Back to results
US 12,577,736 B2Granted
Tie plate collection and deposit machine
AssigneeB & B Metals, Inc.
InventorCoty T. Coots
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tie plate collection and deposit machine collects tie plates from a railway and sorts the tie plates sequentially. The sorted tie plates are then deposited on the railway for re-installation during the maintenance procedure being performed.
Claims18
A tie plate collection and deposit machine, comprising:
- a first collection conveyor having a magnetic pulley and a belt;
- a work table having at least two conveyors which are arranged for movement in a direction transverse to said first collection conveyor, a first conveyor of said at least two conveyors having a flat horizontal surface and a second conveyor of said at least two conveyors having a substantially vertical surface and positioned adjacent to said first conveyor of said at least two conveyors, said at least two conveyors receiving tie plates from said first collection conveyor and rotating and translating each of said tie plates;
- a tie plate orientation station, having a rotatable structure to rotate said tie plates and/or flip orientation of the tie plates depending on input from a sensor;
- at least one deposit conveyor which receives each of said tie plates from said tie plate orientation station and deposits each of said tie plates for re-use of said tie plates.
1 more element
A work table for a tie plate collection and deposit machine, comprising:
- at least one first conveyor which is substantially flat;
- at least one second conveyor which is oriented vertically and positioned adjacent to said at least one first conveyor;
- said at least one first conveyor and said at least one second conveyor receiving tie plates from a collection conveyor and rotating and translating each of said tie plates;
- said at least one first conveyor being two conveyors operating in opposite directions.
1 more element
A tie plate orientation station, comprising:
- a sensor which is utilized to determine vertical orientation and lateral orientation of a tie plate;
- a spider which is capable of rotating said tie plate to change the lateral orientation of the tie plate;
- a first door and a second door positioned beneath said spider, said first and second doors capable of opening together or individually to change the vertical orientation of said tie plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.