Patent Application
20240247446
The subject matter described herein relates to right-of-way maintenance machinery, and specifically to machinery used for applying anchors to rail ties for securing rail tie plates and rails to the ties.
A railway anchor clamps onto a rail and is positioned to abut the tie and the tie plate. This positioning helps to resist the movement of the rail relative to the tie. Railway anchors may include different configurations and models of anchors, such as spring-type or drive-on anchors made by different manufacturers, or any other rail fasteners positioned adjacent tie plates and used for retaining tie plates upon the ties.
During the course of railroad maintenance work, rail anchors are removed from the track before replacing rail ties, tie plates, and rails, and sometimes for other maintenance operations. Once the maintenance is complete, the anchors are reinstalled. Alternatively, the anchors themselves can fail, and new anchors may need to be installed in their place.
Rail anchors may be installed by railroad maintenance machines that may include a chassis structure which is either self-propelled or towable along the track, and a workhead to perform the maintenance task such as installation of the rail anchor to the rail. Improvements to rail anchors to increase the anchors effectiveness at holding to rail and distributing forces to the tie and tie plate have led to significant changes in the geometry of certain rail anchors. Although the new geometries of rail anchors have led to improved performance, the geometries have created challenges to installation using known railroad maintenance machines. Thus, it may be desirable to have a system and method that accommodate new geometries of rail anchors from those that are currently available.
In one or more embodiments, a railway anchor holder is provided that has a frame configured to be coupled to an anchor application machine. In one example, the frame may include first and second walls that define a pocket therebetween configured to receive an anchor. The first wall defines a recessed seat configured to contact the anchor. In one example, the anchor holder may have a hydraulic actuator coupled to the second wall, the hydraulic actuator including a gripper block configured to be advanced towards the anchor that is in the pocket and to exert a clamp force on the anchor to secure the anchor between the gripper block and the recessed seat. In one example, the anchor holder may have a backing pin coupled to the frame and biased to exert a return force on the anchor. The return force exerted by the backing pin on the anchor can be in a transverse direction relative to the clamp force exerted by the gripper block on the anchor.
In one or more embodiments, for an anchor holder may have a frame having a top, back, and bottom, and a pivot bore formed in the back. In one example, the frame is adapted to receive a railway anchor in a first position and pivot and lower to guide the anchor to a second position. In one example, a hydraulic actuator arranged in the top of the frame, the hydraulic actuator arranged perpendicular to the pivot bore. In one example, the anchor holder may have a backing pin located and supported in the back between the pivot bore and the bottom, the backing pin aligned perpendicular to the hydraulic actuator, wherein the backing pin can have a first end provided with a concave head, a second end at a distal location from the first end, and a middle portion having a shoulder. The anchor holder can have a spring coupled to the shoulder and the back, a first retaining wall extending from the bottom towards the top and the back to form a side of the frame, wherein the first retaining wall has a recessed seat aligned along the bottom, the recessed seat aligned parallel to the backing pin. The anchor holder can have a second retaining wall located opposite to and aligned parallel with the first retaining wall on the frame, wherein the second retaining wall extends from the back to enclose the concave head of the backing pin within a pocket formed between the first retaining wall, the second retaining wall, and the back. In one example of the anchor holder, the recessed seat can have a first contact surface aligned to the hydraulic actuator, a second contact surface located at a distal end of the first retaining wall, and a clearance surface formed between the first and second contact surfaces.
In one or more embodiments, is a method including the steps of providing an anchor holder comprising a frame having a top, back, and bottom, the frame having a pivot bore formed in the back; receiving a railway anchor in the anchor holder at first position of the anchor holder, wherein the receiving of the railway anchor includes the railway anchor striking a first location of the anchor holder located on the back; clamping the railway anchor in the anchor holder at a second contact surface located on the top; pivoting the anchor holder to guide the anchor to a second position corresponding to the bottom of the frame aligned in proximity to the railway track; clipping the anchor onto a railway track; and applying a reaction force at the second contact surface, a third contact surface, and a fourth contact surface, wherein the third contact surface and the fourth contact surface are located on the bottom of the frame.
The subject matter may be understood from reading the following description of non-limiting embodiments, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein below:
The subject matter described herein relates to right-of-way maintenance machinery, and specifically to machinery used for applying anchors to rail ties for securing rail tie plates and rails to the ties. Embodiments of the subject matter described herein relate to an anchor holder, which can be used for securing anchors to railway tracks. The anchor holder may be a component of a pivoting workhead assembly, which may pivot from a gauge position between the rails to a position beneath the rails towards the field side or outside of the track. The anchor holder may help to provide consistent and repeatable application of new and/or reused rail anchors.
