US1268329A - Apparatus for removing debris from streams. - Google Patents

Description

F. CUTTLE.

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING DEBRIS FROM STREAMS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, I91]. 1 26@,$Q9G Patented June 4, 1918.

4 SHEETS SHEET Iv.

Wm 3 Wm EN N Nm \N Hu I m r F. CUTTLE. APPARATUS FOR REMOVING DEBRIS FROM STREAMS.

1 APPLICATION FILED JUNEZG, 1917. l Q6,3Q9. 4 x Patented J une 4, 1918.

4 SHEETS--SHEET 2- F. CUTTLE, I APPARATUS FOR REMOVING DEBRIS FROM STREAMS.

H k APPLICATION FILED IUNE26, I9 7. inf-1v:

Patented June 4, 1918.4 4 EEEEEEEEEEEE 3- F. CUTTLE.

' APPARATUS FOR REMOVING DEBRIS FROM STREAMS.

APPLICATION FILED 111N526. I917.

Patented June 4:, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

citizen of the United States,

u earns arena orrron ERANGIfi GUTTLE, QF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA,

nrrnnnrus ron nnMovnve DEBRIS FROM STREAMS.

Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented June 41, nus.

Application filed .Iune26, 1917; Serial No. 176,980.

This invention relates to. apparatus. for

removing debrisv from streams, such, for instance, as irrigation ditches or canals and other water supply channels.

An object of this invention is to effectually remove all character of debris from flowing streams, either bypower generated by the stream itself or otherwise generated.

Another object of the invention. is to produce a device of this character which will operate; effectively for comparatively long periods of time with practicall no attention and with minimum liability of becomingdisorganized.

Another object is to catch the debrisflowing down the stream and to discharge the debris; to one side of the stream.

Another object is. to avoidthe overflowing of the canal, ditch or banks of the stream in case the apparatus fails to function in removingthe debris.

Another object is. to insure against the accumulation of debris on the screen to. an eX- tent sufficient to cause harmful fluctuations in the head of water flowing through the, channel in which the screen is located.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the subjoined detail description.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure l is a side elevation of the inven. tion installed in position in the fiume of an irrigating ditch or canal, the float chamber being shown in section for clearness of illustration.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation partly in vertical section on line indicated by w r-Z2 Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal view; of the rake head, the. track orguidev for the rake beingshown in cross section.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail partly in section of the. head end of the rake, fragments otoneof thetracks or; guides and one of; the.

in the county of Riverside and State screen bars also being shown, and broken lines indicating the rake teeth and roller in position during the ascending movement of' the rake.

Fig. 6 is an elevation looking at the inner side of one of the tracks or guides showing the switch, the head portion of the rake being indicated in broken lines and a portion of the main rail of the track being broken away to contract the view.

ig. 7 is a view analogous to Fig. 6 showing the. switch being operated by the ascending rake.

Fig. 8 is a fragmental plan view of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a fragmental sectional detail on line indicated by m--w, Fig. 1.

A channel or ditch indicated at 1 may be the natural channel of a flowing stream or may be an artificially formed channel, and in the instance shown in the drawings said channel is formed lov the sides 2, 3 and bot tom 4 of a fiume which may constitute a portion of an irrigation canal.

Inserted preferably aslant in the channel 1 at a suitable point is a screen 5 comprising in the instance shown, see Fig. 2, a number of closely spaced grating bars 6 fastened at their forward ends to a transverse bar 7 and fastened at their rear ends to a transverse bar 8. which is provided at its ends with brackets 9. Extending between the brackets is a roller 10 which is normally supported by a dog or dogs 11 fixed to a rock-shaft 12 which is suitably journaled at 13 on the sides 2, 8 of the fiume. The shaft .12 is rocked by an arm 14 pivoted at 15 to a pull theouter end of the lever 18 down so as to swing the arm 14 upward to move the dog 11 upward out of engagement with the bar 10.

