Patent GB-832804-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to railway route setting systems
IPC: B61L19/06
Filed: 1957-03-13
Abstract: 832,804. Railway route-setting systems. SIEMENS & HALSKE A.G. March 13, 1957 [March 13, 1956], No. 8349/57. Class 105. A route-setting system is provided with a network containing contacts of control relays allocated to indicate the condition of traffic control elements, e.g. switch points associated with the route, through which network a routetesting circuit corresponding to a route is tested before the route is set up for the purpose of testing the admissability and practicability of the route setting orders and is maintained only so long as the route buttons are operated or until the route is released and the network is also used for testing the admissibility of emergency release or cancellation of routes by the operation of appropriate buttons which complete the route testing circuit through other testing relays so that different types of operation affecting the route, e.g. setting of through routes or shunting routes, emergency release or cancellation of routes, are distinguished. In the testing network described all the control relays and contacts associated with a unit such as a points or a signal are grouped together on a panel, the various panels being located with respect to each other as the units with which they are associated are located on the track diagram so that the wiring between the panels simulates the track diagram. For example, for each points W11, W12, W21, W22, Fig. 1, for the cross-over Kr1 and for each signal S12 to S15 and S21 to S25 a group of contacts and relays are represented in block diagram in Fig. 2 by rectangles such as Gl11a, S12b and S25/Gl22p. The chain-lined rectangle W12f, Fig. 3, indicates which circuit elements are associated with the corresponding group W12f of Fig. 2. Conductors G-L are connected to corresponding testing relays represented by the rectangle ST and conductors A-F are connected to voltage through corresponding contacts represented by the rectangle KT. Which of the contacts are closed or opened and which testing relays are thus connected to the conductors G to L depends upon the operation to be effected. For testing the route to be set from track section Gl12, Fig. 1, to Gl1 (right to left) route entrance button T15 and route exit button T11 are operated, changing over contacts g21-g25, Fig. 3, of button T15 and contacts a21-a24, Fig. 3, of button T11 as also are the directional relay contacts Stlll, St161 and St163, Fig. 3, for movement from right to left. The testing circuit now extends from battery terminal B1 to the route-setting testing relay St10 and if all the control elements are suitably conditioned for the setting of the route, the relay St10 operates. At f.c. St12 (front contact 12 of relay St10) the points control connecting relay is pulled up over its winding St30/1 to pick up a points control relay to effect the change-over of points where necessary and the setting of signals S15, S13 and at f.c. St11 an additional through route setting relay St20 is operated to effect control of traffic control elements additional to those of shunting routes, e.g. side protection. The signal setting connecting relay g40, Fig. 3, for connecting into circuit the setting relay for signal S15, is pulled up over f.c. St111, b.c. St82 (back contact St82) of a route cancellation button, f.c. St161 of a directional relay (not shown) associated with relay group Gl11a, Fig. 2, for routes from right to left, b.c. St152 of a similar directional relay associated with relay group Gl11a for routes from left to right, and f.c. g21 of button T15. Over this circuit is pulled up also the points setting connecting relay f40 in the group W12f for connecting into circuit a route-setting relay for points W12 and with its stick contact f41, Fig. 3, it bridges its pick-up circuit, the contacts in which have already been tested. Current also flows to pick-up signal setting connecting relays e40, d40 over b.c. d22 and b.c. g72 and to points position selecting relay c30 for points W11 over b.c. e22. At f.c. c31 the testing current proceeds over b.c. c51 of a points locking relay for side protection with the points normal, b.c. c211. of the normal and reverse interlocking route-setting  relays for points W11 to pick up the points setting connecting relay c40 for connecting into circuit the route setting relays of points W11. Over the same circuit is picked up the signal setting connecting relay b40 for connecting into circuit the setting relay for signal S12. At stick contact f.c. c41, that part of the testing circuit so far tested is bridged out. The route testing relay St10 then pulls up over b.c. b22 and f.c. a21 (operated by button T11), b.c. a161 and St163 of directional relays for routes from right to left, b.c. St85, b.c. St75 (both contacts operated on operation of an emergency release button in addition to a route button, b.c. St61 of a route cancellation testing relay St60 and