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A loader device includes a support pedestal movable over a range of longitudinal travel along a longitudinal axis, a support carriage movably mounted to the support pedestal, a loader actuator, and a dismount actuator. The support carriage is movable over a range of vertical travel along a normal ax

A loader device includes a support pedestal movable over a range of longitudinal travel along a longitudinal axis, a support carriage movably mounted to the support pedestal, a loader actuator, and a dismount actuator. The support carriage is movable over a range of vertical travel along a normal axis, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The support carriage has a support arm adapted to support a tire casing. The loader actuator and dismount actuator are respectively adapted to selectively move: (1) at least a portion of a tire casing supported upon the support carriage in a loading direction along the longitudinal axis off of the support arm onto the expandable rim hub and (2) at least a portion of a tire casing supported upon the expandable rim hub in an opposing unloading direction off of the expandable rim hub and onto the support arm of the loader device.

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1. A loader device for use with the mounting of a tire casing on an expandable rim hub, the device comprising: a support pedestal, the support pedestal movable over a range of longitudinal travel along a longitudinal axis;a support carriage movably mounted to the support pedestal, the support carria

1. A loader device for use with the mounting of a tire casing on an expandable rim hub, the device comprising: a support pedestal, the support pedestal movable over a range of longitudinal travel along a longitudinal axis;a support carriage movably mounted to the support pedestal, the support carriage movable over a range of vertical travel along a normal axis, the normal axis being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the support carriage having a support arm adapted to engage an inner periphery of the tire casing and support the tire casing independently of the expandable rim hub;a loader actuator mounted to at least one of the support pedestal and the support carriage, the loader actuator adapted to selectively move, relative to the support arm, at least a portion of the tire casing supported upon the support arm in a loading direction along the longitudinal axis off of the support arm,wherein the expandable rim hub is adapted to support and selectively rotate the tire casing about a hub axis, the hub axis being substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the support carriage includes a frame and a pair of support arms mounted to the frame, the support arms being in spaced relationship to each other and extending from the frame along the longitudinal axis. 3. The device of claim 2, wherein the support arms are rotatably mounted to the frame. 4. The device of claim 2, wherein at least one of the support arms has a generally spherical distal end. 5. The device of claim 2, wherein the support carriage includes a roller journaled on the frame for rotation, the roller being disposed in spaced relationship to the support arms along the normal axis and positioned to support the tire casing borne on the support arms. 6. The device of claim 1, wherein the loader actuator is movably mounted to the support pedestal. 7. The device of claim 1, wherein the loader actuator comprises a cylinder actuator having a body and a piston, the piston housed within the body such that a distal end of the piston extends from the body, the piston reciprocally movable with respect to the body. 8. The device of claim 7, wherein the cylinder actuator includes a tire casing engagement member rotatably mounted to the distal end of the piston. 9. The device of claim 8, wherein the engagement member has an exterior convex surface. 10. The device of claim 1, further comprising: an unloader actuator adapted for mounting to a tire hub assembly for supporting and rotating the tire casing, the tire hub assembly including the expandable rim hub, the unloader actuator adapted to selectively move, relative to the support arm, at least a portion of the tire casing supported upon the expandable rim hub in an unloading direction along the longitudinal axis off of the expandable rim hub when the rim hub is contracted to a size that is less than an inner casing diameter defined by an inner periphery of the tire casing supported upon the expandable rim hub. 11. A tire retreading system comprising: a tire hub assembly adapted to support and selectively rotate a tire casing about a rotational axis, the tire hub assembly having a tire chuck with an expandable rim hub adapted to selectively expand to retentively engage the tire casing mounted on the tire chuck, the expandable rim hub movable between a contracted position and a range of expanded positions wherein the diameter of the expandable rim hub is greater in the expanded positions than in the contracted position;a loader device arranged with respect to the tire hub assembly to selectively load the tire casing upon the tire hub assembly, the loader device including: a support pedestal, the support pedestal movable over a range of longitudinal travel along a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis being substantially parallel with the rotational axis,a support carriage movably mounted to the support pedestal, the support carriage movable over a range of vertical travel along a normal axis, the normal axis being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the support carriage having a support arm adapted to engage an inner periphery of the tire casing and support the tire casing independently of the expandable rim hub,a loader actuator mounted to at least one of the support pedestal and the support carriage, the loader actuator is adapted to selectively move, relative to the support arm, at least a portion of the tire casing supported upon the support arm in a loading direction along the longitudinal axis off of the support arm onto the expandable rim hub. 12. The tire retreading system of claim 11, wherein the tire hub assembly and the loader comprise portions of a tire buffing station, the tire buffing station including a rasp pedestal adapted to be selectively movable relative to the tire hub assembly, the rasp pedestal having a rasp head, the rasp pedestal being adapted to be selectively moved into engagement with the tire casing mounted to the tire hub assembly such that the rasp head contacts the tire casing to buff the tire casing to impart a predetermined tire casing profile. 