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US 11,772,903 B2Granted
Tie plate dispenser and method therefore
AssigneeB & B Metals, Inc.
InventorCoty T. Coots
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Present embodiments relate to a tie plate dispenser which aligns tie plates for dispensing based on rail base rather than outer edges of the tie plate. Thus tie plates are aligned and located in a differing manner than prior art systems. Further, the tie plate dispenser includes an opening over which a magnet is disposed to retain a tie plate over the opening. The tie plate over the opening may be selectively released by disengaging the tie plate from the magnet.
Claims17
A tie plate dispenser, comprising:
- a gravity feed conveyor which moves a tie plate from a first position to a second position;
- a guide disposed adjacent to said gravity feed conveyor, said guide being a longitudinal extending structure that extends parallel to a longitudinal direction of said gravity feed conveyor, and said guide capable of engaging a shoulder of said tie plate and guiding said tie plate along said gravity feed conveyor;
- said guide being movable and capable of positioning said tie plate relative to a rail base defined between said shoulder and a second shoulder of said tie plate.
A tie plate dispenser, comprising:
- a conveyor which has a first high end and a second low end, and a conveyor surface;
- one or more tie plates capable of moving from said first high end to said second low end and be dispensed therefrom;
- a guide disposed adjacent to said conveyor, said guide being tapered at said first high end, said guide engaging one or more shoulders of said one or more tie plates;
- said guide being movable toward or away from said conveyor surface.
1 more element
A tie plate dispenser, comprising:
- a conveyor which moves a tie plate from a first position to a second position;
- a guide disposed adjacent to said conveyor, said guide having a first end which tapers from a narrow width to a wider width, a second end, and longitudinally extending between said first end and said second end, said guide capable of engaging a shoulder of said tie plate and guiding said tie plate along said conveyor;
- said guide being movable relative to said conveyor and capable of positioning said tie plate by a rail base defined between said shoulder and a second shoulder of said tie plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.