Automatiac railway fastener remover
AssigneeOak Industries Inc.
InventorsRobert M. Weber, William D. Straub
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automatic rail fastener remover for use on threaded fasteners being used for securing railroad rails to rail ties, the fastener remover constructed and arranged to be mounted on a railway maintenance vehicle having a frame, and including a fastener removal tool configured to releasably engage one of the fasteners for removing the fastener from the tie, a drive assembly connected to the tool for rotating the tool, at least one latch hook selectively biased against the fastener head for assisting the tool in the removal of the fastener from the tie.
Claims20
An automatic rail fastener remover for use on threaded fasteners used to secure rails to rail ties, said fastener remover constructed and arranged to be mounted on a railway maintenance vehicle having a frame, comprising:
- a fastener removal tool configured to releasably engage one of the fasteners for removing the fastener from the tie;
- a drive assembly connected to said tool for rotating said tool;
- at least one holding means on said fastener remover for maintaining engagement of said tool with the fastener in the removal of the fastener from the tie, said holding means including a latch hook;
- and
- a hook guide assembly for manipulating said latch hook relative to at least one of the tie and a tie plate so that said latch hook engages at least one of the tie and the tie plate independently of the engagement of said fastener removal tool upon the fastener, said engagement of said latch hook with at least one of the tie and the tie plate generating a signal for energizing said drive assembly.
A railway maintenance machine having an automatic rail fastener remover for use on threaded fasteners used for securing railroad rails to rail ties of a railroad track, said machine comprising:
- a frame being movable along the track;
- a fastener remover being mounted to said frame and including a fastener removal tool configured to releasably engage one of the fasteners for removal from the tie;
- a drive assembly connected to said tool for rotating said tool;
- a locating assembly connected to said tool and to said frame for reciprocating said tool relative to the fastener between a ready position and an engagement position;
- and
- at least one holding means mounted on said fastener remover for assisting said tool in the removal of the fastener from the tie;
- a hook guide assembly connected to said at least one holding means for exerting a vertical force upon at least one of the tie and a tie plate independently of the engagement of said fastener removal tool upon the fastener upon the commencement of the removal of one of the fasteners.
An automatic rail fastener remover for use on threaded fasteners used to secure rails to rail ties, said fastener remover constructed and arranged to be mounted on a railway maintenance vehicle having a frame, comprising:
- a fastener removal tool configured to releasably engage one of the fasteners for removing the fastener from the tie;
- a drive assembly connected to said tool for rotating said tool;
- at least one holding means on said fastener remover for maintaining engagement of said tool with the fastener in the removal of the fastener from the tie;
- a releasable biasing device for laterally biasing said holding means against the fastener;
- and
- a controller for controlling the rotation of said tool, and for controlling the release of the biasing action of said holding means, said controller including a delay function for delaying the exertion of the biasing force.
An automatic rail fastener remover for use on threaded fasteners used to secure rails to rail ties, said fastener remover constructed and arranged to be mounted on a railway maintenance vehicle having a frame, comprising:
- a fastener removal tool configured to releasably engage one of the fasteners for removing the fastener from the tie;
- a drive assembly connected to said tool for rotating said tool;
- at least one holding means on said fastener remover for maintaining engagement of said tool with the fastener in the removal of the fastener from the tie;
- and
- a locating assembly connected to said tool and to the frame for reciprocating said tool relative to the fastener, and wherein said locating assembly includes a drive unit mounting which reciprocates relative to the frame, and a latch hook guide assembly which is slidably engaged in said locating assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.