Patent ID: 7963756

Claim:
A tire mold comprising an upper mold portion and a lower mold portion, wherein the upper mold portion and the lower mold portion are movable relative to one another for insertion of a tire into the mold; wherein the upper mold portion includes an upper sidewall ring and an annular actuating ring having an inner frustroconical surface; wherein the lower portion includes a plurality of segments, each segment having an upper frustroconical surface and a lower frustroconical surface; wherein the inner frustroconical surface of the annular actuating ring is positionable for slidable engagement with the upper frustroconical surface of each segment, wherein the lower frustroconical surface of each segment is slidable against an inner frustroconical surface of a bottom mold ring; wherein the mold further includes a lifting plate; a lower sidewall ring; and an annular lifting ring positioned between the bottom mold ring and the lower sidewall ring, wherein the annular lifting ring, the segments and the lower sidewall ring are positioned on the lifting plate for axial movement; the annular lifting ring having a first end slidable within a slot of said bottom mold ring, and the annular lifting ring having an axially outer surface for engagement with an axially inner surface of each segment.