Abstract: An apparatus for handling tires to be placed in a vulcanizing machine--particularly for retreading the tread or the whole tire--and for the removal of the tire from the machine, comprises: a housing developed along and behind the front of a set of such machines. The housing has a conveyor and slide rails. A carriage is movable on the rails so that it can reach transfer positions near each of the machines. An arm with a plurality of sections and having several degrees of freedom include a drawing device to engage the upper rim of a tire in horizontal position, to transfer it from an open mold on to the conveyor, and to transfer it from a drawing position as far as the open mold of a machine.

Abstract: A mold base has an annular support plate secured thereto and formed with a plurality of equiangularly spaced radial slots and with an external peripheral guide groove. A support structure on the support plate carries an annular base plate mounting the lower half of a cylindrical radially inner chill whose upper half is carried by an annular closure plate. An arm on the base pivotally supports a radial arm pivotally connected to the closure plate, and a toggle linkage is connected between the base and the radial arm. An operating ring is guided in the guide groove for angular displacement by a hydraulic actuator. Radially outer chill sectors are positioned on the base plate and carried by respective die sectors guided in the radial slots of the support plate, and bent crank links connect the die sectors to the operating ring. The die sectors have beveled clamping surfaces engageable with beveled peripheries of the base and closure plates upon displacement of the operating ring in a mold closing direction.