Patent GB-477671-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in route-setting systems for railways
IPC: B61L19/06
Filed: 1937-03-19
Abstract: 477,671. Route-setting apparatus for railways. , GENERAL RAILWAY SIGNAL CO. March 19, 1937, No. 8216. Convention date, March 20, 1936. [Class 105] The invention concerns apparatus in which the various points for a route are properly set and a signal for the desired direction of traffic is cleared by means of a relay individual to the route and energized when two freely operable manual devices pertaining to the two ends of the route are operated. According to the invention the manual devices for the entrance and exit are separate and distinctive ; an entrance device is provided in association with each signal giving entrance to a route and an exit device with each signal at the exit end of a route. The entrance and exit devices respectively may be rotary and press button switches on a panel track diagram which is also arranged to indicate track occupation and the setting of the points and also to indicate when the points are locked against operation. Two separate miniature diagrams may be used for the control and indications respectively. Where two alternative routes are available between the entrance and exit locations, one route is normally given preference but the inferior route is selected if the superior route is not possible ; the inferior route may be selected by operation of a lever. The apparatus may be arranged so that points not in the route are put to a position giving " de-rail " protection, that is, a conflicting train is diverted away from the route set up if such conflicting train over-runs its signal which of course is at danger. Directional route-locking relays are provided to release the rear points after a train has passed. In the drawings : Fig. 2 shows the panel diagram; Figs. 3A, 3B show the circuit arrangements for the route relays such as 50-101 for setting up the route from H to K, Fig. 2 ; Fig. 4A shows the circuits for the cabin points-control relays 1Z .. 6Z, Fig. 5 shows the control of the wayside signal and points from the cabin apparatus and the return indication means ; Fig. 6 shows the cabin portion and Figs. 7, 7A the wayside portion of the signal interlocking circuits ; Figs. 8A, 8B show the circuits for the locking of the points against operation. To set up a route from H to K a turn-button 101EB at the entrance end of the panel diagram and a push button 50WXB at the exit end are operated. As a result the route relay 50- 101, Figs. 3A, 3B, is picked up by a circuit from + ve, front contact 215, winding of relay 50-101, back contact 211 of a conflicting route relay 50-90, back contact 212 of the entrance button 50EB for the opposite direction, depressed exit button contact 50WXB to -ve. The relay 50-101 then sticks by a connection to -ve over its polar contact 214 at the left hand and its front contact 213. Relay 50- 101 being thus energized a front contact 240, Fig. 4A, energizes the reverse winding of the cabin points control relay 6Z. Relay 6Z with its contacts thus put to the left hand, Fig. 5, causes by its contact 241 a field points-control relay 6WZ to put its contacts 246, 247 to the left thereby to energize the points machine 6SM to move the points to the reverse position. A contact 253 of the relay 6Z causes a panel tongue-indicator 6ts to move to show the points at reverse, and a contact 254 lights a background lamp 6LK behind such tongue. It should be noted that if a relay 6L is deenergized the points are locked against operation and that if the relay 6Z is then operated it must subsequently be returned into its first position (to pick up relay 6LP) before operation of the points is possible when the relay 6L is again energized. During movement of the points a lamp 6CL is lit over back contact 252 of the cabin points repeater relay 6WPP. This lamp is further lit as soon as relay 6Z is operated since contact 255 at the left will light the lamp until contact 256 is at the left. With the points at reverse the cabin relay 6WPP and a field relay 6RCR (denoting correspondence of the points with its control relay 6WZ) are energized and a circuit is now completed from B+, Fig. 6, front and left hand contacts 257, 258 of the relay 50-101, and left-hand contact 259 of the relay 6WPP to the wire 239, Figs. 7A, 7B, and so to the winding of a relay 101GZ and back contact 260 to terminal CN. The relay 100GZ is thereafter connected to terminal CN over its stick contact 261. A circuit is now completed from +ve, Fig. 7B, through front contact 262 of the relay 101GZ, winding of a relay 