The need for colouring the handles differently from that of the container body is due to reasons of an ornamental nature.

At present this different colouring is obtained by forming the handle separately by means of either blowing or moulding and then applying said handle to the container body.

This technique is particularly suitable for small-scale production, but for industrial production it has the drawback that a lot of time is lost due to idle time, resulting in high costs and a small number of parts produced.

The object of the method according to the present invention is that of obtaining the production of glass containers, in particular carafes and beer glasses having handles with a colour different from that of the bodies to which they are applied, this method being applicable to production on an industrial scale.

These and other objects are all achieved by the method forming the subject of the present invention, characterized in that it involves in succession: <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> -overturning a blank, obtained by means of methods of the known type, said overturning operation being such that the said blank has its bottom directed upwards; <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> -positioning of a mould on top of the external surface of the blank directed upwards, said mould containing a cavity reproducing the top external side profile of the said overturned blank and a cavity with a shape identical to that of the handle which is to be obtained, said

two cavities communicating with one another, the first of the two said cavities being connected to an opening positioned in the top part of the mould; <BR> <BR> -positioning of a counter-piece placed against the top side of the mould and having a central hole; <BR> <BR> -deposition of a suitable quantity of molten coloured glass onto the external surface of the bottom of the blank; -formation of a base and a handle by means of compression of said molten coloured glass using a punch passing through the top opening of the mould and guided by the hole present in the said counter-piece.

These and other characteristic features will emerge more clearly from the following description of two preferred embodiments of the method, illustrated, purely by way of a non-limiting example, in the accompanying plates of drawings, in which: <BR> <BR> -Figure 1 illustrates, in longitudinal section, a step involving formation of a container with handle; <BR> <BR> -Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section through the mould used during the step according to Figure 1; <BR> <BR> -Figure 3 shows a partly elevation and partly sectioned view of a container obtained with the method; -Figure 4 illustrates a variant of the method according to the view of Figure 1.

A blank 1, which is obtained by means of methods of a known type, is overturned so that its bottom is directed upwards.

A mould 2 is thus positioned on top of the external surface of the blank 1; said mould contains a cavity 3 which reproduces exactly the profile of the top external side surface of the said overturned blank.

The mould 2 has also has formed inside it a cavity 4 with the same shape as the handle

which is to be obtained; in the example illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 the two cavities 3 and 4 are communicating with one another.

The cavity 3 terminates at the top in an opening 5; this opening is in alignment with the vertical axis of the blank 1.

A counter-ring 6 having a central hole 7 also in alignment with the vertical axis of the blank 1 is positioned on the top side of the mould 2.

The next step in the method involves the deposition of a suitable quantity of coloured glass in the molten state on the external surface of the bottom of the overturned blank.

The last step of the method according to the present invention involves the formation of a base 8 and a handle 9 by means of compression of this molten glass using a punch 10 passing through the opening 5 of the mould 2 and guided by the central hole 7 of the counter-ring 6.

To summarise, after overturning the blank 1 so that its bottom is directed upwards and after positioning the mould 2 on top of it, the counter-ring 6 is placed on the top side thereof with the central hole 7 in a central position and in alignment with the vertical axis of the blank 1; this hole acts as a guide for vertical sliding of the punch 10.

Vertical lowering of said punch produces a pressure on the quantity of coloured glass which has previously been deposited, in the molten state, on the external surface of the bottom of the blank 1; this pressure has the effect that the coloured glass flows into the cavity 4 present inside the mould 2, resulting in shaping of the handle 9.

As a result of the pressure produced by the punch 10, the coloured glass also adheres to the external surface of the bottom of the blank 1, resulting in shaping of the base 8 and the handle 9 with the same colour which is different, however, from the colour of the blank.

According to a possible variant of the method, illustrated in Figure 4, the cavity 4 of the

mould 2 is closed at the end facing the external side body of the blank 1 so that the coloured handle remains attached to the said blank only by means of the base 8, which is also coloured. In this case the handle is joined only to the base.

According to a further alternative to the abovementioned variant, it is envisaged inserting a gob of glass into the zone of the handle detached from the blank so as to re-join the handle itself to the blank.