Apparatus for delivering parisons of preselected length and diameter

An apparatus for delivering a parison from a die of an extruder to a molding means comprising:

• (a) a rotary member supported by a rotation shaft, said rotary member being rotated in a horizontal plane between said die and said molding means by rotation of said rotary shaft;
• (b) a plurality of upper chuck means disposed around the circumference of said rotary member for cutting and securing said parison extruded from said die when closed and for releasing said parison when opened, each said upper chuck means provided with a cutter;
• (c) an equal plurality of lower chuck means, each said lower chuck means being associated with one of said upper chuck means and vertically slidable with respect to said associated upper chuck means in synchronism with said rotation of said rotary member for securing and stretching said parison when closed and for releasing said stretched parison when opened;
• (d) a stationary cylindrical guide cam member adjacent said rotary shaft and in rotational contact with each said lower chuck means for causing each said lower chuck means to move away from each associated upper chuck means as each said associated lower chuck means and upper chuck means are rotated by said rotary member between said die and said molding means;
• and
• (e) said rotary member including an upper plate fixed to said rotary shaft, a lower ring-like plate disposed around said rotary shaft, a plurality of pairs of guide shafts disposed between said upper and lower plates for slidingly supporting said lower chuck means for movement toward and away from said upper chuck means, an equal plurality of rotatable spline shafts disposed between said upper and lower plates, each of said rotatable spline shafts disposed between said upper and lower plates, each of said rotatable spline shafts being adjacent an associated pair of said guide shafts and coupled to the upper and lower chuck means supported by said associated pair of guide shafts, and means for rotating said spline shafts to open and close said upper and lower chuck means.