POLE TWISTING DEVICE
(Suggestion R7-57-6)

Full treated fir poles of a 69-kv transmission line in Colorado,
after standing a year or more, took a bad twist which resulted in the
crossarms being out of line with the pole butts and thereby leaving the
conductor sagging unevenly. Uneven conductor sag results in uneven os-
cillation of adjacent conductors under adverse weather and wind condi-
tions. This allows the phases to become close enough to each other that
short circuits occur so something has to be done.

Several attempts to straighten the structures had not been sat-
isfactory, so the "tool" shown below was constructed and is being used
by maintenance crews. The "tool" shown in more detail in other photo-
graphs and a drawing on the following pages has given very satisfactory
results.

#0 245-700-920) 7

¥

The clock-wise twist of the 70-foot long poles in the photograph
at the top of page 20 is representative of the misalinement. As one end
of the crossarms is thrust forward, the other end is thrust backward.
The effect is that the conductor sag is thrown out of balance with the for-
ward span being pulled tighter and the back span loosened. Poles are

pulled away from the vertical position and the hardware of the crossarms
is twisted and weakened.

It has been found that merely straightening or plumbing the struc-
ture does not place the crossarms where they should be. It is necessary
to return the tops of the poles to their original position. In some instances
the pole had to be turned 60 degrees to bring the gain at the pole top back
to a position perpendicular to the power lines.

18


WASHER SIMPLIFIES REPACKING OF GATE STEMS
(Suggestion R3-56-12)

Improved operation, improved gate design, and the elimination
of unsightly conditions have resulted from the installation of a very sim-
ple rubber washer around the smooth section of the paradox gate stems
on gates at Hoover Dam, Boulder Canyon Project, Arizona-Nevada. The
suggestion was the joint effort of Neil H. Holmes, Joseph L. Kine, Hous-
ton I. Wheeler, William D. McCollough, John D. Gieck, and Andres J.
Alldridge, all of the Maintenance Division, Hoover Dam, with headquar-
ters at Boulder City, Nevada.

Installation of the rubber washer is shown in the photograph be-
low and its location with reference to other gate parts is shown in the
drawing on the following page.

The rubber washers were inserted around the smooth section of
the 4-inch diameter gate stems on the 24 paradox emergency gates. The
washers are located between the top of the crosshead trunnion and the bot-
tom of the bonnet cover hoist case. With the paradox gate full open, and
overtravelling approximately 1/8 inch, the washers under compression

12


there through the plug seat to the cylinder head. The big difference be-
tween the hot and cold plug is distance through which the heat travels to be
dissipated. The further it goes, the hotter the plug. Most "hot" plugs
therefore are a little longer than the "cold" plugs.

Use the plugs this way. If you do high speed, over the road driv-
ing where your combustion chamber temperature stays high, use the short,
"cold" plug. If you do stop-and-go city driving, short haul dumping, or
other driving where there is a tendency for plug fouling, use the hotter de-
sign, tall plug. Then the heat stays in the plug longer, and burns off the
carbon deposits before they can foul the electrode. Hope that clears up the
hot and cold plug problem.

eR RE

REDUCING DAMAGE TO SURBURBAN TAIL PIPES
(Suggestion R2-58-170)

The Trinity River Division, Central Valley Project, Lewiston,
California, reports that in the past it has been necessary to change tail
pipes on suburban-type
vehicles no less than
twice a year, not includ-
ing the number of times
it is necessary to repair
damaged tail pipes,
caused by a driver either
backing into or driving
over something that
would hit the pipe.

In an area where the
terrain is very rough,
tail pipes are easily dam-
aged and Alden H.
Sepulveda suggested that
a hole be drilled in the
bumper, bringing the
tail pipe out through the
hole, as shown in the photograph above. It is reported that one vehicle on
which this was done a year ago for experimental purposes has not needed
tail pipe repairs or replacement and plans are being made to make similar
replacement on other vehicles of this type.

kK KR OK

GPO 859782

22


choked with a growth of algae and aquatic weeds. Here the tandem cut-
ter was towed by a Model D-7 and a Model D-8 Caterpillar tractor,

Several of the photographs included in the description of the
cutter were supplied by the Yuma Equipment Co., P. O. Box 1630,
Yuma, Arizona, from whom additional information concerning the cut-
ter can be obtained. The cutters are obtainable in several lengths and
diameters.

