Patent ID: 7306443

Claim:
A rotational moulding machine comprising a carousel base which is horizontally rotatable on a floor about a central vertical axis, at least three mould manipulators which are mounted on the carousel base to be centred at equal intervals on a circle which is concentric with the axis of rotation of the carousel base, a vertically movable heating station housing, having an open underside, for enclosing a mould manipulator on the carousel base and means in the housing for heating the mould manipulator and the or each mould which it carries, a vertically movable cooling station enclosure which includes at least a side wall for surrounding a mould manipulator on the carousel base and means on the enclosure wall for cooling the mould manipulator and the or each heated mould which it carries, and means, independent from the carousel base, for simultaneously raising the heating station housing and the cooling station enclosure from the carousel base, and the mould manipulators which they enclose, in use, to an elevated position in which they are clear of the mould manipulators to enable the mould manipulators to be moved by indexed rotation of the carousel base from the heating and cooling stations and then simultaneously lowering the heating station housing and the cooling station enclosure over manipulators on the carousel base which have replaced them.