GB1341258A - Automatic location of a vehicle in a railway train which has no answering unit or whose answering unit fails to answer - Google Patents

Abstract

1341258 Interrogation systems SIEMENS AG 19 April 1971 [14 April 1970] 27309/71 Heading B7N In an interrogation system for identifying passing railway vehicles, axle counting means are provided for locating vehicles which do not carry an answering unit or on which the answering unit is inoperative. The answering unit is positioned between the two inner axles on vehicles having an even number of axles and above the middle axle on vehicles having an odd number of axles and the answering signal from the unit when interrogated includes, in addition to the coded vehicle number, a representation of the number of axles on the vehicle. The code signals 31 from the interrogator are passed via inhibitor 32, which ensures that only signals from vehicles passing in a set direction are processed, to a buffer store from which the information concerning the number of axles is supplied to a switching unit 39, to an adder 42, and also to operate a switch 43. The switching unit, when the axle number is even, feeds half this number to counter 41 and opens gate 37 so that the axle pulses on conductor 34, all of which are counted by adder 36, can be supplied during the passage of the latter half of the vehicle to counter 41 to count this back to zero. When the axle number is odd switching unit 39 supplies the next integer smaller than the half value to the counter 41 and by gate 37 blocks the first counting pulse corresponding to the middle axle. In each case when the counter 41 returns to zero comparator 46 is energized to compare the count in adder 42, giving the signalled number of axles, and that in adder 36 giving the actual number of axles and when these agree signal D is issued to initiate print out of the vehicle number FK and the signalled and actual number of axles SMA and SEA. When a unit is not present on a vehicle or is inoperative the circuit arrangement is not operated apart from the axle count to adder 36 and when the next vehicle carrying an operative unit passes the process up to the operation of the comparator is repeated and this on detecting the difference feeds pulses to the adder 42 until the numbers agree. The number of pulses is counted by unit 47 and is printed out as FMA when signal D is issued by the comparator.