# US 8,782,874 B2 · Railway tie automated preplating apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,782,874 B2 - Document ID: US8782874B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/536,579 - Filed: 2006-09-28 - Published: 2008-06-19 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2006-09-28 - Assignees: voestalpine Nortrack Inc. - Applicants: Allen J. Tuningley - Inventors: Allen J. Tuningley - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8782874B2 ## CPC - B23P 19/06: Screw or nut setting or loosening machines - B23B 39/04: Co-ordinate boring or drilling machines; Machines for making holes without previous marking - B23B 39/08: Devices for program control - Y10T 29/49778: with aligning, guiding, or instruction - Y10T 29/49829: Advancing work to successive stations [i.e., assembly line] - Y10T 29/49947: by applying separate fastener - Y10T 29/5343: Means to drive self-piercing work part - B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q) - B23B: TURNING; BORING (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract The invention is an apparatus for pre-plating railway ties, including switch ties of varying lengths. An infeed deck and singulator feeds individual ties, each provided with identifying indicia, to a pre-scanner. Using the scanned indicia, a control system accesses stored data to determine a preliminary drill pattern. A scanning and drilling station positions, secures and scans the tie. The scan results are combined with the stored data to produce a corrected optimal drill pattern, which is used to drill the tie. The drilled tie moves to a plate and screw loading station, where the proper plates and fasteners are attached. A fourth station inspects the assembled tie. If it is properly assembled, the screw spikes are tightened and the plated tie moves to an outfeed deck, where it is marked for identification and removed for storage and shipping. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A railway pre-plating apparatus for installing plates on railway ties, comprising: an infeed section for conveying singulated railway ties to a pre-drilling inspection station; said pre-drilling inspection station configured to identify each tie, said pre-drilling inspection station comprising at least one scanner configured to scan an identifying indicia associated with each tie; a computer control system configured to associate drilling and plating instructions stored in a database with each of said identified ties according to said identifying indicia; and a drilling and plate fastening section for drilling said ties and installing plates and fasteners on each of said identified ties in response to said drilling and plating instructions received from said computer control system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 1 wherein said drilling and plate fastening section comprises: a drilling station for drilling said ties; a plate and fastener loading station for installing plates and fasteners on said ties; and a tightening station for tightening said fasteners. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 2 further comprising an inspection station between said plate and fastener loading station and said tightening station, said inspection station comprising at least one scanner for identifying said plates on said ties and inspecting a position of said plates installed on said ties. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 2 wherein said instructions include one or more preliminary locations for drill holes to install said plates and fasteners on said ties. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a secondary scanning section in or before said drilling and plate fastening section wherein further information about said ties are obtained. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 5 wherein said further information includes tie sweep and tie cant. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 5 wherein said further information is used to adjust said drilling and plating instructions to obtain optimized locations for drill holes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 7 wherein said drilling station drills drill holes at said optimized locations. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 2 wherein said database lists one or more tie plates in association with each tie. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 9 wherein said list of one or more tie plates associated with each tie is sent to a control console at said plate and fastener loading station. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 10 wherein an operator at said plate and fastener loading station receives said list and manually installs said one or more tie plates on each tie, using fasteners. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 11 wherein said fasteners are screw spikes. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 2 wherein said tightening station further comprises a lagging machine to tighten fasteners installed at said plate and fastener loading station. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 13 wherein said lagging machine is mounted above said tightening station, on a spike bridge. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a jib crane to change said lagging machine. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 2 further comprising manual override controls, whereby an operator at said pre-drilling inspection station, said plate and fastener loading station, or said tightening station may control said pre-plating apparatus. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an inspection station for identifying said plates on said ties and inspecting a position of said plates installed on said ties by said drilling and plate fastening section. ### Claim 18 (depends on 3, 17) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 3 or 17 wherein said inspection station is operative to receive said drilling and plating instructions for each tie from said computer control system and to inspect said ties by reference to said instructions. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 18 wherein said inspection station further comprises an alert mechanism if said plates are incorrectly positioned. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an outfeed deck, wherein said outfeed deck further comprises a marking section, where ties are marked to indicate plates have been correctly installed on said ties. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 20 wherein said ties are marked with spray paint. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an outfeed deck wherein said outfeed deck terminates at a forklift and further comprises a safety feature to prevent said outfeed deck from operating if said forklift is absent. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 22 wherein said safety feature is a photocell beam which prevents said outfeed deck from operating when said beam is uninterrupted. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 1 wherein said railway ties are switch ties. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The pre-plating apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a packing station, wherein ties are collected into a bundle. