Abstract: A tire mold having relatively reciprocable first and second mold halves is provided with a heat shield which includes first and second relatively reciprocable shield members. One of these shield members is fixedly secured to one of the mold halves; the other shield member is fixedly secured to the other mold half. The shield members are spaced from the mold halves so that they enclose a space which surrounds the mold halves. A vacuum tight seal between the shield members is provided. A nipple which is adapted to be connected to a source of vacuum extends through one of the shield members so that the space enclosed by the shield members can be placed under vacuum, thereby inhibiting heat transfer to the atmosphere surrounding the apparatus. Heat transfer is further inhibited by the thin reflective chrome plate layer on the inside wall surfaces of both heat shield members. Preferably the mold halves are arranged one above the other and each is secured to a platen.

Abstract: The steam platen comprises spaced flat horizontal exterior walls each having a horizontal outside surface, and concentric cylindrical walls, one an inside wall and the other an outside wall both of which extend from the first to the second flat wall. The first flat wall abuts a mold half and the second flat wall abuts a supporting structure such as a base or a head, and these flat walls may be termed a mold sidewall and a bolster sidewall respectively. The interior space between the first and second flat walls has a plurality of partitions which extend from one flat wall to the other and which form one or more continuous serpentine steam passages which constitute a steam cavity. This steam cavity covers the entire area of the mold and is devoid of dead spots, so that the mold sidewall is heated by the steam to an essentially uniform surface temperature. For ease of fabrication, the platen may be formed as two separate pieces, i.e.

Abstract: A tire chuck is disclosed which is designed with stepped ridges so as to accommodate a range of tire sizes, and is constructed of a material which is deformable and is relatively transparent to, and not degraded by x-rays.

Abstract: A loader safety device for a tire curing press that has a frame with a pair of vertically extending side members and a support platform operatively mounted on the side members for vertical movement, and a tire-engaging device mounted on the support platform, wherein a cylinder with a piston rod operatively extending therefrom is positioned on the frame and its piston rod operatively engages a carriage movably mounted on the frame for movement laterally thereof, the cylinder-piston rod unit control the position of the carriage on the top portion of the frame; and a rotary device is mounted on the carriage with a flexible device being operatively anchored at one end to the frame and extending to and engaging the support platform at its other end, which support device operatively engages the rotary device so as to raise and lower the support platform with respective extension and retraction of the piston rod by pressures in the control cylinder.