The current invention is for a tyre cutting machine that cuts a tyre from the inside to make a severed tread and two tyre walls. The tyre cutting machine has a tyre support (CA, A, Fig 2), first and second blades (B, B, Fig 4A), a blade movement mechanism and a tyre drive mechanism (W, A, Fig 4A). The blade movement mechanism may be configured to simultaneously move both blades horizontally outwards in response to the tyre support receiving the tyre thereon (B, Fig 4A). The blade movement device may be in the form of a pair of scissors such that a heavier tyre with apply a greater force to the scissors to push the blades into the tyre wall with a larger force. The blade movement mechanism may also be biased to retract partially or fully upon removal of a tyre. The invention may further comprise a vibrator, tread cutter and/or loading mechanism. The invention may also have an arm to aid loading and unloading tyres (CRA, Fig 3). The invention serves to cut tyres which come in a wide variety of sizes without necessarily needing to adjust the cutting machine and so tyres can be loaded in significant numbers, and the machine left to run without intervention (A, Fig 1). This enables high volumes of car tyres to be processed into building materials. The invention also relates to a method for separating the tread of a tyre from its sidewalls, involving providing a tyre to the tyre cutting device of the present invention, engaging an interior of the tyre on the tyre support, moving the first and second blades into engagement with the interior of the tyre and driving the tyre about its rotational axis (generally shown in figures 1-4A).
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