Shuttle blow molding method and apparatus

Apparatus for manufacturing a container from a blowable thermoplastic material, said apparatus comprising:

• a body mold made up of an opposed pair of separable mold halves for receiving a first portion of a blowable preform of the blowable thermoplastic material to permit a body portion of the container to be blown from said first portion;
• a neck mold made up of an opposed pair of separable mold halves removably positioned against an open end of the body mold for receiving a second portion of the blowable preform of the blowable thermoplastic material to permit a neck portion of the container to be formed therein integrally with the body portion of the container;
• a blow pin for introducing blowing air into the first portion of the blowable preform to blow the body portion of the container, said blow pin being reciprocable relative to said body mold to be removable therefrom and continuously engaging an inner annular surface of the neck portion of the container while blowing air is being introduced into the first portion of the blowable preform;
• means for engaging an annular moil portion of the blowable thermoplastic material that is formed at a free end of the neck portion of the containers to prevent the moil portion from being removed from the portion as the blow pin is being extracted relative to the body mold after completion of the blow of the body portion;
• and
• a takeout tool for insertion into the neck portion of said container after removal of said blow pin from said body mold, said takeout tool engaging said container, including said annular moil, to remove said container with said annular moil in unison from said body mold.