Tie plate manipulator vehicle and method
AssigneeHolley Engineering Company, Inc.
InventorJohn D. Holley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Tie plates are moved between a position on a tie plate manipulator vehicle and a track position, which is under a rail and above a tie. A magnetic wheel is used in conjunction with a rail lifter. The rail lifter lifts the rail while the magnetic wheel installs or removes a tie plate from between a tie and a rail. The vehicle may include another magnetic wheel used for picking up tie plates loosely placed upon ties. A ballast sweeper or broom with a rotary core may be incorporated into the vehicle.
Claims20
A tie plate manipulator vehicle comprising:
- a frame and at least four rail engagement wheels mounted thereto for moving the tie plate manipulator vehicle along a pair of rails;
- a rail lifter mounted to said frame and operable to lift a rail, which extends in a rail direction, away from a tie disposed therebelow;
- a tie plate manipulator assembly supported by said frame and including a magnetic wheel rotatable about an axis extending along said rail direction, a support movably mounted to said frame and attached to said magnetic wheel and supporting said magnetic wheel just above a tie and adjacent said rail lifter, and a motor connected to rotate said magnetic wheel such that said magnetic wheel moves tie plates between a top position above said magnetic wheel and a track position on a tie underneath a rail, while said rail lifter has lifted the rail.
A method of manipulating tie plates using a tie plate manipulator vehicle, the steps comprising:
- actuating a rail lifter on the tie plate manipulator vehicle to lift a rail;
- and
- rotating, about a rail direction axis, a magnetic wheel mounted to the tie plate manipulator vehicle to move a tie plate between a top position above the magnetic wheel and a track position beneath the lifted rail and above a tie.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.