The lever 18 is normally maintained in the retracted position shown in Fig. 1 so as to maintain the dog 11 in engagement with the bar 10 by a latch 22 which may be in the form of a lever supporting the weighted end of the lever 18 and pivoted at 23 to a suitable support 2% that in the instance shown in the drawings is fastened to the side 2 of the flume. The latch 22 when in its normal lever-retaining position is engaged and held in such position by a detent 25 formed by the free end of an arm 26 which is pivoted at 27 to a suitable bracket 28 that in the instance shown in the drawings is fastened to the side 2 of the flume. The arm 26 is provided with an abutment in the form of a pin 29 which engages a slot 30 in an arm 31 pivoted at 32 to an operating arm 33 that in turn is pivoted at 34 on the upper edge of the side 2 of the flume. The slot 30 allows for lost motion between the arm 33 and the arm 26, but when the arm 33 is swung upward sufliciently far the lower end of the slot 30 forms an abutment 35 which engages the pin 29 so as to raise the arm 26 out of engagement with the latch 22,

thus permitting the weighted lever 18 to de flect the latch 22 sufliciently to allow said arm 18 to swing downward to operate the dog 11 as above described.

The arm 33 is provided with a slot 35 engaged by a pin 36 extending laterally from the stem 37 of a float 38 which is accommodated in a float chamber 39 that may be constructed, for instance, on the outer face i of the side 2 of the flume, the interior of the float chamber communicating with the interior of the flume through a port 40 so that the level of water in the float chamber will at all times be maintained at the same level as the water in the flume. It is clear that when the water in the flume rises above a certain predetermined level, determined by the distance between the pin 29 and the abutment 35, the float will be raised sufliciently to cause the arm 26 to be released from the latch 22 so as to allow the lever 18 to operate the dog 11 and thus allow the screen to fall lengthwise into the bottom portion of the flume.

Means are provided to remove debris that may lodge on the up stream side of the screen and said means comprises a reciprocating rake indicated in general by the character 41 which may be variously constructed and is preferably constructed as will now be described. At its head end the rake 41 is provided with a transverse head bar 42 having slots 43 in which are shiftably mounted the teeth 44 of the rake. The teeth 44 are connected together so as to act in unison, the connection in this instance being in the form of a rod 45 passing through perforations 46 of the teeth, there being spacers or washers 47 between adjacent teeth so as to keep them in proper spaced relation. The spacing of the teeth 44 corresponds with the spacing of the screen bars 7 and said teeth are adapted to engage and move lengthwise of the screen in the inter-bar spaces as will be explained more fully hereinafter. The ends of the bar 45 are provided with nuts 48 and the bar 45 passes through end brackets 48 of the rake. When the nuts 4-8 are turned up tight against the brackets 49 the washers 47 and teeth will be tightly drawn together.

The cross bar 42 of the rake is provided with furcated arms 50 which are pivoted at 51 to levers 52 fulcrumed at 53 in brackets 54 respectively that are fastened to side members 55 of the rake, the forward ends of said side members being fast to the cross bar 42. Each of the levers 52 is engaged by a spring 56 which may be fastened at one end to the appropriate bracket 54 and which may have its opposite end bent up beneath the appropriate lever 52 so as to tend to hold the lower end of the lever 52 downward with the teeth 44 projecting through the cross bar 42 as in broken lines in Fig. 5. The teeth 44 are limited in their outward movement through the cross bar 42 by reason of the bar 45 engaging the upper face of the cross bar 42.

The rear ends of the levers 52 are deflected upward at 57, see Fig. 3, and are provided with abutments which may be in the form of rollers 58. It is readily seen that when the abutments 58 are forced downward toward the screen 6 that the teeth 44 will be moved inward in the slots of the bar 42.

Journaled on the ends of the cross bar 42 of the rake are rollers 59 which are adapted to run in forked or U-shaped guide ways or tracks fastened to the inner faces of the sides 2, 3 of the flume. Each of these tracks comprises a rearwardly and upwardly inclined guide or rail 60, a slightly inclined guideor rail 61 having its rear end spaced from the rail 60 sufficiently to admit therebetween the appropriate roller 59, and also comprises a switch tongue 62 pivoted at 63 to the rail 61 and adapted to normally bridge across the space between the rear end of the rail 61 and the adjacent portion of the rail 60. These rails 60, 61 and switch tongues 62 may be of any suitable construction and in the drawings are shown as being formed of angle irons. The lower ends of the rails 60 substantially rest on the bottom 4 of the flume and the upper ends of said rails are above the level of the top of the flume. The rails 61 are disposed near the upper edges of the flame.

