Railroad Tie Plate Positioning Sensor and Actuator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing apparatuses for positioning railroad tie plates along railroad tracks face issues with mis-positioning due to mechanical tolerances over time, leading to the need for affirmative detection and precise placement of replacement tie plates.
Innovation Solution
A carrier vehicle equipped with a gravity feed roller conveyor and a sensor system that detects in-service tie plates, signaling an actuator to eject new tie plates in a preselected spaced pattern, ensuring accurate placement alongside the railroad track.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a timing transmission arrangement is used to deposit tie plates, then the apparatus can deliver tie plates at predetermined intervals, but mechanical tolerances are magnified over time leading to mis-positioning of tie plates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a sensor to detect the position of existing tie plates on the track and uses this feedback information to control the timing of tie plate deposition. The sensor signal triggers the deposition mechanism to release a tie plate when an existing tie plate is detected, creating a closed-loop control system that compensates for mechanical tolerances and maintains positioning accuracy over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the purely mechanical timing transmission arrangement with a hybrid system that incorporates optical or magnetic sensors and electronic control. Instead of relying solely on mechanical clockwork timing, the system uses sensor detection of existing tie plates to electronically trigger the deposition mechanism, substituting mechanical timing precision with sensor-based positional awareness.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If mechanical tolerances are allowed to accumulate over time, then the apparatus can operate continuously without adjustment, but the positioning accuracy of tie plates deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor continuously monitors the position of existing tie plates and provides real-time feedback to the control system. This feedback mechanism allows the apparatus to maintain positioning accuracy during continuous operation by adjusting the deposition timing based on the actual detected positions, preventing the accumulation of positioning errors over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-correction by using the sensor to automatically detect positioning deviations and trigger appropriate adjustments in the deposition process. The apparatus monitors its own performance and automatically compensates for drift without requiring external intervention or manual adjustment, enabling continuous operation while maintaining precision.
3Manufacturing precision
If a sensor system is added to detect tie plate positions, then positioning accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a sensor as an intermediary component between the existing tie plates and the deposition mechanism. This sensor acts as a mediator that detects the position of existing tie plates and translates it into control signals for the deposition system, enabling precise positioning while keeping the overall system architecture relatively simple and modular.
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 solution significantly reduces mis-positioning errors by using a sensor-actuated mechanism to precisely deposit tie plates, maintaining alignment and spacing consistency along the track, enhancing maintenance efficiency and accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
a roller conveyor formed of frame members and a plurality of idler rollers, the roller conveyor having an upper input end and a lower output end for gravity feeding the plurality of tie plates
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for positioning railroad tie plates along a railroad track comprises a carrier vehicle having a carrier conveyor, a roller conveyor formed of frame members and a plurality of idler rollers, the roller conveyor having an upper input end and a lower output end for gravity feeding the plurality of tie plates, the roller conveyor adapted to receive a plurality of tie plates at the input end and feed the tie plates toward the output end, the roller conveyor connected to the carrier vehicle and in feeding communication with the carrier conveyor adjacent an input end of the roller conveyor, the roller conveyor further comprising a rolling support adjacent the output end for movable support of the roller conveyor along the railroad track, an actuator positioned at the output end of roller conveyor, the actuator successively engaging each of the plurality of tie plates during feeding, a sensor adapted to detect an in-service railroad tie plate wherein the sensor signals a controller and the controller actuates the actuator to eject the plurality of tie plates from the roller conveyor in a preselected spaced apart manner.