Devices and methods for laying sleepers on ballast-beds for railroad construction

A device for laying sleepers on a ballast-bed for railroad construction, the device comprising:

• a body having a commuting-mechanism, wherein the commuting-mechanism is configured to allow movement of the device;
• a fork-lift arranged on a first side of the body, wherein the fork-lift is configured to lift and hold at least one set of sleepers above the ballast-bed;
• a pair of pivot-arms movably coupled the body, wherein each of the pivot-arms comprises a gripper, and wherein the grippers of the pair of pivot-arms are configured to pick a set of sleepers from the fork-lift and to move the set of sleepers from the first side of the body towards a second side of the body opposite to the first side;
• wherein
• a cradle-arrangement mounted on the second side of the body,
• wherein the cradle-arrangement comprises:
• a pair of elongated fixed support-members extending from the second side of the body and spaced apart from each other;
• and
• a pair of movable support-members, wherein each of the movable support-members comprises a plurality of spring-loaded elements configured to attain a closed-state and a released-state, wherein the pair of movable support-members includes an extension plate for receiving a released sleeper during a forward phase,
• and wherein:
• the pair of elongated fixed support-members is configured to support thereon the set of sleepers moved by the grippers of the pair of the pivot-arms from the first side of the body towards the second side of the body, and
• the pair of movable support-members is configured to have a reciprocating-movement with respect to the pair of elongated fixed support-members to successively release one sleeper of the set of sleepers at a time from the pair of elongated fixed support-members.