Patent GB-1159018-A (GB)
Title: Hump-Shunting Installations.
IPC: B61L17/00
Filed: 1966-12-06
Abstract: 1,159,018. Hump yard control system. SIEMENS A.G. 6 Dec., 1966 [13 Sept., 1965], No. 54627/66. Heading B7M. In a hump yard control system, routing orders for each cut of vehicles are stored in a work store and the information relating to the required position of each set of points is made available, as the cut approaches the points, under the control of a stepping register, which interrogates in turn a control device associated with each set of points, and a criterion store which identifies the required information in the work store. In the arrangement described five sets of points are passed by each cut in moving from the hump to its allocated siding and before operations commence routing orders for each cut of a train are coded in binary form, " 1 " for the left position of a points and " 0 " for the right position, and the resulting five digit words are fed to a train store ZS. The system is controlled by an order seeking register ASR having the same number of stages as there are sets of points in the system and this is driven through its stages by pulses from controller AST. In each position of the register the control device of the associated set of points is interrogated to determine whether the points, e.g. WA are clear and a cut is present in an approach section ZW to the points and in addition the information in a criterion store including store units LZS, KS, SZ and VB, is modified so that if the control device for the set of points returns a demand signal the required points setting is easily found and made available. When the first cut is in the approach to the first set of points the control unit associated with these points issues a demand signal in response to an interrogation signal from register ASR. This demand signal on line L5 stops the issue of further stepping pulses to the register and causes the routing information for the cut in the output stage ZSA of the train store to be transferred to work store AS. In addition the first digit in the coded routed information is passed to a points order store SAS, and then transferred to the points control device on the next issue of a pulse to the register ASR. In the work store AS the route information is fed to a row in panel ASI, the corresponding row in panel AS2 is marked with occupation code " 1 " and the row in the third panel AS3 is fed with " 100 " indicating that one order has been issued. Demand signals from subsequent points received as a result of interrogation are received via line L14. Each signal interrupts the advance of the register and energizes a row control device ZAN whereby the information in each of the rows of the work store is compared in turn with that supplied for the demanding set of points by the criterion store. This store includes a route code unit LZS which contains binary digital information defining the route followed up to the demanding points, a characteristic store unit KS which indicates the number of digits of the route code issued in defining the route up to the demanding points and a comparison limiter store VB which indicates the number of digits of the route code which define the route up to the demanding points and hence limits the number of digits to be compared with the routing information stored in the work store. The criterion store also includes a unit SZ which extracts the required points position after the requisite row has been found. The information supplied from the work store rows is compared with that supplied from the criterion store in comparators Vgl and Vg2 and where agreement occurs an evaluator AW issues a correct signal and the required information is extracted from the routing orders in panel AS1 and transferred to the points operating store SAS for subsequent transfer to the points position. In addition the number in the correct row of panel AS is increased by one.