HORROR K
CROSSING PADS AT HIGHWAY BRIDGES

The management of the South Board of Control, Owyhee Proj-
ect, Oregon-Idaho, have arranged for the placement of reinforced con-
crete pads at the highway approaches to bridges over the canals and
laterals on the project as shown below. The pads provide a means for
the passage of tractors
and other operation and
maintenance equipment
traveling the ditch bank,
to cross the asphalt
paved highway without
damage to the roadway
surface,

The pads are 10
feet in width and 6 inches
thick. Reinforcement
for the pads is furnished
by the Board of Control
and the State or County
highway organizations
furnish and place the
concrete for the pads.



urs 4

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from angle iron; lifting and pulling rings, see drawing on a preceding page.
A winch line attached to the end of the lever tightens the clamp and turns
the pole. Pointed
pieces of 3/8-inch
steel rod, 1/2
inch long, are
welded on the in-
side of the plates
to insure initial
holding of the
plates to the pole
until the tool is
under strain.
Pressure applied
to the plates by the
chain and levers is
so great that no
slipping can occur
to damage the pole.

© 245-700-924

The suggested
tool was the idea
of four power line maintenance men: William L. Larsen, V. D. Oldson,
H. J. Dayhoff, and A. J. Melick. Mr. Larsen worked out the design de-
tails of the device which has been used to straighten and aline 408 H-frame
structures on one power line, more than 200 on another, and 75 on a third;
not counting the poles straightened in 3-pole and switch structures. The
pole structures on other lines will be realined in the future. The problem
of a satisfactory method for straightening transmission line structures
when twisted has been pondered by the Transmission Lines and Substations
Branch of the Region 7 Power Division for several years. The devised
"tool" is the solution.

* OK RK OK

"HOT" AND "COLD" SPARK PLUGS

(Reprinted from the January 1959 issue of Pacific Builder and
Engineer by permission of the publisher Pacific Builder and En-
@ineer, Inc., 2418 Third Avenue, Seattle 1, Washington; further
reproduction is prohibited.)

Still confused about "hot" and "cold" spark plugs? Champion says
too many truck owners, even mechanics, think a "hot" plug is one that
gives a hotter spark. It just isn't so! And the mix-up can cause trouble.
A plug with too hot a heat range, can cause detonation or even pre-ignition.
This can mean serious engine damage.

On the other hand, too cold a plug causes premature fouling and
usually results in power loss. Heat range actually refers to the ability of
a spark plug to conduct heat away from its firing tip. The heat must travel
up the center electrode and out through the insulator to the shell, and from

21


TRASHRACK WORKING PLATFORM

Removal of trash and debris from a trashrack is an ardous task

at best and it can be a dangerous one at times.

Mechanical devices for

handling the trash are available, but they are costly and often the struc-
ture being protected is far removed from a source of power. Accordingly,
much of the work must be accomplished by hand using hooks, rakes, and

special tools de-
veloped frequently
by the man who
has to use them.

Even with the
proper tools, it is
sometimes diffi-
cult to get intoa
position whereby
the debris, such
as that lodged
against the trash-
rack in the photo-
graph at left, can
be safely handled.
Leaning over the
deck at the top of
the trashrack and
attempting to re-
move the trash
with long-handled
tools would be
dangerous and
cumbersome.
Some special
means was needed
and the Provo
River Water Users'
Association devised
the movable work-
ing platform shown
in the photograph
and in more detail
in the drawing on
the facing page.

The platform hangs on the cross bars of the trashrack and the
weight of the ladder, platform and hand railing around the platform is not
so great but what one man can move it from one position to another on the

trashrack.

ORK OKO

16


CUT WHEEL BEARING DAMAGE

(Reprinted from the April 1958 issue of Construction Methods
and Equipment. Copyright 1958, by McGraw-Hill Publishing
Company, 330 West 42nd St., New York 36, New York; fur-
ther reproduction is prohibited.)

