An apparatus for inflating a tire mounted on a rim can include a conveyor
for transporting a tire mounted on a rim to a predetermined position at a
tire inflating work station. The conveyor can include carrier surfaces
spaced laterally with respect to one another along a path of travel for
engaging the tire and rim for transport. The carrier surfaces are
moveable along the path of travel and moveable vertically between a
raised transport position and a lowered transfer position. A support
surface at the tire inflating workstation has at least two portions. The
portions include at least one interlocking joint for holding the portions
of the support surface in sealing engagement with respect to one another
during an inflation process. An apparatus for inflating a tire mounted on
a rim can include a reciprocal inflation head moveable from a first
position spaced from the tire to a second position engagable with the
side wall of the tire for communicating pressurized fluid to inflate the
tire on the rim. At least two concentric seals are selectively moveable
with respect to one another to bring at least one seal into sealing
engagement with a side wall of the tire to be inflated. A mechanism for
moving at least one seal with respect to the other seal is provided for
selectively presenting one seal in operable position for engaging a side
wall of the tire to be inflated.