254's 2016 Actuated Hood

[Maxcr1]

I’ve been looking into articulated hood designs, and 254’s 2016 robot struck my interest, but I do have one major question. How does the hood “latch” into the main shooter structure? In other words, what prevents it from just falling out of the robot? It seems like a ridiculous question, but I honestly cannot tell from the available pictures.

In this CAD render from their Tech Binder, it seems that the plates are touching, but I don’t see a latching system.

Unfortunately, the pictures from their website don’t make it any clearer.

Also, it seems the CAD model doesn’t match the pictures, so perhaps the CAD model doesn’t represent the completed system, or is a iteration from earlier in the season. Regardless, I don’t understand how either of the pictured systems work.

Does anybody have any idea how this system works, and if not, how to constrain hood rails in general?

[Maxcr1]

Update: I didn’t see the slots on the rail until I posted it, even after looking at it for 30 mins since my monitor has bad color density.

Regardless, I still don’t fully understand how that would be machined. Does anybody have any insight on this?

[ProPain37]

CNC Mill most likely

[Maxcr1]

I get that, I don’t understand how the cut could be wider underneath the top overhang.

[cpastyrn3357]

They probably used a dovetail or other specialty undercutting end mill. You can see a few examples on McMaster here. They would either start it at the edge of the piece or in a hole with clearance to get the wide end below the part surface.

[Joe_G]

I don’t think the slots would need to be dovetailed or to constrain the hood parallel to the shooter wheel’s axis of rotation, as long as they’re clamped in on both sides by the fixed structure.