Mechanics who adjust wheel bearings by relying on their sense
of "feel", or who depend on visual inspections to spot water-contami-
nated grease, can cut spindle and wheel bearing wear by developing bet-
ter adjustment and relubrication procedures.

DANGER SIGNAL—First signs of wear are
hairline marks on rollers and race that
have been exposed to contaminated grease.

BADLY ETCHED—Rollers and race suf-
fering from advanced stages of water etch
are now susceptible to flaking and pitting.

That's been the experience of en-
gineers of the Timken-Detroit Axle
Division of Rockwell Spring and Axle
Co. They point out that like all highly
finished carburized steel products,
wheel bearings are extremely sus-
ceptible to attack by water. And be-
cause of the job wheel bearings perform
it is virtually impossible to keep water
from them for long.

Water enters a wheel bearing
cavity in one of two ways: It gets past
ineffective seals when a rig is working
in rain or over wet ground, and it
builds up from the condensation of
vapor resulting from repeated breath-
ing.

Breathing is caused by changes
in barometric pressure or temperature
resulting from weather variations.
Changes that cause condensation also
occur every time a machine is put to
work or shut down. For this reason,
it is impossible to prevent breathing.

In many instances, breathing
builds up enough water to damage
bearings without producing noticeable
changes in the bearing lubricant. Long
before contamination shows up to the
naked eye, bearing damage can occur
in the form of hairline marks on roll-
ers and races. When this happens,
the next step is pitting and flaking that
ruins bearings.


GOOD PUBLIC RELATIONS BRING GOOD WILL TO ALL

(An article written by William G. Waggoner, Employee
Relations Officer, Region 2, U. S. Bureau of Reclama-
tion, Sacramento, California, is reprinted from the
December 1958 issue of The Office. Copyright 1958,
by Office Publications, Inc., 232 Madison Avenue, New
York 16, N. Y.; further reproduction is prohibited.)

Public Relations is the reaction of the public to the activities
and objectives of a company's effort. Every employee is a public re-
lations messenger for his employer. He cannot avoid it. He is either
a good one or a bad one. Say, for instance, an employee helps his next-
door neighbor fix his lawn mower. What happens? In the neighbor's
mind your employee is a good neighbor, a "right guy" to have around.
By association, your company becomes a good outfit and their local
project a worth-while one. Chain reaction from an accumulative neigh-
borliness rolls the rocks out of your road, This is the down-to-earth
objective of a public relations program.

The average employee is not consciously doing a public rela-
tions job for his employer. He is only being a normal, well adjusted
member of a community. Basically, good public relations originate in
high employee morale which, in turn, generates from individual em-
ployee satisfaction with the objectives of his organization and the part
he plays.

The California organization of the U. S. Bureau of Reclama-
tion has neither a public relations officer nor aformal program. Yet
the employees, by their activities, have won recognition and accept-
ance as citizens and members of the community which could well be
the envy of a public relations staff with a full-fledged program.

Officially, there is little latitude for our Government agency
to participate in community efforts. The money appropriated by Con-
gress is firmly labeled for the building of dams, powerhouse and irri-
gation systems, and their operation. Funds cannot be donated to local
projects, nor equipment or materials for a civic enterprise, so, that
leaves it up to the individual employees and their employee associations
to step into the gap.

Good public relations can be fun. When the citizens of Weaver-
ville, Calif., headquarters of a Reclamation project, decided the town
needed a face-lift, our employees promptly volunteered a Saturday-
Sunday team of painters and did a bang-up job. How could the towns-
people ever think of the Reclamation project boss as a bureaucrat when
they had seen him with paint in his hair and eyebrows, doing as good a
job and having as much fun at it as the local citizens working beside
him! This story of community spirit was spread by newspapers, radio
and television.