From the foregoing it is now clear that when the rake 41 is drawn upward the teeth 44 will engage in the interscreen-bar spaces and that the rollers 59 of the rake will roll along the rails 60. When the rake is drawn upward sufficiently far the rollers 59 will pass between the switch tongues 62 and the rails 60 and raise said switch tongues as clearly shown in Fig. 7. When the rollers 59 pass upward beyond the rear ends of the switch tongues 62 said switch tongues will fall by force of "gravity or suitable spring essees 1 6 so as; to bridge the spaces between the rails,- 60 and the, rails 61. If now the rake.-

be lowered, it is clear that tl1e1rol1ersf59 will ride upon the switch tongues 62: and

. forward along the rails 61 until the forward ends of said rails are reached, whereupon the rollers 59"Wl1l leave the rails 61 and drop toward the bottom of the flame thus allowing the rake to. fall; into the; position shown in High of the, drawings.

verse. member 64h which forms the, double function of a float and an impact member. This member 6% may be in the form of-Ea flat board connected by resilient arms 65, to the rake side members When. the rake. drops the member 64 will strike the water in the flume so. as to retard or check by im pact the descent f the rake.v The member 64 being a float will, also tend to. buoy the lower end of the rake as it descends toward he o tom of the flame, but of co r e he buoyancy of the member 64, is overcome by the weight of the rake which sinks to, raking position. a

There may also be provided as shown in the drawings springs 66 fastenedto the bottom of the fiunie h ing the rearends spaced away from said bottom so as ina measure to stop the descent of the rake without too great shock when it reaches the bot om of. he flame,

If the, rake. 4:1 be moved upward so as to bring the teeth 4,4; beyond the rear end of thescreen 6, the rollers 58 will engage abutments 6'? which, in he nst nce shown in he dra ings, are formed f angle ir n 1anected' by brackets 68 to a cross bar 69that is supported by standards. 70 fastened to the sides of the flnme. As the rollers 58 pass from the forward ends to the rear ends of the, abutments 67, the rollers are gradually depressed so as to[ force the teeth 15L inward thus to cause stri ping of the teeth of any debris that will not readily fall from the teeth when said teeth have passed beyond the rear end of the screen. When the rollers 58 run rearward past therear ends of the abutments 67 the teeth 44 will be snapped outward again by the action of the springs 56 so that if, after the stripping; motion of the teeth there should be any debrisremaining thereon it would be. jarred loose by the quick return of the teeth caused by the ac ion of th springs.

Th r ke .1 i ciproca e by any sui ble operating means and it; isv understood that e nvention in i s broader aspect is not limited to the operating means Shown in the drawings, and about to be described in detail he e m s may be constru ed as f llows;

The rear endsOf the sides 55 of the rake are; pivoted at 71 to the forward ends of arms72 which pivotally engage at their rear ends a rod 7 3; that is connected at its, oppositeends to endless chains 741 rover around sprocket wheels 75, 76, the sprocket wheels 75, being mounted on stub shafts 77 supported on the standards 70, and the sprocket wheels 76 being mounted on stub shafts 781 which are supported-onlongitudinal members 79 fastened to the standards 70, 80 and to brace members 81. The standards 89ers fastened to the sides of theflume and" the braces 81 are fastened to the standards 7 0* The stub shafts 78 are driven by sprocket wheels 82 mounted on said shafts, said sprocket wheels being in turn driven by sprocket chains 83 rove around sprocket wheels 8% mounted on a shaft 85 which is jonrnaled at 86 on the.

sides of the flame. The shaft 85 is connected by gears 87, 88 to a shaft 89 which is also journaled at 90 On the sides of the fiume. The shaft 89' is provided with. a sprocket wheel 91 driven by a sprocket chain 92 from a sprocket wheel 93 on a shaft 94: of a water wheel of which the paddles are shown at 95. Thus the water flowing through the flume after passing the screen 5 turns the water wheel and causes the reciprocation of the rake and the, inward shifting of the teeth of the rake as explained above. The advantageof having the water wheel on the down stream side of the screen is that it insures against debris engaging and interfering with winding of the chains 99 when it is desired to raise the water wheel out of the stream, of water to stop the operation of the appa ratus.

