Patent ID: 8127434

Claim:
Apparatus for assembly and disassembly of a toroidally shaped mold for curing a green tire into a finished tire having a tread and a sidewall pattern, the mold formed by a plurality of segments including first and second mold sidewall segments which together define a sidewall pattern to be formed on opposite sides of the green tire and a plurality of mold tread segments each having an inner surface portion which together define a tread pattern to be formed on the green tire; the mold in an assembled configuration enclosing a green tire mounted on a toroidal tire building core and having an axial core spindle in which first and second spindle ends project from the first and second sidewall mold segments, respectively, the apparatus comprising: mold gripping apparatus operatively engaging and disengaging the mold segments along axial and radial mold axis and mold transport apparatus for operatively moving the mold gripping apparatus and engaged mold between a mold assembly and disassembly station and a tire curing station.