ROBOTIC SURGICAL TOOL WITH MOTOR MOUNTED TO TRANSLATING CARRIAGE

A robotic surgical tool includes a drive housing having opposing first and second ends, a carriage arranged within the drive housing, a shaft extending from the carriage, a firing rod extending within the shaft and defining external threads, an end effector arranged at an end of the shaft and including a knife coupled to the firing rod such that movement of the firing rod moves the knife, and an activating mechanism coupled to the carriage. The activating mechanism including a motor mounted to the carriage and operable to rotate a drive gear, and a driven gear engageable with the drive gear such that rotation of the drive gear rotates the driven gear and actuates the activating mechanism. The driven gear defines internal threads and is rotatably mounted to the firing rod at the external threads such that rotation of the driven gear longitudinally moves the firing rod and the knife.