Tire press

Abstract

A tire curing press has a loader assembly comprising a bead grip for engaging and lifting the axial interior of the upper bead of a green tire and a tread positioning ring movable axially to an adjusted position to engage the tire tread shoulder and to force a predetermined distance between the upper bead and tread to identify precisely the transaxial middle or crown plane of the tread. The loader includes means to swing the bead grip and tread register from a tire pick-up position to a load position centered in the press and to position the lower bead of the green tire on or close to a movable toe ring, and then to lower the bead grip, tread register and toe ring uniformly with the green tire held open and firmly therebetween to match the transaxial middle plane of the tread to that of a bladder mounted in a center mechanism in the press by independently movable top and bottom bladder bead clamps. Adjustable mechanical stops and pilots are utilized for obtaining alignment of the movable press components with respect to one another and for accommodating different sizes of tires being processed. The center mechanism is mounted in a movable mounting sleeve, the upper end of which supports the toe ring. The sleeve is mounted in a well and the bottom plate of the mounting well is provided with passages for circulation of coolant therethrough to isolate the center mechanism hydraulic actuators mounted on and beneath such plate from the heat generated in the press cavity.