STAINLESS STEEL ROPE

In Release No. 19 of the Operation and Maintenance Equipment
and Procedures bulletin we published an article, "Gate Hoist Wire Rope
Performance," which reported upon a survey which had been made Bu-
reau-wide to find out how the various types of ropes had been performing.
In that report there was mention of only one failure of stainless-steel
rope from galling and seizing and this was reported by the W. C. Austin
Project, Oklahoma, in Region 5. Since the issuance of that report, we
have had some further experience with stainless-steel gate hoist ropes,
though under somewhat unusual conditions, which has added to our knowl-
edge of what can be expected and has caused us to place some qualifica-
tions on the use of stainless-steel gate hoist ropes.

Our attention was directed to the failure of two stainless-steel
gate hoist ropes installed on the radial gate controlling the flow of water
into the Big Thompson Siphon on the Charles E. Hansen (Horsetooth)
Feeder Canal, Colorado-Big Thompson Project, after only one season's
operation. The ropes which failed were 1/2 inch in diameter, 6x 19
type and the hoist drum was 9 inches in diameter. The gate was on
automatic control and hunted over a range of about 2-1/2 inches every
2-1/2 to 3-1/2 minutes. With the changing flow, surging in the siphon
was caused which resulted in intermittent vibration of the gate also. It
is estimated that the hunting of the controls may have put the hoist
through as many as 50,000 cycles in one season. Knowing the suscepti-
bility of stainless steel to work-hardening, it is not surprising that
failure resulted.

Failure of individual wires occurred at the point where the rope
flexed on and off the drum, but the major breaks were about 6 inches
above the gate connections where there was no bending. It is believed
the failures in the straight ropes were due to torsion as the load on the
ropes varied.

The most desirable first step in remedying this situation
would be to eliminate the hunting of the gate by proper adjustment of
the control, or, if necessary, by their modification. This, however,
is not always easy to do, so we must recognize that hoist ropes may
operate under these conditions at times and take steps accordingly. If
stainless-steel ropes are indicated, because of corrosion conditions,
at a gate that might be expected to be moved frequently; a softer type
of rope such as a 6 x 37 type will likely give much better service than
a stiffer type. The more flexible stainless-steel ropes are not so sus-
ceptible to work-hardening. The importance of proper lubrication of
stainless-steel ropes is emphasized, so that the individual wires may
move upon one another without galling as they conform to the applied
loads. Annual inspection of gates and hoists is also important, and
this should include a careful scrutiny of individual wires of the hoisting
ropes, particularly in case of stainless-steel ropes where work-hard-
ening failures are a possibility. Individual broken wires scattered
through a rope are difficult to detect.

RRR E

4


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that quotas for the United Crusade and other worth-while fund raising
campaigns will be oversubscribed by the employees of this agency.

So the story goes, year in and year out. A story of public re-
lations that any company or organization can match. The files of the
Bureau of Reclamation in California carry an ever-increasing record
of appreciation for their employees as good citizens. When compli-
mented on his public relations program, Regional Director Bellport of
the Reclamation Agency commented: "I do not care so much for the
word 'program.' It sounds like a conscious effort. Actually, anything
we may have accomplished is the result of the Spontaneous, good citi-
zenship of public spirited employees."

kK KK

LESS CUMBERSOME CURRENT METER MEASUREMENTS
(Suggestion R2-59-139)

An idea that has been duplicated by the Geological Survey and
the Pacific Gas and Electric Company employees who have seen it in
use, is a plastic holder for a penlight battery used with current meters
in making water measurements. A photograph of the device and its ar-
rangement is shown in the photograph below.

With reference
to the photograph at
left, ''A'' shows the
holder attached to a
head set used with
the current meter;
"B" shows the
holder and battery
ready for assembly;
"C" for compara-
tive purposes, shows
the size of the bat-
tery originally used
in the current meter
measurements; and
"D" is the small
penlight battery used
in the less cumber-
some equipment.

The arrange-
ment, in addition to eliminating the more cumbersome and heavier bat-
tery, also eliminates about 8 feet of wire by taping the smaller battery
and holder to the head set. The Suggestion of the device and its arrange-
ment was made by Arthur E. Salmon of the Fresno Operations Branch,
Central Valley Project, California.

