Rail Tie Plate Sorting and Reorientation for Track Reinstallation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Railroad maintenance procedures often discard reusable tie plates, leading to a waste of resources, and there is a need for a system to collect, sort, and redistribute these tie plates for reinstallation.
Innovation Solution
A machine that retrieves tie plates from a railway, sorts them by determining and correcting lateral and vertical orientations, and loads them sequentially onto distribution conveyors for re-use, utilizing a magnetic pulley, belt conveyors, and orientation stations with sensors and rotatable structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If tie plates are collected and discarded during railroad maintenance, then the maintenance process is simple and quick, but resources are wasted and environmental sustainability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a system that recovers discarded tie plates during railroad maintenance operations. The collection device gathers used tie plates from the track, the orientation station reorients them to proper positions, and the distribution conveyors return them to service locations. This closed-loop system prevents resource waste while maintaining productivity by automating the recovery and redistribution process.
2Loss of substance
If tie plates are manually collected and sorted, then resource utilization improves, but labor time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a self-service system where the tie plate collection and distribution apparatus autonomously performs collection, orientation determination, and redistribution without manual intervention. Sensors automatically detect tie plate orientation, and the system self-regulates the flow of plates through collection conveyors, orientation stations, and distribution conveyors, reducing labor requirements while managing system complexity through automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical sorting with an automated system using sensors to detect tie plate orientation and motorized conveyors to position and distribute plates. This substitution of human labor with mechanical and electronic systems improves resource utilization while containing complexity through standardized automated components.
3Productivity
If tie plates are not reoriented, then the collection process is faster, but the plates cannot be properly reinstalled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary orientation correction during the collection process itself. The orientation station, positioned within the collection apparatus, proactively detects and corrects tie plate orientation before distribution. This preliminary action ensures plates are properly oriented for reinstallation without significantly impacting collection speed, as the orientation correction is integrated into the continuous flow of the automated system.
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
Efficiently collects and reorients tie plates for redistribution along the railway, optimizing resource utilization and facilitating their subsequent installation.
Implementation Method 1
a first collection conveyor having a magnetic pulley and a belt
Data Source
AI summary
A tie plate collection and deposit machine collects tie plates from a railway and sorts the tie plates sequentially. The sorted tie plates are then deposited on the railway for re-installation during the maintenance procedure being performed.