METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OFF-LOADING AN UNCURED TYRE FROM A TYRE-BUILDING DRUM

摘要

A completed, shaped and uncured tire is off-loaded from the tire building machine on which the tire has been built by first engaging the completed tire coaxially within a ring having radially movable segments and then moving the ring with the tire coaxially off the building machine to a chucking device engageable with the inner peripheries of the respective bead portions of the tire. The ring is then expanded and moved coaxially from the tire and the chucking device now holding the tire is rotated to place the tire axis in vertical orientation and elevated to a position above the tire machine where the exterior surface of the tire is grasped by a pair of palms mounted on a swing arm. After the chucking device is moved downwardly clear of the tire, the tire is then moved horizontally by the swing arm and deposited on an overhead belt conveyor to be transported thereby to further processing. The tire building machine operator is relieved of the effort and time required for manual removal of the tire and the completed tire is protected from inadvertent damage due to manual handling. In particular, the tire is elevated from the operating floor in a convenient and expeditious manner.