Hk KKK




Bureau of Reclamation

ast CORY - BO WOT EMV

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURES
RELEASE NO. 27

January, February and March 1959

LAST COPY - DO NOT REMOVE

CONTENTS

Marden Brush and Weed Cutter

Crossing Pads at Highway Bridges

Stainless Steel Rope

Good Public Relations Bring Good Will to All
Less Cumbersome Current Meter Measurements
Cut Wheel Bearing Damage

No Gasoline, Please!

Fork Attachment for Gradall

Washer Simplifies Repacking of Gate Stems
Quick-closing Gate Fasteners

Saf-T-Boom Electrical Shield

Trashrack Working Platform

Pole Twisting Device

“Hot”? and ‘Cold’? Spark Plugs

Reducing Damage to Suburban Tail Pipes

ST COPY - 50 NOT REMOVE

h

|


Timken-Detroit's adjustment recommendations, which do not
depend on a mechanic's sense of "feel", follow:

1. Assemble bearings and hub on the axle sleeve
or steering knuckle spindle and install the thrust
washer if one is required.

2. Screw the wheel bearing adjustment nut against
the bearing or thrust washer as the wheel revolves.

3. Tighten the adjusting nut to 50-lb. ft. torque
while the wheel rotates. Rotate the wheel in both di-
rections to position bearings.

4. Back off the adjusting nut. For axles that
have only a single nut, back off the nut one-sixth to
one-fourth turn and lock it in place. For axles with
double nut and lock construction, back off adjusting
nuts one-fourth to one-third turn.

5. Assemble the nut lock washer and tighten the
jam nut. For assemblies with a bending-type lock-
washer between the adjusting nut and jam nut, torque
limits are 100- to 150-Ib. ft. for nuts larger than
2-5/8-inch. For assemblies with a doweled adjusting
nut and pierced wheel bearing nut lock, torque limits
are 200- to 300-Ib, ft. for 1-1/8- to 2-5/8-inch nuts;
and 250- to 400-lb. ft. for nuts larger than 2-5/8-inch.

6. Cotter pin the nut or bend the wheel bearing
nut lock washer over adjusting and jam nuts.

OK RR
NO GASOLINE, PLEASE!

Reports frequently state that white gasoline has been used in
cleaning the surfaces of metal, wire rope, mechanical parts, etc. Gaso-
line is highly inflammable, as all of us know, and should never be used
for this purpose. It is even more hazardous, of course, when used in-
doors.

Many solvents on the market will do the job as well as white
gasoline, if not better. The solvents are much safer to use.

3K ok

10



Good steels are made up of millions of tiny particles closely
bonded together. The gray or black stains called water etch that ap-
pear first on deteriorating bearings occur when water literally removes
the adhesive holding these particles together. When this happens, lib-
erated particles accelerate wear on all bearing parts. This wear be-
comes fatal when freed particles work between rollers and mating parts.

In no time, the rolling action of the bearing is retarded and
this increases the creeping action of the loosely fitted inner race. When
creeping becomes substantial, it causes wear on spindles and journals.

Water-contaminated grease must be removed completely from
wheel bearing cavities before it begins this chain of damage. The best
way to remove old grease is with kerosene or diesel fuel solvents anda
stiff brush. Gasoline and heated solvents are not recommended by Tim-
ken-Detroit, and steam cleaning particularly should be avoided.

To repack bearings, force new grease into all cavities between
rollers and roller cages. Make sure that cavities and the hub cap also
are packed with grease. The lubricant should be on a level with the
smallest diameter of the bearing cups or outer races.

Proper wheel bearing adjustment also has a great effect on the
life of bearings. Most mechanics agree that the ideal bearing adjust-
ment would be one that imposed no pre-load on the bearings, and at the
same time does away With all end-play. But both human and mechanical
factors make it impossible to achieve this adjustment with regularity.

Timken-Detroit finds that a small amount of end-play is pref-
erable to a slight amount of preload. Bearings with end-play of from
.001- to .010-inch will have a longer life expectancy than bearings
with a slight preload.



