machine and method

A tire vulcanizing machine comprising:

• a bladder;
• a lower clamping ring for holding the bladder at the lower end thereof;
• an upper clamping ring for holding the bladder at the upper end thereof;
• a lower bead ring for fastening the lower end of the bladder to the lower clamping ring;
• an upper bead ring for fastening the upper end of the bladder to the upper clamping ring;
• a first lifting mechanism for vertically moving the lower clamping ring;
• a second lifting mechanism for vertically moving the upper clamping ring;
• a loader provided with a chuck, for disposing a green tire held by the chuck so as to surround the bladder extended between the upper and lower clamping rings and for locating the green tire so that the horizontal center plane thereof coincides with the middle point between the upper and lower ends of the bladder;
• a third lifting mechanism for vertically moving the loader;
• and
• a controller for controlling the operation of the first, second and third lifting mechanisms;
• wherein a first position detecting means is placed in connection with the first lifting mechanism to detect the stroke of the first lifting mechanism, a second position detecting means is placed in connection with the second lifting mechanism to detect the stroke of the second lifting mechanism, a third position detecting means is placed in connection with the loader to detect the vertical position of the loader, and the controller controls the operation of the first and second lifting mechanisms according to detection signals provided by the first and second position detecting means so that the upper and lower clamping rings are moved synchronously toward each other respectively at equal moving speeds and the horizontal center plane of the green tire held on the loader is kept in coincidence with the middle point between the upper and lower ends of the bladder as the bladder is inflated.