101RR, front contact 263 of the relay 6RCR, back contact 264 of relay 6L (now de-energized as later described so that the points are now locked against operation), winding of a relay 50ERR, back contact 265, wire 272, back contact 273 of a relay 50WRR, to -ve. The signal 101, Fig. 5, is now cleared by the energization of a relay 101G over front contacts 218, 219 of the relays 101GZ, 101RR. It will be seen that the clearing of the signal does not occur till the points have been locked against operation, since the relay 101RR cannot be energized till the relay 6L is dropped. The energization of the relay 50ERR, Fig. 7B, prevents a relay 50EGZ being picked up to clear the signal 50E for the opposite direction. The clearing of the signal 101 is indicated in the cabin by a relay 101GR lighting a lamp 101SK in the core of the entrance button 101EB. The de-energization of the lock relays such as 6L is effected by the relays such a 101GZ which is energized as soon as the points have responded. When the relay 101GZ is energized it opens its back contact 378, Fig. 8B, whereby a directional route locking relay 9WS is de-energized. The open front contact 383, Fig. 8A, of the relay 9WS deenergizes the lock relay 6L. If the signal is returned to the danger aspect while a vehicle is still on the section of track relay 9T, the relay 9WS will not be picked up until the section is free and so allows contact 381 to close. So long as the relay 6L is de-energized the cabin relay 6LP is de-energized and a back contact 278 thereof lights the lamp 6LK to indicate that the points cannot be operated. If the operator now desires the train approaching location K to proceed to B he turns the entrance button 50EB to the left and depresses the exit button 20XB. There are two possible routes, either by the cross-over indicated on the panel as 3ts or by the cross-over similarly denoted by Its. The route by 3ts is given preference by the circuit arrangement shown in Fig. 3A, where it will be seen that the closure of the front contact 279 of button 50EB and of the depressed contact 20XB tends to energize two route relays 20- 50 (3TS) and 20-50(1TS) but that the relay 20-50(1TS) has its circuit opened when contact 291 of the relay 20-50(3TS) lifts. Relay 20-50(3TS) alone being thus energized causes the relays 1Z, 2Z, Fig. 4A, to be energized normally and relays 3Z, 4Z to be energized reversely. The relays 3Z, 2Z, 1Z are required for the route while the relay 4Z gives de-rail protection since a train overrunning the stop signal at C would be diverted on to the branch leading to location D. If a route is already set up which would conflict with the " superior " of two alternative routes (between two locations) then the " inferior " route is automatically selected. For instance if a route from A to F has been set up a route relay 10-40S (actually in this case a stick relay) is energized and its open back contact 286 prevents the route relay 20-50 (3TS) being energized when it is desired to set up the route K to B contemporaneously. However, the route relay 20- 50(1TS) can be energized and this relay sets up the " inferior " route via the cross-over denoted by 1ts. So long as the relay 20- 50(1TS) is energized a front contact 294 energizes a slow-lift relay 20-50 SEL whereby a contact 280 is opened to prevent the " superior " route relay 20-50(3TS) being energized. The relay 10-40S may also be energized by lever contacts 437, 438 of a lever ISML, Fig. 2, and thereby the " inferior " route is manually selected. The stick circuit of the relay 10-40S is not opened until the lock repeater relay 2LP is re-energized to open back contact 415, that is to say, the " superior " route cannot be prepared while a vehicle sent over the " inferior route is still in the region of any points common to the two routes. The separate and distinctive entrance and exit buttons at a given location may be provided by a rotatable button (for entrance) with a depressible core (for exit), the lamp being housed interiorly of the core. Call-on signals may be given by reversely energizing a GZ relay such as 50EGZ, Fig. 9 (not shown). This reverse energization is effected by giving an additional angular movement to the entrance button 50EB. The points may be individually operated by the levers such as 1SML, 6SML provided that the points are not included in a route already set up ; if the latter condition exists then both windings N, R of the points control relay 1Z or 6Z are energized and as these windings are differentially wound the relay is inoperative. Specifications 169,795, [Class 105], 440,048, and 440,765 are referred to.