Tire curing press and loader

Abstract

A tire press of the slideback type has mounted on the press head beam a precision loader for the uncured tires. The beam moves vertically and then laterally or horizontally while maintaining the top mold section in parallelism with the bottom mold section for concurrent opening, loading of the uncured tire and discharge of the cured tire from the press. The invention includes a pair of tire chucks mounted on a loader beam for precise vertical movement through an electric motor driven rack and pinion drive. The loader beam is in turn mounted on the press head beam but through a lost motion connection. In this manner the loader is uncoupled from the press head during the final loading horizontal travel thereof to allow independent movement of the loader and press head. The loader is biased toward the press head by springs. When the press opens the loader moves with the press head but is stopped short of the full open position of the press head and is engaged by external alignment blocks which then move the loader relative to the press head against the spring pressure during the final portion of movement of the press head to locate the loader precisely independently of any inconsistent full 'open' position of the press or press beam. The loader beam is guided in to final loading position independently of the press beam in both a lateral and fore and aft direction. The loader beam thus floats in a horizontal plane in both an X and Y direction.