Apparatus for determining the signal term to be transmitted to a railroad traction vehicle

• US 4,381,094 A
• Filed: 01/08/1981
• Issued: 04/26/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Zillmer, Adalbert, Hartkopf, Hans-Otto, Gnest, Horst-Guenter, Granzow, Wolfgang-Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Thomas A.
• Application Number:
  US06/223,271
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 246/182 R, 246/182 C, 246/182 AA, 246/182 AB, 246/183, 246/185, 246/187 B, 246/191, 246/167 R, 364/436, 340/825.22
• US Class Current: 246/182.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 21/04 Electrical locking and release of the route; Electrical repeat locks
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 21/08 Order transmission and reception arrangements for giving or withholding permission

Abstract

The signal term to be transmitted to a railroad traction vehicle is formed in a signaling system in that each element, from a destination element back to a start element has a respective top speed assigned thereto as an identification. The identification is transmitted element-by-element back to the start element and is devalued during relaying thereof when the identification is greater than that prescribed for a travel path element having a lower assigned top speed so that the identification received at the start element indicates the top speed admissible for the route. The admissible top speed is then converted into a corresponding signal term.

Claims

1. Apparatus for determining a signal term, representing the admissible speed, to be transmitted to a railroad traction vehicle which is to travel over a prescribed route which includes a start element, a destination element and at least one intermediate element, the destination and intermediate elements having maximum speeds assigned thereto, comprising:

respective storage means at the destination element and at each intermediate element storing the respective maximum speed;

destination element transmission means for transmitting a message including the assigned maximum speed back along the route to the next intermediate element;

comparison means at each respective intermediate element for comparing its respective assigned maximum speed with the maximum speed of an incoming message and devaluing the message in response to a message maximum speed which is greater than the respective assigned maximum speed;

intermediate element transmission means at each respective intermediate element for relaying the message, devalued as required, towards the start element; and

conversion means at the start element for receiving, converting and transmitting the received message as a signal term.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of said transmission means comprises:

means for forming a message to include a number of pulses, with the number being greater in respect of increasing speed.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of said transmission means comprises:

means operable to form a message on a pulse time basis wherein the time between the pulses represents speed.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of said transmission means comprises:

means for forming a message including a synchronization pulse and a plurality of binarily-coded pulses with the more significant pulses related to higher speeds.