Guides are provided for the upper or rear ends of the sides 55 of the rake and the drawings the shaft 71 reciprocates in guide ways; 104 formed by the spaces between the members 7 9 and other members 1075. which are fastened to the standards 7 0, 80. and the braces 81- In the drawings the members 79 and 105 are. formed of wooden supporting strips with angle-iron facing strips fastened to the supporting strips but said members. may be otherwise constructed for the purpose in view d From the foregoing it is clear that when the rake is reciprocated so as to move up the rails 60 d down the rails 61 the. rake i swing 011 the pivot 71, and also, that the arms lower runs and from said lower runs to the upper runs.

When the screen 6 is in position for use, as in solid lines in Fig. 3, its rear end is adjacent a transversely disposed conveyer of any suitable type, for example, of the scraper type comprising cables or chains 106 and scrapers or slats 107, said conveyer being provided with a bevel gear 108 meshing with a bevel gear 109 on a shaft 110 which is provided with a sprocket chain 111 rove around a sprocket wheel 112 mounted on the shaft 77 The space between the conveyer and the rear end of the screen 6 is bridged by a member 113. The abutment 67 is so positioned that the teeth a l of the rake will not be moved into stripping position until said teeth have passed rearward of the rear edge of the member 113.

In practical operation the shafts 78 will be driven by suitable power to cause the shafts 74: to travel in the direction of the arrow a in Fig. 3. In the drawings, with the parts in the positions shown in Fig. 1, the water wheel will be turned in the direction of the arrow 6, Fig. 1, by water flowing in the flume in the direction of the arrow 0.

Assuming that the various operative parts are in the positions shown in Fig. 3, the rod 73 will be moved rearward by the upper run of the chains 7 4 so as to draw the rake upward and rearward with its rollers 59 in c0ntact with the rails 60. During this upward movement of the rake whatever debris has lodged against the up stream side of the screen 6 will'be raked upward and rearward by the raking action of the teeth and said debris will be deposited in the transverse conveyer 106, 107. In the upward movement of the rake when the rollers 58 reach the abutments 67, said abutment will cause depression of the rollers so as to raise the forward ends of the levers 52 to draw the teeth 44 inward through the slots in the rake bar 42 thus stripping any debris lodged between the teeth therefrom.

When the rod 71 has reached the rear end of the upper run of the chains 74:, it starts on its return or lower run of the chains thus backing the rollers 59 over the switch tongues 62 and forward along the rails 61. After reaching the forward ends of the rails 61 the rollers 59 roll from said ends and the rake swings downward around the pivot 71, the member 64: and springs 66 tending to ease the descent of the rake as explained above. The rake is now in position ready for another up stroke and the rake thus moves in a triangular path as long as power is applied to the shafts 77.

The debris discharged by the rake 11 into the conveyer 106, 107 is carried by said conveyer to one side of the flume or to any desired location and discharged.

Thus it is clear that certain broad featuresof this invention are the collapsible screen, the transverse discharging conveyer in combination with means to collect debris and discharge it into the transverse conveyer, and a reciprocating rake adapted to rake the debris from the channel, and alsr the rake with self-cleaning teeth.

I claim:

1. The combination with a channel for water, of a screen collapsibly inserted in said channel to catch debris, means to hold the screen against collapsing, means operative by raising of the water to a predetermined level to release the screen-holding means, and means operating "to move the debris from the screen and to discharge it outside of said channel.

2. The combination with a channel for water, of a screen collapsibly mounted in said channel, means to hold the screen against collapsing, and means operative by.

raising of the water to a predetermined level to release the screen-holding means to allow the screen to collapse.

3. The combination with a channel for. water, of a screen collapsibly mounted in said channel to catch debris, means to hold mined level to release the screen holding means, a conveyer extending from adjacent one end of the screen to one s1de of the channel, means to operate the conveyer, andmeans to move debris from the screen to the conveyer.

5. The combination with a channel for water, of a screen collapsibly mounted on said channel, means to hold the screen in uncollapsed position to catch debris, a conveyer extending from adjacent the screen when said screen is in uncollapsed position to one side of the channel, means to operate the conveyer, means to move debris from the screen to the conveyer, and means operative by raising of the water to a predetermined level to release the screen-holding means to allow the screen to collapse.

6. The combination with a channel for water, of means operating to remove debris from the water to position outside of the channel, said means including a collapsible screen, means to hold the screen against collapsing, and means operative by raising of the water to a predetermined level to release the screen holding means.

