Manually contractable ring for sealing an envelope against a bead of a tire during retreading

摘要

A split ring assembly for sealing an envelope against a bead of a tire to be retreaded includes a one-piece split metal ring having aligned overlapping end portions in the form of an interfitting fork and tongue. Laterally offset circumferentially overlapping arcuate slide bars welded side-by-side to the inner peripheral surface of the split ring, respective overlapping ends, and surrounded by a metal U-strap guide maintaining alignments of the contraction of the split ring. A lever pivoted at one end to one of the overlapped ends of the split ring is pivotably coupled radially outward of the pivot axis of that end of the lever to a turnbuckle whose opposite end is pivotably coupled to the other of the overlapped ends of the sealing ring such that rotation of the lever about its pivot axis causes the overlapped ends of the split ring to move towards each other, against the bias of the resilient split ring contacting the split ring radially and permitting the split ring assembly to be mounted inside of a tire at one side wall after contraction radially, against the bead of the tire, whereby release of the lever permits seal of an interposed envelope, against that bead.