US 12,286,759 B2 · Rail tie plate orienting and distribution system and method

Abstract

A method for singulating, orientating and distributing tie plates along a section of a track of a railroad is disclosed using a vehicle adapted to travel on rails including a tie plate singulating assembly, a tie plate flipping assembly, a tie plate quarter turn assembly, and a distribution assembly. The tie plate flipping assembly flips shoulder-side down tie plates into a shoulder-side up orientation while maintaining shoulder-side up tie plates in the shoulder-side up orientation. A diverter of the tie plate quarter turn assembly advances tie plates into a rotation inducing abutment resulting in the tie plates turning toward a desired orientation. The distribution assembly distributes tie plates to accumulation slides, controlling distribution with a dealer assembly and orienting discharge assembly to distribute the tie plates in a desired spacing and orientation along the track of a railroad.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A method for orienting rail tie plates to be distributed on or in close proximity to ties of a railroad track, wherein each of the rail tie plates has a gauge side end and a field side end and a pair of shoulders extending upward from and across a shoulder side surface of the rail tie plate transverse to a longitudinal axis of the rail tie plate, the method comprising the steps of:

singulating a plurality of randomly oriented rail tie plates into a conveyed stream of individual rail tie plates oriented longitudinally relative to a direction of conveyance and conveyed successively in the direction of conveyance including rail tie plates oriented right side up and rail tie plates oriented upside down;
conveying the rail tie plates successively through a tie plate flipping assembly flipping upside down rail tie plates into a right side up orientation while maintaining right side up rail tie plates in the right side up orientation;
and
thereafter, scanning the right side up rail tie plates with a sensor in communication with a controller and, using the controller, determining a longitudinal orientation of each rail tie plate conveyed past the sensor relative to the direction of conveyance, and selectively rotating the rail tie plate a quarter turn.

1 more element

A method for orienting rail tie plates to be distributed on or in close proximity to ties of a track, wherein each of the rail tie plates has a gauge side end and a field side end and a pair of shoulders extending upward from and across a shoulder side surface of the rail tie plate transverse to a longitudinal axis of the rail tie plate, the method comprising the steps of:

singulating a plurality of randomly oriented rail tie plates into a conveyed stream of individual rail tie plates oriented longitudinally relative to a direction of conveyance and conveyed successively in the direction of conveyance including rail tie plates oriented shoulder side up and rail tie plates oriented shoulder side down;
conveying the rail tie plates successively through a tie plate flipping assembly flipping shoulder side down oriented rail tie plates into a shoulder side up orientation while maintaining shoulder side up oriented rail tie plates in the shoulder side up orientation;
and
conveying the shoulder side up oriented rail tie plates on a conveyor successively past a sensor in communication with a controller and, using the controller, determining a longitudinal orientation of each rail tie plate conveyed past the sensor to determine whether a leading end of each rail tie plate is a field side end or a gauge side end, and if it is determined the leading end is the field side end, positioning a diverter, in response to communications from the controller, to direct the field side end of the rail tie plate into a first abutment on a first side of the conveyor to cause the gauge side end of the rail tie plate to rotate into the direction of conveyance on the conveyor and away from the first abutment with the field side end extending toward the first side of the conveyor and the gauge side end of the rail tie plate extending toward a second side of the conveyor;
or if it is determined the leading end is the gauge side end, positioning a diverter, in response to communications from the controller, to direct the gauge side end of the rail tie plate into a second abutment on a second side of the conveyor to cause the field side end of the rail tie plate to rotate into the direction of conveyance on the conveyor and away from the second abutment with the gauge side end extending toward the second side of the conveyor and the field side end of the rail tie plate extending toward the first side of the conveyor.

2 more elements

singulating a plurality of randomly oriented rail tie plates into a conveyed stream of individual rail tie plates oriented longitudinally relative to a direction of conveyance and conveyed successively in the direction of conveyance including rail tie plates oriented shoulder side up and rail tie plates oriented shoulder side down;
conveying the tie plates successively through a tie plate flipping assembly configured to flip shoulder side down oriented rail tie plates into a shoulder side up orientation while maintaining shoulder side up oriented rail tie plates in the shoulder side up orientation;
conveying the shoulder side up oriented rail tie plates on a conveyor and successively through a quarter turn assembly, conveyance of the rail tie plates through the quarter turn assembly causing each of the rail tie plates to rotate a quarter turn such that each rail tie plate conveyed past the quarter turn assembly extends laterally relative to a direction of conveyance;
and
conveying the shoulder side up and laterally oriented rail tie plates successively past a sensor in communication with a controller and, using the controller, determining a longitudinal orientation of each rail tie plate conveyed past the sensor to determine if the rail tie plate is in a first lateral orientation with the field side end extending toward a first side of the conveyor and the gauge side end extending toward a second side of the conveyor or if the rail tie plate is in a second lateral orientation with the field side end extending toward a second side of the conveyor and the gauge side end extending toward the first side of the conveyor, and if it is determined by the controller that the rail tie plate is in the first lateral orientation, directing the rail tie plate in the first lateral orientation to a first dealer configured to deposit the rail tie plate on a first side of a selected one of the rail ties;
and if it is determined by the controller that the rail tie plate is in the second lateral orientation, directing the rail tie plate in the second lateral orientation to a second dealer configured to deposit the rail tie plate on a second side of a selected one of the rail ties.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Rail tie plate orienting and distribution system and method

Life of this patent

Rail tie plate orienting and distribution system and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15