Pet blow moulding machines

A blow moulding machine for blow moulding a container having an integrally formed handle;

• said container blow moulded from a previously injection moulded preform;
• said preform comprising a body portion and said integrally formed handle;
• said machine including a preform loading station at which said preform is oriented by a preform orienting apparatus;
• said apparatus orienting said preform to align said handle with a predetermined orientation;
• said apparatus including a vertical cylindrical sleeve provided with a handle guiding slit along one side of said sleeve;
• said sleeve further provided with upper edges sloping down to said handle guiding slit

A method for controlling a preform for stretch blow moulding a container with an integrally formed handle;

• said preform comprising a body portion and said integrally formed handle;
• said preform transferred from a preform supply source to a blow moulding tool for blowing said container;
• said method including the steps of:
• a. passing said preform through a preform handle orienting apparatus,
• b. transferring said preform transportation system,
• c. transferring said perform from said transportation system to blow moulding tool.

A method and apparatus for preheating a preform;

• said preform comprising a body portion and an integrally attached handle;
• said method including the steps of:
• a. orienting said preform so as to engage said preform with a transport system mandrel;
• said mandrel provided with a shield substantially covering said handle,
• b. arranging banks of heating elements into a pattern allowing for rotation of said handle and said shield,
• c. setting heat outputs of individual heating elements to deliver a required distribution of heat density to said body portion of said preform,
• d. rotating said preform during a preheating stage as said transport system carries said preform past said banks of heater elements.

A method of forming blow moulded containers in a two-stage process;

• said containers having an integrally formed handle;
• said method characterized by including the steps of:
• a. injection moulding on an injection machine preforms comprising a body portion and said integrally formed handle joined in a loop at two points to said preform,
• b. allowing a cooling and curing period of said preforms,
• c. later blow moulding said containers from said preforms on a blow moulding machine, and wherein said blow moulding machine may be at another location.

A method of aligning a handle protecting heat shield with a handle of a preform;

• said handle integral to a body portion of said preform;
• said handle forming a loop joined at two points along said body portion;
• said method including the steps of:
• a. feeding a said preform through a handle orienting device to a preform transfer station;
• said handle orienting device aligning said handle into a predetermined orientation at said preform transfer station,
• b. transporting a preform supporting mandrel fitted with said handle protecting heat shield to said preform transfer station;
• said handle protecting heat shield aligned to said predetermined orientation.

A handle protecting heat shield for an integrally formed handle of a preform;

• said preform comprising a body portion with said handle forming a loop joined at two points along said body portion;
• said handle protecting heat shield comprising side portions extending substantially over opposing sides of said handle;
• said side portions extending from opposing edges of a spine element;
• said spine element conforming to upper portions of said handle;
• said handle protecting heat shield open at an underside of said handle so as to allow insertion of said handle into said handle protecting heat shield.

A method of transporting a preform through a preheating stage prior to a blow moulding operation;

• said preform comprising a body portion and an integrally formed handle;
• said handle forming a loop joined at two points along said body portion;
• said method including the steps of:
• a. aligning said integrally formed handle with a handle protecting heat shield of a mandrel of a preform transportation system,
• b. inserting a neck portion of said preform into a socket portion of said mandrel and said handle into said handle protecting heat shield,
• c. rotating said mandrel and said preform during passage past banks of heating elements,
• d. controlling orientation of said mandrel at an end of said preheating stage so as to align said handle correctly for entry into a blow moulding die.