Patent GB-362542-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to single line railway systems
IPC: B61L23/24
Filed: 1930-09-16
Abstract: 362,542. Railway staff, tablet, or like traffic controlling systems. PUNTER, J. W., 44, Valkyrie Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, and TYER & CO., Ltd., Ashwin Street, Dalston, London. Sept. 16, 1930, No. 27643. [Class 105.] In a staff, tablet, or like system there is provided as an authority for occupation of the line for repairs or other operations a single portable apparatus which is adapted to be placed on any one of a plurality of supports in the section and cannot be released from a support until the staff instruments are normal and when released prevents the staff instruments being used for the passage of a train until the apparatus is again placed on a support and an irremovable key located at each support has been inserted and locked in the apparatus. As shown in Fig. 1, tablet instruments A<1>, A<2> (parts relevant to the present invention only being shown) have associated therewith a rotary switch C, controlled by an electromagnetic lock J, which effects the interlocking of the portable apparatus D and the tablet instruments. To release the apparatus D a normal current is sent over line wire 5 and switch contacts 6, 7 to a polarized relay I which closes contacts i<1>, i<2> and permits a battery B<1> (switch C having now been moved to position 2) to energize the locking magnet J over contacts 10, 11 so that the switch C can be moved to position 4 where a battery B2 now applies its pole to a line wire 20 over contacts 14, 13. The line wire 20 being alive energizes, when the partially turned key of the apparatus D has moved its bolt H to position 2 to bridge the contacts 23, 25, a.lock magnet K so that the bolt H can be fully retracted and the apparatus then be removed from the irremovable key F and its support G. To permit return to staff working the apparatus D is replaced and the bolt H fully shot to bridge the contacts 27, 28 whereby its battery B<3> applies its pole to the line wire 20 and, the switch C being in position 3, energizes a magnet L the contact l<1> of which closes a circuit from the battery B<1> to the lock magnet J so that the switch C can be restored to the normal position 1. Fig. 3 shows a staff system and an occupation apparatus D<1> which includes a telephone T. The occupation apparatus is to be secured to the supports G<1> by the irremovable keys F<1>. To release the apparatus D<1> the staffs must be in the instruments so that an instrument contact 98 and contacts 95, 96 bridged by the dropped lock arm of the staff instrument permit, on depression of a button W, a battery B<6> to apply its negative pole to a line wire 48 which energizes the polarized lock magnet O of the apparatus D<1> and allows the' irremovable key to be turned to release the apparatus from its support; the circuit from line wire 48 is: wire 49, contacts 50, 53, 55, 56, wire 57, contacts 58, 104, 106, 107 (bridged when the key is at the intermediate position, Fig. 4), polarized lock magnet O, wire 109, contacts 110, 37, wire 38, contacts 39, 40, 42, 43, to earth. To permit return to staff working, the apparatus is replaced and the key fully turned to the position shown in Fig. 5 so that on turning a handle N to the left a battery B<4> applies its negative pole to the line wire 48 over the circuit : wire 49, contacts 50, 53, 55, 56, wire 57, contacts 58, 59 ; the positive pole is earthed over the circuit : wires 31, 32, contacts 33, 34 (bridged when the lock arm is dropped), contacts 36, 37, wire 38, contacts 39, 40, 42, 43, and wire 44. The current energizes a polarized relay P to close (the current being negative) a contact p<1> over which a further polarized relay Q is picked up. The relay Q is then energized by a stick circuit from a battery B<5> over a staff instrument contact 63 and its own contact 61. The instruments are now in condition for staff working. To obtain a staff a negative current must be sent from the distant, station over the line wire 67 to close, by means of a polarized relay R, a contact 69 so that current can flow from battery B<5> over wire 70, contact 69, wire 71, contact 66 of stick relay Q, and staff instrument contact 72, 73 to magnet S which releases the lock arm on the cam U and a staff can be withdrawn. Withdrawal of the staff changes over the instrument contacts and depression of the signalling plunger Z would send a negative current to the distant station. To reinsert the staff a negative current must be sent from the distant station to close the contact 69 of the polarized relay R and thereby to energize the staff instrument magnet S from battery B<5> over contact 69, wires 71, 91 and staff instrument contact 93, 73. For telephone ringing a positive current is applied to the line 48 by turning the handle N to the right.