US 11,987,936 B2
Tie plate centering and inserting machine
Christopher Brenny, Burlington, WI (US); and Mark Osmak, St. Francis, WI (US)
Assigned to Racine Railroad Products, Inc., Mt. Pleasant, WI (US)
Filed by Racine Railroad Products, Inc., Mount Pleasant, WI (US)
Filed on Oct. 2, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/061,685.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/909,492, filed on Oct. 2, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0102345 A1, Apr. 8, 2021
Int. Cl. E01B 29/32 (2006.01); E01B 9/46 (2006.01); E01B 29/24 (2006.01)
CPC E01B 29/32 (2013.01) [E01B 9/46 (2013.01); E01B 29/24 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tie plate inserter assembly comprising:
a) a frame comprising a first side, a second side, and a centerline extending through the center of the frame from the first side to the second side;
b) a tie clamp assembly which is movably connected to the frame at the second side and which includes a tie self-centering mechanism that is selectively operable to engage a tie relative to the centerline of the frame; and
c) a tie plate clamp assembly which is movably connected to the frame at the first side and which includes a tie plate self-centering mechanism that is selectively operable to engage and center the tie plate relative to a longitudinal centerline of the tie;
wherein the tie plate clamp assembly further comprises a first clamp plate and a second clamp plate opposite the first clamp plate, and wherein the tie clamp self-centering mechanism is configured to ensure the first clamp plate and the second clamp plate are equidistantly located from the reference point on the frame;
wherein the tie plate self-centering mechanism comprises a rack and pinion mechanism;
wherein the tie clamp assembly further comprises a third clamp plate and a fourth clamp plate opposite the third clamp plate, and wherein the tie self-centering mechanism is configured to ensure the third clamp plate and the fourth clamp plate are equidistantly located from the reference point in the frame;
wherein the tie self-centering mechanism comprises a rack and pinion mechanism comprising:
a pinion at a center point of the first side of the frame;
a first rack, associated with the first clamp plate of the tie clamp plate assembly, that is engaged by the pinion; and
a second rack, associated with the second clamp plate of the tie clamp plate assembly, that is engaged by the pinion;
wherein the first rack is moved in a first direction when the pinion is rotated in a clockwise direction;
wherein the second rack is moved in a second direction opposite the first direction when the pinion is rotated in a clockwise direction; and
wherein the first clamp plate and the second clamp plate remain equidistant from the pinion upon pin rotation.