Patent ID: 7021921

Claim:
An inner-engagement pick-up plug for supporting and transporting a preform of thermoplastic resin, said inner-engagement pick-up plug comprising: a central body, an engagement mechanism applied to said central body and adapted to engage an inner neck portion of the preform, in which elastic members are provided on said engagement mechanism so as to press said engagement mechanism against a wall of the neck portion, wherein said central body is provided with a plurality of groove-like recesses which open towards the surface thereof that is adapted to engage the neck portion of the preform, wherein said engagement mechanism comprises individual and independent gripping members that are housed in respective ones of said groove-like recesses, wherein said elastic members comprise respective springs acting between the inner wall of respective ones of said groove-like recesses and the corresponding opposed wall of said individual and independent gripping members, and wherein said groove-like recesses are provided with a respective niche adapted to accommodate a terminal appendix of a respective one of said individual and independent gripping members, so that the respective terminal appendix is adapted to partially rotate owing to its being pivotally retained in the respective one of said niches.