b.c. St51 of a route emergency release testing relay St50. For testing only a route section, say from signal S13 to track section Gl11, route buttons T13 and T12 are operated, then the testing current flows over f.c. d21 operated by button T13 and contained in line L1 and the part of the testing circuit to testing relay St10 as described above. The opening of contact d22 by button T13 prevents current flowing to the other part of the testing circuit over b.c. f 61 and for testing routes commencing at signal S12, contacts b21 and b22 would be operated by .button T12 instead of as formerly contacts a21 to a24 operated by button T11. For testing an overlap portion of a through route, e.g. from right to left, button T16 on operation operates contacts g71 and g72, Fig. 3. Button T16 also operates as an overlap cancellation testing button. The operation of the signal setting connecting relays (Fig. 6, not shown) for shunting route signals is made dependent upon a directional relay contact and upon the operation of the route setting testing relay St10 and these shunting route signal setting connecting relays together with the points setting connecting relays f40 and c40 control the route-setting relays (Fig. 5, not shown) of the points W12, W11. As a through route involves requirements additional to those of a shunting route, the route setting testing relay St10 operates for all routes and an additional route setting testing relay St20 is provided for testing the suitable condition of the additional requirements such as side protection and this relay St20 is picked up over f.c. St11 and a selection of contacts such as a24, g24, i24, p24 of the respective pushbutton switches T11, T15, T21, T25 operated selectively for the through routes. The relay St20 is also used for testing overlaps to be set by connecting in parallel with the contacts i24 and a24 a contact St141 closed by the operation of the button T16. For testing routes including the cross-over Krl, a route-setting relay designed as a stick relay h110/h210 is included in the testing network and the position of its contacts h111 to h113 and h211 to h213 correspond to the previously existing route between the track sections Gl12 and Gl21. If the same route is to be tested again, only the cross-over setting connecting relay h40 can operate, viz. over b.c. f51, b.c. f211 of the route setting relay for points W12 and f.c. f31 of the points position relay for points W12, which in the circumstances are reversed. Open contact h112 prevents the relay h110/h210 from being operated. In the case of a route from track section Gl22 to section Gl11, the relay h40 operates when the winding h110 receives current from conductor L3 over b.c. h212 and b.c. h142 to close contact h213 in which case contact h113 is open and prevents current flowing to winding h210. Since contacts h111 and h211 are also reversed, the testing circuit is from conductor L3 through relay group Kr1h to group W11c. Should the cross-over be already engaged, the contacts h141 and h142 of a locking relay for routes from right to left, associated with the cross-over would be open to prevent any change in the position of relay h110/h210. When a route emergency release button is operated for an emergency route release, e.g. of an approach locked through route, contacts St71, St72 and St73, St74 and St75 are operated and the testing circuit selected between conductors D and J by the operation of route buttons. For example, for the route established between track sections Gl12 and Gl11, the route buttons T15 and T11 are operated, the circuit corresponding to the established route is from battery terminal B1, f.c. St111, f.c. St71, conductor D, f.c. g22 of button T15, through the previously-traced circuit to f.c. a22 of button T11, to conductor J, f.c. St72 to the counting mechanism St40 which operates to record the cancellation and at its contact f.c. St41 it completes the energizing circuit for the cancellation testing relay St50 which on operation at f.c. St54 energizes the emergency release testing relay winding St60/1 which indicates that the cancellation may be effected. In the case of the cancellation of a shunting route, the contacts St81 to St85 of the appropriate cancellation button are operated and the circuit for winding St60/2 is completed independently of relay St50 over f.c. St 84 only if the route testing circuit is completed between the conductor L and the conductor A or E, in the latter case over f.c. St81. In the case of the cancellation of an overlap, contacts St91 to St93 of a cancellation button are operated to complete a testing circuit over f.c. 91 to conductor F and f.c. St92 from conductor L for relay St50. For the overlap behind signal S15 the testing circuit is established over f.c. g171 of an overlap setting relay (not shown) which has been changed over on the setting of the overlap. The relay St50 in turn energizes winding St60/1. If the overlap must be released by the emergency release button at f.c. St73 the counting mechanism St40 is operat