Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-03-28
CROWDS SEE HUPP SUCCESS
Demonstration of Mail Exchange
on Missouri Pacific Tracks.
CONTINUATION FOR THREE DAYS


Before large crow0 the hupps yestef-
day afternoon gave Q public demonstra-
tIon OF their wonderful Automatic Mail
Exchange system. The exhibition was
unavoidedly delayed through the late ar
rival Of the demonstration car, which
should have reached Omaha early yester-
day morning but which was held up in
the south by heavy rains.
The people who gathered at the demon
stration grounds on the Missouri Pacific
right-of-way at Forty-eighth and Lesyen-
worth streets, however. were very anx-
ious TO see what actually had been
achieved by the inventor and most Of
them remained for the event. They were
surprised at the wonderful device and
many Of them declared they would re-
turn on the succeeding days In order to
study the workings Of the mail exchange.
The exhibitions are TO be given today.
Friday and saturday. -....-
n Bad Have own Mail Car.
! The Hupps have brought here Q steel
mall car. built especially for this mail
exchange. II 10 a large red car Of mod
ern steel construction. The demonstra-
ton field Is only a few hundred feet
west Of Jesyenworth street on the Mis-
souri, Pacific tracks. A model station
has been erected here with four receiving
cranes and q seventy-foot receiving plat
form. This platform slsnts away from
the track and 10 about four feet deep.
The slant prevents the pouches from pill
ing up when they are dumped from the
car by the delivery truck.
In the initial demonstration yesterday
four fifteen-pound mail sacks were placed
upon the cranes. These were automat-
ically taken into the car and several
sacks were thrown onto the platform.
everything working without hitch.
o. J. Rogers. formerly editor OF the
Railway Mail Magazine, described the
system yesterday as follows:
The big car Is splendidly equipped.
Running upon rollers Ia false bottom
between the doors Of the car Is steel
delivery truck, capable OF handing more
than i.oce pounds Of mail matter. Lo-
Gated at the side Of the track. ~ feet
from the receiving platform, Is a trip
which comes In contact with It's counter
part upon the mall car as the train
passes A worm gear attached to the
middle Of one Of the axles Of the mail
car runs a driving shaft provided with
. clutch. This clutch throws the mechan-
ism into gear when one Of the car trips
attached to II comes In contact with
the trip located along side Of the track.
as the car passes II. The mechanism
makes one revolution and then auto
matically throws itself out Of gear.
Gong Notifies Clerk.
The first quarter OF the revolution rings
q gong In the car to notify the mail clerk
that an exchange Is to be made and opens
the car door; the second quarter pushes
out the delivery truck until It dumps
the mail and opens the receiving chute;
the third quarter holds the delivery truck
In position while II dumps the mail and
receiving chute In position until the sta
ton cranes are passed and the mail upon
them is conducted into the car: the
fourth quarter pulls the delivery truck
back into the car in the position It occu-
pied before the mechanism was tripped.
folds the receiving chute into its original
position and closes the door Of the car.
This completes the exchange and the de-
vice remains out of gear until again
tripped at the next exchange station.
The operation Of the mechanism being
reduced TO an exact mathematical basis,
or ratio. wherein a movement OF one
degree Of its revolution equals four feet of
travel on the rails by the car wheels. the
exchange must be positive. An adjust
ment Is provided to take care Of the DIFF
ferent sizes Of car wheels. wear. etc.
The delivery Of man is only limited By
the number Of mail cars in the train. as
each car can deliver, upon the platform
the fun capacity Of its delivery truck. as
required.
Removes All Danger.
ian toe former danger to engineer or
passengers from being struck by the crane
arms is eliminated in the new steel cranes
which. wher set for action, stand thirty
inches from the side OF the car. The ex-
tending arms Of the crane are equipped
with clamps for holding the pouches and
are 50 protected that the pouches can be
inserted into them in but one way. which
insures the proper operation Of the sys-
tenn. When relieved Of their burden the
crane arms automatically swing to 8
parallel position with the track, where
they remain until set for the next ex-
change
This mail exchange system has been
tested hundreds OF times At Overland
P.rk, kan. suburb Of Kansas CITY. In