13. The tire retreading system of claim 11, wherein the support carriage includes a frame, a pair of support arms, and a roller, the support arms rotatably mounted to the frame, the support arms being in spaced relationship to each other and extending from the frame along the longitudinal axis, the roller journaled on the frame for rotation, and the roller being disposed in spaced relationship to the support arms along the normal axis and positioned to support the tire casing borne on the support arms. 14. The tire retreading system of claim 13, wherein the support arms are rotatably mounted to the frame, the loader actuator comprises a cylinder actuator having a body and a piston, the piston housed within the body such that a distal end of the piston extends from the body, the piston reciprocally movable with respect to the body and having the tire casing engagement member rotatably mounted to the distal end of the piston. 15. The tire retreading system of claim 11, further comprising: an unloader actuator mounted to the tire hub assembly, the unloader actuator adapted to selectively move, relative to the support arm, at least a portion of the tire casing supported upon the expandable rim hub in an unloading direction along the longitudinal axis off of the expandable rim hub and onto the support arm of the loader device when the rim hub is contracted to a size that is less than an inner casing diameter defined by an inner periphery of the tire casing supported upon the expandable rim hub. 16. A method of retreading a tire casing comprising: moving the tire casing toward a tire hub assembly along a longitudinal axis, an inner periphery of the tire casing supported by the support arm of the loader device independently of an expandable rim hub such that an upper portion of the inner periphery of the tire casing is disposed above an upper portion of the expandable rim hub of the tire hub assembly, the expandable rim hub being in a contracted position, the expandable rim hub having a rim diameter when in the contracted position that is smaller than an inner casing diameter defined by the inner periphery of the tire casing;loading the tire casing onto the expandable rim hub of the tire hub assembly by using a loader actuator of the loader device to move at least a portion of the tire casing relative to the support arm such that said portion moves in a loading direction along the longitudinal axis off of the support arm and into engagement with the expandable rim hub;expanding the expandable rim hub such that the rim engages the inner periphery of the tire casing,wherein the expandable rim hub is adapted to support and selectively rotate the tire casing about a casing rotation axis, the casing rotation axis being substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis. 17. The method of retreading a tire casing according to claim 16, further comprising: rotating the expandable rim hub;wherein the tire casing is loaded onto the expandable rim hub by moving a leading edge portion of the tire casing relative to the support arm such that the leading edge of the tire casing engages the rotating rim, the rotating rim rotatively moving the leading edge of the tire casing such that a remainder portion of the tire casing is moved onto the rotating rim. 18. The method of retreading a tire casing according to claim 16, further comprising: before moving the tire casing along the longitudinal axis toward the tire hub assembly, removing the tire casing from a carrier hook of a tire casing conveyor system disposed at a loading position by using the support arm to lift the tire casing off of the carrier hook. 19. The method of retreading a tire casing according to claim 16, further comprising: performing a processing operation upon the tire casing;after performing the processing operation, contracting the expandable rim hub;unloading the processed tire casing from the expandable rim hub of the tire hub assembly by using a dismount push arm of the loader device to move the processed tire casing relative to the expandable rim hub along the casing rotation axis. 20. The method of retreading a tire casing according to claim 19, wherein the processed tire casing is unloaded from the expandable rim hub onto the support arm of the loader device, the support arm being disposed below the upper portion of the expandable rim hub of the tire hub assembly. 21. The method of retreading a tire casing according to claim 20, further comprising: rotating the tire casing loaded on the expandable rim hub about the casing rotation axis;wherein the tire casing is unloaded from the expandable rim hub by moving a leading edge portion of the rotating tire casing relative to the support arm such that the leading edge of the tire casing engages the support arm, the rotating rim rotatively moving a remainder portion of the tire casing such that the remainder portion of the tire casing is moved onto the support arm. 22. The method of retreading a tire casing according to claim 20, further comprising: after unloading the processed tire casing from the expandable rim hub of the tire hub assembly, placing the processed tire casing upon a carrier hook of a tire casing conveyor system disposed at a loading position by using the support arm to lower the processed tire casing onto the carrier hook. 23. The method of retreading a tire casing according to claim 16, further comprising: rotating the tire casing loaded on the expandable rim hub about the casing rotation axis;moving a rasp pedestal relative to the tire hub assembly toward the tire hub assembly, the rasp pedestal including a rasp head; engaging the rasp head with the rotating tire casing;moving the rasp head along a buffing path to impart a predetermined tire casing profile upon an outer circumferential surface of the processed tire casing. 24. The method of retreading a tire casing according to claim 23, further comprising: using a machine reader to read a machine-readable tire casing identifier device associated with the tire casing;transmitting a tire casing identification data signal to a processor upon reading the machine-readable tire casing identifier device;executing, by the processor, computer-executable instructions stored on a tangible, computer-readable medium to use the tire casing identification data signal to select the buffing path from a database of buffing paths and to control the rasp head to move along the selected buffing path. 25. The method of retreading a tire casing according to claim 23, further comprising: after imparting the predetermined tire casing profile upon the outer circumferential surface of the processed tire casing, contracting the expandable rim hub;unloading the processed tire casing from the expandable rim hub of the tire hub assembly by using a dismount push arm of the loader device to move the processed tire casing relative to the expandable rim hub along the casing rotation axis.