This invention relates to a tire processing apparatus for processing large used tires as are found from industrial mining applications. The present invention relates particularly to a tire processing apparatus comprising a head that is operable to move about two or more axes at a first end of a swing arm, the head further having a rasp operable to strip rubber particles from a stationary tire for use of the particles as a landscaping mulch. In various embodiments, the apparatus also comprises a head with a circular saw operable to cut a portion of the tire into a livestock trough. The invention also includes a method using the above. The system and method in its various embodiments are particularly adept at processing used tires from mining industry applications.

A machine that removes the bead wires from tires for the purpose of reclaiming the wire and recycling of the tire. The bead of the tire is placed over a drive wheel and tension rollers, the tension rollers move away from the drive wheel which stretches the bead against the drive wheel. The drive wheel is driven by a drive system and causes the bead to rotate. As the bead rotates a blade contacts the inner periphery of the bead and severs the rubber and reinforcement material. Directly following the blade are two plates that are spaced apart approximately equal to the diameter of the bead wire. The plates push the rubber and reinforcement material off of the bead wire as the bead rotates.

A machine that removes the bead wires from tires for the purpose of reclaiming the wire and recycling of the tire. The bead of the tire is placed over a drive wheel and tension rollers, the tension rollers move away from the drive wheel which stretches the bead against the drive wheel. The drive wheel is driven by a drive system and causes the bead to rotate. As the bead rotates a blade contacts the inner periphery of the bead and severs the rubber and reinforcement material. Directly following the blade are two plates that are spaced apart approximately equal to the diameter of the bead wire. The plates push the rubber and reinforcement material off of the bead wire as the bead rotates.

A machine and process for producing a block of construction material from harvested tire tread strips by receiving a strip of flexible material having a radial curvature memory in a first direction, perforating the strip of flexible material to produce crosswise plunge cuts into the flexible material from at least a first surface, wherein each crosswise cut each extends laterally across the width of the strip of flexible material, and wherein a depth of each crosswise cut is less than the thickness of the strip of flexible material; and bending the perforated strip of flexible material in a first curvature, wherein the first curvature produces a convex shape on the first surface, wherein the bending is along a longitudinal direction of the strip of flexible material, and wherein a bending force applied to the strip is sufficient to break some of the flexible material contributing to the radial curvature memory.

A cutting device for cutting tire components. The cutting device includes an upper cutting member and a lower cutting member. The upper cutting member is arranged to be moved in a cutting plane along the lower cutting member to cut the tire component in cooperation with the lower cutting member along a cutting line. The upper cutting member includes an upper knife with an upper cutting edge that is convexly arcuate in the cutting plane with respect to the lower cutting member. The upper cutting member is arranged to be moved with the arcuate upper cutting edge thereof along the lower cutting member in a rocking motion in the cutting plane. The arcuate upper cutting edge has a radius and a rotation center for the rocking motion at the origin of the radius, wherein the rotation center is located outside the upper cutting member.

A cutting device and method are provided for cutting a tire component. The cutting device comprises a support surface for supporting the tire component, a cutter which is movable along a cutting line for cutting through the tire component on the support surface, and a pressing device which is movable along the cutting line for pressing the tire component onto the support surface. The cutting device is arranged to move the pressing device from a first position at the support plane to a second position at a clearance height from said support plane in a clearance direction transverse or perpendicular to the support plane, and from the second position towards the first position in a pressing direction opposite to the clearance direction.