Patent GB-387370-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to the control of marshalling yards for use on railways and the like
IPC: B61L17/00
Filed: 1931-07-31
Abstract: 387,370. Controlling marshalling- yards of railways &c. AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC CO., Ltd., (formerly AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE MANUFACTURING CO., Ltd.), Strowger Works, Liverpool, and SIMPSON, L. M., The Bungalow, Laurel Bank, Stanks, near Leeds. July 31, 1931, Nos. 21921 and 30044. [Class 104 (i).] A controlling arrangement for railway &c. marshalling-yards in which each of the siding destinations of the various cuts of a train to be sorted is registered on an individual registering device before the initial point of division is reached, the registrations being afterwards transferred to a smaller number of common registering devices, which, during the sorting operation, serve to control the point machines for setting up the desired routes. In a system for controlling 24 sidings, a bank of keys 1 .. 24, one for each siding, control 24 single-motion rotary switches, one for each cut of the train. One cut switch CUS is shown in Fig. 3. A set-up distributer switch SUD, Fig. 1, places the various cut switches in turn under the control of the setting keys, while a similar switch SQS, Fig. 1, operates in turn the point-controlling devices accessible from the positions to which the respective cut switches are set. The operator first sets the key STP, Fig. 2, to operate relay SU through wire 31. The relay armature su<1> completes a circuit for magnet SUM of the distributer SUD by means of which the wipers 1a, 2a are advanced into their second position to connect up the first cut switch CUS shown in Fig. 3. If the first cut is to be routed to siding 3, the operator presses key 3 to complete a circuit operating relay C over its upper winding. The armature c<1> energizes the common relay LR, the armature c<2> prepares a locking circuit for itself, and armature c<3> marks the required position in the bank 1b of all cut switches by disconnecting the normal earth connection therefrom and replacing it by battery through upper winding of relay RL. Armature lr<1> of relay LR provides a locking circuit for relay C over its lower winding, armature lr<2> prepares a locking circuit for relay RL, armature lr<3> disconnects earth from the siding keys, and armature lr<4> completes the following circuit for starting up cut switch number 1 : earth, armatures lr<4>, cls<2>, wire 12, wiper 1a and second bank contact of switch SUD, wire 13, armature cl<2>, and winding of relay SCS. Armature scs<1> connects earth by way of first bank contact and wiper 1b of the cut switch to energize driving magnet CUM which moves the wipers into the second position. Armature scs<2> prepares a circuit for relay PF, but the latter cannot operate in series with the magnet CUM owing to the shortcircuiting earth picked up over wiper 1b from the bank contacts. When the wipers of switch CUS reach the fourth position, the driving circuit is inactive owing to absence of earth on wiper 1b, and as relay PF is no longer short-circuited, it operates over its lower winding in series with RL connected up over armature c3. Relay PF locks by armature pf<1> over its upper winding to earth on the wire 31 to set-up key STP, at armature pf<2> breaks the circuit of magnet CUM, at armature pf<3> prepares a circuit over wiper 2b, and at armature pf4 earths wipers 3b, 4b, the bank contacts of which are connected to an indicator IND. Relay RL at armature rl<1> locks over its lower winding, at armature rl<2> opens circuit of LR, and at armature rl<3> operates slow-releasing relay MS. Relay LR releases, relay C follows, and then relay RL releases and opens circuit of MS. During operation of MS, earth is extended by armature cls<1> over wire 34 to energize driving magnet SUM of the distributer SUD, so that, when MS releases, the magnet de-energizes and advances wipers into third position, where they connect up with cut switch number 2. The operator now presses siding key corresponding to the destination of the second cut, whereupon cut switch number 2 will be set in a. similar way to prepare a circuit for the point-controlling relay. This process is repeated until the whole train has been dealt with, the various cut switches being set to positions corresponding to the sidings to which the cuts are to be sent, and the indicators for all cut switches will show the siding numbers to which the cuts are to be routed. When the train is ready to be pushed over the hump, the start key STK is pressed to energize relay ST, which at armature st<1> completes a self-interrupted driving circuit for the magnet SQM of the sequence switch SQS, which moves its wipers into second position, thus connecting to cut switch 1, which is in its fourth position. A circuit is thus completed from earth, armature pa<3>, wiper 2c, wire 35, armature pf<3>, wiper 2b, and bank contact 4 to operate route relay R<3> (not shown), closing the circuit of the point machine of siding number 3. When the cut enters the track circuit TRK at the king points, the local relay TR is short-circuited and releases, thereby completing a circuit for relay TCR associated with the sequence switch SQS. Relay TCR at armature tcr<1> energizes magnet SQM, and at armature tcr<2> completes a circuit for partly operating the two-step relay PA over its lower winding, so that it closes the light armature pa<1> only, thus preparing a circuit for its upper winding. When the cut clears the track circuit TRK, relay TR energizes, causing TCR to release and de-energize the magnet SQM, thus advancing the wipers of the switch SQS one step into connection with the cut switch number 2. At the same time relay PA operates over both windings and at armature pa<3> disconnects earth from wiper 2c of sequence switch, and at armature pa<2> energizes the slow-to-operate relay PAR which releases relay PA. A circuit is now prepared over wiper 2c in its third position to the route relay selected by the second cut switch. When the first cut has reached its siding or has passed any points which require to be operated in setting up the route for the next cut, the operator releases a key which completes the circuit for the route relay controlling the point machines for directing the second cut. The operation continues thus until all the cuts have been dealt with. The apparatus is restored to normal by release of start key STK, de-energizing relay ST and completing a homing circuit for switch SQS over armature st and bank commoning and wiper 1c to drive the switch to its home position. Release of the set-up key STP releases relay SU which completes a similar homing circuit for the distributer SUD, and in addition the locking circuits for the PF relays are opened to complete homing circuits for their cut switches. The lamp indicator IND for each cut switch comprises a set of tens and units lamps, and is shown in Fig. 3 arranged to be connected up over the wipers 3b, 4b of the switch CUS. If the operator presses the wrong siding key, he may cancel the set-up by operating the cancel key CAN, energizing relay CL, which at armature cl<1> releases relay PF, causing the cut switch to return to normal over the homing circuit. At armature cl<2> relay CL transfers the circuit of relay SCS to the common wire 36, and at armature cl<3> connects earth to the common wire 37 to operate relay CLS. Relay CLS at armature cls<1> opens the step-on circuit extending to the set-up distributer SUD, and when the correct siding key is pressed relay LR connects earth at armature lr<4> to the common conductor 36, so operating relay SCS direct and enabling the cut-switch to be re-set to correct position. Progress lamps for each cut switch show the various phases of operations; e.g. a lamp controlled from armature scs<3> indicates the original setting movement of the switch, another lamp shows when the switch is controlling the setting of the points from earth applied to the wire 35, and a third lamp shows during cancelling operation controlled from armature cl<4> of relay CL. In a modification for making the operation wholly automatic, the route relays do not directly control the point machines except at the king points, but instead connect earth to particular wipers of a storage distributer switch similar to the cut switches.