PLASTIC IDENTIFYING PLATES

Something a little different has been used on the Wellton-
Mohawk distribution system of the Bureau's Gila Project, for identifying
farm unit turnouts.
A plastic plate as
shown in the photo-
graph at left, is
neat, and provides
a permanently leg-
ible marking for
the structure.

The built-up
black and white
plastic strip is
purchased with the
numbers cut into
it as shown. The
marker is attached
to the gate frame
with bolts.

The project re-
ports the strips cost about 50 cents each. For further information con-
tact the Manager, Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District,
Wellton, Arizona, or the Regional Director, Bureau of Reclamation,
Boulder City, Nevada.

TILT-UP TRAILER

Movement of tractors about the Belle Fourche Project, South
Dakota, has been facilitated by the use of "'tilt-up trailers" similar to
that shown on the following page. The trailers have been constructed
by the operation and maintenance forces of the Belle Fourche Irriga-
tion District in project shops at Newell, South Dakota. Actually the
project has constructed three such trailers, two larger than that
shown, to handle various pieces of mobile equipment.

Construction:

The steel channel frame of the trailer shown accommodates
a bed 11 feet 6 inches long and 5 feet 2 inches wide, and has been con-
structed from members of an old truck frame. The channels are 4
inches wide at the rear of the trailer and increase in width to 7 inches
at the axle and are 7 inches wide from that point foreward.

The entire channel frame rests on a triangular shaped heavy
duty pipe framework with the apex toward the front and the base forming

12


great enough to lower the specific gravity somewhat. When this
happens and the lock again freezes, another squirt or two of the anti-
freeze, warmed from storage in the heated entryway to the cubicles,
thaws out the lock and again prevents freezing for some time.

Rust inhibitors in the anti-freeze should allow their use with
no damage to the locks,

OK OK OK OK

SELF-ESCAPE FROM CANALS

The continuing incidents of drownings in canals, despite the
extensive system of escape devices, fencing, and warnings provided,
points up the importance for adequate means of escape. The need for
protecting the visitors and our operating people has prompted Mr.

G. A. Greenwood of the Washington Office, Bureau of Reclamation,
to suggest the device shown diagrammatically on the following page.

In the event an individual falls into a canal where this self-
escape device is installed he will be carried downstream against the
floating cable which can be grasped and thereby work toward a ladder
or similar escape device which should be provided up the side slopes
of the canal, Forming the device in the "V" shape will result in the
water flowing within the canal assisting a person in reaching the
canal bank,

Construction:

A small wire cable is drawn taut across the canal and anchored
at the top of the concrete lining or unlined earth embankment. At the
midpoint of this cable a short wire cable is suspended. To this short
cable a third wire cable forms a '"'V"' with its apex attached and its ends
anchored to the canal embankment approximately 20 feet downstream
from the transverse cable across the canal. Floats such as 4-inch by
4-inch by 3-foot timbers should be fastened to the "V" cable at inter-
vals, the number varying with the width of the channel.

It is estimated that the self-escape device will cost less than
$25.00 per unit even on our larger canals.

The "V" cable will be kept afloat on the water surface by the
timber blocks, accordingly, the length of the short supporting cable at
the midpoint of the transverse cable should be such as to permit the
apex of the "V"' cable to remain intact with the surface as the water is
lowered, thus providing a continuous floating guard across the channel
at all times.


For further detail concerning construction of the device or
its operation, contact Manager, Belle Fourche Irrigation District,
Newell, South Dakota, or the Regional Director, U. S. Bureau of
Reclamation, Billings, Montana.

OK OK OK Ok

CRAYFISH CONTROL

The transactions of the International Commission on Irriga-
tion and Drainage, reporting on the Second Congress on Irrigation and
Drainage, 1954, carries the following statement regarding the control
of crayfish:

uf . in Australia... . crayfish are successfully
controlled by mixing sharp materials such as cinders,
gravel, etc., with the soil in places of infestation. For
self-preservation, the crayfish will not burrow in sharp
materials as the slightest cut will cause it to bleed to
death. "

Have any of you tried this?

