Carriage-mounted extruder and blow molding head

A supporting frame for a blow molding machine, said frame comprising:

• a) a mold clamp support frame for supporting a movable blow mold, the mold clamp support frame having a pair of spaced, substantially vertical end members positioned to support between the substantially vertical ends a blow mold and a blow mold actuation mechanism for imparting movement to at least one of the molds to move the molds relative to and in a direction toward and away from each other;
• b) an extruder support frame carried by the mold clamp support frame and positioned above the blow mold supported in the mold clamp support frame, the extruder support frame extending laterally outwardly from the mold clamp support frame in two directions;
• c) a carriage movable along the extruder support frame for carrying an extruder and an extrusion head that is positioned at an outlet from the extruder to receive extruded material from the extruder and to provide a tubular parison of extruded material, the carriage being movable laterally relative to the mold clamp support frame and along the extruder support frame between a first position at which the carriage is laterally outward of the mold clamp support frame on one side of the mold clamp support frame and a second position at which the carriage is laterally outward of the mold clamp support frame on an opposite side of the mold clamp support frame;
• and
• d) an actuator for shifting the extruder carriage in a first direction of movement along the extruder support frame between a first position at which the extruder and extruder head are each positioned laterally outwardly relative to the molds to permit access to the molds, and a second position at which the extrusion head is spaced laterally outwardly of the mold clamp support frame for convenient access to the extrusion head.