A mold includes a first mold for receiving a neck mold that holds a neck part of a resin preform having a bottom, and for enclosing the preform inside, and a second mold inserted into the neck mold. At least one of a first sliding surface between the neck mold and the first mold and a second sliding surface between the neck mold and the second mold includes a solid lubricant embedded therein.

A heating unit for heating preforms made of plastics material and having a flange separating a body and neck. The heating unit comprising a plurality of supports, each bearing a gripping member for gripping the preforms. The supports are movable in the heating unit such that each gripping member moves along a conveying path of the preforms. The heating unit also comprises a plurality of shells secured to the supports, where each shell is connected to one or more supports by an actuating member. The actuating member is mounted on said support to pivot about an axis situated at a distance from the conveying path of the preforms. The heating unit further comprising means for pivoting the actuating member to drive the shell from an open position to a protection position when the support to which said shell is connected is passing from an admission/releasing zone to a holding zone.

In a method for manufacturing a resin container, in the adjusting the temperature of the preform, the preform is accommodated in a cavity mold, a refrigerant introduction member is inserted into the preform, the refrigerant introduction member including a first flow path and a second flow path which are different in introduction or discharge position of a refrigerant, the preform is cooled by bringing the preform into close contact with an inner wall of the cavity mold at a pressure of the refrigerant introduced from the refrigerant introduction member. When the preform is cooled, cooling is performed by switching between a first cooling blow for introducing the refrigerant from the first flow path and discharging the refrigerant from the second flow path and a second cooling blow for introducing the refrigerant from the second flow path and discharging the refrigerant from the first flow path.

A blow mold high-pressure switching step in a blow molding process of an injection stretch blow molding machine is arranged at the first half portion of the blow molding process, to shorten the injection molding process and improve the moldability. The blow mold high-pressure switching step 61B3 of increasing a mold clamping force for blow molds which have been closed in a blow molding process 61B is configured to be performed at a timing within a time from the start of the upper/lower mold opening step 62A1 for opening upper and lower molds in the injection molding process 62A to release a preform 3P to the completion of the injection mold high-pressure switching step 62A3 for increasing the mold clamping force for the closed injection molding mold.

A preform for being blow-molded to form a container is provided herein. The preform comprises a finish portion that includes an opening to an interior of the preform and includes a tamper evidence ledge. The tamper evidence ledge cooperates with a tamper-evident ring portion of a cap to indicate that the cap has not been previously loosened after being installed by the manufacturer. A neck portion is disposed adjacent to the tamper evidence ledge. A tapered portion transitions from a diameter of the neck portion to a smaller diameter of a cylindrical portion. The cylindrical portion comprises an elongate member that culminates in an end cap. Threads disposed on the finish portion are configured to threadably receive the cap. A handling valley is disposed between the tamper evidence ledge and the threads. The handling valley enables gripping fingers to engage with and air-convey the container along a manufacturing assembly.

A blow mold high-pressure switching step in a blow molding process of an injection stretch blow molding machine is arranged at the first half portion of the blow molding process, to shorten the injection molding process and improve the moldability. The blow mold high-pressure switching step 61B3 of increasing a mold clamping force for blow molds which have been closed in a blow molding process 61B is configured to be performed at a timing within a time from the start of the upper/lower mold opening step 62A1 for opening upper and lower molds in the injection molding process 62A to release a preform 3P to the completion of the injection mold high-pressure switching step 62A3 for increasing the mold clamping force for the closed injection molding mold.

Transfer star-wheel (1) for containers (100) of thermoplastic material, comprising: a rotary carousel (2) bearing a plurality of supporting stations (S) for supporting containers (100) by their neck (100b), in each supporting station (S) being provided a pliers (3) hinged to the rotary carousel (2) at a hinge axis (AA) in such a way that it assumes at least a first configuration in which the pliers (3) is fixed, that means it cannot rotate about its hinge axis (AA), and a second configuration in which the pliers (3) can oscillate about its hinge axis (AA); a cam kinematic motion that is operatively active on each pliers (3) for maintaining it in the first configuration,
characterized in that it comprises a reactivating device (8) for each pliers (3), that comprises elastic means (9, 10) operatively active on the pliers (3) to bring it from the second to the first configuration following an accidental event that deactivated the pliers.

Disclosed is a container treatment apparatus for transporting plastic containers and in particular plastic preforms along a predetermined transport path, wherein the container treatment apparatus has at least one transport device having a plurality of holding elements, wherein the transport device is a pitch distribution starwheel having a movement device configured to allow movement of the holding elements in at least two planes.

A container treatment apparatus includes a transport apparatus for transporting containers along a predetermined transport path, wherein the transport apparatus has at least one transport device (100) for transporting the containers (100) and at least one container treatment device (150) for treating the container in a predetermined manner, wherein the transport devices include a rotatable carrier on which a plurality of holding elements (40) for holding at least one container is arranged. The container treatment device is arranged to treat the containers transported by the transport device and the holding element is rotatable such that the container held by the holding element is rotatable with respect to its longitudinal direction and the container treatment apparatus includes a monitoring device for monitoring the rotational movement of the containers.

An apparatus (1) for producing sterile receptacles (2), comprising: a moulding unit (13) for moulding parisons (4) starting from granules of thermoplastic material; a stretch-blowing forming unit (3) in aseptic conditions which receives the parisons (4) from the moulding unit (13); a plurality of picking organs (14, 15) of the parisons (4) which are operatively active only on the neck (4b) of the parisons (4) for handling and transferring them inside the apparatus (1).