US1608835A - Dam for creeks, ditches, etc. - Google Patents

Description

C. C. BRANAMAN DAM FOR CREEKS, DITCHES, ETC

Nov. 30,- 1926. 1,608,835

Filed Dec. 21, 1925 INVENTOR wak 19W kal- Patented Nov". 30, 1926.

E D 5 TA TIES PATENT DAM non cmanxs, .nrrorrns, nro.

Application filed. December 21, 1923. Serial 'No. 682,060.

2 To provide improved means for anno provide dam and floodgate which will allow the passage ofilarge quantities of water at flood and prevent the egress of stock at low water.

I attain these objects by the means illust ated in the accompanying drawings, in which;-

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a dam and line fence constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; Fig. 3 is a detail showing a cross section of the fence and dam on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; Figure 4. is "a detail showing a top view of one of the an chors; Fig. 5 is an elevation of a woven wire floodgate from the downstream side and Figure 6' is an edge view thereof; Figure 7 is an elevation of a fioodgate made of wood en strips or boards and Figure 8 is an end view thereof.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

My dam may be combined with afence as shown in Figure 1, wherever it is located on the line of a line fence, 1*, or it may be constructed independently of the fence and may come to the top of the ground line as in Figure 1 where the ground line is shown by a dotted line, 14, or it may be located below the top of the ground. level.

When used in a drainage ditch, I prefer to locate the top of the dam a foot or eighteen inches below the top of the ground level so that in case a ditch becomes filled up, a farmer may plow over the ends of the dam without disturbing it.

The body of the dam, 5, is composed preferably of woven wire fencing of any standard pattern, which may be of galvanized iron or of any other suitable material. It is desirable, of course, to use material having good rust resisting qualities.

In constructing my dam, a cut or trench is ldug across the ditch or creek to dammed, and carried into the banks at the side thereof as far as desired. The woven wire is then placed in the trench and may be secured to posts in the ordinary manner. The ends of the dam are anchored by in: iiirig a roll. or cylinder at each end thereof shown in Figure 4: and filling the cylinc with rock, ea.. 11 or other suitable material.

he trench can then be filled and maimed i the culinary way.

At or sligl'itly above the ground level of the bed,I place an apron, 6, of woven wire,

which issecuredto the dam and extends upstream therefrom. A similar apron, '13, is secured to the dam at about the same level and extendsdownstream therefrom. I prefer to weightthese aprons with rocks, 7, as shown in Figure 2, when they are available.

I reinforce the top of the dam with a cable, 10, which is secured to the fence posts and may be anchored by being secured to cylindrical anchors at each end of the dam or carried beyond the ends of the dam and secured to additional fence posts or other suitable anchorage.

The portion of the dam between the terminal anchors may be fastened to fence posts, if desired, and these posts may be set up at any point either between the banks of the ditch or creek or beyond the banks as circumstances may make desirable. When used to support a fence, they should extend the necessary distance above the ground, but when used only to support a low dam, they need not extend above the top of the dam.

In order to allow the escape of flood water, I provide a flood gate, 3, which is hinged to the cable, 1.0, and hangs on the downstream side of the dam and preferably extends slightly below the top of the lower section of the wire dam so as to prevent the escape of animals.

This flood gate may be of woven wire as shown in Figure 5, with reinforcing boards at the ends and sides or may be of board strips as shown in Figure 7 and may be light or heavy as the requirements of each par ticular case suggest.

From the cable, 10, near the ends of the flood gate, I extend a guy wire, 11, upstream to an anchor, 12, which is preferably a rock and should be buried in the bed of the creek or ditch. Any desired number of such first erected in a trench cut across the creek or ditch to be dammed and the ends anchored as described. The supporting cable at the top of the dam is secured in place by the anchors and by suitable supporting posts and secured to the upper edge of the dam. A. flood gate is mounted upon the cable and if desired, the fence is strung along above the dam.

When a small quantity of water is flowing down the bed of the stream, it will pass through the woven wire under the flood gate and the aprons, 6 and 13, will prevent cutting under the dam. The woven wire will allow the water to pass readily at the sides of the creek so as to avoid lateral cutting and the wire itseh' tends to hold the earth and small debris so as to prevent cutting.

When an increased quantity of water comes down the stream, the flood gate, 3, will swing upon the hinges, 4;, and open as far as necessary and will automatically close by gravity when the water is lowered sufficiently.

It is obvious that the size, shape and proportions of the various parts of my dam may be varied to suit the requirements of each particular case without departing from the spirit of my invention.

This dam is also so constructed that hogs will not root under it.

I claim:

In a dam, the combination with a section or" woven wire extending across the bed of a watercourse and extending below the bed of the watercourse, of cylindrical anchorages formed integral therewith secured in the soil on opposite sides of the stream and suitably weighted, a reinforcing cable secured to the top of the dam and suitably anchored, an opening in the upper portion of the dam and a flood gate, the upper edge of which is horizontally pivoted on the reinforcing cable adjacent the opening, and the lower edge of which is free to swing upwardly and in a down stream direction in case of high water.

In testimony whereof he affixes his signature.

CLINTON G. BRANAMAN.

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