TREAD CRACKING PREVENTION AND DE-MOLDING FORCE REDUCTION DOLLY

The invention include methods and apparatus for demolding a tread. The methods include arranging one or more rollers to extend across a transverse extent of a tread molding cavity and across an outer, exposed side of a tread. The one or more rollers are freely-rotatable and arranged to define a demolding path of the tread extending from the mold. The tread is demolded from the tread molding cavity along the demolding path such that the tread is initially directed outwardly from a molded position within the tread molding cavity at an initial angle less than 90 degrees from the molded position, the tread continuing along the demolding path until the tread is directed away from the molding cavity in a direction 90 degrees from the molded position at a perpendicular position located a distance from the molding cavity at least equal to approximately 80% of the tread thickness.