Patent ID: 9138950
Filing Date: 2015-09-22
Classification: B29D

Abstract:
1. A tire mold apparatus, comprising: a mold body including an upper annular mold half and a lower annular mold half, each mold half having a cylindrical outer surface, the mold halves constructed to fit together to define a mold cavity for molding a tire; an upper steam tracing including a plurality of upper loops surrounding the cylindrical outer surface of the upper annular mold half, the upper steam tracing being detachably mounted on the upper annular mold half; a lower steam tracing including a plurality of lower loops surrounding the cylindrical outer surface of the lower annular mold half, the lower steam tracing being detachably mounted on the lower annular mold half, so that the upper and lower annular mold halves can be separated with the steam tracings attached to the mold halves; wherein each upper loop of the upper steam tracing includes a plurality of arcuate segments of less than 360° joined together to form a 360° loop; wherein adjacent arcuate segments of each upper loop have a gap therebetween; and a resilient structural connector extending across the a and biasing the adjacent arcuate segments toward each other so that each upper loop is held in tension about the upper cylinder outer surface.