Control system for a pipeline having a plurality of branches

Claim 1

A SYSTEM COMPRISING A PIPELINE THROUGH WHICH A PIG MAY BE PASSED AND A PLURALITY OF PIPES COMMUNICATING WITH SAID PIPELINE, EACH OF SAID PIPE BEING CONTROLLED BY A SOLENOID VALVE INTERPOSED THEREIN, A PLURALITY OF CIRCUIT MEANS, ONE FOR EACH SOLENOID VALVE, EACH CIRCUIT MEANS COMPRISING FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MEANS, FIRST SWITCH MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY CONNECTING EITHER OF SAID SECOND AND SAID THIRD ELECTICALLY CONDUCTIVE MEANS TO SAID FIRST ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MEANS, FOURTH ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MEANS FOR ENERGIZING A SINGLE SOLENOID VALVE, SECOND SWITCH MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY CONNECTING EITHER OF SAID SECOND AND SAID THIRD ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MEANS TO SAID FOURTH ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MEANS, THIRD SWITCH MEANS INTERPOSED IN SAID FOURTH ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY INTERRUPTING THE FLOW OF ELECTRICALLY THERETHROUGH, SENSING MEANS FOR SENSING THE PASSAGE OF A PIG PAST A PREDETERMINED POINT IN SAID PIPELINE, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID SENSING MEANS FOR MOVING ALL OF SAID FIRST SWITCH MEANS IN CONCERT FROM A FIRST POSITION CONNECTING SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MEANS TO A SECOND POSITION CONNECTING SAID FIRST AND SAID THIRD ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MEANS.