Patent ID: 8366427

Claim:
A tire curing mold having a tire molding cavity, the mold comprising: an upper mold portion having a plurality of upper sections arranged annularly about the mold to form a first portion of the tire cavity and being radially translatable between mold open and mold closed positions; a lower mold portion including a plurality of lower sections arranged annularly about the mold to form a second portion of the tire cavity and being radially translatable between mold open and mold closed positions, wherein each of the lower sections are positioned adjacent one of the upper sections to form a plurality of pairs of upper and lower sections; a pin extending from a first section of each pair of upper and lower sections; and, an aperture extending within a second section of each pair of upper and lower sections, the aperture including an opening positioned for receiving a portion of the pin extending from the corresponding first section when the mold undergoes mold closing operations, the pin being positioned in the aperture when the mold is in the mold closed position and removed from the aperture when the mold is in the mold open position, wherein the aperture includes a ledge for engaging a ridge positioned along a length of the pin, the ledge extending in an inward direction of the aperture and the ridge extending outwardly from a side of the pin, the ridge having a first surface arranged on the bottom side of the ridge for engaging the aperture as the pin enters the aperture during mold closing operations, and the pin ridge having a second surface arranged on an upper side of the ridge for engaging the ledge as the pin is lifted during mold opening operations.