US968130A

US968130A - Dam.

Info

Publication number: US968130A
Application number: US52353709A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hugh L Cooper
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1909-10-19
Filing date: 1909-10-19
Publication date: 1910-08-23
Anticipated expiration: 1927-08-23

Description

H. L. COOPER.

DAM.

APPLIOATIOH FILED 00T.19. 1909.

968, 1 30, Patented Aug. 23, 1910 wi/lmmm ml IDIIII rrrln cv.. illlllllml. n c.

HUGH L. COOPER, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT.

DAM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 23,1910.

Application filed October 19, 1909. Serial No. 523,537.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH L. COOPER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Stamford, county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Dams, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to dams and has for its object the construction of dams, especially those depending for stability mainly upon any forces or combinations of forces other than their own weight, such as arched dams, in such manner that water may flow over the top or from the down-stream side of the dam and be carried to and delivered at a point or place away from the dam, preferably on the down-stream side, without material injury to the dam, and that the other advantages hereinafter described may be secured.

Referring to the drawing forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is an elevation, partly broken away, of an arched dam constructed in accordance with this invention, as viewed from the down-stream side of the dam. Fig. 2 is a plan view, likewise partly broken away, of the dam shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the dam shown in Figs. 1 and 2, made as indicated by the line ac a in Fig. 2. The arrow in Fig. 2 shows the direction of the view in Fig. 3.

In the figures of the drawing like letters denote like parts.

A is the bed of the river or other body of water across which the dam is constructed.

B is the body of the dam, shown as made of masonry, extending from side to side of the river or other body of water and shown in the drawings as an arched dam. The body B of the dam may, if desired, be provided at its top with projections 6 Z) forming an opening C for the flow therethrough of the water passing over the top of the dam.

D is a duct shown in the drawings as an apron adjusted at one end to the dam where the water flows over the top of the dam, as at the opening C, and extending at the other end to a point or place on the down-stream side of the dam away from the base and foundation of the dam. The duct D may be made of any suitable form and material, but, preferably, it should be in the form of an apron, as shown, and, preferably, of hard material such as steel, at least so far as the surface over which the water flows is concerned, the better to withstand the abrasion of the flowing water- As shown in the drawing, the duct D is not an integral part or solid extension of the body B of the dam, but is, preferably and as shown, a separate or independent construction. The duct D may, as stated, be made in the form of an apron as shown in the drawing. The apron supported below by suitable supports G of masonry, as shown, or of timber, metal or other suitable material. The apron may be provided with guide-rims e 0 extending upwardly and along its sides to control the flow of the water. The guide-rims e 6 may be formed, as shown, by extending upwardly two of the supports In Fig. 3 the sheet E of the apron D is shown as curved to conform to the contour of the under-surface of a sheet of water as such contour would be if the water were flowing with great speed over the body B of the dam without the presence of the duct or apron D. Masonry I should, preferably, extend along the bottom of the stream on the clown-stream side of the dam from the clotted line shown in Fig. 3 at the base of the dam to the lower end of the duct or apron D, to prevent the water delivered by the duct from wearing away and undermining the bed of the stream and base of the dam.

