Self-locking tire mold apparatus

A segmented mold for molding a tire comprising:

• a central axis;
• a plurality of radially movable tread forming segments;
• a top sidewall forming plate and a bottom sidewall forming plate, the top sidewall forming plate having a radially outer diameter of ST at a top sidewall forming surface thereof and the bottom sidewall forming plate having a radially outer diameter SB at a bottom sidewall forming surface thereof;
• a top tread shoulder forming annular ring adjacent the top sidewall forming plate and abutting along the diameter ST;
• and
• wherein the top sidewall forming plate and the top tread shoulder forming annular ring are removable to permit insertion and removal of the tire;
• a top locking ring having a first plurality of circumferentially spaced locking elements operative to lock the segments in an annular configuration, each locking element of the first plurality providing a first predetermined angular path for radially contracting the segments toward the central axis as the top locking ring rotates relative to the segments about the central axis;
• a bottom locking ring having a second plurality of circumferentially spaced locking elements operative to lock the segments in the annular configuration, each locking element of the second plurality providing a second predetermined angular path for radially contracting the segments toward the central axis as the bottom locking ring rotates relative to the segments about the central axis.