9726. Wolf, J. April 24. Blowing bottles. Relates to a bottle-blowing machine of the type in which finishing-moulds receive bottles from divided inverted parison moulds having neck-forming mandrels entering from below, the finishing-moulds having vertically movable blow-heads. According to the present invention, each parison mould has a series of exchangable neck-forming mandrels adapted to enter from below, and the finishing- moulds are disposed on a turntable. The parison mould 10, Fig. 5, and the finishing-moulds 8, Fig. 2<a>, are carried by horizontal frames 9 arranged on columns 3, 6. Beneath the mould 10 are the spring-controlled neck-forming mandrels 18 mounted by a block 17 on a vertical shaft 16, the mandrel in position being adapted to be raised to the mould by a spring-controlled foot-lever 23 and a pusher 20. Beneath the mould, space is left for bottle-head forming pincers 97. The mandrels 18 are contained within a closed cylinder 12. The bottom 57 of the mould 10 is carried by arms 56, normally held in raised position by the spring-controlled piston-rod 55 of a cylinder 13. A plate 81 on a spindle 82, freely movable within limits, shows when the blowing in the parison mould has been satisfactorily performed. The finishing-moulds 8 are carried by a turntable 5, and their vertically movable blow-heads 7 are lowered by bell-crank levers 90 and links 92 against the action of springs 87. They are in communication with the air-supply pipe 95 through flexible hose 94. Compressed air is supplied to the parison mould 10 by a multi-way valve 62 having a main duct in communication with a compressed - air chamber 11 or with an air-compressor. Beneath the table of the machine are a closed aircylinder 14 and an open pump cylinder 15, their connexions with the cylinders 12,13 being shown in Fig. 7. During the blowing operation, the mandrel shaft 16 is held stationary by spring- levers engaging a slotted cross-head 36. The levers are released at the end of the operation, and the shaft rotated by bevel-gearing to bring the next mandrel into position, through ratchet mechanism operated by depression of the treadle 23. The levers are again momentarily released during the subsequent rise of the treadle, but, during this movement, a slot in the cross-head is engaged by a wide part 53 of the pusher 20, which thus prevents the crosshead from turning. The mandrel under the mould 10 can be raised and lowered and locked in position by a rod 50 provided with notches 49 to engage a spring on the casing. In operation, the mandrel is lowered, the pincers 97 are placed in position, the mould 10 is closed, the mandrel lifted, and the mould charged through the open bottom. The valve 62 is then operated to admit compressed air to the cylinder 13, so as to force down the piston to close the mould. At the same time, air is admitted to the cylinder 14 through the passage 69, Fig. 7, This sucks air from the cylinder 12 through the passage 73 to the cylinder 15, and so sucks down the glass round the neck mandrel, communication between the mould 10 and the cylinder 12 being made through a constantly open passage 99, Fig. 5. The mandrel is then withdrawn, and, in the next position of the valve, the pistons in the cylinders 14, 15 are reversed, the mould bottom remaining closed. The bottle is then blown in the parison mould through the hole 99, which is fully opened by the withdrawal of the mandrel, the disk 81 being lifted by the expanding metal when blowing is complete. If the air-supply is insufficient, more air is admitted by a valve 80, which is opened momentarily. The valve is then moved back to its original position, closing all passages and opening the cylinder 13 to the exhaust. The mould bottom is next lifted by the spring 58, and the mould 10 opened. The bottle is then removed by the pincers 97 to the finishing- moulds 8, and the foot-lever 23 is depressed to bring the next mandrel into operative position.