Railway fastener removal system

A method of railway fastener removal, the method comprising:

• causing aligning of a railway fastener extractor with a railway fastener when the railway fastener is in an installed position with respect to a railway tie plate and a railway tie alongside a rail so that the railway fastener extends through the railway tie plate and into the railway tie, the railway fastener extractor coupled with a frame assembly and a cylinder and slide assembly of a railway workhead so that the railway fastener extractor is suspended from the cylinder and slide assembly;
• operating a first actuator of the railway fastener extractor to extend a pair of opposing claws of the railway fastener extractor toward a railway fastener when the railway fastener is in the installed position, where each opposing claw of the pair of opposing claws comprises a gripping surface;
• operating a second actuator of the railway fastener extractor to selectively apply a force to a linkage system of the railway fastener extractor and to grip the railway fastener with the gripping surfaces of the pair of opposing claws when the railway fastener is in the installed position, the force directed along a longitudinal axis, where:
• the second actuator is coaxially coupled to the first actuator so that the first actuator and the second actuator share the longitudinal axis;
• and
• the linkage system couples the pair of opposing claws with the second actuator, the linkage system comprising linkages arranged about the longitudinal axis, and the linkage system is adapted to bifurcate the force and apply corresponding forces to move the linkages and move the pair of opposing claws so that the gripping surfaces close toward each other or open away from each other;
• operating the first actuator to extract the railway fastener from the railway tie plate and the railway tie;
• and
• operating the second actuator to release the railway fastener after the railway fastener is extracted.

One or more non-transitory, machine-readable media having machine-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more processing devices, causes the one or more processing devices to instruct a railway workhead to:

• cause aligning of a railway fastener extractor with a railway fastener when the railway fastener is in an installed position with respect to a railway tie plate and a railway tie alongside a rail so that the railway fastener extends through the railway tie plate and into the railway tie, the railway fastener extractor coupled with a frame assembly and a cylinder and slide assembly of the railway workhead so that the railway fastener extractor is suspended from the cylinder and slide assembly;
• cause operation of a first actuator of the railway fastener extractor to extend a pair of opposing claws of the railway fastener extractor toward a railway fastener when the railway fastener is in the installed position, where each opposing claw of the pair of opposing claws comprises a gripping surface;
• cause operation of a second actuator of the railway fastener extractor to selectively apply a force to a linkage system of the railway fastener extractor and to grip the railway fastener with the gripping surfaces of the pair of opposing claws when the railway fastener is in the installed position, the force directed along a longitudinal axis, where:
• the second actuator is coaxially coupled to the first actuator so that the first actuator and the second actuator share the longitudinal axis;
• and
• the linkage system couples the pair of opposing claws with the second actuator, the linkage system comprising linkages arranged about the longitudinal axis, and the linkage system adapted to bifurcate the force and apply corresponding forces to move the linkages and move the pair of opposing claws so that the gripping surfaces close toward each other or open away from each other;
• cause operation of the first actuator to extract the railway fastener from the railway tie plate and the railway tie;
• and
• cause operation of the second actuator to release the railway fastener after the railway fastener is extracted.