Patent ID: 7572123

Claim:
Apparatus for treating a series of molded plastic articles, each article having a relatively wide and thin-walled blow-molded body portion and a relatively narrow and thick-walled unexpanded neck finish portion, the apparatus comprising: a series of platforms carried by a conveying apparatus that transports the platforms along a predetermined path of travel through a finish widening station; each platform having a top surface and a mating mechanism for engaging the body portion of one article, the top surface engaging a bottom surface and the mating mechanism engaging a sidewall surface of the body portion of the one article; the finish widening station comprising a mandrel insertable within and removable from an open top aperture of the finish portion to widen the finish portion; and the mating mechanism adjustably receiving and engaging against the sidewall portion to hold the one article in a steady position relative to the platform during insertion and removal of the mandrel from the aperture.