Preform coating apparatus and method

An apparatus for cooling, coating and collecting a batch of preforms comprising:

• a carrier plate for holding a batch of soft thermoplastic preforms without the preforms touching one another;
• a support structure for moving the carrier plate between a coating tank for coating the preforms and a collection apparatus for receiving coated preforms, the collection apparatus being disposed on a longitudinal axis lying in a horizontal plane;
• the support structure including a transverse slide for moving the carrier plate along an axis transverse with respect to the longitudinal axis from a preform-loading position over the collection apparatus to a preform-coating position over the coating tank, the transverse axis lying in the horizontal plane,
• the carrier plate being pivotally mounted on the transverse slide so as to be movable from a substantially vertical position wherein the carrier plate, in the preform loading position, receives a batch of uncoated preforms from a molding apparatus, to a substantially horizontal position for insertion of the preforms into the coating tank and later release of the coated preforms into the collection apparatus,
• the support structure further including a second slide for moving the carrier plate along a third axis substantially perpendicular to the horizontal plane, wherein the carrier plate is lowered over the coating tank for coating the preforms and lowered over the collection apparatus for release of the coated preforms onto the collection apparatus from a reduced preform drop height;
• and
• releasable grippers for supporting a batch of soft thermoplastic preforms without deformation on the carrier plate, the grippers having a closed position for retaining the preforms when the carrier plate is either vertically or horizontally disposed, and an open position for receiving uncoated preforms and releasing the coated preforms after coating.