Las Vegas optic., 1914-03-11
Pure Wholesome Reliable
Indispensable

for the locks at Gatun, Miraflores and
Pedro Miguel. The switchboards for
transformer, substatious and main sta
tions possess many novel features, but
the lock boards for central control"
are of a most unique design. They
are miniature representations of the
locks chains and gates, and provide
ready means of control for operat-
ing the machinery Of the main appara-
tus itself; besides indicating every
movement and speed of motion of ris-
ing stem valves, fender chains and
miter gates, and the open or closed
positions of cylindrical valves and
miter forcing machines And in adj
dition to this the control switches are
so interlocked that an improper se-
quence of operations is impossible.
This part of the work involved up
wards of half million dollars for
switchboard material alone.
The flow Of water in the cuIverts is
controlled by rising stem valves.
These are located in tho culverts at
points opposite each end of each lock
so that the culyert can be shut off at
any desired point for filling lock
with water from above, or upstream,
or for emptying it by allowing it to
flow out and down to the next lock.
Since there are intermediate miter-
ing lock gatesc for use IN locking
through short vessels, when the use
of a whole lock Of 1000 feet would be
wasteful Of water, rising stem valves
are also located in the side wall cul-
verts at points near these interme.
diate gates. The rising stem valves
are installed in pairs. This arrange
ment reduces the necessary size Of
each valve and makes It more easily
operated, although each valve is still
s feet wide by is feet high 1t Is
raised and lowered by 40 h. pj. mo
tor requiring one minute for complete
opening or closing. In addition to
these parts of valves In parallel, each
pair is duplicated at each change of
level from one lock to the next.
The culvert in the middle wall mist
serve the locks on both sides, and to
control this feature cylindrical valves
are placed in the lateral culverts that
branch out on each side. There are
ten Of these on each side Of the dul-
vert at each lock.
AID COL ITAL = - O. O. O.
The lock gates are opened and
closed by a separate motor for each
leaf, and the two leaves, when closed
in mitered position, are locked to
gether at the top by the miter-forcing
machine which is also controlled from
the central control house.
Heavy fender chains are stretched
across the locks in front Of all miter-
ID gates which can be exposed to up
per level and also In front Of the
guard gates at the lower end. These
ire maintained in taut position at
III times when the gates behind them
ire closed, and are lowered when the
yates are opened for the passage Of
ship. These chains are raised and
owered by a hydraufrc cylinder, In a
method similar to that followed in
ydraulic elevators, with the addition
/ feature that if ship approaches
he gates at dangerous speed and
ans into the chain. the chain is paid
ut from each end with a maximum
esistance for gradually stopping a
hip before it reaches the gates. Low
ring the chain for the legitimate
passage Of vessel and raising It
gain after the vessel has passed are
.lao under the control Of the opera
or at the control house, Each motor
S stopped automatically by q limit
witch when it has performed its
junction. This is also true of ali
motors having remote control; name
y, If the operator does not stop a mo.
tcr when d machine has reached the