Near Tracy, Calif., there are huge Reclamation pumping
plants operated by electrical energy generated several hundred miles
up-stream at Shasta Dam. Here the Sacramento River lifts itself by its
own bootstraps and runs along the side of a mountain range, back down
into a valley to irrigate thousands of acres on its way to the Pacific
Ocean. When the town of Tracy decided to put on a festival, our em-
ployees were in there pitching. They sponsored an entry for the queen
contest and wound up with an employee winner leading a parade astride
an elephant. She received congratulations from California's Gov.
Knight, plus a free trip to Mexico City. All this was headline news
with pictures in local newspapers. Community activity, good fun, and
the Bureau of Reclamation became a local citizen.

The townspeople of Winters, Calif., Reclamation headquar-
ters for the Solano project, showed an interest in the large number
of foreign visitors to the damsite. Reclamation employees responded
to this interest. They constructed a large and attractive display board
with colored ribbons leading from all over the world to Winters. This
was a matter of great civic pride and the display was featured in one of
the store windows--with an appropriate by-line to our bureau.

Reclamation employees are more than fair-weather friends.
During the serious floods of 1955-56, individually and collectively, offi-
cially and unofficially, they won the respect of their fellow citizens when
the chips were down. They manned danger points at threatened breaks.
They donated their time and talents to alleviate the common danger. One
employee at the huge Shasta Dam, on his own, compiled addresses and
telephone numbers of people whose homes were immediately threatened
and kept them hourly informed of changes in flood conditions. Another,
a "ham'' radio operator, spent four days practically without sleep to
render the same service.

Last year an Army plane night-crashed on a mountain near
Klamath Falls, Ore. An alert employee witnessed the crash and took
off in his jeep up the opposite side of the mountain from which organized
search parties were operating. His coolness, judgment and knowledge
of terrain were credited by the Army with the saving of the lives of the
survivors.

An incident indicative of unusual civic slant of California
Reclamation employees occurred recently. When one of their officials
retired, he did not receive a watch, golf clubs, luggage or other ordi-
nary remembrance. The employees established an engineering scholar-
ship in his honor at a local college.

Ordinary activities include managing and coaching a half-dozen
Little League baseball teams, winning national awards in different per-
sonal activities, authoring articles in magazines of national circulation,
serving as officials in a variety of local, professional and civic organi-
zations; or, you may find a full page spread in the Sunday supplement--
a "how he did it" write-up of some Reclamation employee's problems in
building his own home in the community. It is a foregone conclusion

6


20

The power lines involved
must be kept energized for
customer service at all times.
This makes it necessary to
straighten the poles with the
line energized.

Prior to fabrication of the
"tool, ' the method of straight-
ening a structure involved first
guying it with ropes to keep it
in place while the poles were
being turned. At least three
holes were then dug around the

_ base of each pole with hand au-

gers and shovels. After loos-
ening the earth, men then
turned the pole with a cant
hook and muscle power, photo-
graph at left.

Care had to be taken to
avoid excessive damage to the
pole from the use of the auger,
shovels, and cant hook.
Breaking into the treated pole
butt could mean early replace-
ment because of decay.
Finally, the backfill had to be
replaced around the pole.

This was done with air tamp-
ers.

The operation was accom-
plished much more simply, a
lot more quickly, and with
much less physical effort by
use of the constructed device,
photograph at left. Actually,
the poles could be turned with

, the device in 15 minutes.

About 2 hours were required
to perform the task by hand
methods. Hole digging equip-
ment is not required when the
twisting device is used and the
use of air tamping equipment
is considerably reduced.

The devised tool consists
of two 1/2-inch, curved steel
plates; two arms fabricated


35303-2042

the tandem offset style tears
the growth loose and in many
instances uproots the aquatic
weeds. White roots are often
seen floating in the lateral
after the machine passes.
After the growth is torn loose,
it can be floated out with the
irrigation water.

When the cutter is set
up with the drums side by
side, the unit can be used
with one drum running on top
of the bank and the other
drum on the slope, either on
the inside or the back side
of the canal. A drain bank
recently cleared of arrow
weed and carrizo cane with
the cutter is shown in the
lower photograph.

