Anchoring systems and methods

Abstract

An anchoring system and method includes a guide rail having a rail body that includes a track that has a different width at a first end of the rail body than at a second end of the rail body. An applicator assembly includes a linkage system and an anchor system. The linkage system includes rollers that are disposed within the track of the guide rail. The applicator assembly moves in a first direction based on movement of the rollers within the track. The linkage system includes an extension component having a contoured surface that engages a first side of a rail. The anchor system moves in a first direction of rotation toward a second side of the rail and the extension component moves in a second direction of rotation toward the first side of the rail during an application operation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 a guide rail having a rail body extending between a first end and a second end, the rail body including surfaces defining a track extending between the first end and the second end of the rail body, the track having a different width at the first end of the rail body than at the second end of the rail body; and   an applicator assembly comprising a linkage system and an anchor system operably coupled with the linkage system, the linkage system including rollers configured to be disposed between the surfaces of the track of the guide rail, the applicator assembly configured to move in a first direction based on movement of the rollers within the track of the rail body,   the linkage system including an extension component having a contoured surface configured to engage a first side of a rail, and   the anchor system configured to move in a first direction of rotation toward a second side of the rail that is opposite the first side of the rail, and the extension component configured to move in a second direction of rotation toward the first side of the rail during an application operation of the applicator assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the applicator assembly is configured to apply an anchor to the rail during the application operation of the applicator assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the extension component is configured to exert a first force onto the first side of the rail and the anchor system is configured to exert a second force onto the second side of the rail during the application operation of the applicator assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the extension component is a first extension component and the contoured surface is a first contoured surface, the linkage system further comprising a second extension component having a second contoured surface, wherein the first extension component and the second extension component are configured to move in the second direction of rotation toward the first side of the rail, wherein the first and second contoured surfaces are configured to engage the first side of the rail during the application operation of the applicator assembly. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a width of the track at the first end of the rail body is smaller than a width of the track at the second end of the rail body. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a width of the track at the second end of the rail body is greater than a size of the rollers of the linkage system. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the rollers includes a first roller disposed proximate the first end of the track and a second roller disposed proximate the second end of the track, wherein the second roller is configured to move away from one of the surfaces defining the track during the application operation of the applicator assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the contoured surface of the extension component is shaped based at least in part on a shape of the first side of the rail. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the contoured surface of the extension component is configured to engage one or more surfaces of the first side of the rail during the application operation of the applicator assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the guide rail is a first guide rail, and further comprising a second guide rail having a second rail body extending between a third end and a fourth end, the second rail body including surfaces defining a second track extending between the third end and the fourth end of the second rail body, wherein the first guide rail and the second guide rail are positioned such that the track of the first guide rail faces towards the second track of the second guide rail. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the linkage system includes a first roller and a second roller of the rollers that are disposed between the surfaces of the track of the first guide rail, and the linkage system includes a third roller and a fourth roller of the rollers that are disposed between the surfaces of the second track of the second guide rail. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , the applicator assembly further comprising one or more actuators extending between the linkage system and the anchor system, wherein the one or more actuators are configured to control movement of the anchor system relative to the linkage system. 
     
     
         13 . A method, comprising:
 moving an applicator assembly in a first direction based on movement of rollers of a linkage system of the applicator assembly within a track of a rail body of a guide rail, the rail body extending between a first end and a second end, the rail body include surfaces defining the track extending between the first end and the second end of the rail body, the applicator assembly comprising a linkage system and an anchor system operably coupled with the linkage system, the linkage system including an extension component having an a contoured surface configured to engage a first side of a rail;   rotating the anchor system of the applicator assembly in a first direction of rotation towards a second side of the rail during an application operation of the applicator assembly; and   rotating the extension component of the linkage system in a second direction of rotation towards the first side of the rail during the application operation of the applicator assembly.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 exerting a first force onto the first side of the rail with the contoured surface of the extension component during the application operation of the applicator assembly; and   exerting a second force onto the second side of the rail with the anchor system during the application operation of the applicator assembly.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the track has a different width at the first end of the rail body than at the second end of the rail body. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein a width of the track at the second end of the rail body is greater than a size of the rollers of the linkage system. 
     
     
         17 . An anchoring system, comprising:
 a first guide rail having a first rail body extending between a first end and a second end, the first rail body including surfaces defining a first track extending between the first end and the second end of the first rail body;   a second guide rail having a second rail body extending between a third end and a fourth end, the second rail body including surfaces defining a second track extending between the third end and the fourth end of the second rail body, wherein the first guide rail and the second guide rail are positioned such that the first track of the first guide rail faces towards the second track of the second guide rail; and   an applicator assembly comprising a linkage system and an anchor system operably coupled with the linkage system, the linkage system including plural rollers, wherein a first roller and a second roller of the plural rollers are configured to be disposed between the surfaces of the first track of the first guide rail, wherein a third roller and a fourth roller of the plural rollers are configured to be disposed between the surfaces of the second track of the second guide rail, wherein the applicator assembly is configured to move in a first direction based on movement of the first and second rollers within the first track of the first rail body and based on movement of the third and fourth rollers within the second track of the second rail body,   the linkage system including one or more extension components, each of the one or more extension components having a contoured surface configured to engage a first side of a rail,   the anchor system configured to move in a first direction of rotation toward a second side of the rail during an application operation of the applicator assembly, and   the one or more extension components configured to move in a second direction of rotation toward the first side of the rail so that the contoured surface of each of the one or more extension components engage one or more surfaces of the first side of the rail during the application operation of the applicator assembly.   
     
     
         18 . The anchoring system of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more extension components are configured to exert a first force onto the first side of the rail, and the anchor system is configured to exert a second force onto the second side of the rail during the application operation of the applicator assembly. 
     
     
         19 . The anchoring system of  claim 17 , wherein the contoured surfaces of one or more of the extension components include a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion of the contoured surface is configured to engage a first surface of the first side of the rail and the second portion of the contoured surface is configured to engage a second surface of the rail during the application operation of the applicator assembly. 
     
     
         20 . The anchoring system of  claim 17 , wherein a width of the first track of the first rail body at the second end of the first rail body is greater than a width of the first track of the first rail at the first end of the first rail body, and a width of the second track of the second rail body at the fourth end of the second rail body is greater than a width of the second track of the second rail at the third end of the second rail body.