A method for regulation of the angular position of hollow bodies in an installation for production of containers. The hollow bodies are moved by individual support members each of which is equipped with means for causing the hollow body to turn about its axis. The method includes a first step of measuring an angular offset of at least one particular hollow body relative to a reference angular position in a measurement zone. The method also includes a second step of compensating of the angular position of the subsequent hollow bodies in a compensation zone upstream of said measurement zone as a function of the angular offset measured for the at least one particular hollow body.

A parison supply device that continuously supplies, to a blow molding die, parison sections of a parison discharged from an extrusion die, the parison section having a specified length. The parison supply device includes a plurality of tension chucks and a tension chuck operation unit that operates the plurality of tension chucks. The tension chuck operation unit causes the individual tension chucks to perform a repeated operation of grasping the parison at a first position near the extrusion die and moving to a second position separated from the extrusion die such that, before the preceding tension chuck is separated by a set distance from the extrusion die at the second position, the following tension chuck grasps the parison at the first position, and then the parison section is supplied to the blow molding die.

An apparatus for conveying a container made of plastic material comprising supporting frame (3), sliding along a predetermined path; a longitudinal rod (20), defining an axis (X), adapted to translate along said axis and/or to rotate about said axis through guide-holes (24, 25) provided in the supporting frame; a gripping device (22), fixed to a first end of the longitudinal rod, for picking and withholding an end of the container to be conveyed; wherein actuation means are provided for actuating the translation strokes of the longitudinal rod (20) and of the gripping device (22) along said axis (X), so that the gripping device (22) can operate at three working levels or positions: a first resting position (L0), a second gripping position (L1) and a third releasing position (L2).

A transport apparatus (300) for transporting a preform (200) for blow molding comprises: a transport device that transports the preform while allowing the preform to rotate on its axis in a horizontal direction; and an engaging device (310) that engages the preform being transported while being allowed to rotate on its axis, and setting the orientation of the preform to a predetermined orientation. The engaging device engages a convexity or a concavity provided in the outer periphery of the preform.

A method for forming a container with an integral handle includes heating a preform having an integral handle in a first oven, stretching the preform, closing a first mold having a first mold recess and a second mold having a second mold recess around the preform, and blowing air into the preform. A handle pocket wedge block is inserted into a handle pocket of the integral handle of the preform within the first mold and the second mold.

A method of controlling a device for conveying thermoplastic material preforms for use in a heat treatment oven and such a device for conveying preforms including at least one principal wheel and one auxiliary wheel at least one of which is driven in rotation to move at least one transport device to which are connected in movement holding device each configured to cooperate with a preform. In example embodiments, the holding device is adapted to be actuated relative to a preform- or vice versa-between an inactive position and an active holding position. In example embodiments, the at least one principal wheel of the conveyor device includes electric actuators that selectively drive at least in rotation the holding device in such a manner as to index said preform in a reference position.

A continuously rotating, non-symmetric preform feed, stretch-blow-moulding machine dedicated to the stretch-blow-moulding of containers from non-symmetric injection moulded preforms; the non-symmetric preforms including an integral handle extending from a first junction point to a second junction point on a body of the preform; the body of the preform and the integral handle constituted from the same material.

A method for heating a preform (1) comprising a body portion (4) extending along a longitudinal axis (A1). The method comprises the following steps: introducing the preform (1) into a heating apparatus (5) comprising an array of infrared emitters (50) arranged in multiple columns (Cj) and rows (Ri); setting power levels of the infrared emitters (50) so as to divide said array into subsets of columns (SCn); andheating the preform while translating it in a direction parallel to the rows (Ri), and simultaneously rotating it around its longitudinal axis, the rotation and translation speeds, and the power levels of the infrared emitters (50) being set so that the power levels of the subsets of columns (SCn) facing zones (42) of the body portion extending longitudinally are different from the power levels of the subsets of columns facing the rest of the body portion, said zones extending relative to one another in a polygonal array.

A stretch blow moulding system for PET containers with PET integral handles; the containers blown from injection moulded preforms; each preform having the integral handle projecting from a junction point on a body portion of the preform; containers blown in a continuously rotating stretch blow moulding machine of the system. In a preferred form the preforms are progressed continuously at a substantially constant speed; the containers blown therefrom progress at the same substantially constant speed through to the filling and capping machine; and wherein the containers progress continuously through the filling and capping machine at the same substantially constant speed. Also described is a continuous stretch blow moulding system applied to specified integral handle PET preform and PET blown container structures stretch blown from the preforms thereby to obtain variable wall thickness of the preforms and/or variable wall thickness of the containers.

An installation for regulation of the angular position of hollow bodies in an installation for production of containers. The hollow bodies are moved by individual support members each of which is equipped with means for causing the hollow body to turn about its axis. The installation includes a means for measuring, in a first step an angular offset of at least one particular hollow body relative to a reference angular position in a particular measurement zone. The installation also includes a means for compensating, in a second step the angular position of the subsequent hollow bodies in a compensation zone upstream of said measurement zone during which the angular orientation of the subsequent hollow bodies is modified by an updated compensation angle that is a function of the angular offset measured for the at least one particular hollow body.