From the foregoing description the advantages secured by the construction of dams in accordance with the invention will readily be understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains. Dams, such as arched dams, depending for stability mainly upon any forces or combination of forces other than their own weight, have been constructed with a base and body that is narrow compared with the height of the dam, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Such arched dams depend mainly for their sta bility upon the support accorded thereto on the down-stream side by the banks of the river or other body of water against which the sides of the arched dam press, as shown in Fig. 1. As a result of the construction of such dams in the manner described, the surface or wall of the dam on the up-stream side is perpendicular or nearly perpendicular and the surface or wall of the dam on the down-stream side has at most but slight inclination from the perpendicular. If water were permitted to flow from the top of such an arched dam and fall for any considerable distance to the foot of the dam on the downstream side, the falling water would, by reason of its weight and velocity, wear away and undermine the base and foundation of the dam and in time destroy the dam. For this reason it has not heretofore been practicable to permit water to flow over the top of such an arched dam and in order to lead away the surplus water accumulated by the dam, resort has been had to spill-ways of diflicult or expensive construction leading from the upstream side of the dam to some desired point of delivery. According to my invention, by the use of the duct or apron D, water may be permitted to flow over the top or from the down-stream side of the dam, including arched and similar dams, Without injury to the base, foundation or other part of the dam, since by means of the duct or apron the water is carried to and delivered at a point or place at such distance from the base or foundation of the dam that no injury can result thereto. By constructing the duct D as a separate construction, in the form, for example, of an apron, as shown in the drawing, and not as an integral part or solid extension of the dam, great economy in material and labor is secured in addition to the element of safety above described. Furthermore, it frequently happens that when water is permitted to flow over the top of a dam and fall against or in proximity to the downstream side of the dam, a vacuum will be created betwen the under-surface of the water and the wall of the dam, due to an increase in the volume and velocity of the flowing water or other eflicient cause. The creation of such a vacuum on the downstream side of the dam obviously threatens the integrity of the dam, since the resistance of the dam to the pressure of the water on the up-stream side is thereby materially lessened. By the use of the duct or apron D in a dam constructed in accordance with my invention, the danger of the creation of such a vacuum is obviated.

In the drawing forming part of this specification I have shown my invention embodied in an arched dam, but it is also applicable to dams of other construction and is not limited to dams depending for their stability mainly on any forces or combination of forces other than their own weight. My invent-ion is as broad as my claims.

\Vhat I claim is 1. A dam provided with a duct to carry off water from the dam, said duct comprising a structure independent of and not an integral part of the dam structure proper or the walls thereof and extending from the down-stream side of the dam in a direction away from the dam a distance sufficient to carry and deliver water at a place sufliciently removed from the dam to prevent material injury thereto from the water so carried and delivered, substantially as described.

2. A dam provided with a duct to carry off water from the dam, said duct comprising a structure independent of and not an integral part of the dam structure proper or the walls thereof and extending from the top and from the down-stream side of the dam in a direction away from the dam a distance suflicient to carry and deliver Water at a place sufliciently removed from the dam to prevent material injury thereto from the water so carried and delivered, substantially as described.

3. A dam depending for stability mainly upon forces other than its own weight, provided with a duct to carry off water from the dam, said duct comprising a structure independent of and not an integral part of the dam structure proper or the walls thereof and extending from the down-stream side of the dam, substantially as described.

a. An arched dam, provided with a duct to carry off water from the dam, said duct comprising a structure independent of and not an integral part of the dam structure proper or the walls thereof and extending from the down-stream side of the dam, substantially as described.

5. A dam depending for stability mainly upon forces other than its own weight, pro vided with an apron of hard metal to carry off water from the dam, said apron comprising a structure independent of and not an integral part of the dam structure proper or the walls thereof and extending from the down-stream side of the dam, substantially as described.

6. An arched dam, provided with an apron of hard metal to carry off water from the dam, said apron comprising a structure independent of and not an integral part of the dam structure proper or the walls thereof and extending from the down-stream side of the dam, substantially as described.

7. A dam depending for stability mainly upon forces other than its own weight, provided with a duct to carry off water from the dam, said duct comprising a structure independent of and not an integral part of the dam structure or the walls thereof proper and extending from the down-stream side of the dam in a direction away from the dam a distance sufiicient to carry and deliver water at a place sufliciently removed from the dam to prevent material injury thereto from the Water so carried and delivered, substantially as described.

8. An arched dam, provided with a duct to carry off water from the dam, said duct comprising a structure independent of and not an integral part of the dam structure proper or the Walls thereof and extending from the downstream side of the dam in a direction away from the dam a distance sufficient to carry and deliver Water at a place sufiiciently removed from the dam to prevent material injury thereto from the Water so carried and delivered, substantially as described.

HUGH L. COOPER.

lVitnesses:

Y. K. ALLEN, B. H. PARSONS.