US213822A - Improvement in protecting levees - Google Patents

Description

J. JOHNSON. Protecting Levees.

No. 213,822. Patented April 1, 1 879.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JERRY JOHNSON, OF BIG BEND, LOUISIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PROTECTING LEVEES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 213,822, dated April 1, 1879; application filed December 16, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JERRY J oHNsoN, a resident of Big Bend, parish of Avoyelles, and State of Louisiana, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Building and Protecting Levees; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and correct description of the same, reference being bad to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification.

This invention relates to the construction of levees and embankments; and has for its obiect the protection of the same from the destructive operations of'crawfish, who, it is well known, bore through earthy embankments in very irregular and diversified directions, always finding an exit on the opposite side from that from whence they started, hence leavin g so many perforations, through which the water, as it rises on the outer side of the embankment, naturally finds its way to the inner side of the same. This flow of Water gradually saturates the whole of the embankment, while at the same time it enlarges the diameter of the holes through which it passes, thus impairing the effectiveness of the levee, and resulting, finally, if not properly attended to, in the total destruction of the same.

The nature of my invention is clearly shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a levee provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a cross-section, and Fig. 3 a perspective view, of what may be termed my central wall or levee-protector.

My invention consists in the construction of two or more rows of plates, to a, &c., the edges of which are folded back on the body of the plates, so that they may be lapped into one another, as at b, and when hammered or pressed be thereby firmly united. To prevent too great a thickness of metallwhere the corners of four plates meet, as well as to insure rapidity and neatness in uniting the same, a limited portion of each plate should be clipped of, as shown at 0. But very little practice will be needed to enable an operator to make the proper cut, so as to avoid having an opening between the plates when the same are joined together. However, should any openings occur, the same can be effectually closed by means of plugs of any suitable material. The upper edge of the top row of plates is bent or rolled, so as to form a tube, d, in which is inserted a rod, f, for stiffness as well as alignment.

In the construction of a levee the lower edge of the bottom row of plates should be sunk a few inches below the surface of the ground, so as to guard against its being pressed out of line by the pressure of the embankment as it is being thrown up. on its front and rear sides.

To insure the preservation of the plates against rust, &c., the same should be galvanized, or heavily coated with a composition of asphaltum, tar, or other suitable material.

I am aware that dikes andlevees have some times been constructed with inner walls or cores of metal, wood, or other material, and do not therefore specially claim such use; but

What I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a levee or embankment, a protectionwall composed of a number of metallic plates,

a a, &c., united by lapped edges 12, some of my name.

JERRY JOHNSON. In presence of- J. N. MULLER, JAMES C. KIDDELL.

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