Pe

CHECK STRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT

With short flashboards and a high check structure, it is diffi-
cult to manipulate the structure without losing a great many of the boards,
and to hold them in
place without wedg-
ing or other means.

On the Madera
Canal in California
the flash boards
are bolted together
and fastened to
screw stems, as
shown, providing a
positive mechanical
means of control.
Upstream water
levels are easily
regulated, and the
idea was used
throughout the
1955 irrigation
season with out-
standing success.

16


During the 1954-1955 irrigation season, pondweed became
a serious problem in the Friant-Kern Canal. In order to make the
proper herbicidal applications, it was necessary to treat the surface
area of the water. This required applications from a boat. The ma-
terials were thoroughly mixed with the agitator and then applied, as
shown below. The boat was pulled by a pick-up, not shown, over a
one-mile stretch of unlined canal.

Another utilization of the rig's high pressure was in cleaning
out piezometer rings in Venturi meters. Hydrographers had previously
used compressed air, but found that 125 to 150 psi water pressure was
much more effective in the cleaning out the accumulated silt. It was
also found invaluable in cleaning structures for painting and mainte-
nance work, The high pressure water jet was very effective in remov-
ing mud and debris from checks, bridges, and siphons. Also it has
been converted into a weed-burning rig and for storing or transferring
fuels from tank to tank. Along this line it might also be used for trans-
porting fuel to a location where several pieces of heavy equipment are
working.

All in all, it can readily be seen the unlimited uses to which
the Hurst-Robin sprayer may be put. At any rate, the initial cost of
the Hurst-Robin sprayer becomes small in comparison to the savings
made in the number of man hours that would ordinarily be spent for
these many and varied tasks.



THE WORK HORSE OF O & M

There has been much written about weed sprayers but little,
if any, mention of other uses besides spraying weeds. In order to gain
a better understanding of these uses it may be best to start with a de-
scription of the Hurst-Robin spray rig, shown below, which is the type
currently in use by Bureau forces on the Friant-Kern, Madera, and
Delta Mendota Canals, Central Valley Project, California.

Basically the Hurst- Robin spray rig consists of a "V" bottom,
500-gallon tank made of a material resistant to the chemicals used in
spraying weeds. It may be mounted on any standard 2-1/2-ton truck
frame with minor alterations. A mechanically driven agitator, driven
from the Robin pump, insures adequate mixing of the various ingredi-
ents in the solution,

Pressure is supplied by a Robin, 40-gallon per minute, three-
cylinder, reciprocating pump. It is in turn gear driven by a Continen-
tal engine.

In order to fill the tank, a portable type 1-1/2-inch self-
priming pump and two 15-foot lengths of neoprene lined 1-1/2-inch
hose have been provided as shown in the picture.

The two hose reels shown on top of the tank each contain 100
feet of 3/4-inch neoprene lined and covered 2500 psihose, These are
used when it becomes necessary to hand spray or work in confined
areas. When used in this manner, the hose is usually led down the side
of the tank and out along the boom through the two sets of roller guides
which are fastened to the upper side of the boom, High pressure orchard

5


SELF ESCAPE DEVICE

No doubt the safety device will collect some debris. However,
it is believed that the quantity of debris would be small and could be re-
moved without difficulty.

OK OK OK OK

SOCKETING ALL WIRE ROPES

In socketing of all wire ropes or cables where the socket is
made of steel or iron, use clean zinc where the socket is to be sub-
merged in water. Any other metal is likely to result in a corrosive
galvanic action being set up between two different kinds of metal. This
will cause a rapid deterioration of the steel in the rope or cable.

Socketing with zinc has given greater life to the cables used
on Bureau projects and reduced the amount of replacement necessary.
Any good wire rope handbook will give the steps to be followed in the
socketing operation.

