Apparatus for cementless building of retreaded tires

An apparatus for heating and applying cushion gum to a periphery of a tire casing, said apparatus comprising:

• a tire support for supporting the tire casing and allowing free rotation of the tire casing;
• a base;
• a carriage supported by said base and movable relative to said base;
• a heater for heating said cushion gum;
• a horizontal conveyor belt mounted to said carriage and having a forward roller facing the periphery of the tire casing, a rear roller, and a pinch roller adapted for cooperating with said rear roller to pull the cushion gum onto said conveyer belt, said tire support, said rear roller and said forward roller each having a rotational axis at substantially the same height, said conveyor belt adapted for moving said cushion gum near said heater to heat a tire interface side of the cushion gum and for supporting the cushion gum to prevent tensioning of heated cushion gum;
• means for moving said carriage such that said forward roller pressures the tire casing, wherein said forward roller is positioned for moving the cushion gum downwardly between said forward roller and the periphery of the tire casing to pressure the cushion gum to the periphery of the tire casing as the cushion gum first contacts the periphery of the tire casing;
• a motor drivingly connected to said forward roller for rotating said forward roller, wherein rotation of said forward roller rotates said tire casing as said cushion gum is applied;
• a swinging arm for rotatingly supporting a supply roll of the cushion gum on said carriage to minimize tensioning of said cushion gum;
• a supply roller with a cooperating pinch roller adapted for pulling the cushion gum from the supply roll;
• a cutting anvil horizontally extending from said rear roller of said conveyor belt to said supply roller at a height generally equal to a height of said conveyor belt;
• and
• a cutting mechanism adapted for cooperating with said cutting anvil to selectively cut the cushion gum.