Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling a conveyor for conveying hollow bodies through a hollow-body heating station including: —a heating tunnel defining a heating path, —a conveyor including at least one travel track and shuttles capable of moving along the track while picking up at least one hollow body, the movement of each shuttle being controlled individually, —a travel-track loading portion on which two consecutive shuttles move at a first predetermined input separation, and a travel-track unloading portion. Two consecutive shuttles moving on this unloading portion are spaced apart by a predetermined output separation that is different from the first input separation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling a conveyor for conveying hollow bodies through a hollow-body heating station including:—a heating tunnel defining a heating path,—a conveyor including at least one travel track and shuttles capable of moving along the track while picking up at least one hollow body, the movement of each shuttle being controlled individually,—a travel-track loading portion on which two consecutive shuttles move at a first predetermined input separation, and a travel-track unloading portion. Two consecutive shuttles moving on this unloading portion are spaced apart by a predetermined output separation that is different from the first input separation.

Abstract: A molding unit (10) for the manufacture of containers from preforms made of thermoplastic, includes compensating elements which are formed of at least one gripper (60) which acts on mold carriers (16) that carry the mold (12) of the unit (10) in order to clamp them against one another when the molding unit (10) is in the closed position and to apply a compensating force that tends to clamp together molding elements (14) of the mold (12) at a parting line (P) and opposes the forces that a pressurized fluid applies to the molding elements (14) when a container is being molded from a preform.

Abstract: A mould carrier unit having a stretching rod (10) borne by a slide (13) mobile between an inactive position and an active position where its free end reaches the bottom of the mould (2); a nozzle (15) including a fixed body (16) extended by a bell (20), which is mobile from an inactive position where its free edge (25) is held substantially at the same level as the free end (11) of the stretching rod (10) to an active position where it is sealingly applied against the inlet surface (4) of the mould (2), to close the circuit of the blowing fluid. The bell (20) includes a bar (21) provided with a stop (23), which stop (23) cooperates with a support (24) formed on the slide (13) to permit the bell (20) to pass from its active position to the inactive position with the same law of motion as the stretching rod (10).

Abstract: Disclosed is a blowing device (10) for forming containers (24) from thermoplastic material preforms. The device (10) includes a blowing nozzle (12) including a bottom outlet opening (28) for a pressurized blowing fluid to leave along a vertical outlet axis (28) and a single duct (14) for supplying the nozzle (12) with blowing fluid that leads into the nozzle (12), via a top supply opening (31), along an axis that is completely radial relative to the outlet axis (A2) of the nozzle (12). The blowing device is characterized in that the upstream end section of the supply duct (14) leads into the nozzle (12) along a branching axis (B) that forms an obtuse angle (a) with the outlet axis (A1) of the nozzle (12) such that the blowing fluid leaving the supply duct (14) is directed downward.

Abstract: A machine (10) for forming containers made of a thermoplastic material, includes: a mold consisting of two half-molds (12A, 12B) defining a molding cavity (14); a forming pipe (24) which couples the molding cavity (14) to a pressurized-fluid source (26), and which is capable of being closed off by a valve (32); a compensation chamber (34) which is combined with a half-mold (12A); a compensation pipe (40) which couples the compensation chamber (34) to a pressurized-fluid source (26) parallel to the forming pipe (24); and a pipe (44) for bypassing the compensation pipe (40), characterized in that the bypass pipe (44) is coupled to the forming pipe (44) between the valve (32) and the molding cavity (14).

Abstract: Disclosed is a blowing device (10) for forming containers (24) from thermoplastic material preforms. The device (10) includes a blowing nozzle (12) including a bottom outlet opening (28) for a pressurized blowing fluid to leave along a vertical outlet axis (28) and a single duct (14) for supplying the nozzle (12) with blowing fluid that leads into the nozzle (12), via a top supply opening (31), along an axis that is completely radial relative to the outlet axis (A2) of the nozzle (12). The blowing device is characterized in that the upstream end section of the supply duct (14) leads into the nozzle (12) along a branching axis (B) that forms an obtuse angle (a) with the outlet axis (A1) of the nozzle (12) such that the blowing fluid leaving the supply duct (14) is directed downward.

Abstract: A mould carrier unit having a stretching rod (10) borne by a slide (13) mobile between an inactive position and an active position where its free end reaches the bottom of the mould (2); a nozzle (15) including a fixed body (16) extended by a bell (20), which is mobile from an inactive position where its free edge (25) is held substantially at the same level as the free end (11) of the stretching rod (10) to an active position where it is sealingly applied against the inlet surface (4) of the mould (2), to close the circuit of the blowing fluid. The bell (20) includes a bar (21) provided with a stop (23), which stop (23) cooperates with a support (24) formed on the slide (13) to permit the bell (20) to pass from its active position to the inactive position with the same law of motion as the stretching rod (10).

