Arrangement for evaluating the pulses in railway axle-counting systems

Claim 1

IN A RAILWAY-AXLE COUNTING SYSTEM HAVING A PAIR OF AXLE-PULSE PRODUCING MEANS AT EACH END OF A TRACK SECTION, EACH PAIR PRODUCING TWO PULSES WHICH AT LEAST PARTIALLY OVERLAP IN TIME FOR EACH PASSING AXLE, MEANS FOR SUPERVISING AND EVALUATING THE PULSES PRODUCED BY SAID AXLE-PULSE PRODUCING MEANS AND REDUCING THE POSSIBILITY OF ERROR COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) MEANS, CONNECTED TO EACH PAIR OF AXLE-PULSE PRODUCING MEANS, FOR CONVERTING EACH PAIR OF AXLE PULSES, PRODUCED AT ONE END OF THE TRACK SECTION, INTO A DIRECTION-DEPENDENT COUNTING PULSE; (B) SUPERVISORY MEANS, CONNECTED IN PARALLEL TO EACH SAID CONVERTING MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY CONVERTING EACH PAIR OF AXLE PULSES PRODUCED AT ONE END OF THE TRACK SECTION INTO A DIRECTION-DEPENDENT SUPERVISORY PULSE; (C) A COMMON COUNTING STORAGE DEVICE, COUPLED TO THE FIRST OF SAID CONVERTING MEANS, FOR STORING SAID COUNTING PULSES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR DIRECTION; (D) TRANSLATOR MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID COMMON COUNTING STORAGE DEVICE AND RESPONSIVE TO AN INFORMATION MODIFICATION THEREIN FOR PRODUCING A REFERENCE PULSE; (E) SUPERVISORY STORAGE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SUPERVISORY MEANS FOR STORING AN INWARD-DIRECTION SUPERVISORY PULSE; (F) MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE STATE OF SAID SUPERVISORY STORAGE MEANS AND THE NON-PRODUCTION OF A REFERENCE PULSE FOR INDICATING A MALFUNCTION OF THE SYSTEM; AND (G) MEANS FOR PREVENTING THE PRODUCTION OF A REFERENCE PULSE WHEN SAID INFORMATION MODIFICATION EXCEEDS THE CAPACITY OF SAID COMMON COUNTING STORAGE DEVICE.