RR OR OK


BOLTS LOOSENED WITH PAVING BREAKER

17

Ray O. Pickard
of the Central Valley
Project's Shasta
Powerplant, devised
and adapted the action
of a Thor Pavement
breaker to the loosen-
ing and tightening of
the main shaft coupling
bolts on the main gen-
erator shaft of units in
the Shasta Powerplant.

This jobis ordinar-
ily done swinging a 20-
pound sledge hammer.
The Regional Office
states that Ray's idea
"took the sweat out of
the operation,''as well
as saved considerable
time.


the use of the Hurst spray rig was proposed. Its use became two-fold
in that it was a ready source for the continuous high pressure water
supply required, and was alsothe prime mover for the air compressor,
Bondactor, and sand trailer. The arrangement of equipment is shown in
the photograph below which was taken during recent guniting operations.
Of course, prior to guniting, the cracks must be thoroughly cleaned. In
order to speed this process the Hurst spray rig was again put to use. A
man with the hose is lowered down the slope by aline. The water pres-
sure is adjusted to 400 pounds per square inch which has been found to
be the right pressure to easily jet the silt from between the cracks,

During a recent maintenance period, a contract was let for
providing a catalytically blown asphalt membrane to be applied over a
400-foot sectionat Mile 79.85 on the Friant-Kern Canal. Bureau of
Reclamation personnel were to apply an asphalt primer prior to the
application, and apply a coat of asphalt base aluminum paint after the
asphalt membrane had been applied. It was necessary, of course, to
have the lining clean before applying the primer. Here again the Hurst
sprayer played an important role. Not only was it used to water wash
the lining, but was also used for spraying the primer and aluminum paint
on. This was done simply by filling the tank with the asphalt primer and
applying by the use of a hand wand. The area was completely covered in
slightly less than four hours by one man. This represented 34,400 square
feet and a consumption of approximately 150 gallons of primer. Upon
completion a few gallons of solvent were used to clean out the tank and
hose, After the catalytically blown asphalt had been applied the asphalt
base aluminum paint was sprayed on in the same manner in the same
amount of time.

There are, of course, other lesser uses for the Hurst sprayer.
For instance, the idea of using it as a small, auxiliary fire truck was
suggested. From then on it became routine for the field offices to keep
the truck filled with water over the weekends during the dry months, in
the event a fire should occur.

x


Department of the Interior

Bureau of Reclamation

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURES
RELEASE NO. 17

July, August and September 1956

CONTENTS

Portable Tool Board

Freezing of Moisture in Padlocks
Self-eseape from Canals

Socketing All Wire Ropes

The Work Horse of O & M

Shoterete Diseourges Burrowing Animals
Fairlead Modification for Hyster Dragline
Cable Controlled Tandem Dise

Plastic Identifying Plates

Tilt-up Trailer

Belle Fourche Ditcher

Crayfish Control

Cheek Structure Improvement

Bolts Loosened with Paving Breaker


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SHOTCRETE DISCOURAGES BURROWING ANIMALS

The Arch Hurley Irrigation District, which operates the Bureau
constructed Tucumcari Project, Tucumcari, New Mexico, has encountered
difficulty in preventing
burrowing animals from
undermining some canal
structures, The animals
in several instances have
caused severe washing
under and around struc-
ture headwalls and cut-
off walls.

By placing shotcrete
upstream from the struc-
tures, as shown at left,
the animals have be-
come discouraged suf-

4 ficiently and many se-

. vere breaks under and

around the canal struc-
tures have been elimi-

nated,

FAIRLEAD MODIFICATION FOR HYSTER DRAGLINE

The Hyster dragline, mounted on a D-6 tractor, has many uses
as described in Release No, 1 of the Bulletin, photograph below. The
Rio Grande Project,
Texas-New Mexico, has
such equipment in use,
but has had trouble with
the drag cable slipping
off the roller bushing as-
sembly when the bucket
is pulledin near the fair-
lead assembly on the
boom. This results in
the cable being mashed,
ravelling and subse-
quently breaking.

