Apparatus for blow molding hollow articles, in particular bottles

An apparatus for making hollow articles, in particular bottles from a plurality of parisons of thermoplastic material having a cavity, said apparatus comprising:

• a base frame;
• a first rotary member rotatably mounted to said base frame;
• first support means mounted to the periphery of said first rotary member for rotatably supporting said plurality of parisons;
• a plurality of transfer mandrels interposed said first support means and said plurality of parisons, each of said plurality of mandrels having an end portion adapted to receive one of said plurality of parisons, each end portion including seal means for sealing internally of said one of said plurality of parisons, each of said plurality of mandrels further having an opposite end portion and a central bore therethrough, said opposite end portion of each of said mandrels terminating in a gripping portion adapted to communicate with said first support means for a predetermined rotatable movement with said first rotary member;
• means for heating said plurality of parisons, said heating means fixed to said base frame and surrounding the periphery of the first rotary member for a predetermined sector, said first rotary member rotably moving said plurality of mandrels and parisons mounted thereon past said means for heating such that said plurality of parisons are heated, each of said plurality of parisons further having a central axis parallel to the central axis of said first rotary member when passing through said predetermined sector;
• a second rotary member mounted to said base frame in spaced relationship to said first rotary member, said second rotary member comprising:
• an axis of rotation parallel to the axis of rotation of said first rotary member;
• second support means mounted to the periphery of said second rotary member to support said plurality of transfer mandrels and parisons;
• blow mold means having a plurality of multiple-part blow molds, each of said blow molds radially extending from said central axis of the second rotary member for carrying each of said plurality of said transfer mandrels;
• and
• a plurality of movable expanding mandrel means mounted to said second rotary member for movement therewith, each of said plurality of movable expanding mandrels means having seal means for sealing against each of said plurality of transfer mandrels carried by said plurality of blow mold means, said movable expanding mandrel means each further having a stretching member with a central axis axially aligned with the central axis of the central bore of each of said plurality of transfer mandrels carried by said plurality of blow mold means, said stretching member further being extendable through the central bore of each of said plurality of transfer mandrels into said cavity of each of the plurality of parisons, said stretching member and cavity of each of said parisons defining a space to deliver a blow medium into the cavity of each the parisons;
• means for transferring said plurality of transfer mandrels from said first rotary member to said second rotary member;
• means for blowing a fluid medium into said space surrounding said stretching member such that each of said plurality of parisons cooperate with each of said plurality of multiple-part blow molds to provide a finished article blown in each of said blow molds;
• rotary output means mounted adjacent said plurality of blow mold means for remaining said finished articles from said plurality of blow mold means and further removing said finished articles from said plurality of mandrels;
• and
• input means mounted in spaced relationship to said first rotary member for receiving a plurality of parisons and transferring each of said plurality of parisons to one of said plurality of transfer mandrels respectively as said plurality of transfer mandrels are rotated about the periphery of said first rotary member.