Centralized zone control system

Claim 1

A SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF RAILWAY TRAINS FROM A CENTRAL OFFICE OVER A STRETCH OF TRACK THAT IS DIVIDED INTO A PLURALITY OF SUCCESSIVE DISTINCT ZONES, COMPRISING MEANS PARTLY ON THE WAYSIDE AND PARTLY ON EACH TRAIN OPERATIVE TO SEND FROM EACH TRAIN A SIGNAL CHARACTERISTIC OF A DISTINCT ZONE LOCATION INFORMATION TO THE CENTRAL OFFICE, MEANS AT THE CENTRAL OFFICE FOR RECEIVING SAID DISTINCT LOCATION INFORMATION SIGNAL, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE RECEPTION OF SAID DISTINCT ZONE LOCATION INFORMATION SIGNAL BY SAID RECEIVING MEANS TO TRANSMIT A CONTROL SIGNAL TO THE TRAIN SENDING SAID DISTINCT LOCATION INFORMATION, MEANS ON THE TRAIN FOR RECEIVING THE CONTROL SIGNAL, AND MEANS ON THE TRAIN EFFECTIVE TO GOVERN SAID TRAIN TO STOP IN THE ABSENCE OF THE EFFECTIVE RECEPTION OF SAID CONTROL SIGNAL BY SAID TRAIN.