To alleviate this
condition, an auxiliary
roller was installed in
a horizontal positionin
the fairlead bracket,
which holds the cable on the vertical roller, as shown on the drawing on
the following page. This modification has been made on two draglines
on the project.

OK kk Ok

*
9


spray guns or hand wands can be used with the hand line, depending onthe
nature and requirements of the respective operations. The two 10-foot
booms, as shown inthe
photograph at left, are
lowered and raised hy-
draulically by remote
control from the rear
platform, the hydraulic
control pressure being
supplied by a 2-gallon
per minute Adel pump.
The booms are capable
of being lowered from
35 degrees below hor-
izontal to a vertical
position. This is an
extremely desirable
characteristic since it
may be adjusted to the
slope of the canal banks.
We might add that this
is a feature which was
not generally available
on most of the commercial weed sprayers, at the time of purchase. The
side booms are held in a horizontal spraying position simply by friction
and swing back along the sides for traveling. In addition to the two side
booms there is a 90-inch center spray manifold mounted under the oper-
ating platform which is in two sections, but controlled by a single valve.
It may be operated with or without the side booms, but is not movable.
Mounted on the lower side of each boom are two 3/4-inch pipe manifolds,
an inner and an outer, on which the spray nozzles are connected. The
effective coverage of the booms is increased by the addition of off-center
nozzles on the ends. The pressure to the spray nozzles is controlled by
a 0-800 psi pressure regulator, There is also a pressure regulator for
the hand lines which will allow the booms and hand lines to be operated
simultaneously at different pressures. Through the manipulation of the
valves at the operating platform, either the outer or inner spray mani-
fold only may be used or both.

With the foregoing description in mind, the numerous uses of
the Hurst-Robin spray rig may now be shown. To cite a particular, and
one of the most important alternate uses, it was used in guniting oper-
ations, for repairing of broken or cracked concrete lining on the Friant-
Kern Canal. When the "Bondactor" gunite machine first came it was
necessary to maintain a continuous supply of compressed air and water
under pressure. At first it was considered necessary to have atank
truck with water, a truck to pull the air compressor and also the "Bond-
actor." This required several men and pieces of equipment which was
soon found to be unnecessary. An air-driven pump was furnished with
the Bondactor to be used on a tank truck. However, this did not prove
satisfactory as there was a shortage of air for this type of service. Then


The device was suggested and constructed by George G. Adamson,
Powerhouse Foreman and W. Louis Clark, Plant Superintendent, at the
Pole Hill Powerplant and similar boards have been constructed for use
in other power and pumping plants on the project.

Construction:

The cost of fabrication is small. Most of the materials were
secured from salvage on the project. The center board is plywood and
the deck may be of plywood or metal, whichever is preferred. The
channel iron or angle iron frame, braced with stap iron, is mounted
on rubber tired casters. The simple construction also makes the
board easily kept clean.

* OK OK OR OK

FREEZING OF MOISTURE IN PADLOCKS

M. B. Montgomery, Powerplant Operator, Hungry Horse Project,
Montana, reports that moisture in the padlocks on the fixed-wheel gate
cubicle doors has been causing the operators some difficulty during
cold weather. The locks must be thawed out to allow inspection of the
cubicles. This has been done in the past with matches, solvent, paper,
etc., which is rather awkward and somewhat unsafe.

