Patent GB-711239-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to axle-counting installations
IPC: B61L1/16
Filed: 1951-10-31
Abstract: 711,239. Counting-apparatus. SIEMENS & HALSKE AKT.-GES. Oct. 31, 1951 [Jan. 6, 1949], No. 25504/51. Class 106 (1). [Also in Group XXX] A device for signalling that a particular track section is tree by counting the axles of trains which enter and leave the section, there being provided at the ends of the section counting points comprising impulse transmitters from which impulses are liable to be transmitted simultaneously and which effects a counting-in or a counting-out of the axles in a counting device in accordance with the direction in which they the travelled over, is characterized by two storage devices which are provided between each counting point and the counting device, one of which storage devices receives only counting-in impulses, while the other receives only counting- out impulses, these impulses not being transmitted to the counting device until this device is ready to receive impulses, at least one finder for connecting the counting device to the storage devices, the position of which finder is only changed when at least one impulse has been stored in a storage device which is not already connected to the counting device for the purpose of extracting the impulses. The arrangement is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1 and comprises a main track section 1, switch points 2, 3, subsidiary tracks 4, 5 and impulse centres 11, 12, 13, 14 at each of which two sets of impulses are generated in accordance with the number of axles passing said centre to enter or leave the track section 1. The first set of impulses from each centre 11, 12, 13, 14 are sent to a corresponding " counting-in " storage device 21, 22, 23, 24 and the second set to a corresponding " counting- out" storage device 31, 32, 33, 34. The storage devices 21-24, 31-34 are arranged in pairs. Each storage device 21-24 is connected to a segment contact of a contact bank 41 of a finder switch S and each storage device 31-34 to a segment contact of a contact bank 42 of the finder switch S. The switch S is actuated, as described later, to successively connect each storage device to appropriate counters comprising step-by-step switches Z51, Z52 which are therefore moved by as many steps as there are impulses stored in each storage device. The corresponding contacts of the switches Z51, Z52 are interconnected and the wipers are connected to a relay G60 which is energized when the " counting-in " switch Z51 and the " counting-out " switch Z52 register the same number, i.e. when the track section 1 is clear. The circuit arrangement of the third pair of storage devices 23, 33 each comprising two step-by-step switches A, B and their associated finder and counting switch S and Z respectively is shown in Fig. 2. A switch magnet 15 of the switch A receives impulses through a contact 131 actuated by the impulse centre 13, Fig. 1, and moves its wiper 155, Fig. 2, by as many steps as axles that have entered the track section 1 past the centre 13. A wiper 255 of the switch B is moved forward, as described later, by steps to catch up with the wiper 155 and for each step, the wiper 155 of the " counting-in " mechanism Z is also stepped forward. At the same time the wiper 525 of the " counting-out " mechanism Z is stepped-on in accordance with the number of axles leaving the track section 1 past the centre 13. Operation.-As an axle passes the centre 13, Fig. 1, into the track section 1, a contact 131, Fig. 2, is closed, the magnet 15 of the switch A is energized and the wiper 155 moves forward one step. The winding 35 of a testing relay P is thereby de-energized whereupon contacts 351, 352 are closed and contact 353 is opened so that the circuit of the relay 60 is broken, the third segment contact of the finder switch S is made alive and the winding 61 of a control relay H is energized. The contact 611 of the relay H is closed to energize the magnet 41 of the finder switch S, the wipers 415, 416 are moved on one step and the contact 411 is opened to de-energize the winding 61 whereupon the contact 611 is again opened to de-energize the magnet 41 whereupon the contact 411 is again closed and the winding 61 of the relay H is re-energized to close the contact 611 and re-energize the magnet 41 and move the wipers 415, 416 another step to the live contact. The winding 81 of a relay E is energized so that contact 811 is opened and contact 812 is closed, the winding 61 is deenergized and contact 611 opened so that the finder switch S remains stationary. The closing of contact 812 allows energizing of the windings 71I, 71II of a relay V which closes contact 712 to delay its release and opens contact 711. Contact 814 is closed to energize the magnet 51 of the " counting-in " mechanism Z the wiper 515 of which is moved one step, and contact 813 is closed so that the magnet 25 of relay B is energized to open contact 251 and step-on the wiper 255. The relays B and E then act as automatic circuit breakers and each time the winding 25 is energized the wipers 255 and 515 are stepped forward until the wiper 255 reaches the same contact as the wiper 155 and the winding 35 is energized, ie. until all the stored impulses have been taken out. The contacts 351, 352 are opened and relay winding 81 is de-energized to close contacts 811 and open contacts 812. In the same way the wiper 525 of the " counting-out " mechanism Z is stepped-on until all'the impulses stored on the wiper 165 have been taken out. The opening of contact 351 will de-energize the winding 61 of relay H unless a circuit is established thereto through one of the lines 90, 91, 92 by the closing of a contact 351 of another storage device whereupon the operation continues as above until all the impulses are counted. The relay E has a shorter response time than the relay H to prevent the finder S from moving when impulses enter a storage device to which the finder is connected. The step-by-step switches may be replaced by relay chains.