Railroad tie removal machine
AssigneeNordco Inc.
InventorAllan Irion
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A railroad tie removal machine for removing a railroad tie from beneath a pair of rails. The machine includes a movable frame, wherein when the frame is in a stationary location, a workspace is defined with respect to the stationary frame. A tie shear workhead and a kicker workhead are both mounted to the frame. The tie shear workhead includes two sets of shears configured and arranged to divide the tie into a center portion and two outer portions. The kicker workhead includes at least one kicker configured and arranged to outwardly kick corresponding outer portions of the cut tie from under the associated rail.
Claims17
A method for removing a railroad tie from beneath a pair of spaced rails of a railroad track using a tie removal machine, wherein the tie removal machine includes a tie shear workhead and a kicker workhead, the method comprising:
- positioning the railroad tie removal machine on the railroad track such that the tie shear workhead is aligned above the tie to be removed;
- activating the tie shear workhead to cut the tie being removed;
- and
- after completing the step of activating the tie shear workhead, but without re-positioning the tie removal machine with respect to the railroad track, performing a step of activating the kicker workhead to kick out the tie being removed, which has now been cut, from below the rails.
An automatic method for removing a railroad tie from beneath a pair of spaced rails of a railroad track using a tie removal machine, wherein the tie removal machine includes a tie shear workhead and a kicker workhead, the method comprising:
- applying a set of rail clamps to lock the tie removal machine in a first position upon the railroad rack;
- lowering the tie shear workhead, and then closing at least one pair of shear blades of the tie shear workhead to thereby cut the tie being removed;
- raising the tie shear workhead to a height that is sufficient to provide clearance for the kicker workhead to be lowered into position;
- after completing the step of raising the tie shear workhead, but without re-positioning the tie removal machine from the first position, performing a step of lowering the kicker workhead;
- extending at least one kicker of the kicker workhead to kick out at least one portion of the tie being removed;
- retracting the at least one kicker;
- raising the kicker workhead to a rest position;
- and
- unlocking the set of rail clamps, and moving the tie removal machine from the first position to a second position upon the railroad rack.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.