Patent ID: 6543118
Filing Date: 2003-04-08
Classification: B23B,B23P,B23Q,B27F,E01B,Y10T

Abstract:
The method of fastening a plate to a cross-tie, comprising the steps of:a) providing a railroad cross-tie pre-plating system for fastening a rail plate to a cross-tie, comprising: a generally horizontal conveyor having first and second ends, and a medial area generally therebetween: a pre-plating apparatus situated adjacent to said horizontal conveyor, said pre-plating apparatus further comprising: cross-tie manipulation means for appropriate positioning of said cross-tie in the vicinity of said pre-plating apparatus; b) loading a tie upon said horizontal conveyor, providing a loaded tie; c) aligning said loaded tie under a boring apparatus; d) forming pilot bores into said aligned, loaded tie with said boring apparatus, providing a bored tie; e) conveying said bored tie to a pre-plating apparatus; f) positioning said cross-tie in the vicinity of said pre-plating apparatus utilizing said cross-tie manipulation means; g) utilizing a template having first and second plate trays formed therein to align said bored tie such that said first and second plate trays are adjacent to the ends of first and second plate conveyors, respectively; h) dispensing first and second plates from said first and second plate conveyors such that said first and second plates fall into said first and second plate trays, respectively, and rest upon said bored tie such that at least some of apertures formed in said dispensed plates are aligned with said pilot bores formed in said bored tie; i) fastening said dispensed plates to said tie by applying a fastener through said apertures formed in said plates aligned with said pilot bores formed in said tie, providing a pre-plated tie; j) dispensing said pre-plated tie from said horizontal conveyor.