The'cutter can also be
used on a cable behind a
tractor to clean along drain-
age bank slope and when
closely hitched to the draw-
bar of atractor, the cutter
is an excellent piece of equip-
ment to clear wide flood
channels of undergrowth. In
this manner, the machine can
also be used to clear land pre-
paratory to land leveling.

The cutter is being used
by the Yuma County Water
Users! Association, the Well-
ton-Mohawk Irrigation and
Drainage District, Palo Verde
Irrigation District, the Bureau
of Reclamation, and others in
the vicinity of Yuma, Arizona.

A single D-8 tractor has
been used to pull the 7-foot
long cutter on much of the
work, except where shown in
the top photo clearing a lateral


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will squeeze to exclude high-pressure water from bearing upon the 1-
inch packing cavity of the gate stem in the cover case. The sealing ac-
tion of the rubber washer, so located, makes it possible to add one ring
of packing, as necessary, or remove and replace old packing against a
full penstock pressure; a vexing problem that has been a matter of dis-
cussion for years.

Repacking of the gate stems without taking the penstock out of
service has eliminated the necessity for removing four, or five, generator

13



SAF-T-BOOM ELECTRICAL SHIELD

Demonstrated at the National Safety Congress in Chicago, Illi-
nois, last November, is a shield or rack installed along a boom of a crane
or dragline to protect the operators and ground personnel in the area from
shock should the boom accidentally come in contact with high tension
power lines. A photograph of the shield installed on a mobile crane is
shown below.

The shield of tubular framework is supported at four points by
15-kv insulators and is so constructed that it will support a load at any
point in excess of the safe working loads for the supporting insulators.
The shields are built to fit individual booms so that a minimum clearance
of 10 inches is maintained between the framework of the boom and the
framework of the shield. After fabrication the shield is coated with a
three-coat application of Steelcote Epo-Lux, an Epoxy and Versamid resin
product, in excess of 15 mils in thickness. Although the shield does not
depend upon the coating applied for any of its dielectric properties, the
Steelcote Manufacturing Company claims from data supplied them that a
dielectric strength exceeding 2,000 volts per mil can be obtained from
carefully coating the metal parts.

There is pos-
sibility, of course,
that the vertical
load line could con-
tact an overhead
power line below
the end of the pro-
tective framework
and care must still
be exercised by an
operator of a ma-
chine equipped with
the device; however,
contacting a power
line is less likely
and the shield could
prove useful in pro-
viding boom protec-
tion under power
lines with voltages
up to 30,000.

Further infor-
mation on the shield
can be obtained from the manufacturer, Saf-T-Boom Corporation, 1613
Main St., Little Rock, Arkansas. Brochures published by the manufacturer
list the shields for a 20-ton crane or larger as $625 and for cranes under
20 tons as $575, fob Little Rock.

OK KK

15


MARDEN BRUSH AND WEED CUTTER

Removal of algae and aquatic weeds from canals, laterals and
open drains is always an important item in the annual maintenance
budget for irrigation projects in southwestern United States. The ideal
method of control is by periodic dry-up with a long exposure to bright
sunlight. However, in many of the canals it is impossible to curtail
the delivery of irrigation water during peak irrigation seasons for a
sufficiently long time to kill the algae and weeds. Most of the open
drains are not constructed so that they can be dried up. Therefore,
other means must be employed.

Control of weeds and brush along a canal or drain bank is
another significant item in maintenance costs and in the efficient hand-
ling of water. In an effort to reduce costs and more efficiently control
the algae and weeds, both in the canals and drains, as well as on the
banks and side slopes, heavy-duty weed and brush cutters have been
used in recent years. One of these cutters is the Marden Duplex
Brush and Weed Cutter shown in use in side-slope cutting, on the cover
of this issue of the Bulletin, and in cutting weeds and brush as shown
below.

The machine
consists princi-
pally of large
drums equipped
with heavy-duty,
double-edged re-
versible blades,
with drum and
blade assembly
carried ina
heavy-duty tow-
ing frame. The
machine is versa-
tile, as shown in
the photographs on
the following page,
and units can be
used side by side
or in tandem, and
can be set with or
without angle, de-
pending on the
work to be done. The drums can be filled with water if additional weight
is desired.

