Trim and flame robot end effector with optional automatic blade change feature

A combination trimming and flame treatment robot end effector, comprising:

• a substantially hollow main body portion having a first end adapted for attachment to an end of a robot arm;
• a cartridge retention assembly associated with said main body portion;
• a trimming device comprising a trimming blade mounted within an exchangeable cartridge, said exchangeable cartridge having a shank that is releasably received within a cartridge retention slot of said cartridge retention assembly, said trimming device oriented such that said trimming blade extends from a second end of said main body portion;
• an cartridge retention mechanism located within said main body portion for exchangeably retaining said exchangeable cartridge in said cartridge retention slot, said cartridge retention mechanism including a clamping element driven by a powered actuator into retaining contact with said shank of said exchangeable cartridge, said powered actuator being secured to the main body portion;
• a burner affixed to and extending from near said second end of said main body portion, said burner extending from said main body portion at a diverging angle to said trimming device;
• wherein said trimming device and said burner can be selectively used to respectively trim and flame treat an article of interest.

A robot end effector, comprising:

• a body securable to a robot arm and shaped to receive a portion of a trimming device, the trimming device including an exchangeable cartridge having a shank and being selectively operable to trim an article of interest when the trimming device is secured to the body;
• a burner secured to the body, the burner selectively operable to flame treat the article of interest;
• a cartridge retention assembly secured to the body and having a cartridge retention slot adapted to receive the shank of the trimming device;
• and
• a retention mechanism associated with the body and comprising:
• a pivoting clamping element moveable between a clamped position where a first end of the clamping element is in pressing contact with the shank of the trimming device while the shank resides in the cartridge retention slot to secure the trimming device to the body, and an unclamped position where the first end of the clamping element is rotated away from the shank so as to release the trimming device from the body, and
• an actuator secured to the body and coupled to a second end of the clamping element, the actuator selectively operable to pivot the clamping element between the clamped position and the unclamped position.