Machine for driving tie plugs

Claim 1

A RAILWAY TIE HOLE-PLUGGING MACHINE COMPRISING A VEHICLE ADAPTED TO TRAVEL ALONG A RAILWAY FROM WHICH ONE RAIL HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE TIES, LEAVING SPIKE HOLES IN THOSE END PORTIONS OF THE TIE FROM WHICH THE OTHER RAIL WAS REMOVED, SAID VEHICLE INCLUDING A FRAME AND MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE SAME UPON AT LEAST THE REMAINING RAIL, A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY DISPOSED DRIVING HEAD SECURED TO THE VEHICLE FRAME FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE SUPPORTING MEANS AND SO SPACED FROM SAID SUPPORTING MEANS THAT WHEN THE SAME IS IN SUPPORTING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ONE RAIL IT IS OVER AND ADJACENT THE OTHER END OF THE TIE, SAID DRIVING HEAD COMPRISING A VERTICALLY DISPOSED CYLINDER A PISTON POSITIONED THEREIN, A PISTON ROD OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID PISTON, MEANS CARRIED ON SAID VEHICLE FOR SUPPLYING FLUID UNDER PRESSURE, VALVE CONTROLLED CONDUITS LEADING FROM SAID FLUID PRESSURE SUPPLYING MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY SUPPLYING FLUID TO OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID PISTON TO CAUSE RECIPROCATION OF SAID PISTON AND PISTON ROD, A VERTICALLY DISPOSED MAGAZINE POSITIONED ADJACENT SAID CYLINDER FOR HOLDING A PLURALITY OF HEADLESS TIE PLUGS IN END TO END RELATION, MEANS FOR LATERALLY TRANSFERRING THE HEADLESS PLUGS, ONE AT A TIME FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID MAGAZINE TO A POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID PISTON ROD WHEN THE SAME IS IN AN UPPER POSITION, MEANS MOUNTING THE DRIVING HEAD FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID SUPPORTING MEANS TO ENABLE ALIGNMENT OF THE PLUG TO BE DRIVEN AND THE TIE HOLE WHEREBY WHEN SAID PISTON MOVES DOWNWARDLY THE PISTON ROD ENGAGES THE HEADLESS TIE PLUG AND DRIVES THE SAME DOWNWARDLY INTO THE ALIGNED SPIKE HOLE.