Electro-magnet Tie Plate Placement Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for installing railroad tie plates on railroad tracks are labor-intensive and costly due to the heavy weight of the plates and the need for manual placement, with existing machines often using inefficient stop-and-go methodologies.
Innovation Solution
A semi-autonomous machine with a front, middle, and rear chassis, equipped with a material handler, hopper assemblies, and conveyor systems, uses a 36-inch diameter electro-magnet to retrieve and precisely place railroad tie plates, featuring a vibrating plate feeder and ball transfer table to orient and singulate the plates for efficient placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual laborers carry and place heavy railroad tie plates individually, then placement precision can be achieved, but labor intensity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical system of laborers carrying and placing tie plates with an automated machine system. The machine uses an electromagnet to automatically pick up, transport, and place tie plates, eliminating the need for manual labor while maintaining precise placement capability through automated control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The machine is designed to perform the entire tie plate placement process autonomously without continuous human intervention. The system self-manages the retrieval, transport, orientation, and placement of tie plates, with the electromagnet automatically releasing plates at the correct locations based on pre-programmed track geometry data.
2Manufacturing precision
If stop-and-go methodology is used to place tie plates, then placement accuracy can be maintained, but machine productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous motion operation where the machine travels along the track at a steady pace without stopping. The electromagnet continuously engages and disengages tie plates while the machine is in motion, and the conveyor system continuously feeds and orients plates for placement, eliminating idle stop-and-go cycles while maintaining precise placement through real-time positioning control.
3Device complexity
If heavy railroad tie plates are handled manually, then equipment complexity remains low, but labor burden and operational cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an automated machine system with an electromagnet, conveyor mechanism, and control system to replace manual handling of heavy tie plates. This substitution eliminates the labor burden of lifting and carrying forty-pound plates while the system manages the complexity through integrated automation controls and pre-programmed placement logic.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The machine significantly reduces labor costs and increases efficiency by enabling the precise and automated placement of railroad tie plates along the track, allowing for high-production rail gang operations and reducing the burden on laborers.
Implementation Method 1
uses a 36-inch diameter electro-magnet to retrieve and precisely place railroad tie plates
Implementation Method 2
featuring a vibrating plate feeder and ball transfer table to orient and singulate the plates for efficient placement
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for singulating and transferring railroad tie plates is disclosed. The singulating system includes a front chute configured to collect one or more articles, a singulating frame, a pickup assembly operably engaged with the singulating frame, a magnetic roller of the pickup assembly and a roller belt of the pickup assembly wrapped, at least in part, around the magnetic roller. The magnetic roller and the roller belt are configured to pick up the one or more articles from the front chute and transfer the one or more articles to a different location.