Bottle trimmer and method

Apparatus for trimming plastic from blow molded one-bottle or two-bottle logs, the apparatus comprising:

• A) a frame;
• B) a log feed path extending along the frame from an input end to a discharge end and including a first path portion and a second path portion, one of said first and second path portions located downstream along the path from the other of said first and second path portions;
• C) a log conveyor on the frame, the log conveyer extending along the path from the input end past the path portions and to the discharge end, the log conveyor including a plurality of log holders spaced along the path, each log holder moveable downstream along the path, and a log holder drive continuously moving log holders downstream along the path wherein a log placed in a log holder at the input end of the path is moved continuously downstream along the path to the discharge end of the path;
• D) a punch assembly, a physical connection securing the punch assembly to a log holder moving downstream along the first portion of the path, the punch assembly including a punch moveable between a retracted position away from such log holder and an extended position adjacent to such log holder, and a punch drive connected to the punch to move the punch between said retracted and extended positions to trim plastic from a log in such log holder while the punch assembly, such log holder and log movie downstream together along the first portion of the path;
• and
• E) a trim assembly on the frame adjacent the second portion of the path, the trim assembly including a cutting blade, and a trim assembly drive for relatively moving one of the cutting blade and a log holder moving downstream along the second portion of the path so that the blade trims plastic from a log in such log holder.