Dec. 29, 1925. C.

DE WITT
1,567,715
EMERGENCY GATE FOR SPILLWAYS AND oveRFLOW DAMs
Filed March 17, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1

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 Patented Dec. 29, 1925. 1567,715
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
CLINTON DE WITT, OF BERKELEY, CALIForNIA.
EMERGENCY GATE FOR SPILLWAYS AND OVERFLow DAMs.
Application filed March 17, 1924. serial No. 699,644.
To all thom, it may concern. One form which my invention may as
Be it known that I, CLINTON DE WITT, a sume is exemplified in the following de
citizen of the United States, residing at scription and illustrated in the accompany
Berkeley, county of Alameda, and State of . ing drawings, in which 60
5 California, have invented new and useful Fig. 1 is a front view of a dam provided
Improvements in Emergency Gates for with a number of spillways, said dam show
Spillways and Overflow Dams, of which the ing one position of the carriage and the
following is a specification. emergency gate supported thereby.
This invention relates to an emergency Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-section of the 65
0 gate for spillways and overflow dams. crest of the dam, said view also showing
Where very large quantities of water the position of the carriage and the emer
must be discharged over spillways or dams gency gate supported thereby.
of the overflow type, and where the reser Fig. 3 is a front view of the carriage and
voir water surface must be kept below re the emergency gate. fe
quired elevations, the spillway crest must . Fig. 4 is a plan section on line 4-4, Fig. 2.
be divided into sections and controlled by Fig. 5 is a detail view showing a detach
gates. The usual types of gates employed able form of gate.
for this purpose are radial, Stoney roller or Referring to the drawings in detail, and
gates with fixed rollers, drum, roller and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2.A. indicates the 75
various types of automatic gates. For dam proper, and 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, a series of
Smaller openings flash-boards or needles spillways formed in the crest of the dam.
may be used but as the span and depth in Mounted in each spillway is a gate 7 of the
crease they become too cumbersome. radial type; this gate being perhaps best 80
When repairs are required for any of the illustrated in cross-section in Fig. 2. The
25 above mentioned types of gates, it is neces gate 7 presents a curved face against the
sary to block off the opening between piers water and it is pivotally mounted at the
above the gate requiring repairs or to lower point 8. The gate is shown in closed posi
the reservoir level below the overflow crest. tion and when it is opened it assumes the
The latter method may be too costly to dotted line position indicated at 7. Any
30 consider as the larger volume of storage is suitable form of mechanism may be em
obtained between the upper reservoir levels ployed for raising and lowering the same,
and a reduced head on such power plants as but as different types of mechanisms may
draw on the reservoir results. . . - be employed and as such mechanism forms
The first named method, that is, of block no part of the present invention, illustrat 90
35 ing off the individual opening, may then be tion thereof has been eliminated. It should
the only feasible one. For gates spanning further be understood that while a radial
large openings of considerable head, the type of gate is shown any other type may be
usual method of employing flash-boards employed. Gates of the radial type or
may be impossible as it is difficult to get the otherwise require attention and repair from
40 necessary structural strength with planks time to time, and it is therefore often nec
that can be readily handled. essary to remove them.
A coffer-dam may be built at considerable The purpose of the present invention is to
expense and delay, and if no other method provide means for lowering an emergency
is provided, it may be the only solution. gate such as indicated at B in front of the 00
45 The object of the present invention is to gate 7 when this is to be removed, and as
provide a portable emergency gate which only one gate is usually removed at a time
may be moved along the crest of the dam, only one emergency gate will be employed.
and which is adapted to be raised or low The emergency gate illustrated in this in
ered with relation to any one of a number stance is supported by a carriage generally 105
50 of spillways: to provide a trackway and a indicated at C, the carriage being employed
carriage for the support of the emergency for the purpose of moving the gate B from
gate: to provide means for raising or lower one spillway to another.
ing the gate with relation to the carriage The carriage travels on trackways such as O
and the spillways; and further, to improve indicated at 9, 10 and 11. The carriage is
SS and simplify the construction and opera provided with two screws such as shown at
tion of gates of the character described. i2 and 12" which are operated by an elec- .
