Patent GB-479088-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to automatic interlocking systems for railways
IPC: B61L19/06
Filed: 1936-07-29
Abstract: 479,088. Route-setting apparatus for railways. VEREINIGTE EISENBAHNSIGNALWERKE GES. July 29, 1936, No. 21000. Convention date, July 30, 1935. [Classes 104 (i) and 105] An interlocking system for railways is such that the operations required for setting up a route are effected automatically in the required sequence by setting in motion step-by-step electrical switching mechanism having individual contacts for the operations to be effected, these contacts being closed successively by the step-by-step mechanism. The step-bystep switching mechanism may comprise vertical and rotary switch selectors such as are used in automatic telephone systems. The system is such that the response of all the points in a route is checked before tho control for the signal is applied. The setting-up of route from track 2 for a shunting movement (no signal cleared) is effected by depressing a shunting key 32. A rotary and vertical switch 60 is thereupon stepped-up by energization of its stepping lift magnet 603 by a current through its arm 604, the magnet 603, contact b of the depressed key 32, and an arm 705 of an unoperated rotary and vertical switch 70 which is used for setting up a through route with clearing of the signal E. The stepping-up continues until a spindle contact 606 reaches the line 610 connected to a contact a of the depressed key 32, whereupon a rotary stepping magnet 601 is energized. The rotation step moves the arm 604 off its contact to terminate the stepping up and also moves the spindle contact 606 away from the line 610. A wiper 607 is now positioned at bank B and is on the first contact. The points 8, 6, 4 being shown already at normal no operation thereof is required for setting up the route 2 ; also the points-at-normal repeater relays 21, 19, 18 are energized and their contacts 211, 191, 181 lie as shown. Accordingly, the rotary stepping magnet 601 is energized over the first B bank contact and the contact 211 so as to move the wiper to the second B-bank contact ; here it is again energized (over contact 191) and moves the wiper on to the third B-bank contact where it is again energized (over contact 181) and moves the wiper on to the fourth B-bank contact. The wiper 607 now rotates to the zero position since the fourth and subsequent B-bank contacts are connected over contacts 183, 193, 213 (of the points-at-normal repeater relays) and arm 705 of the unoperated rotary and vertical switch 70. If the points 8 had been at reverse, the wiper 607 when on the first B-bank contact would have picked up a relay 16 since the contact 211 would then be dropped (vertical). The wiper would then move on to the second contact, but the relay 16 would continue energized over its own front contact 161 until the points 8 had moved to normal and opened its circuit-controller contact 9. A grid-controlled gaseous discharge tube may be used for the relay 16. The key 32 is held down until released by a magnet 330 which is energized when the wiper reaches the fourth contact, i.e. after the controls for all the points have been given. To clear the signal E with setting up of a route, a track-setting key 41, 42, 43 as distinct from a shunting key 31, 32, 33 is depressed. If the track key 41 is depressed, the rotary and vertical switch 70 is stepped up by energization of the stepping lift magnet 703 over arm 704, the winding of the magnet and contact b of the depressed track key 41. The stepping-up ceases at the first bank D since the rotarv stepping magnet 701 is energized when the spindle contact 706 reaches the line 709 leading to the contact a of the depressed track key 41. A wiper 707 being now on the first contact of bank D picks up a relay 23 and in doing so moves on to the second contact. The relay 23 closes its stick contact 231 and thereby energizes the stepping-up magnet 603 of the rotary and vertical switch 60., The stepping up of the rotary and vertical switch 60 ceases at the first bank A since the line 609 is now connected by a line extending to the contact a of the depressed track key 41. The wiper 607 moves over the contacts of bank A to set the points for route 1. In the condition shown, only the points 4 will actually be operated. When the points 4 have been set at reverse, the repeater relay 17 is energized and closes a contact 175 which with contacts 195, 215 of the repeater relays 19, 21 is associated with a contact bank G of a rotary stepping switch 80. When the rotary and vertical stepping switch 70 with its wiper 707 on the first contact of bank D picked up the relay 23, the wiper moved on to the second contact where it energized the rotary stepping magnet 801 of the rotary switch 80. This caused the wiper 707 to move on to the third contact of bank D and caused the wiper 803 to move on to the first contact of bank G. The points all being correctly set for route 1, the wiper 803 moves forward to the last contact of bank G whereupon the wiper 707, at present on the third contact of bank D, energizes the rotary stepping magnets 801, 701 which respectively move the rotary stepping switch 80 to zero and move the wiper 707 of the switch 70 on to the fourth contact of bank D whereupon a signal relay 24 is picked up to clear the signal, the wiper 707 moving to the fifth contact of bank D. On passage of the train, a key 51 is operated (manually or by train action) whereby the rotary magnet 701 is energized (over the wiper 707 on the fifth contact). The wiper 707 then moves on to the sixth contact to pick up a relay 25 which returns the signal E to danger, this action also stepping the wiper 707 forward to the zero position. With the rotary and vertical switch 70 again in the zero position, its arm 705 closes the contact by which the rotary and vertical switch 60 (at present having its wiper 607 on the fourth contact of bank A) is returned to zero, it being noted that contact 174 is closed by the energized reverse repeater relay 17 for the points 4. The contact closure of the key 51 on passage of the train also energizes a release magnet for the depressed track-setting key 41 over contact 41a. So long as the key 41 is depressed to set up a track and clear the signal E, a contact 411 thereof is open and prevents any accidental depression of the shunt key 31 from causing an improper movement of the rotary and vertical selector 60. If the contact 411 were not open, an accidental depression of the key 31 would move the rotary and vertical switch 60 forward to the zero position since a circuit would be closed through the rotary stepping magnet 601, wiper 607, contacts of bank A, release magnet for the key 31, and contact a of the key 31. If the points fail to respond correctly the rotary and vertical stepping switches will not move forward to zero ; accordingly re-set keys may be provided to effect the forwarding of the stepping switches to the zero positions. Any operation of such re-set keys is registered on a counting mechanism.