US2928251A - Combination irrigation drop and dam - Google Patents

Description

March 15, 1960' D MWARIN 2,928,251

COMBINATION IRRIGATION DROP AND DAM Filed April 13, 1956 INVENTOR. DAN/EL M WAR/N6 COMBINATION IRRIGATION DROP AND DAM fia'niel Mii'waring Bloomington, Nebr. Application April 13, 1956, Serial 5 78,08 1

' 1 Claim. titer-491' 1 This invention-relates to a dam andspillway rorf an irrigation ditch, the purpose of which is to adjust the" levelofithe waterin the upper level of; the irrigating lateral toa desired elevation.

Summarized briefly, the invention includes a "dam adapted for insertion in position across an irrigation ditch at any desired location in the ditch. Projecting forwardly from and rigid with the dam is a trough, the purpose of 1 2,928,251 Patented Mar. 15,1960

'. thereof, is ,arectangular, upwardly opening recess 18,

which is -to keep the churning water below the s'pillway from cutting into or washing away the sides and bottom of the lateral. A bafile adjacent the outer end of the trough is provided, which assists in stopping the swirling motion of the water as it flows off the end of the trough, Y

which has the effect of shortening the depth of the recess,

thus to elfect an adjustment in the upper level of the lateral.

Among important objects of the invention are to provide a combination drop and dam that will be easy to install, and will be equally easy to remove whenever desired.

Another ObjECtilS tO provide a device as stated which can be used in the lateral in place of a canvas dam such as is presently used.

Another object is to provide a dam which, in the event of floods or changes in the ground contour, can be moved to another location {with maximum speed and ease, as distinguished, forjexample, from a permanent concrete structure which in these circumstances would be totally lost.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto and from the annexed drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a combination drop and dam formed" according to the present invention, an insert being shown: removed from its associated retainer;

Figure 2 is an-endelevational view of the device, on a through which the water W in the upper level of-the lateral. is adapted to'fiow as shown in Figure 3. Rigidly secured'ztoone face of plate 10 is a U-shaped retainer 20, haying a horizontal bightv portion extending along the bottom edges of recess 18 and having, in addition, vertical legs of-side portions 22 terminating at their upper ends at the upper edge of the dam member and extending along opposite sides of the recess.

As seen-in Figure 2 of the drawing, the dam member- 10 -is of substantially trapezoidal configuration, having amajor and a minor side portion. The major side portion is considered as comprising that portion of the area ofthe dam; member that lies above a horizontal plane coincident with the bottom, horizontal edge of the'opening,;j inFigure 2, whilethe minorrside portion comprises aportion of the area lying below said plane.

The retainer is formed of angle iron material throughout thelength. Therefore, the side portions provide confronting, vertical guideways 24, merging at their lower" ends into a horizontal seat 25 of U-shaped cross section defined by the bight portion 20in cooperation with plate member 10. Removably insertable in the retainer is a horizontally disposed insert 26, which can be formed of a a length of 2 x 2 or 2 x 4 wood material. The insert is of a. length coextensive with the distance between the webs of the side portions 22, and accordingly, the insert can be dropped into the retainer, with its ends sliding downwardly within the guideways 24 until ultimately it comes to rest in the seat 25.

In this position, the insert will project above the bottom edge of recess 18, and as a result will cause the level of the water above the dam to remain in the level of the top surface of the insert.

Rigidly secured at its inner end to member 10, immediately below the retainer, is an elongated, horizontally extending trough 28 of arcuate cross section (see Figure 2). This extends along the bottom of the lateral as shown in Figure 3, when the bottom edge portion of the member 10 is pressed into said bottom.

Adjacent the outer end of trough 28 there is formed therein a transverse slot 30, and a battle formed as an i elongated, narrow, rectangular plate 32 is adapted to slightly enlarged scale, as seen from the right of Figure 1; 5 Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the device in place in a ditch, with the insert in the retainer, on line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a modified form.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the device includes a dam member 10 in the form of a flat, vertical plate extendable fully across a ditch or lateral, and having a horizontally extending top edge to which is secured, for reinforcing purposes, a brace bar 12 of angle iron material;

The side edges 14 of the plate diverge upwardly from a horizontal bottom edge 16, to conform to the cross sectional contour of the lateral.

Formed in the plate, medially between opposite sides engage in the slot for the purpose of aiding in stopping theswirling motion of the water as the water flows olf the end of the trough. The bafile is inserted in the slot from below the trough, so that the greatest portion of the baffie is disposed exteriorly of the trough as shown in Figure 2. The exteriorly disposed portion, accordingly, is adapted to embed itself in the bottom, thus to stabilize the installation.

In use of the device, the upper level of the water in the lateral will rise to the level A. The excess will spill into the trough, and due to the bafile will rise to a level B which is substantially below the level A. Due to the provision of the baffieQ-swirling motion of the water in the trough will be reduced to a minimum, and the excess will spill over the baflle to flow at a level C within the lateral.

Obviously, inserts 26 of different heights can be selectively employed, or alternatively, the insert can be removed completely to drop the level A to its maximum extent. The entire device with the exception of the insert and retainer can be made of sheet material, and conventional angle iron material may be employed for the brace bar 12 and retainer 20. The trough may be crimped or lowered as necessary to stiffen the same, and it will be understood that to prevent corrosion, the entire device may be covered with a protective coating such as asphalt or tar. Alternatively, the material may be gal vanized to prevent rusting.

1 I :a szs gsr In Figure 4 -there is shown a modified construction from the .dam member; and a batfie removably engaged wherein the trough 28a is separably connected. to side. portions 22a of a retainer 20a by means of laterally, outwardly projecting pins 34 on the side portions 22a en-.

gaged in openings 36 formed in the'sides of'the trough' Ah'oo'kfis on the dam member 10a"is:engageahle inan opening 40 formed'in the midwiclthportion'of-the trough.

The device, as will be apparent, can be readily installed or removed, and furthencan bemanufactured' at a minimum cost. Still further, adjustments in-=.t-he upper level can be swiftly effected by the means described.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not -necessarily confined to the specific use or uses-thereof 'd'e scribed above since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it maybe suited. Nor is the-invention -to be' necessarily' limitcd to the specific constructionillustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to -be illustrative of the principlesit being considered that the invention comprehends any-minor changes in.

construction that may be permitted Within the scope 'of; I

the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In an'irrigation dam, a dam member adapted to extend transversely of a vditch in a vertical planejan elongated trough member connected at one end to and extending outwardly from the dam member; said trough memberh having a transverse slot adjacent the end thereof remote to eliminate a swirling motion of the water within the "trough member, said bafiie having a portion thereofdisposed interiorly of the trough member and the remaining portion disposed exterior 1y of the trough member for lembedding in the bottom ofthe ditch.

References .Cited in the. file of this patent V UNITED STATESPA' I ENTS,

602,973 Buttorf Apr. 26, 1898 15 605,806 McCreery- June'14, 1898 937,728 Twiford Oct. 19, 1909, 1,206,938 Stimmel Dec. 5, 1916 1,561,79 Rehbock Nov. 17; 1925 157.9288. Jidwardse .Apr.-6, v-1926 B1211 vApt. 30 11 7935 1 ijsmes Nov. 2, .1937 2,103,600 Stevens v Dec. .28, 1937 .Zfiil'? v Blaclunore-Vr. ....,e....e, Oct. 10-, 19,50 2;5391747' Whipple Nov. 21, 1950 25 V 'FGREIGN PATENTS 1583.113, .E'rance 1933,

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