Machine for inserting ties beneath a railroad track

Claim 1

A machine for inserting ties beneath a railroad track, comprising: a. an on-track vehicle for movement along the track, b. a tie clamp mechanism including jaw means for grasping an end of a tie and holding said tie firmly against movement relative to the mechanism, and c. means mounting said tie clamp mechanism on the vehicle laterally of a side of the track, including first means for controlling the location of said mechanism and second means for controlling the orientation of said mechanism for moving said mechanism from a first position in which it is horizontally oriented and inwardly located above the track for receiving and grasping an end of a tie resting on the track rails, through a second position in which said mechanism is outwardly located upwardly and away from the track for drawing the grasped tie off the rails and beyond the side of the track and is oriented to tilt the tie downwardly to bring the inward end thereof into position for insertion beneath the track, to a final position in which said mechanism is horizontally oriented and inwardly located below the rails for insertion of the tie, d. wherein said first means for controlling the location of the tie clamp mechanism comprise i. main plate means mounted on said vehicle, ii. a boom pivotally mounted at one end on said main plate means about a first axis, iii. a jib pivotally mounted on a remote end of said boom about a second axis, iv. means pivotally mounting said tie clamp mechanism on a lower portion of said jib about a third axis, and v. means for pivoting said jib about said boom and said boom about Said plate means to move the tie clamp mechanism between its said positions, e. and wherein said second means for controlling the orientation of the tie clamp mechanism comprise vi. actuating means mounted on said main plate means, and vii. a pantograph linkage system pivotally connected at one end to a portion of said tie clamp mechanism displaced from said third axis, and connected at its other end to said actuating means for controlling the orientation of said mechanisms, viii. said pantograph linkage system including members pivotally mounted to rotate about said first and second axes whereby control of the orientation of said mechanism is independent of the location thereof.