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The pre-plating apparatus of claim 25 wherein said bundle is strapped, banded or otherwise secured. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 1 wherein said drilling and plate fastening section comprises: a drilling station for drilling said ties; a plate loading station for installing plates on said ties; and a fastener installation station for inserting fasteners into said plates and tightening said fasteners. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 27 further comprising an inspection station between said plate loading station and said fastener installation station comprising at least one scanner for identifying said plates on said ties and inspecting a position of said plates on said ties. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 28 wherein said inspection station is operative to receive said drilling and plating instructions for each tie from said computer control system and to inspect said ties by reference to said instructions. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 29 wherein said inspection station further comprises an alert mechanism if said plates are incorrectly positioned. ### Claim 31 (depends on 27) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 27 further comprising an inspection station after said fastener installation station comprising at least one scanner for identifying said plates on said ties and inspecting a position of said plates on said ties. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 31 wherein said inspection station is operative to receive said drilling and plating instructions for each tie from said computer control system and to inspect said ties by reference to said instructions. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 32 wherein said inspection station further comprises an alert mechanism if said plates are incorrectly positioned. ### Claim 34 (depends on 1) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a singulating section before or in said infeed section for singulating said ties. ### Claim 35 (depends on 1) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 1 wherein the computer control system associates information with each identified tie, the information including tie length and gauge. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 35 wherein said information further includes one or more preliminary locations for installing one or more plates on said ties. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 36 wherein said information further includes one or more preliminary locations for drill holes to install one or more plates on said ties. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 37 further comprising a secondary scanning section in or before said drilling and plate fastening section wherein further information about said ties are obtained. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 38 wherein said further information includes tie sweep and tie cant. ### Claim 40 (depends on 38) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 38 wherein said computer control system uses said further information to adjust said preliminary locations for drill holes to obtain optimized locations for drill holes. ### Claim 41 (depends on 40) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 40 wherein said drilling and plate fastening section installs drill holes at said optimized locations. ### Claim 42 (depends on 1) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 1 wherein said database lists one or more tie plates in association with each tie. ### Claim 43 (depends on 42) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 42 wherein said computer control system sends said list of one or more tie plates associated with each tie to said drilling and plate fastening section. ### Claim 44 (depends on 43) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 43 wherein an operator at said drilling and plate fastening section receives said list and manually installs said one or more tie plates on each tie, using fasteners. ### Claim 45 (depends on 44) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 44 wherein said fasteners are screw spikes. ### Claim 46 (depends on 42) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 42 wherein said computer control system sends said list of one or more tie plates associated with each tie to said inspection station. ### Claim 47 (depends on 46) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 46 wherein said inspection station conducts a computer-conducted inspection. ### Claim 48 (depends on 47) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 47 wherein said computer-conducted inspection further comprises scanning said identifying indicia for each of said ties and compares said list of one or more tie plates to said identifying indicia to ensure said one or more plates are present and are correctly positioned. ### Claim 49 (depends on 48) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 48 wherein said inspection station further comprises an alert mechanism if said plates are not present or are incorrectly positioned. ### Claim 50 (depends on 1) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a tightening section, said tightening section comprising a lagging machine to tighten fasteners installed at said drilling and plate fastening section. ### Claim 51 (depends on 50) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 50 further comprising manual override controls, whereby an operator at said tightening section may control said pre-plating apparatus. ### Claim 52 (depends on 50) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 50 wherein said lagging machine is mounted above said tightening section, on a spike bridge. ### Claim 53 (depends on 52) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 52 further comprising a jib crane to change said lagging machine. ### Claim 54 (depends on 1) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 1 wherein said database is created by reading railway track layout drawings, calculating information about each tie in said drawing and sending said information to said computer control system. ### Claim 55 (depends on 1) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 1 further comprising manual override controls, whereby an operator at said pre-drilling inspection station or said drilling and plate fastening section may control said pre-plating apparatus. ### Claim 56 (depends on 1) The railway pre-plating apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said infeed section comprises an infeed conveyor deck and a singulating section for singulating said ties; said drill and plate fastening section comprises a drilling station for drilling one or more holes into said ties, a plate and fastener loading station for placing one or more plates and fasteners on each of said ties, an inspection station to verify the placement of said plates and fasteners on said ties, and a tightening station to tighten said fasteners; and said pre-plating apparatus further comprises an outfeed conveyor deck.