Green tire storage device with inflatable bladders

Abstract

A green tire holding device (10) including a frame (12), a rod (14) extending horizontally from the frame (12), and a bladder (16) mounted on the rod (14). The bladder (16) is inflatable to an inflated shape so that it contacts a substantial portion of an inner circumference of a green tire (T) to support the green tire during a pre-curing wait cycle. The green tire holding device (10) can comprise a plurality of rods (14), a plurality of bladders (16), and/or a plurality of bladders (16) on each rod (14). The bladders (16) can be inflated at substantially the same time and/or certain bladders (16) can be deflated independently of other bladders (16). In a tire manufacturing method, the loaded green tire storage device (10) is transported to a doping/curing area with the bladders (16) deflated. At the doping/curing area, the tires (T) are removed from the rods (14), doped, and re-hung on the rods (14). The bladders (16) are then inflated so that the tires (T) are stored on inflated bladders during the pre-curing wait cycle.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.