Patent ID: 6977051

Claim:
An apparatus for assembling first and second mold parts having contact lens forming surfaces, wherein said first mold part comprises a front curve mold part and has a reaction mixture on said contact lens forming surface, and the second mold part comprises a back curve cold part, said apparatus comprising: a vacuum nozzle comprising a compression spring fixedly attached to a shaft; wherein said nozzle is suitably sized and operative to pick up the second mold part when vacuum pressure is applied to the nozzle; a pallet comprising a receptacle for holding the first mold part, the pallet additionally comprising a vacuum hole in the receptacle; a pushing apparatus for positioning the pallet and first mold part in vertical alignment with the shaft; a source of atmospheric pressure differential operative to apply a vacuum pressure of less than 0.8 atmospheric absolute pressure to the vacuum hole which prevents said first mold part from moving while said second mold part is controllably moved from a first position wherein said second mold part is not in contact with said reaction mixture on said first mold part to a second position wherein the majority of said contact lens forming surface of said second mold part has been wetted by said reaction mixture on said first mold part and removes the vacuum pressure after the contact lens forming surface of said second mold part has been wetted; and a servo motor for moving the shaft and the nozzle in a downward direction causing the second mold part to move into the second position and additionally overdrive the second position causing the springs to compress which provides for displacement of overflow reaction mixture, proper alignment of the first mold part and the second mold part and edge formation of a contact lens formed between the first mold part and the second mold part.