When the cutter is used to remove algae or aquatic weeds, as
shown in the top photo of the next page, it is set up tandem and offset so
that when pulled forward it has a vigorous action and the cutting edges
on the two units overlap each other, cutting the growth into lengths of
approximately 12 inches. The vigorous action of the cutting edges in

1


OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURES

Release No. 27

January, February and March - 1959

INTRODUCTION

Good public relations in the community are just as important
to any organization as good management, and good operation and main-
tenance practices. An article of general interest on this subject about
Reclamation employees in Region 2 appeared in The Office magazine,
December 1958, entitled, "Good Public Relations Bring Good Will to
All." Permission to reprint the article, page 5, was secured from the
publisher.

This bulletin, published quarterly, is circulated for the bene-
fit of irrigation project operation and maintenance people. Its princi-
pal purpose is to serve as a medium of exchanging operation and main-
tenance information. Reference to a trade name does not constitute
the endorsement of a particular product, and omission of any com-
mercially available item does not imply discrimination against any
manufacturer. It is hoped that the labor-saving devices or less costly
equipment developed by the resourceful water users will be a step to-
ward commercial development of equipment for use on irrigation proj-
ects in a continued effort to reduce costs and increase operating
efficiency.

In order to insure proper recognition to those individuals
whose suggestions are published in this and subsequent bulletins, the
suggestion number as well as the person's name is being given. Al
Bureau offices are reminded to notify their Suggestions Awards Com-
mittee when a suggestion is adopted.

OK KKK

Division of Irrigation Operations
Commissioner's Office
Denver, Colorado



FORK ATTACHMENT FOR GRADALL

A fork-type attachment used on a truck-mounted Gradall to fa-
cilitate the removal of floating moss or other debris that accumulates in
a canal or drain has been developed by the Yuma County Water Users'
Association, which operates and maintains a portion of the Yuma Proj-
ect, Arizona. Photographs of the Gradall and attachment are shown be-
low.

The Gradall
= and attachment
} has been used
particularly in
connection with
a brush cutter
(similar to the
Marden described
in a previous ar-
ticle). Material
that is cut on the
bank slopes often
falls into the ca-
nals or the drains
and the algae or
aquatic weeds that
are cut loose also
float with the irri-
gation or drainage
water. When this
dislodged debris
amounts to so
much that it can-
not be floated
through the turn-
outs with the irri-
gation water, it is
necessary to re-
move the material
from the canal.
The Gradall with
the fork-type at-
tachment has
proved to be a
very efficient unit
for the work.

OK KOKO

11


units from operation in order that the stems can be repacked or perform-
ing the work on costly overtime, the only time the units can be spared
from power system operation; has eliminated the time consuming opera-
tion of station-service valves, to empty and refill the 30-foot penstock;
has saved water for power generation, which formerly was wasted in emp-
tying the penstocks; has eliminated the frequency of inspection of, and ad-
justment to, faulty and leaking gate stem packing and fabrication of dams,
water collecting and water disposal systems in the valve house and tunnel
plugs to control leakage through worn packing; has reduced damage to
paint and metal parts caused by immersion in water for long periods of
time; and has given guaranteed insurance against packing "blow out" and
unscheduled shut down.

The Bureau does not have many gates of the type discussed, but
the idea suggested by the Hoover Dam maintenance personnel can be used
to save time and costs which can be enormous under some conditions of
installation, such as those at a powerplant. The idea can well be adapted
to other gates in use at present and planned for future installation that have
similar packing arrangements. The washer will be used on a 48-inch ring-
follower gate now under design in the Commissioner's Office, Denver.

eK KKK

QUICK-CLOSING GATE FASTENERS
(Suggestion R2-59-81)

A quick-closing gate fastener, shown in the photograph below,
was suggested by Forrest L. Willson, Fresno Operations Branch, Cen-
tral Valley Project, California. The fastener is being used with wire
gates on the Madera and Friant sections of the Friant-Kern Canal. The
device improves the looks of the gates, keeps the wire taut, and makes
opening and closing of the gates much simpler.

eR RRR

14