Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for stretch blow molding a preform into a hollow container having a heat-resistant property, including a heatable blow mold for forming the preform located therein into a hollow container by a biaxial stretching and blow molding process, and a heat setting mold for heat setting the hollow container. The apparatus includes a stretching rod for longitudinally stretching the preform when the stretching rod is forwardly moved in engagement with the inner bottom of the preform. The stretching rod has a cooling medium introducing tube centrally located therein with an outlet port adapted to introduce cooling medium into the interior of the hollow container. The cooling medium introducing tube is surrounded by thermal insulation.

Abstract: A method for stretch blow molding a preform into a hollow container having a heat-resistant property, including the steps of heat setting the hollow container by maintaining the hollow container heated for a predetermined period of time within a blow mold and cooling the hollow container by the use of a cooling medium blown out from the forward end of a stretching rod at least during backward movement of the stretching rod. If the heat setting operation is to be performed in a heat setting mold separately of the blow mold, the hollow container is cooled by the cooling medium blown out from the forward end of a cooling medium introducing rod while being moved. Since the cooling medium outlet is axially moved, the hollow container can be cooled uniformly, even if the hollow container has a particularly increased rate of longitudinal stretch.