Patent GB-809464-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to apparatus for recording the passage of vehicles
IPC: B61L25/04
Filed: 1956-03-14
Abstract: 809,464. Recording the passage of trains. BRITISH TRANSPORT COMMISSION, and DELL, R. March 14, 1957 [March 14, 1956], No. 8013/56. Class 105. [Also in Group XL (b)] In apparatus for recording the passage of vehicles such as railway trains past a station, a scanning device, e.g. utilizing photo-electric cells, scans an identification mark on the train and applies the output electric current to operate a printing device, particularly one employing chemically-treated paper on which a dark mark is made by the passage of an electric current therethrough and a time record mark is made with the identification mark, preferably by a device scanning a time indication. The identification scanner or another scanning device may scan a destination indicator to produce a printed record accordingly and the scanning operations preferably take place in succession, e.g. under the control of a motor-driven advancing reciprocable carriage set into motion when the vehicle passes a predetermined point as by cutting off a beam of light from a photo-cell, the change in output of which is arranged to initiate the carriage movement, the carriage carrying cam bars adapted to operate, in timed relationships, banks of contacts which connect the respective scanners to the printing device. As shown, as the front portion of the train 11, Fig. 1, cuts off the beam of light of a lamp 21 from a photoelectric cell 22, the output of the cell initiates the starting up of the printer 19 and as the train advances a scanner 14 formed of a vertical row of photo-electric cells scans an identification mark 12 illuminated as it passes by a lamp 13 on the track and the outputs from the cells, amplified in multi-channel amplifier 15, are applied to the automatic switching device 16 arranged to connect up successively the scanner 14, the train describer scanner 17 and the clock scanner 18, to the printer 19. In the printer, Fig. 2, a row of electricallyconductive styli 41 mounted on a carriage 34 is movable transversely of a band of printable paper 28 which is advanced between two recordings longitudinally as by a pawl 66 and ratchet wheel 67 over an electrically-conducting plate 32 from a storage spool 26 on to a receiving spool 27. The ratchet wheel 67 is fast with the feed roller 31 and the pawl 66 is moved by a rocker 68 actuated by the last part of the return stroke of the carriage. The carriage 34 is guided along two rods 33 carried by the frame 25 and is advanced by a rack 35 and pinion 36 driven by a reversible motor 39 through a belt 38 and reduction gear 37. The carriage 34 carries cam bars 43, 44, 45 which control respective contact groups which in turn control respective multiple contact relays constituting the automatic switching means 16, the first cam bar 43 closing a contact when the carriage is in its initial position, to energize a first multiple contact relay controlling contacts 52, Fig. 6, to connect the photo-electric cells of scanner 14 to the respective styli 41 of the printer and the bar 43 allowing the said contact to open when the carriage has made the first one-third of its travel stroke. At the commencement of the second-third of the carriage stroke the bar 44 closes, when the first multicontact relay is de-energized, contacts to energize a second multi-contact relay controlling contacts 58, Fig. 6, which connect up respective resilient feelers 55 of the destination scanner 17 to the respective styli 41. These resilient feelers 55 electrically conductive, are mounted to sweep over the periphery of a disc 53, 54 rotated by a motor set in motion by bar 44 and bearing thereon raised letters of conductive material forming the name of the destination of the train in question so as to pass an electric current through the band 28 from styli 41 to plate 32 and mark the band accordingly. Several such discs 53, 54 and associated feelers 55 may be provided each for a respective destination and the appropriate one selected by, e.g. a signal man closing the appropriate set of contacts 56. The bar 45 controls in a similar manner to bar 44, during the third-third of the carriage stroke, a third multi-contact relay controlling contacts 65 to connect up respective resilient feelers 63, Fig. 6 of the clock scanner 18, to the styli 41, the feelers, sweeping over discs 59, 60, 61 bearing the time indications. When the carriage 34 reaches the end of its stroke automatic switching means reverse the electric motor 39 to return the carriage to its initial position and prevent energization of the multi-contact relays and the motors of the destination and clock scanners during the return stroke. The destination marking may alternatively be taken from a destination board on the train itself.