Abstract: The present invention relates to an automatic parison feed system for tubular plastic parisons. The parisons are fed, one at a time, from a parison feed unit into a parison loading unit. The parison loading unit, which holds a parison vertically, is positioned above a shuttered aperture in the upper wall of a heating furnace. The shutter of this aperture is opened as the parison loading unit descends vertically to a predetermined position within the furnace. The parison loading unit releases its parison, which falls onto a vertical parison pin mounted on an endless parison conveyor moving within the furnace. The parison loading unit is then raised from the furnace and the shutter is closed.

Abstract: An article selection apparatus is disclosed having a first conveying device for conveying an article along a path and a second conveying device for receiving the article at an entrance end spaced apart by a predetermined distance from a conveying end of the first conveying device and for conveying the received article, wherein the first conveying device has a gap extending along the conveying path to the conveying end thereof, and a width of the gap is made smaller than the predetermined distance from the conveying end of the first conveying device to the entrance of the second conveying device.