 2. 1,567,715
tric motor or the like through means of a and as such may be released with relation
reduction gear train such as indicated at to the carriage if desired. A number of
13. The carriage, together with the gate.
supported thereby, normally assumes the
position shown at 15 in Fig. 1. When it is
desired to employ the same it is only neces
sary to move the carriage along the track
ways 9, 10 and 11 until the carriage registers
with a particular spillway. The emergency
O gate B is then lowered by means of the
screws 12 and the flow of water is thus shut
off. The gate 7 is then accessible and may be
raised and removed for repair or otherwise.
The spillways are divided by buttresses
or partition walls such as indicated at 16
and guideways for the reception of the
emergency gate are formed in the side walls
of the buttresses as indicated at 17 (see Fig.
4); the gate B being provided with roller's
20 18 to reduce friction to a minimum.
The carriage proper is constructed of
structural steel throughout and as such is
rigid and compact in construction. The gate
B telescopes with relation to the carriage
25 and as such is completely protected and en
closed when not in use.
The power from the motor, as previously
stated, is transmitted through a reduction
gear train such as indicated at 13 to a longi
80 tudinally extending shaft 19. This shaft
carries a bevel pinion 20 at each end and
these pinions in turn transmit their power to
bevel gears 21 secured on the upper end of
the Screw shafts 12 and 12. The motor
proper is of the reversible type and the
power may thus be transmitted either to
raise or to lower the gate as the case may
be. No means are employed for the pur
pose of moving the carriage longitudinally
40 on the trackways, but it is obvious that any
suitable means may be employed.
The emergency gate proper is also con
structed of heavy structural beams as shown
in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, and as such can readily
be designed to take care of any head of
water or pressure desired.
While certain features of the present in
vention are more or less specifically illus
trated, I wish it understood that various
50 changes in form and proportion may be
resorted to within the scope of the appended
claims. I similarly wish it understood that
the materials and finish of the several parts
employed may be such as the experience
55 and judgment of the manufacturer may dic
tate or various uses may demand.
While the carriage here illustrated is par
ticularly adapted for the handling of an
emergency gate, I wish it understood that
60 one or more gates such as shown in Fig. 5
may be employed. This gate is detachable
with relation to the threaded rods 12 and 12
gates may therefore be lowered into place 65
by the carriage and released, or they may be
elevated one by one and moved by the car
riage to any point desired when not required.
Having thus described my invention, what 70
I claim and desire to secure by Lette's
Patent is- -
1. In a dam of the character described, a
crest portion having a number of spillways
follmed therein, an emergency gate adapted 75
to cooperate with any one of the spillways,
means in each spillway for guiding and re
ceiving the gate, and means for moving the
gate longitudinally of the dam and for
raising and lowering the gate with relation 80
to any spillway.
2. In a dam of the character described, a
crest portion having a number of spillways
formed therein, means in each spillway for
guiding and receiving the gate, a carriage 85
movable longitudinally of the dam, and an
emergency gate supported by the carriage
and adapted to be raised and lowered with
relation to the carriage and any one of the
spillways.
3. In a dam of the character described, a 90
crest portion having a number of spillways
formed therein, a trackway extending sub
stantially from end to end of the crest of
the dam, a carriage movable over the track 95
way, an emergency gate supported by the
carriage, an electric motor on the carriage,
a reduction gear train driven thereby, and
means for transmitting power from the re
duction gear train to raise and lower the
gate with relation to the carriage and any 00
one of the spillways.
4. In a dam of the character described, a
crest portion havinor a number of spillways
formed therein, a trackWav extending sub 105
stantially from end to end of the crest of
the dam, a carriage movable over the track
way, an emergency gate supported by the
carriage, means for raising and lowering
the gate with relation to the carriage and 110
an v. one of the spillways, and means in each
spillway for receiving and guiding the emer
gency gate.
5. In a dam of the character described, a
crest portion having a number of spillways
formed therein, a trackway extending sub s
stantially from end to end of the crest of
the dam, a carriage movable over the track
way, a gate for each spillway, and means
on the carriage for raising and lowering each
gate and for moving the gates one by one O
longitudinally of the dam, said means-per
mitting removal of the gates with relation
to the carriage.
CLINTON DE WITT.