Zone control system

Claim 1

A SYSTEM FOR GOVERNING THE OPERATION FROM A CENTRAL OFFICE OF RAILWAY TRAINS OVER A STRETCH OF TRACK THAT IS DIVIDED INTO A PLURALITY OF SUCCESSIVE ZONES, WHEREIN THE CENTRAL OFFICE AND THE TRAINS EACH HAVE TRANSMITTING AND RECEIVING MEANS FOR COMMUNICATING THEREBETWEEN, SAID SYSTEM COMPRISING MEANS AT THE OFFICE FOR INITIATING A COMMUNICATION CYCLE SUCCESSIVELY FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE CENTRAL OFFICE AND THE RESPECTIVE TRAINS REPEATEDLY AT INTERVALS INDEPENDENT OF THE PROGRESS OF THE TRAINS, EACH SAID RECURRING COMMUNICATION CYCLE INCLUDING A CENTRAL OFFICE TO TRAIN TRANSMISSION FIRST PORTION HAVING A SIGNAL CHARACTERISTIC OF A DISTINCT ZONE AND AT TIMES A SIGNAL CHARACTERISTIC OF A COMMAND AND INCLUDING ALSO A TRAIN TO CENTRAL OFFICE TRANSMISSION SECOND PORTION HAVING A SIGNAL CHARACTERISTIC OF A DISTINCT ZONE, MEANS PARTLY ON THE WAYSIDE AND PARTLY ON EACH TRAIN OPERATIVE TO GOVERN THE EFFECTIVE RECEPTION OF A COMMAND SIGNAL DURING THE FIRST PORTION OF EACH RECURRNG COMMUNICATION CYCLE WHEN A COMMAND SIGNAL IS INCLUDED IN SAID FIRST PORTION AND THE DISTINCT ZONE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE SIGNAL TRANSMITTED DURING THE SECOND PORTION OF EACH CYCLE, CIRCUIT MEANS AT THE CENTRAL OFFICE RESPONSIVE TO THE RECEPTION OF A SIGNAL CHARACTERISTIC OF ONE DISTINCT ZONE DURING THE SECOND PORTION OF ONE COMMUNICATION CYCLE TO GOVERN THE INCLUDING OF A SIGNAL CHARACTERISTIC OF A COMMAND IN THE FIRST PORTION OF THAT NEXT COMMUNICATION CYCLE HAVING A SIGNAL IN THE FIRST PORTION THEREOF CHARACTERISTIC OF THE DISTINCT ZONE CORRESPONDING TO THE FIRST PORTION OF SAID ONE COMMUNICATION CYCLE, AND MEANS ON THE TRAIN TO GOVERN SAID TRAIN TO STOP IN THE ABSENCE OF THE RECEPTION OF A COMMAND DURING THE FIRST PORTION OF THE RECURRING COMMUNICATION CYCLES FOR A PREDETERMINED INTERVAL OF TIME.

Claim 2

A SYSTEM FOR GOVERNING THE OPERATION FROM A CENTRAL OFFICE OF RAILWAY TRAINS OVER A STRETCH OF TRACK THAT IS DIVIDED INTO A PLURALITY OF SUCCESSIVE ZONES, WHEREIN THE CENTRAL OFFICE AND THE TRAINS EACH HAVE TRANSMITTING AND RECEIVING MEANS FOR COMMUNICATING THEREBETWEEN, SAID SYSTEM COMPRISING MEANS AT THE OFFICE FOR INITIATING A COMMUNICATION CYCLE SUCCESSIVELY FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE CENTRAL OFFICE AND THE RESPECTIVE TRAINS REPEATEDLY AT INTERVALS INDEPENDENT OF THE PROGRESS OF THE TRAINS, EACH SAID RECURRING COMMUNICATION CYCLE INCLUDING A CENTRAL OFFICE TO TRAIN TRANSMISSION FIRST PORTION HAVING A SIGNAL CHARACTERISTIC OF A DISTINCT ZONE AND AT TIMES A SIGNAL CHARACTERISTIC OF A COMMAND AND INCLUDING ALSO A TRAIN TO CENTRAL OFFICE TRANSMISSION SECOND PORTION HAVING A SIGNAL CHARACTERISTIC OF A DISTINCT ZONE, MEANS PARTLY ON THE WAYSIDE AND PARTLY ON EACH TRAIN OPERATIVE TO GOVERN THE EFFECTIVE RECEPTION OF A COMMAND SIGNAL DURING THE FIRST PORTION OF EACH RECURRNG COMMUNICATION CYCLE WHEN A COMMAND SIGNAL IS INCLUDED IN SAID FIRST PORTION AND THE DISTINCT ZONE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE SIGNAL TRANSMITTED DURING THE SECOND PORTION OF EACH CYCLE, CIRCUIT MEANS AT THE CENTRAL OFFICE RESPONSIVE TO THE RECEPTION OF A SIGNAL CHARACTERISTIC OF ONE DISTINCT ZONE DURING THE SECOND PORTION OF ONE COMMUNICATION CYCLE TO GOVERN THE INCLUDING OF A SIGNAL CHARACTERISTIC OF A COMMAND IN THE FIRST PORTION OF THAT NEXT COMMUNICATION CYCLE HAVING A SIGNAL IN THE FIRST PORTION THEREOF CHARACTERISTIC OF THE DISTINCT ZONE CORRESPONDING TO THE FIRST PORTION OF SAID ONE COMMUNICATION CYCLE, AND MEANS ON THE TRAIN TO GOVERN SAID TRAIN TO STOP IN THE ABSENCE OF THE RECEPTION OF A COMMAND DURING THE FIRST PORTION OF THE RECURRING COMMUNICATION CYCLES FOR A PREDETERMINED INTERVAL OF TIME.