Apparatus for use in the manufacture of tires

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR HOLDING AND INFLATING TIRES DURING A COOLING PERIOD FOLLOWING VULCANIZATION, COMPRISING, A SUPPORT FOR A TIRE, SAID SUPPORT HAVING AN UPWARDLY OPENING TRANSVERSE PASSAGE, A STATIONARY MEMBER ADJACENT SAID SUPPORT, A TRUNNION CARRIAGE, SAID TRUNNION CARRIAGE HAVING A CENTER FRAME ROTATABLY CARRIED BY SAID STATIONARY MEMBER AND MOVABLE FRAMES ON EITHER SIDE AND PARALLEL TO SAID CENTER FRAME, TWO CLOSURE PAIRS VERTICALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID SUPPORT ONE PAIR ON EACH SIDE OF SAID CARRIAGE, EACH CLOSURE PAIR COMPRISING OPPOSED MEMBERS HAVING A SEAT TO ENGAGE A TIRE BEAD, ONE MEMBER OF EACH CLOSURE PAIR BEING MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE CENTER FRAME AND THE OTHER SAID MEMBER BEING MOUNTED ON A CARRIAGE MOVABLE FRAME, MEANS TO SELECTIVELY MOVE ONE OF SAID MOVABLE FRAMES AWAY FROM SAID CENTER FRAME INTO SAID SUPPORT PASSAGE SO THAT THE CLOSURE MEMBERS THEREON WILL BE SEPARATED ONE BELOW AND ONE ABOVE THE PLANE OF SAID SUPPORT, MEAN TO POSITION A TIRE ON SAID SUPPORT IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID SEPARATED CLOSURE MEMBERS, MEANS TO INFLATE A TIRE CLAMPED BETWEEN SAID CLOSURE MEMBERS ABOVE SAID SUPPORT, AND MEANS, TO INVERT SAID CARRIAGE WHEN SAID TIRE IS INFLATED.