The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-03-20


miter forcing machines. Aud In adj
dillon 10 this the control witches are
20 lntcrlockcd that an Improper Sc
qucuce ~ operations is impossible.
This part az the work Involved up
wards of re- half million dollars tor
switchboard material alone. b
Tho now Of water In the cbivorts Is
controlled by rising stem valves. These
are located In the culverts at points
opposite each end OF cach lock 80 that
the cultert can be shut on at any de-
sired point Tor Milling Is lock with from
above, or upstream, OF for cmptying
1t by allowing ID TO flow cut and down
10 the next lock, since there are In
termcdiatc miterinR lock gates FOR use
Ia locking through shoit vessels, when
The use of the whole lock Of 1000
feet would be- wastcful of water, ris-
Ing stem valves are also located In
the side wall culyerts at points near
these intermediate gates The rising
stem valves ares Installed in pairs.
This arrangement reduces the ncces-
sary size of each valve o. makes Il
more easily operated, although each
valve is stiil 5 feet wide hy rs feet
high. n is reused and lowered by ,
90 horse power motor requiring one
minute for complete opening or clos
ms Ia addition 20 these pairs OF
valves la parallel, each pair Is dupli-
Gated at each change OF level from
one lock tu the next.
The culycft in the middle wall must
serve the locks on both sides, ana 10
, control this feature cylindrical valves
are placed Ia the lateral culVerts that
branch out on each side. There are
I ten OF these on each, side % the cul-
vert at each lock.
The lock gates are opened and
! closed by "a separate motor for each
! leaf and the two leaves. when closed
u inferred position, are locked to-
gether at the top By the Interfere
ing machine which Ia also controlled
from the central control house.
Heavy fender chainA are stretched
across the locks In ron OF all mi
tered gates which can be exposed 70
I the upper level and also N front OF
/ the guard gates at the lower end
I These are maintained In a taat posi-
ton al all times when the gates be-
hind them are closed. n are lowered
when the gates are opened for the
passage OF a ship. These chains are
! raised and lowered by a hydraulic
cylinder. in "A method similar to that
followed ina hydraulic elevators, with
the additional feature that II a ship
approaches the gates at "a dangerous
speed and rams into the chain, the
chain is paid out from each end with
a maximum resistance for gradually
stopping "a ship before 1t reaches inc
gates. Lowering the chain FOR tho
H-.Naa..wa. ..amwaH.. 90 "a NrAHaAN and
raising il again after the vessel has
passed are also under h control OF
the opertor at the control house.
Each motor rs stopped automatically
| by a limit switch when IL has per
formed It's function. This 10 also true
| Of all motors having remote control
namely. IL the operator does not stop
a motor when "A machine has reached
the end OF It's travel, Il " automatic
| ally stopped by a limit switch.
The spillway gates also have re-
mote control. hut these gates are en-
| tiroly separate from the locks, ana
their control rs from a separate ana
| much smaller control board. There
are also many motors driving drainasc
pumps. operated by float switches
and starting panels.
At Gatun the control house IL To-
Gated az the lower end oi the upper
lock. At Miraflogcs the location is
the same-that b., at The lower end OF
the uppcr pair OF locks. but there
are only one pair OF duplicate locks
dow nstream from the control house
the same as upstream. At Pedro Mi
| guel the control house is al the low
er end Of the one pair Of locks.
Indicators are used for all machines
TO show the operator In the control
house the position OF each machine at
an Zines. In the case of certain ma
chimes. the operation of "a motor lasts
only a few seconds and h indica-
ton OF their positions Is given by the
simple means of red and green lights
such machines are the cylindrical
valves. auxiliary culvert valves ana
inter forcing machines. II is never
expected In normal operation TO STOP
these machines al an intermediate
point in their travel. and only the
completed operation Is indicated by
the red and green lights
For machines OF more extended OPP
Grafton which may be stopped AT IN
termediate points OF travel, synchto-
nous indicators are used which show
, at an times the position of the ma
! chine. whether in The extremes o!
travel or at an intermediate point
A complete synchronous indicator
! consists OF "a transmitter goared to
the machine In the lock wall and a
receiver. or model at the switchboard
IN the control house.
synchronous indicators are proNld-
ed for inter gate moving
rising stem valves. guard valves. fen
der chains and for water level indi-
cation.
The control boards are of a tlat
top bench board type. Each board
Is 80 inches high by "a inches wide
The lengths for the three different
boards are as follows.
Gatun lets
Pedro Miguel ....,.........S6 leet
! Mifulinfts stfsts anna " ~
The handles Of the various control
switches are above the surface OF
each board. In "a similar
the Indicators are mounted with the