Referring to
The anchor holder may include a hydraulic actuator 16 designed to be coupled to a hydraulic control system of the anchor application machine. The hydraulic actuator may be an assembly having a hydraulically actuated piston coupled to a gripper block 52 that selectively clamps a railway anchor. In one example, the gripper block may be a generally rectangular body that can attach through a pin or bolt to the piston. The gripper block can have a smooth or flat surface that can contact the top of the anchor. In some examples, the gripper block may have a textured surface that can contact the top of the anchor. In some embodiments, the anchor holder includes a backing pin 18 designed to contact the anchor. The backing pin 18 may be biased to exert a resilient return force on the anchor. In an example, the backing pin 18 exerts the resilient return force on the anchor in a first direction that is transverse to a second direction at which the gripper block exerts a clamp force on the anchor. Optionally, the first direction may be approximately (e.g., within 5 or 10 degrees) perpendicular to the second direction. The backing pin may be oriented perpendicular to the hydraulic actuator. For example, the backing pin may longitudinally extend along a pin axis, and the pin axis may be perpendicular to a reciprocal movement axis of the gripper block of the hydraulic actuator.
In some embodiments, the recessed seat may have a first contact surface 34 arranged below the hydraulic actuator. The recessed seat may have a second contact surface 36 located at a distal end of the first retaining wall. For example, the first contact surface may be located between the second contact surface and the back portion of the frame. The recessed seat may have a clearance surface 38 between the first and second contact surfaces. The clearance surface may have a curved shape.
Referring now to
During operation of a rail anchor application machine, an anchor can be received in the anchor holder from a magazine or delivery structure (not shown). The anchor may be received in the anchor holder while the anchor holder is at first position in which a bottom surface of the bottom portion is aligned parallel to the magazine. The anchor may contact a concave head of the backing pin upon delivery into the pocket and achieving a fully loaded position within the pocket. The concave head of the backing pin may provide a conformal surface to provide accurate positioning and retention of the anchor. The hydraulic actuator may clamp the anchor in the anchor holder via the gripping block. The first retaining wall can provide position constraint to the anchor in the anchor holder. The anchor holder may be pivoted about the pivot bore and lowered towards the rail to guide the anchor holder to a second position. At the second position, the bottom portion of the frame may align with the railway track. The rail anchor application machine may then apply a force for transferring the anchor from the anchor holder to the railway track. The anchor application machine may secure (e.g., clip) the anchor onto the railway track. The anchor holder can hold the anchor by applying a reaction force at the concave head and at the first contact surface and the second contact surface formed on the recessed seat. Once clamped, the anchor can be accurately and consistently positioned by the arrangement of the concave head, the gripping block, the first contact surface, and the second contact surface. The clearance surface can provide an unobstructed space for the anchor as the anchor is compressed during application to the railway track.
A control unit or controller (not shown) may be provided in some embodiments to implement the method and to control the various articulatable components and actuators such as the hydraulic actuator. A plurality of sensors may communicate operational data involving aspects of the operation to the controller. For example, a sensor may note that a workhead is ready to receive an anchor and the controller can move the workhead into position to receive the anchor, can initiate the deposition of the anchor into an anchor holder of the workhead of the anchor application machine, and the anchor holder can guide the anchor into position for installation. Another sensor may determine the placement of the anchor, and the controller can determine related operational aspects (and initiate action if such are correctly positioned) such as the presence of the anchor, the proper orientation and spacing of the anchor, the proper state of the ballast and rail, and the orientation of the anchor relative to the placement location. If an aspect is amiss, the controller can provide a signal that something needs to be fixed or changed, or may effectuate the needed change itself. Upon completion, the controller can receive signal sensors to ensure that the operation was completed successfully and properly. Otherwise, the controller can signal that there was an installation issue, or can try to fix the issue directly.
In one embodiment, the controller or systems described herein may have a local data collection system deployed and may use machine learning to enable derivation-based learning outcomes. The controllers may learn from and make decisions on a set of data (including data provided by the various sensors), by making data-driven predictions and adapting according to the set of data. In embodiments, machine learning may involve performing a plurality of machine learning tasks by machine learning systems, such as supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and reinforcement learning. Supervised learning may include presenting a set of example inputs and desired outputs to the machine learning systems. Unsupervised learning may include the learning algorithm structuring its input by methods such as pattern detection and/or feature learning. Reinforcement learning may include the machine learning systems performing in a dynamic environment and then providing feedback about correct and incorrect decisions. In examples, machine learning may include a plurality of other tasks based on an output of the machine learning system. In examples, the tasks may be machine learning problems such as classification, regression, clustering, density estimation, dimensionality reduction, anomaly detection, and the like. In examples, machine learning may include a plurality of mathematical and statistical techniques. In examples, the many types of machine learning algorithms may include decision tree based learning, association rule learning, deep learning, artificial neural networks, genetic learning algorithms, inductive logic programming, support vector machines (SVMs), Bayesian network, reinforcement learning, representation learning, rule-based machine learning, sparse dictionary learning, similarity and metric learning, learning classifier systems (LCS), logistic regression, random forest, K-Means, gradient boost, K-nearest neighbors (KNN), a priori algorithms, and the like. In embodiments, certain machine learning algorithms may be used (e.g., for solving both constrained and unconstrained optimization problems that may be based on natural selection). In an example, the algorithm may be used to address problems of mixed integer programming, where some components restricted to being integer-valued. Algorithms and machine learning techniques and systems may be used in computational intelligence systems, computer vision, Natural Language Processing (NLP), recommender systems, reinforcement learning, building graphical models, and the like. In an example, machine learning may be used making determinations, calculations, comparisons and behavior analytics, and the like.
