Flexible feeding and closing machine for hinged caps

An automated device for producing a closed part, commencing with an open part having a cap joined with a hinge to a body, the device comprising:

• a tool having a guide surface defined in an operating plane substantially orthogonal to a hinge axis;
• a part gripper disposed on a computer numerically controlled shuttle, the part gripper operable to:
• select an open part from a stream of identical open parts;
• engage one of:
• the cap;
• and the body, on a start point on the guide surface;
• slide the open part, within the operating plane from the start point to a finish point on the guide surface, to rotate the cap about the hinge axis from an open position to a closed position relative to the body;
• and
• release the closed part from the part gripper at a release station;
• a feed conveyor on which the stream of open parts is disposed in a selected orientation;
• a feed manipulator having an end effector for picking open parts from a first portion of the feed conveyor and placing open parts spaced apart into said stream of open parts on a second portion of the feed conveyor in the selected orientation;
• and
• a loading hopper having an intake opening for receiving randomly oriented open parts and an outlet opening for loading open parts on the second portion of the feed conveyor;
• wherein the outlet opening of the loading hopper includes a dispensing blade disposed a selected distance from the second portion of the feed conveyor, the selected distance being greater than a height and less than a width of the open parts.

An automated device for producing a closed part, commencing with an open part having a cap joined with a hinge to a body, the device comprising:

• a tool having a guide surface defined in an operating plane substantially orthogonal to a hinge axis;
• a part gripper disposed on a computer numerically controlled shuttle, the part gripper operable to:
• select an open part from a stream of identical open parts;
• engage one of:
• the cap;
• and the body, on a start point on the guide surface;
• slide the open part, within the operating plane from the start point to a finish point on the guide surface, to rotate the cap about the hinge axis from an open position to a closed position relative to the body;
• and
• release the closed part from the part gripper at a release station;
• a feed conveyor on which the stream of open parts is disposed in a selected orientation;
• a feed manipulator having an end effector for picking open parts from a first portion of the feed conveyor and placing open parts spaced apart into said stream of open parts on a second portion of the feed conveyor in the selected orientation;
• and
• a loading hopper having an intake opening for receiving randomly oriented open parts and an outlet opening for loading open parts on the second portion of the feed conveyor;
• wherein an end portion of the feed conveyor is disposed above a return conveyor to recirculate open parts back to the loading hopper.