Railway anchor application tool

Abstract

Provided herein is a railway anchor holder for a to machinery used for applying anchors to rail ties. The anchor holder can have a frame having a pivot bore formed therein. In one example, the railway anchor holder can have a hydraulic actuator arranged in the top of the frame. The railway anchor holder can include a first retaining forming a side of the frame, wherein the first retaining wall has a recessed seat aligned along the bottom. The railway anchor holder can have a second retaining wall located opposite to and aligned parallel with the first retaining wall on the frame. The recessed seat may have a first contact surface aligned with 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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An anchor holder comprising:
 a frame configured to be coupled to an anchor application machine, the frame including first and second walls that define a pocket therebetween configured to receive an anchor, the first wall defining a recessed seat configured to contact the anchor;   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; and   a backing pin coupled to the frame and biased to exert a return force on the anchor, wherein the return force exerted by the backing pin on the anchor is in a transverse direction relative to the clamp force exerted by the gripper block on the anchor.   
     
     
         2 . The anchor holder of  claim 1 , further comprising a chamfer surface formed on the second wall. 
     
     
         3 . The anchor holder of  claim 1 , wherein the first wall is longer than the second wall. 
     
     
         4 . The anchor holder of  claim 1 , further comprising first and second shoulders flanking the pocket and configured to stop the hydraulic actuator. 
     
     
         5 . The anchor holder of  claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic actuator is an assembly comprising a hydraulically actuated piston coupled to a gripper block, wherein the gripper block is configured to selectively clamp a railway anchor. 
     
     
         6 . An anchor holder comprising:
 a frame having a top, back, and bottom, and a pivot bore formed in the back, the frame adapted to receive a railway anchor in a first position and pivot and lower to guide the anchor to a second position;   a hydraulic actuator arranged in the top of the frame, the hydraulic actuator arranged perpendicular to the pivot bore;   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, a second end at a distal location from the first end, and a middle portion having a shoulder;   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;   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; and   wherein the recessed seat has 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.   
     
     
         7 . The anchor holder of  claim 6 , wherein the first position of the anchor holder corresponds to the first retaining wall positioned above a railway tie. 
     
     
         8 . The anchor holder of  claim 6 , wherein the second position of the anchor holder corresponds to the first retaining wall aligned to a railway tie. 
     
     
         9 . The anchor holder of  claim 7 , wherein the first retaining wall is longer than the second retaining wall. 
     
     
         10 . The anchor holder of  claim 6 , further comprising first and second shoulders flanking the pocket and configured to stop the hydraulic actuator. 
     
     
         11 . anchor holder of  claim 6 , wherein the hydraulic actuator is an assembly comprising a hydraulically actuated piston coupled to a gripper block, wherein the gripper block is configured to selectively clamp. 
     
     
         12 . A method comprising:
 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, wherein the receiving of the railway anchor includes the railway anchor striking a first contact surface 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 a railway track;   clipping the anchor onto the 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.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the third contact surface is on a first end of the bottom and the fourth contact surface is on an opposite end of the bottom. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the anchor holder further comprises a hydraulic actuator arranged to perpendicular to the pivot bore, wherein the hydraulic actuator provides the second contact surface. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the anchor holder further comprises 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. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein 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. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the anchor holder further comprises 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. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the anchor holder further comprises 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. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the third contact surface is located on the recessed seat aligned to the hydraulic actuator, the fourth contact surface is located at a distal end of the first retaining wall, and a clearance surface is formed between the third and fourth contact surfaces. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein clamping the railway anchor further comprises applying a hydraulic force to the hydraulic actuator.