In one embodiment, the controller may include a policy engine that may apply one or more policies. These policies may be based at least in part on characteristics of a given item of equipment or environment. With respect to control policies, a neural network can receive input of a number of environmental and task-related parameters. These parameters may include, for example, operational input regarding operating equipment, data from various sensors, location and/or position data, and the like. The neural network can be trained to generate an output based on these inputs, with the output representing an action or sequence of actions that the equipment or system should take to accomplish the goal of the operation. During operation of one embodiment, a determination can occur by processing the inputs through the parameters of the neural network to generate a value at the output node designating that action as the desired action. This action may translate into a signal that causes the vehicle to operate. This may be accomplished via backpropagation, feed forward processes, closed loop feedback, or open loop feedback. Alternatively, rather than using backpropagation, the machine learning system of the controller may use evolution strategies techniques to tune various parameters of the artificial neural network. The controller may use neural network architectures with functions that may not always be solvable using backpropagation, for example functions that are non-convex. In one embodiment, the neural network has a set of parameters representing weights of its node connections. A number of copies of this network are generated and then different adjustments to the parameters are made, and simulations are done. Once the output from the various models are obtained, they may be evaluated on their performance using a determined success metric. The best model is selected, and the vehicle controller executes that plan to achieve the desired input data to mirror the predicted best outcome scenario. Additionally, the success metric may be a combination of the optimized outcomes, which may be weighed relative to each other.
In one or more embodiments, a railway anchor holder is provided that has a frame configured to be coupled to an anchor application machine. In one example, the frame may include first and second walls that define a pocket therebetween configured to receive an anchor. The first wall defines a recessed seat configured to contact the anchor. In one example, the anchor holder may have a hydraulic actuator coupled to the second wall, the hydraulic actuator including a gripper block configured to be advanced towards the anchor that is in the pocket and to exert a clamp force on the anchor to secure the anchor between the gripper block and the recessed seat. In one example, the anchor holder may have a backing pin coupled to the frame and biased to exert a return force on the anchor. The return force exerted by the backing pin on the anchor can be in a transverse direction relative to the clamp force exerted by the gripper block on the anchor.
In one example, the anchor holder can include a chamfer surface formed on the second wall.
In one example of the anchor holder, the first wall is longer than the second retaining wall.
In one example, the anchor holder can include first and second shoulders flanking the pocket and configured to stop the hydraulic actuator.
In one example of the anchor holder, the hydraulic actuator can be an assembly having a hydraulically actuated piston coupled to a gripper block, wherein the gripper block can be configured to selectively clamp a railway anchor.
In one or more embodiments, for an anchor holder may have a frame having a top, back, and bottom, and a pivot bore formed in the back. In one example, the frame is adapted to receive a railway anchor in a first position and pivot and lower to guide the anchor to a second position. In one example, a hydraulic actuator arranged in the top of the frame, the hydraulic actuator arranged perpendicular to the pivot bore. In one example, the anchor holder may have a backing pin located and supported in the back between the pivot bore and the bottom, the backing pin aligned perpendicular to the hydraulic actuator, wherein the backing pin can have a first end provided with a concave head, a second end at a distal location from the first end, and a middle portion having a shoulder. The anchor holder can have a spring coupled to the shoulder and the back, a first retaining wall extending from the bottom towards the top and the back to form a side of the frame, wherein the first retaining wall has a recessed seat aligned along the bottom, the recessed seat aligned parallel to the backing pin. The anchor holder can have a second retaining wall located opposite to and aligned parallel with the first retaining wall on the frame, wherein the second retaining wall extends from the back to enclose the concave head of the backing pin within a pocket formed between the first retaining wall, the second retaining wall, and the back. In one example of the anchor holder, the recessed seat can have a first contact surface aligned to the hydraulic actuator, a second contact surface located at a distal end of the first retaining wall, and a clearance surface formed between the first and second contact surfaces.