7. The combination with a channel for Water, of means operative by flowing of the water to remove debris from the water to position outside of the channel, said means including a collapsible screen, means to hold the screen against collapsing, and means operative by raising of the water to a predetermined level to release the screen holding means.

8. The combination with a channel for water, of a screen collapsibly mounted in said channel, means to hold the screen against collapsing, means operative by raising of the water to a predetermined level to release the screen holding means, and means operative by flowing of the water to remove debris from the screen and to discharge said debris to position outside of the channel.

9. The combination with a channel for water, of a screen collapsibly mounted in said channel, means to hold the screen against collapsing, means operative by raising of the Water to a predetermined level to release the screen holding means, and reciprocating means to remove debris from said screen.

10. The combination with a channel for water, of a screen collapsibly mounted in said channel, means to hold the screen against collapsing, means operative by raising of the Water to a predetermined level to release the screen holding means, a rake movable along the screen, and means to move the rake.

11. The combination with a channel for water, of a screen collapsibly mounted in said channel, means to hold the screen against collapsing, means operative by raising of the water to a predetermined level to release the screen holding means, a rake movable along the screen, and means operatively connected with the rake outside of the channel to move said rake.

12. The combination with a channel for water, of a screen collapsibly mounted in said channel, means to hold the screen against collapsing, means operative by raising of the water to a predetermined level to release the screen holding means, a rake, means to move the rake upward along the screen and downward spaced apart from the screen.

13. The combination with a channel for water, of a screen collapsibly mounted in said channel, means to hold the screen against collapsing, means operative by raising of the water to a predetermined level to release the screen holding means, a rake, means to reciprocate the rake, means to guide the rake along the screen on the rearward movement of said rake, and means to guide the rake away from the screen on the forward movement of said rake.

14;. The combination with a channel for water, of a screen mounted in said channel,

an endless chain, means to drive the endless chain, and a rake connected with the chain and reciprocated thereby along the screen when the chain is driven.

15. The combination with a channel for water, of a screenmounted in said channel, means collapsibly inserted in said channel to rake debris from the screen, means to hold the screen against collapsing, means operative by raising of the water to a predetermined level to throw the screen holding means out of commission, and means to carry away from the channel the debris thus raked from the screen.

16. The combination with a channel for Water, of a screen mounted in said channel, a bar extending transversely of the screen, means to move the bar along the screen, teeth shiftably mounted in said bar, and means operative when the bar has reached a predetermined position to move the teeth inward of the bar to strip debris from said teeth.

17. The combination with a channel for water, of a screen mounted in said channel, a bar extending transversely of the screen, means to move the bar along the screen, teeth shiftably mounted in said bar, means operative when the bar has reached a predetermined position to gradually move the teeth inward of the bar and to suddenly release said teeth, and spring means to snap the teeth out as soon as they are released.

18. The combination with a channel for water, of a screen mounted aslant in said channel, a rake, forked guides for the rake head, means to operate the rake to cause the head thereof to move from the outer end of one fork of each guide to the outer end of the other fork of each guide and therefrom, and means to check the fall of the rake head when it leaves the last named forks.

19. The combination with a channel for water, of a screen collapsibly mounted in said channel, a float chamber communicating with the channel, a float mounted in said chamber, means to hold the screen against collapsing, and means operative by raising of the float to a predetermined level to throw the screen-holding means out of commission.

20. The combination with a channel for water, of a screen mounted in said channel to catch debris, a bar extending transversely of the screen, means to move the bar along the screen, teeth shiftably mounted in the bar, a lever connected with the teeth and movable with the bar, and means engageable with the lever when the bar is moved beyond the screen to shift the teeth.

21. The combination with a channel for water, of a screen collapsibly mounted in said channel to catch debris, and means operative by rise of level of the water when the screen becomes clogged with debris 'to cause collapsing of the -screen to prevent of the bar at a predetermined part of its in damming of the Water. stroke to move the teeth up in the slots.

22. The combination with a channel for Signed at Riverside, California, this 20th Water, of a ficreen rriounteld in said cklliailllnjel, day of June, 1917. a cross ar avin s ots t erein teet s i tably mounted inthe slots, means to nor- FRANCIS OUTTLE' mally hold the teeth down in the slots, i/Vitnesses: means to reciprocate the bar across the GEORGE H. HILES, screen, and means operative by movement A. F. SOHMIDTBAUER.

Copies of thin patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

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