Fully automatic, multiple operation rail maintenance apparatus

A rail maintenance device including at least one maintenance module configured for performing at least one type of maintenance work on a railway track, said track having at least one linearly extending rail fastened to a plurality of ties situated generally perpendicularly to the at least one rail, said rail maintenance device comprising:

• a machine having a main frame configured for traveling along the track;
• a power source for propelling said main frame along the track;
• sensing means for detecting a linear location of a target along the at least one rail, said linear location of said detected target being defined as a target location, said sensing means being associated with said machine;
• encoding means associated with said machine for obtaining rail data, said rail data consisting of at least one of the displacement and velocity of said machine relative to the rail;
• and
• a control unit for receiving said target location from said sensing means, for receiving said rail data from said encoding means, for determining a target distance for generally aligning said module with a particular target area of the track upon which work is to be performed, and for creating a destination signal indicating when said module is operationally aligned with said particular target area.

A method for detecting targets and for positioning at least one work module over a particular target to perform tasks thereon, said method comprising the steps of:

• propelling a machine with a drive mechanism over a base surface with a plurality of targets located thereon;
• sensing locations of said targets with a sensing means, said sensing means being associated with said machine;
• storing said target locations from said sensing means in a control unit;
• determining motion data consisting of at least one of the displacement and velocity of said machine along said base surface;
• determining a target distance for said drive mechanism to propel said machine such that said work module is generally aligned with the particular target in a target area;
• and
• creating a destination signal based on said motion data and said target locations stored in said control unit, said destination signal indicating when said module is operationally aligned with the target area;
• and
• positioning said machine according to said destination signal.

A system for detecting targets and for positioning at least one work module over a particular target to perform a task thereon, said system comprising:

• a movable machine having a main frame;
• driving means for propelling said machine across a base surface;
• carriage means located on said main frame for movably supporting least one work module relative to said main frame;
• sensing means being associated with said machine for detecting locations of at least one target positioned on said base surface;
• encoding means associated with said machine for obtaining motion data, said motion data including at least one of the displacement and velocity of said machine across said base surface;
• a control unit for receiving said target locations from said sensing means, for receiving said motion data from said encoding means, for determining a target distance for said driving means to propel said machine such that said work module is generally aligned with the particular target in a target area, and for creating a destination signal indicating when said work module is operationally aligned with the target area;
• said control unit is configured for controlling said driving means to continuously move said machine and for controlling movement of said carriage means such that said work module is held in a stationary position relative to the particular target upon which work is being performed while said work is being performed.

A rail maintenance device for performing maintenance on a railway track having at least one linearly extending rail fastened to a plurality of ties situated generally perpendicularly to the at least one rail, said rail maintenance device comprising:

• a main frame configured for traveling along the track;
• a power source for propelling said main frame along the track;
• at least one maintenance module configured for performing at least one type of maintenance work on the railway track,
• said at least one module comprises a screw applicator for driving threaded fastening means through ties to connect a portion of the at least one rail to one of the ties;
• said screw applicator includes a rotatable extension for driving said threaded fastening means through a hole in the tie plate and into the tie;
• and a pressure transducer for adjusting the torque and rotational speed of said rotatable extension.

A system for detecting targets and for positioning at least one work module over a particular target to perform a task thereon, said system comprising:

• a movable machine having a main frame;
• sensing means being associated with said machine for detecting locations of at least one target positioned on said base surface;
• encoding means associated with said machine for obtaining data reflecting at least one of the displacement and velocity of said machine relative to said base surface;
• and
• a control unit for receiving said target locations from said sensing means, for receiving said data from said encoding means, for determining a target distance for said machine such that said work module is placed in general alignment with the particular target in a target area.