Patent GB-1075794-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to electrical circuit arrangements
IPC: B61L17/00
Filed: 1963-12-23
Abstract: 1,075,794. Circuits employing bi-stable magnetic elements. GENERAL SIGNAL CORPORATION. Dec. 23, 1963 [Dec. 31, 1962], No. 50642/63. Heading H3B. [Also in Divisions B7 and G4] A circuit for storing digital indications of the number of vacant vehicle positions in the storage tracks of a railway classification yard (see Division B7) comprises a number of rows of apertured magnetic cores C11 &c., each row associated with a particular track, means, which when a vehicle or group of vehicles is to be routed to a particular track, for destructively reading out the digital information stored in the associated row to a vacancy store, means for altering the stored number in accordance with the number of vehicles being routed to the track and for reading the altered information back to the relevant row and means for interrogating each row to furnish a visual indication of the number of vacant positions in the associated track. A vehicle or groups of vehicles on route to a storage track, e.g. track No. 1, enters an insulated track section and releases a track relay TS which applies a destination code signal to a destination code storage unit 11. This unit supplies a signal which picks up relay 1R of Row No. 1 which stores the vacancy information for track No. 1, via a circuit which primes the output apertures 113, 123, 133 of the cores C11, C12, C13 forming the row. Pick up of the relay discharges a capacitor 106 through the major apertures of the cores which clears the row and provides an output signal at each of the primed output apertures of the cores previously set to store the vacancy information. This information is read via amplifier circuits to a bank of relays B1-B3, one associated with each core of the row. From the relay bank the information is fed to a computer 57 to control the speed of the vehicles and to a vacancy store 30. The number of vehicles on route to the storage track is then counted by car counter 49 which supplies a signal to the vacancy store to adjust the number of vacancies to the new value. The store opens the hold circuit for the B relays then re-energizes them to the new value. B relays which have not picked up apply inhibiting current to setting apertures 110, 120, 130 via their back contacts 18, 19 or 20. When the vehicles leave the insulated section relay TS again picks up removing the destination code from unit 11 which in turn opens the circuit to relay IR. Release of the relay completes a charge circuit for capacitor 106 via the enumerated setting apertures to read the new vacancy value into the store. The information stored in each row may be displayed on indicator 45 by operation of a push button e.g. ITPB associated with each row. Operation of the button energizes relay IT via a circuit which primes output aperture 112, 122, 132 and on pick up of the relay the row is cleared by the discharge of capacitor 105 through the major apertures of the cores. The output signals are applied via amplifiers to a second relay storage bank E1-E3 which provide the indication via their contacts 46-18. De-energized E relays apply inhibiting current to setting apertures 111, 121, 131 and release of button ITPB with subsequent release of relay IT completes a charge circuit for capacitor 105 via these apertures. The charge current sets the row to the number read out to the indicator.