Patent ID: 8501078

Claim:
A method for blow molding thermoplastic preforms into containers, each having a non-circular cross-section, comprising the steps of: supplying each preform in a random rotational position from a handover star wheel to one of a plurality of holders of a temperature profile producing rotor, each holder functionally associated with a heat transfer element, wherein each preform has a circumferential marking and each holder or heat transfer element of each holder has a circumferential counter-marking; positioning each preform within each holder by commonly rotating each holder and functionally associated heat transfer element relative to each preform about a heat transfer element axis until the circumferential counter-marking coincides with the circumferential marking and then gripping each preform by means of each holder; advancing each gripped preform around the temperature profile producing rotor while producing a desired temperature profile varying at least along the circumference of each preform by at least one heat transfer element cooling jaw which contacts or nearly contacts each preform to transfer heat from the preform to each cooling jaw; rotating each preform by means of each holder about the heat transfer element axis into a predetermined blow molding transfer position during or after producing said temperature profile; and transferring each tempered preform from the temperature profile producing rotor to a blow mold rotor at which each preform is blow molded into a container having a non-circular cross-section.