ENHANCED TREAD MOLD EXPANDER

摘要

TIRE RECAPPING OR RETREADING APPARATUS (20) AND METHOD INCLUDING THE USE OF A TREAD MOLD (200) WITH A PLURALITY OF MOLD SEGMENTS (202). A TREAD MOLD LOADING MACHINE IS USED TO POSITION A PREPARED TIRE CARCASS OR BUILT TIRE (180) RELATIVE TO THE MOLD SEGMENTS AND TO INSTALL THE MOLD SEGMENTS ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILT TIRE. THE MOLD SEGMENTS ARE RETAINED IN PLACE ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE TIRE CARCASS (182) BY A PAIR OF TENSION SPRINGS (204). THE TENSION SPRINGS HOLD THE MOLD SEGMENTS (202) ON THE TIRE CARCASS AFTER THE MOLD SEGMENTS HAVE BEEN RELEASED FROM THE TREAD MOLD LOADING MACHINE. THE USE OF THE TREAD MOLD LOADING MACHINE (20) AND THE MOLD SEGMENTS (202) ELIMINATES DISTORTION OF THE TIRE CARCASS (182) DURING INSTALLATION OF THE TREAD MOLD ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILT TIRE (180). FIG 2