The disposal of used tires is increasingly becoming a difficult problem to solve due to increasing number of such tires which must be disposed of each year. In addition, the conventional means of burning tires is being precluded for environmental reasons. Therefore, there have been a number of devices disclosed in the prior art for reducing the disposal problems of tires.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,658,267 (Burwell), an apparatus for desintegrating tires and the like is disclosed. The apparatus includes a means for storing a plurality of tires therein and a means for feeding the tires one at a time to a holding means which rotates. A grinding and pulverizing means is disposed adjacent the holding means to reduce the tread of the tire to a pulverized form which can be removed and subsequently used. The remaining tire bead is then cut in two and a swing finger means is adapted to throw the tire bead down a chute.
A tire detreading apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,745,021 (Liebau). This device includes a manually controlled device which is adjustable to receive tires of various sizes and to enable a quick and easy mounting of a tire thereon. Adjustment for tires of various sizes is provided by radially movable fingers which grip the rim of the tire and which are actuated by a disc including a series of spiral grooves. The cutter for the bead of the tire is also movable by manual operation into and out of engagement with the tire.
Other U.S. patents which disclosed tire detreating apparatus or the like includes the following: U.S. Pat. No. 2,065,448 (George); U.S. Pat. No. 2,283,005 (Godfrey, Jr); U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,884 (Tupper et al); and U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,084 (Krieger).