Apparatus for injection blow moulding

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR INJECTION BLOW MOULDING A HOLLOW ARTICLE HAVING A NECK SMALLER THAN THE MAIN BODY OF THE ARTICLE, SUCH AS A BOTTLE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE COOPERATING PRELIMINARY MALE MOULD AND A FEMALE MOULD, SAID PRELIMINARY FEMALE MOULD BEING AN UNDIVIDED TYPE, MEANS ON WHICH SAID PRELIMINARY MALE MOULD IS MOUNTED FOR HOLDING SAID MALE MOULD STATIONARY, MOULD MOVING MEANS ON WHICH SAID PRELIMINARY FEMALE MOULD IS MOUNTED FOR RELATIVELY MOVING SAID PRELIMINARY FEMALE MOULD TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID PRELIMINARY MALE MOULD COAXIALLY OF SAID MOULDS TO FORM AN INJECTION CAVITY THEREBETWEEN, INJECTING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID PRELIMINARY FEMALE MOULD TO INJECT A PLACTICIZED MOULDING MATERIAL INTO SAID INJECTION CAVITY THROUGH SAID PRELIMINARY FEMALE MOULD TO FORM A HOLLOW BLANK WHICH IS SMALLER THAN SAID ARTICLE, MOULD SEPARATING MEANS COUPLED TO SAID MOULDS TO SEPARATE SAID PRELIMINARY MALE AND FEMALE MOULDS WHILE RETAINING SAID BLANK ON SAID PRELIMINARY MALE MOULD, A PAIR OF SPLIT TYPE BLOW MOULDING MOULD MEMBERS, SAID BLOW MOULDING MEMBERS BEING CONCENTRIC WITH SAID PRELIMINARY MALE MOULD AND MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID PRELIMINARY MALE MOUND ONLY IN A DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR TO THE DIRECTION OF RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID PRELIMINARY MALE AND FEMALE MOULDS, MOULD MOVING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID BLOW MOULDING MOULD MEMBERS TO HOLD SAID BLOW MOULDING MEMBERS OPEN AND SPACED APART FROM SAID PRELIMINARY MALE MOULD DURING THE PERIOD WHEREIN SAID HOLLOW BLANK IS BEING MOULDED AND TO CLOSE SAID BLOW MOULDING MOULD MEMBERS AROUND SAID PRELIMINARY MALE MOULD AND SAID HOLLOW BLANK, PRESSURE FLUID SUPPLY MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID PRELIMINARY MALE MOULD TO INTRODUCE A FLUID UNDER PRESSURE INTO SAID HOLLOW BLANK THROUGH SAID PRELIMINARY MALE MOULD TO EXPAND SAID HOLLOW BLANK AGAINST THE INNER SURFACES OF SAID BLOW MOULDING MOULD MEMBERS, WHEREBY SAID HOLLOW ARTICLE IS FORMED.