Parison stretcher

A method for producing hollow plastic articles having a relatively wide body, a narrow neck and a relatively wide funnel shaped mouth comprising the steps of downwardly extruding plastic at at least one predetermined extrusion rate to progressively form a parison having a downwardly facing open end from a first location adjacent an extrusion head toward a second location axially spaced therefrom, said parison having a diameter smaller than the diameter of said wide mouth, providing a male mold member having an outer surface corresponding to said wide mouth at said second location, engaging portions of the open end of the parison while said open end travels toward said second location, and moving the engaged portions downwardly at a rate at least corresponding to said extrusion rate, during said travel toward said second location, radially expanding the engaged portions of said open end to guide it along said outer surface over said male mold member, enclosing said parison in a hollow mold having a first portion having a molding surface corresponding to the blow-molded portion of said hollow article, and having a second portion having a molding surface corresponding to the narrow neck and wide mouth of said hollow article and cooperating with said male mold member, admitting air to the interior of the first portion of said hollow mold to form said wide body by blow molding while forming the neck and wide mouth by compression molding by the cooperation between the second portion of the mold and the male member.