Multi-stage method of blow molding hollow shaped articles

A method of converting parisons into hollow shaped articles, comprising the steps of forming a succession of parisons including extruding plasticized synthetic plastic material substantially vertically downwardly at a first station;

• transferring parisons to a second station which is laterally offset from said first station, including moving a first multisection mold whose sections are movable between open and closed positions from said second to said first station while said sections are held in open positions, closing said sections around the parison at said first station, separating the thus confined parison from material which is being extruded, and moving the first mold to said second station while said sections remain in closed positions;
• introducing a hollow blowing mandrel into the mold at said second station and converting the confined parison into a hollow preform by introducing a gaseous blowing medium into the parison through the hollow mandrel;
• moving said sections to open positions and thereupon moving the mold to said first station for reception of a fresh parison while maintaining said mandrel at said second station with the preform suspended thereon;
• confining the preform on said mandrel at said second station in a second multi-section mold whose sections are movable between open and closed positions independently of the sections of said first mold so that the length of the interval of confinement of the preform in said second mold can deviate from the length of the interval of confinement of the parison in said first mold, including moving the sections of said second mold to open positions at a third station which is laterally offset from said second station;
• moving the second mold to said second station so that the preform on said mandrel is received between the sections of said second mold and moving the sections of said second mold to closed positions;
• introducing into the thus confined preform a gaseous blowing medium through said mandrel to convert the preform into a shaped article;
• withdrawing the mandrel from the second mold at said second station while said sections of said second mold remain in closed positions;
• and ejecting the article from the second mold, including moving the sections of said second mold to open positions at said third station.