Abstract: The mould carrier unit for manufacturing containers by a stretch blow-moulding operation of preforms (3) arranged in moulds (2), comprises: on the one hand, a stretching rod (10) borne by a slide (13) which is mobile between an inactive position and an active position where its free end reaches the bottom of said mould (2), on the other hand, a nozzle (15) comprising a fixed body (16) extended by a bell (20), which is mobile under the action of appropriate means for passing from an inactive position where its free edge (25) is held substantially at the same level as the free end (11) of the stretching rod (10) to an active position where it is sealingly applied against the inlet surface (4) of the mould (2), to close the circuit of the blowing fluid, and said bell (20) comprises a bar (21) provided with a stop (23), which stop (23) cooperates with a support (24) formed on said slide (13) to permit said bell (20) to pass from its active position to the inactive position with the same law of motion as sa

Abstract: A container-treatment method, of the type in which the container (12) is disposed inside a chamber (16) which defines a cavity (18) outside the container (12) and which is connected to a Vacuum pumping circuit (50), the interior of the container (12) being connected to the pumping circuit (50). The method includes a preliminary pumping step (E1) which is followed by a treatment step (E2). The preliminary step (E1) includes the following successive phases, namely: an external pumping phase (P1) which produces a drop in the pressure inside the cavity (18) only; and an internal pumping phase (P2) which produces a drop in the pressure inside the container (12) only. A machine used to implement the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: The mould carrier unit for manufacturing containers by a stretch blow-moulding operation of preforms (3) arranged in moulds (2), comprises: on the one hand, a stretching rod (10) borne by a slide (13) which is mobile between an inactive position and an active position where its free end reaches the bottom of said mould (2), on the other hand, a nozzle (15) comprising a fixed body (16) extended by a bell (20), which is mobile under the action of appropriate means for passing from an inactive position where its free edge (25) is held substantially at the same level as the free end (11) of the stretching rod (10) to an active position where it is sealingly applied against the inlet surface (4) of the mould (2), to close the circuit of the blowing fluid, and said bell (20) comprises a bar (21) provided with a stop (23), which stop (23) cooperates with a support (24) formed on said slide (13) to permit said bell (20) to pass from its active position to the inactive position with the same law of motion as said s

Abstract: Method for changing the pitch between discrete entities conveyed in succession between a device for feeding the entities at an initial spacing pitch provided between two entities fed in succession and a device for receiving the entities at a final pitch substantially greater than the initial pitch. The method including transporting the discrete entities by a variable pitch feed screw device configured to receive the entities downstream of the device for feeding the entities, the screw including a groove in which the entities are capable of being housed and displaced, so that the pitch between two entities received by the screw is increased downstream of the screw as far as an intermediate pitch; and transferring and gripping the entities at the intermediate pitch by a wheel for changing the pitch, configured to transfer the entities into the receiving device at the final pitch.

Abstract: The invention concerns a rotating machines for treating containers. When a workstation Pi enters (&thetas;1) a treatment zone, the treating equipment automatically consists of a stationed part (Eq 1) and a common part (Cj) which is mutually coupled with another workstation which is not located at the same time as the station (Pi) in the working zone (3). The same arrangement is used for a control equipment.

Abstract: Method for changing the pitch between discrete entities conveyed in succession between a device for feeding said entities at an initial spacing pitch provided between two entities fed in succession and a device for receiving said entities at a final pitch substantially greater than the initial pitch, characterized in that it comprises the step of transporting the discrete entities by a variable pitch feed screw device capable of receiving said entities downstream of said device for feeding said entities, said screw comprising a groove in which said entities are capable of being housed and displaced, so that the pitch between two entities received by said screw is increased downstream of said screw as far as an intermediate pitch; and the step of transferring and gripping the entities at an intermediate pitch by a wheel for changing the pitch, capable of transferring said entities into said receiving device at said final pitch.

Abstract: An oven for heating moving thermoplastic blanks (preforms, intermediate containers), which includes conveying devices for supporting and moving the blanks sequentially while rotating each of them about its own axis. A heating device is arranged laterally to the conveying device for heating the moving blank bodies, and the conveying device includes at least two parallel conveying branches, proximate each other and having opposite conveying directions, the two branches being traveled along one after the other by the blanks. The heating device is arranged between the two conveying branches so as to heat simultaneously on both sides of the blanks moving in opposite directions respectively on the two branches.

Abstract: A container-treatment method, of the type in which the container (12) is disposed inside a chamber (16) which defines a cavity (18) outside the container (12) and which is connected to a vacuum pumping circuit (50), the interior of the container (12) being connected to the pumping circuit (50). The method includes a preliminary pumping step (E1) which is followed by a treatment step (E2). The preliminary step (E1) includes the following successive phases, namely: an external pumping phase (P1) which produces a drop in the pressure inside the cavity (18) only; and an internal pumping phase (P2) which produces a drop in the pressure inside the container (12) only. A machine used to implement the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention concerns an oven (1) for heating moving thermoplastic blanks (preforms, intermediate containers), comprising conveying means (2) supporting and moving the blanks sequentially while rotating each of them about its own axis and heating means (3) arranged laterally to said conveying means (2) for heating the moving blank bodies; the conveying means (2) include at least two parallel conveying branches (4, 5), proximate each other and having opposite conveying directions, said two branches being travelled along one after the other by the blanks; the heating means (3) are arranged between said two conveying branches (4, 5) so as to heat simultaneously on both sides the blanks moving in opposite directions respectively on said two branches.