In one example of the anchor holder, the first position of the anchor holder can correspond to the first retaining wall positioned above a railway tie.
In one example of the anchor holder, the second position of the anchor holder may correspond to the first retaining wall aligned to a railway tie.
In one example of the anchor holder, the first retaining wall is longer than the second retaining wall.
In one example, the anchor holder can include first and second shoulders flanking the pocket and configured to stop the hydraulic actuator.
In one example of the anchor holder, the hydraulic actuator can be an assembly comprising a hydraulically actuated piston coupled to a gripper block, wherein the gripper block is configured to selectively clamp.
In one or more embodiments, is a method including the steps of providing an anchor holder comprising a frame having a top, back, and bottom, the frame having a pivot bore formed in the back; receiving a railway anchor in the anchor holder at first position of the anchor holder, wherein the receiving of the railway anchor includes the railway anchor striking a first location of the anchor holder located on the back; clamping the railway anchor in the anchor holder at a second contact surface located on the top; pivoting the anchor holder to guide the anchor to a second position corresponding to the bottom of the frame aligned in proximity to the railway track; clipping the anchor onto a railway track; and applying a reaction force at the second contact surface, a third contact surface, and a fourth contact surface, wherein the third contact surface and the fourth contact surface are located on the bottom of the frame.
In one example of the method, the third contact surface can be on a first end of the bottom and the fourth contact surface is on an opposite end of the bottom.
In one example of the method, the anchor holder can include a hydraulic actuator arranged to perpendicular to the pivot bore, wherein the hydraulic actuator provides the second contact surface.
In one example of the method, the anchor holder can include a backing pin located and supported in the back between the pivot bore and the bottom, the backing pin aligned perpendicular to the hydraulic actuator, wherein the backing pin has a first end provided with a concave head, and wherein the backing pin provides the first contact surface.
In one example of the method, the anchor holder further comprises a spring coupled to the backing pin and the back, wherein the spring provides a dampening force to the anchor and a return force to the backing pin.
In one example of the method, the anchor holder can include a first retaining wall extending from the bottom towards the top and the back to form a side of the frame, wherein the first retaining wall has a recessed seat aligned along the bottom, the recessed seat aligned parallel to the backing pin, wherein the first retaining wall aligns the railway anchor when receiving.
In one example of the method, the anchor holder can include a second retaining wall located opposite to and aligned parallel with the first retaining wall on the frame, wherein the second retaining wall extends from the back to enclose a concave head of the backing pin within a pocket formed between the first retaining wall, the second retaining wall, and the back.
In one example of the method, the third contact surface may be located on the recessed seat aligned to the hydraulic actuator, the fourth contact surface can be located at a distal end of the first retaining wall, and a clearance surface can be formed between the third and fourth contact surfaces.
In one example, the method can include clamping the railway anchor further comprises applying a hydraulic force to the hydraulic actuator.
Use of phrases such as “one or more of . . . and,” “one or more of . . . or,” “at least one of . . . and,” and “at least one of . . . or” are meant to encompass including only a single one of the items used in connection with the phrase, at least one of each one of the items used in connection with the phrase, or multiple ones of any or each of the items used in connection with the phrase. For example, “one or more of A, B, and C,” “one or more of A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “at least one of A, B, or C” each can mean (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, (3) at least one C, (4) at least one A and at least one B, (5) at least one A, at least one B, and at least one C, (6) at least one B and at least one C, or (7) at least one A and at least one C.
As used herein, an element or step recited in the singular and preceded with the word “a” or “an” do not exclude the plural of said elements or operations, unless such exclusion is explicitly stated. Furthermore, references to “one embodiment” of the invention do not exclude the existence of additional embodiments that incorporate the recited features. Moreover, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, embodiments “comprising,” “comprises,” “including,” “includes,” “having,” or “has” an element or a plurality of elements having a particular property may include additional such elements not having that property. In the appended claims, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and “wherein.” Moreover, in the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc. are used merely as labels, and do not impose numerical requirements on their objects. Further, the limitations of the following claims are not written in means-plus-function format and are not intended to be interpreted based on 35 U.S.C. § 112(f), unless and until such claim limitations expressly use the phrase “means for” followed by a statement of function devoid of further structure.
The above description is illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described embodiments (and/or aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the subject matter without departing from its scope. While the dimensions and types of materials described herein define the parameters of the subject matter, they are exemplary embodiments. The scope of the subject matter should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
This written description uses examples to disclose several embodiments of the subject matter, including the best mode, and to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the embodiments of subject matter, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the subject matter is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to one of ordinary skill in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
This application is a non-provisional conversion of, and claims priority to, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/440,751, which was filed on 24 Jan. 2023, and the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63440751 | Jan 2023 | US |
