The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1909-11-26

length OF track WHICH, ON
- double-traCk roads, has AT
= =: =" :. ! !! !: !: ); ! : !.
~ NJ 80 entrance r"st ana
movable arm. and on sin
AmA gle-track lines one AT each
T0 end. When you read that
IlII line has every inch pro-
tected by this system. Il
ll hui means the entire line Is
divided into consecutive
IllI blocks"
rs 1t universally used p
INfI mo. There's only one
line from Chicago 20 New
IHlI York thus protected and
iNiI OF the total In the United
INNI states one-thlrd Is on The
Union and Southern Pa
I'LL cific.
Take three blocks at the beginning
or a line with a train In each. Train
IN hrst must not move TO second untii
the train In second goes TO third and
train In second must not so into third
until third moves 90 fourth
As number three goes into fourth. T.
tells train In two Il has done so. and
train In two going into block three make
the movable arm say TO train IN one
Come on. I've gone into block two
AS an Illustration. let's take three
connecting rooms at your home. com
municating without doors Now attac
TO the back-of each door frame a mo-
able stick which can be pushed TO right
angles with the door frame. or pointed
down about as you would point your arm
at spot on the floor two feet from you.
Got that, Your stick represents the
semaphore. or arm. Now. then. the
middle room is your private Office. Your
servant knows by the arm being at right
angles she must not enter, and when
you are not in there the stick will point
downward at 60 degrees and size may
usher a visitor In.
"All very simple you say: but on
busy morning you rush In your Office
and forget 20 change the arm 10 denote
occupied. The servant ushers in the last
person In the world you want there just
then-and the scheme is disastrous
failure Then you improve so the stick
left 10 itself will remain firmly at right
angles. Can't forget that. you figure.
Next thing you do Is 10 forget 10 change
the position OF the stick. The employe
sees signal occupied and turns away an
important client with disaster almost
equal 10 that caused by admitting the
one she shouldn't.
you change things so the stick viii
move from right angle 20 pointing TO
the floor, when you are not in your
office. You can in walking from the
front room into your office release the
arm. which will go TO horizontal II VIII
stay in that position as long a. you are
In there and when you walk out OF
your office into the back room IL will be
pulled down TO indicate you have vacat-
ed and your employe may take the next
caller In.
I'm other words. you have changed this
device from a possible human forgetful-
ness 10 n positive mechanical perform
ance you have an automatic signal
Substitute the consecutive lengths OF
railway for your rooms. and you have
the block signal"
Then. as l understand II. a soma
phore arm located at the entrance 70 "A
block set at right angle To the post is "A
signal TO an approaching train TO stop.
and when pointing diagonally toward the
ground means keep on going?" Eyes. "
You call IL automatic
1T Is. just as your stick Is kept at
90 degrees incline. when your office IL
vacant. so Is the semaphore arm on the
line when a block Is unocCuped. When
train enters block Il affects the en-
ergy which is part Of automatic sig
mailing. so that the arm goes to and re-
mains horizontal as long as the block is
occupied"
You build these signals so their nor
NAL position is stop and then you apply
force that makes them show keep
going. Why Is that
Because the trains must keep going.
They have not only the problems OF
safety but q hurry up. They work by
minutes and seconds The first duty
Is safety Having that cinched. the au-
tomato hangs out the signal to keep
moving only when something occurs
does this scheme cause signal TO 80 to
stop position"
What's the energy you referred tor
Electric current" Where does II come
| from7' Battery near each post" How
Is II worked p THE rails OF each block
are made Just as II all one piece. by
connecting all joints with wire. Then
/ connecting the extreme ends forms n
complete circuit The current flows In
1 this circuit Machinery made out OF ex-
| perence. wheels. springs and things is
| moved hy this current and its move
ments either hold the arm down or per-
| nit II to stay horizontal
with no train in block. the current
makes the mechanism pull the arm down
| and hold II there. When a train enters
| a block II destroys this combination. The
| wheels and axles combined with the rails
make a shorter circuit Electric current
| deserts the longer for the shorter way
| round The energy that held the arm
down IS Withdrawn. and up It swings TO
horizontal
Each block is independent Of all other
/ blocks When the Last wheels OF "A train
I leave H. the current resumes its flow,
and the signal arm away back at the
entrance Is pulled down to proceed. Re
/ fore the hind wheels have ceased doing
/ what I've just stated. the front wheels
/ OF the locomotive have entered the next
| block and repeated what IL did In the
previous blocks"