Prestone, Zerex, or some other type permanent anti-freeze in
a small squirt-type oilcan and left ina convenient place can be used to
lubricate the locks and also make them freeze-proof for some time since
water and ethylene-glycol type anti-freeze preparations go into a true
solution and the locks cannot again freeze until the water content becomes


the supporting axle. The pipe forming the base and axle has been
strengthened by the use of a 3-inch pipe inside a 4-inch pipe. Other-
wise, the pipe framework is constructed of 3-inch pipe. To lower the
bed and reduce the center of gravity of the trailer, the wheel axles
have been offset 7 inches from the main trailer axle. This has been
accomplished as showninthe
photograph at left by welding
to both the main pipe axle and
the wheel axle to opposite ends
of a piece of steel plate 3/4
inch thick, 5-1/2 inches wide
and 10-1/2 inches long.

Two 1/4-inch steel chan-
nels welded together form a 3-
inch by 3-inch tongue for the
trailer. The tongue extends
from the apex of the pipe
framework to the base or
axle and is welded to the pipe
and channel framework. Hold-down eyes are welded to the channel
frame and the wheels used on the trailer shown accommodate 32 x 6
truck tires, with the tread width between tires being 7 feet 3 inches
center to center.

The trailer is well balanced on the axles. The weight ofa
man standing on the rear end of the trailer as shown, lowers the rear
into a loading position.

*
*

13


is added to the assembly by welding a heavy strap to the blade side of
the rear assembly and extending it diagonally to the center bar.

The hydraulic control valves
are located on a raised platform
slightly back of the apex of the blade
on the center bar, The platform
consists of two pieces of 1-inch
pipe, across the top of which has
been welded a piece of flat steel.
The valves are connected to the
two hydraulic pistons, one in front
of and one in back of the raised
control platform, mounted hori-
zontally on the center bar. The
pistons in turn are connected to
cantilever arms which either
raise and lower the apex end of
the blade or a wheel set in between
the blades near the apex. Thehy-
draulic units used on the machine shown are Frasco units. Power to
control the operation is supplied by heavy oil resistant hose, attached
to the hydraulic pressure unit on the pulling tractor.

The 7-foot long blades of the ditcher are of welded construc-
tion. They were made from grader blades with the cutting bar forming
almost a right angle with the blade proper. On the back side of the
blade, in the angle formed with the cutting bar, a light steel rail has
been placed and welded to both the blade and cutting bar to add strength.

The wheel provided for the unit
shown is 18 inches in diameter and
has a tread width of 6 inches. It
was constructed of two 3-inch wide
plow wheels welded together.

The remote control rod extend-
ing from the rear assembly "'U"'
frame through a support on the con-
trol platform and on to the tractor
through a front end support consist-
ing of pipe, can be turned from side
to side. By so doing a ''U"' shaped
hasp slips over the control valve
handle of either hydraulic valve to
raise or lower the wheel or the
front end of the blade. Adjustment
of the wheel and blade makes it
possible to adjust the blade to the width of ditch being cleaned.

15


PORTABLE TOOL BOARD

Improvement in operations and maintenance has been accomp-
lished in the power and pumping plants on the Colorado-Big Thompson
Project of the Bureau of Reclamation in Colorado, by the use of the
portable tool board shown below. Use of the board makes it possible
to have the necessary tools for any job conveniently located at the site
of the work and a minimum of time is required in locating any partic-
ular tool or device.

Being mounted on casters,
the board can be easily wheeled
to any desired work area ona
particular floor. It also can be
readily transferred from one
floor level to another by means
of a plant crane and a sling at-
tached to the lifting eyes made
a part of the framework.

Where wall space is ata pre-
mium, the board is a most con-
venient means of tool storage and
obviates the necessity for carry-
ing tools to and from the larger
maintenance jobs. Inventory
time is also saved as the tools
missingcan be noted at a glance.

The reverse side of the
board shown above is shown on
following page.


OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURES BULLETIN

RELEASE NO, 17

July-August-September 1956

Introduction

This Operation and Maintenance Equipment and Procedures
Bulletin is published Quarterly. The articles in this Bulletin are as-
sembled, for the most part, from suggestions by people engaged in
the irrigation of our western lands. It is circulated for the benefit of
irrigation operation and maintenance people with its principal purpose
being to serve as a medium of exchange of operation and maintenance
information. Reference to a trade name does not constitute an en-
dorsement of a particular product, and omission of any commercially
available item does not imply discrimination against any manufacturer,
It is hoped that the labor saving devices, or less costly equipment de-
veloped by the resourceful water users, will be a step toward commer-
cial development of equipment for use on irrigation projects in continued
effort to reduce costs and increase operating efficiency.

Division of Irrigation Operations

Commissioner's Office
Denver, Colorado



CABLE-CONTROLLED TANDEM DISC

A cable-controlled angle adjustment for a Towner tandem disc,
shown on the cover of this bulletin was designed and put in operation
by the Maintenance Superintendent on the San Marcial Division of the
Middle Rio Grande Project. The Towner disc has been used in river
bottom land and reservoir areas to disc the areas subject to regrowth
of woody plants after the old growth has been cleared and burned.

Since the majority of the land disced was of very sandy nature,
the disc continuously clogged, resulting in loose dirt piling up in front
of it. Adjustment of the discs, as they come from the manufacturer,
must be made by removing bolts to regulate the angle of the disc, thus
regulating the depth of cut. To accomplish this, the tractor operator
must dismount from the tractor, remove the pins from the disc, move
the tractor foreward until the disc dumps the trash pile, and then reset
the disc. To avoid this time consuming operation, a cable control angle
adjustment was attached to the disc and is controlled by the cable drum

on the tractor.

In the photo-
graph at left, look-
ing down from the
top of the tractor,
the disc has been
pulled from a cut-
ting position toa
straight noncutting
position by means
of the cable control
leading from the
drum on the tractor.

In the photo-
graph on the cover
of this issue of the
bulletin, note the
cable control lead-
ing from the drum
onthe tractor to the
disc which is used
to regulate the angle of set of the disc, thus controlling the depth of cut.
The cable attachment allows the tractor operator to straighten the disc
angle without leaving his seat or stopping the tractor.

The simple device has resulted in material savings both in
time and money. The cable adjustment in lieu of pins, has been in-
stalled on two 14-foot Towner tandem discs, and will be adapted to any
additional discs purchased in Region 5. More detailed information may
be obtained from the Middle Rio Grande Project, Albuquerque, New
Mexico, or the Regional Director, Region 5, Amarillo, Texas.



BELLE FOURCHE DITCHER

Purely for reference reasons, the ditcher shown below, and
on the following page, has become known as the Belle Fourche Ditcher
because it was fabricated in Newell, South Dakota, operating head-
quarters of the Belle Fourche Irrigation District. It was designed and
constructed by Bud Sorenson, a resident of the area. Project person-
nel state that this ditcher and others of similar design have given very
satisfactory service in the cleaning of ditches on the project. The
ditcher is normally pulled by a D-2 tractor in light soils, but in heav-
ier soils a D-4 or D-6 tractor is generally used. With the controls
provided, the ditcher can be operated either from the rear of the
machine or by the tractor operator.

Construction:

The center bar and tongue of the ditcher is constructed of two
pieces of truck frame channel to provide a beam about 7 inches wide
and 7 inches deep at the rear of the center bar and foreward to about
the point where the hydraulic controls are located. From this point
foreward, the beam narrows until it is about 4 inches wide and 4 inches
deep at the front end. To the front, by means of heavy steel plate
welded to the beam, a pulling hitch has been provided.

To support the ''V"' shaped blade an assembly at the rear of
the center bar has been provided so that the blade can pivot at this
point and be raised or lowered. The rear assembly consists of a light
weight railroad rail welded to the bottom of the center bar; a "'U"'
shaped frame extending upward from the rail to the opposite side of
the machine, which supports also the remote control lever; and a pipe
spacer welded to this assembly and the center bar. Horizontal support

14