Nordco Inc.

Steiner Turf Equipment, Inc.

David Sean Johnsen

William D Straub

Bruce M Boczkiewicz

Robert M Weber

Mathias M Hendriks

Wilhelmus J Hendriks

Johannes G Hendriks

Emanuel A Hendriks

Gerald L Douglas

Donald Christopher Noll

Leary C Peterson

Frank R Pohlman, Jr

A numerically-controlled robotic manipulator arm mounted to a sod harvester comprises two segments pivotally coupled together. One segment is rotatably coupled to a fixed base on the harvester while the second segment carries a pick-up head which can turn with respect to the segment. The pick-up head is capable of picking up, holding, and releasing sod rolls. The arm is programmable so that a variety of configurations of stacked sod rolls can be achieved.

Robotic sod stacker

A rail plate handling device is provided for removing plates located on rail ties on a railroad track having a pair of rails, and includes a frame configured for movement relative to the track, at least one tie plate gripping assembly mounted to the frame, the assembly configured for grasping a selected tie plate, pulling the plate away from the rail and away from the tie, and subsequently releasing the plate onto the track. The device is mounted upon a cart which is movable on the track, and features gripping assemblies for working on both rails. A tie jack is preferably provided for ensuring the release of the tie from the gripped plate. Still another feature of the present device is a plate height mechanism associated with each gripping assembly for ensuring that the gripping assembly engages the plates at the proper height.

Plate handling system and a method of removing plates from rail ties

A riding rail tie plugging apparatus for plugging spike holes in ties on a railroad track includes a frame provided with wheels for supporting and moving the frame along the track. At least one reservoir is disposed in operational relationship to the frame for dispensing a supply of chemical tie-plugging solution. At least one applicator gun is in fluid communication with the at least one reservoir for dispensing the solution into the holes. At least one operator station is on the frame in operational relationship to the track and to the at least one applicator gun so that the at least one applicator gun is directly positionable by an operator disposed at the station for dispensing the epoxy solution into selected ones of the holes.

Riding rail tie plugging apparatus

A combined tie extractor and plate remover for railroad track maintenance includes a frame configured for movement along the track and having a first side corresponding to a first side of the track and a second side corresponding to a second side of the track, each side of the track having a corresponding rail. A rail lifting apparatus associated with the frame is configured for lifting a selected one of the first and second rails away from the track. A plate remover assembly associated with the frame is configured for grasping and removing tie plates associated with each side of the track from a selected tie. At least one tie extracting assembly is disposed on the frame for extracting the gripped tie transversely relative to the track in conjunction with the removal of the tie plates.

Combined tie extractor and plate remover for rail maintenance

A railway maintenance device movable on a railroad track having a pair of spaced rails, the device including a frame configured for movement relative to the track and having at least two side members. At least one track contacting element is associated with at least one of the sides. An adjustment mechanism is provided for adjusting the relative position of at least one of the track contacting elements to the frame to thus position the frame relative to the rails. The device preferably includes a fluid power cylinder associated with each track contacting element to control the position of the wheel relative to the frame, as well as a stop mechanism for adjustably limiting the pivoting action of the contacting element relative to the frame, and thus control the displacement of the element.

Railroad machine centering system

A bulk loader conveys rigid, stick-like articles in bulk. The bulk loader has a bin for holding a plurality of the articles and a trough connected to a bin having an entrance portion for receiving the articles from the bin and a discharge portion for discharging the articles. An auger, with an inlet end and an outlet end, is rotatably positioned in the trough so that the inlet end is positioned near the entrance portion and the outlet end is positioned near the discharge portion. Upon rotation of the auger, the auger conveys the articles from the entrance portion to the discharge portion. The trough is constructed and arranged to prevent conveyed articles from becoming jammed between said auger and said trough.

Bulk spike loading system

A system for detecting targets and for positioning at least one work module over a particular target to perform a task thereon. The system includes a movable machine having a main frame, a drive mechanism for propelling the machine across a base surface, a sensor associated with the machine for detecting locations of at least one target positioned on said base surface, and an encoder assembly associated with the machine for obtaining motion data. The motion data includes at least one of the displacement and velocity of the machine across the base surface. Also included is a control unit for receiving the target locations from the sensor, for receiving the motion data from the encoder assembly, for determining a target distance for the drive mechanism to propel the machine such that the work module is generally aligned with a particular target in a target area, and for creating a destination signal indicating when the work module is operationally aligned with the target area.

Growing community of inventors

Wauwatosa, WI, United States of America

David Sean Johnsen