Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Agricultural Water Cannon
This invention relates to a mobile water cannon and more
particularly to a water cannon adapted to transfer water for
agricultural or construction purposes. Still more particularly
the invention relates to an agricultural implement which can
transfer water from stagnant, wide, shallow ponds or sloughs onto
adjacent agricultural lands.
Thousands of acres of agricultural land in the North
American prairies are temporarily flooded each year from the
spring snow melt and subsequent runoff. Many of these acres
become dr~ enough later in the spring to permit late seeding of a
commercially viable crop, some of the acres produce only slough
hay, and some stagnant water bodies may never dry in the course
of the summer. The stagnant ponds and sloughs, which may range
in size from less than an acre to several acres, represent a
major inconvenience and loss of revenue to the Earming industry.
Generally it is not practicable to attempt to drain such ponds
and sloughs by gravity, because of the vast areas of
substantially flat level land that surround them.
It is an object of this invention to provide an agricultural
;20 lmplement which can transfer water from a shallow pond or slough
and distribute it over a wide area of adjacent drier land where
it can be absorbed. It is a further object of the invention to
provide a mobile implement which can be readily and quickly moved
from one location to another, either around the same body of
; 25 ~ water or to different bodies of water, to transfer the water to
land areas adjacent the water for purposes of irrigation.
The invention thus consists in an agricultural water
cannon comprising:
A. a suction pod having
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(1) a flat horizontal base plate
(2) a horizontal main plate attached to and vertically
positioned over the base plate and spaced thereErom
by apertures to permit ingress of water
therebetween,
(3) a valve attached to the main plate and covering an
aperture in said main plate to permit
unidirectional flow of water through said aperture
from below to above the main plate,
(4) a suction chamber sealingly fastened on top of the
main plate around the valve and in open
communication with the inlet end o~ an elongated
: rigid tail boom tube,
: (5) an immersible centrifugal pump, mounted outside saidsuction chamber and on top of the main plate with
its inlet connected to a second aperture in said
: ~ main plate and its discharge outlet connected to
said suction chamber, and
(6) power means to drive said immersible centrifugal
pump,
: B. a tail boom assembIy comprising:
: (1) said elongated rigid tail boom tube,
~ 2) a flexible suction tube connecting the distal end of
;:::: ` ~ said tail~boom tube to the inlet end of an elongated
25:~ ~ rigid suction boom tube aligned with said tail boom
tube,
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(3) a :hinged connection, hinging on a substantially
horizontal axis transverse to said tail boom tube,
supporting the distal end of said rigid tail boom
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~ 30 tube at the inlet end of said rigid suction boom
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tube, and
(4) power means to pivot said tail boom tube on the axis
of said hinged connection,
C. a suction boom assembly comprising:
(1) said elongated rigid suction boom tube,
(2) a pair of wheels mounted lmder the inlet end of said
rigid suction boom tube to support said end and the
tail boom assembly on the ground for transport
purposes,
(3) a framework to support the distal end of said
suction boom tube and attachable to the drawbar
hitch of an associated motive power source,
: (4) a high pressure, high volume, centrifugal pump
mounted on said framework with its inlet connected
1~ to the distal end of said suction boom tube,
P
(5) transmission means mounted on said framework to
: transmit rotary power from a power takeoff of said
motive power source to the drive shaft of said
centrifugal pump, and
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(6) a substantially horizontal rigid frame piece
pivotally attached to said framework on a horizontal
axis aligned substantially parallel to the :
: longitudinal axis of said suction boom tube and
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: substantially directly thereunder, said frame piece
2~ :protruding horizontally to the side of said suction
boom tube and supporting, at a location thereon
distal to said hinge axis, a universal hinge having
a vertical axis of rotation and a horizontal axis of
rotation, and
.
: ~ 3 D. a:pressure boom assembly comprising:
(1) a ~rlgid pressu.re boom framework, attached by said
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universal hinge to said rigid frame piece,
- (2) an elongated rigid pressure boom tube having its
inlet end proximate said universal hlnge and its
distal end connected to a water dispersing nozzle,
(3) at least one castor mounted wheel under and
supporting on the ground said pressure boom
framework and said pressure boom tube, and
~4) a flexible pressure tube connecting the discharge of
said high pressure centrifugal pump to the inlet of
said pressure boom tube.
The invention will be more readily understood from the
following detailed description thereof with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which the same reference characters are
used throughout when referring to identical parts in the
different figures.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation, in plan view, of the
principal parts of an agricultural water cannon of the invention
when it is in field position, i.e. operating mode;
20~ g~E~ 2 i~s a similar representation of the same machine folded
for transport, i.e. in transport mode;
3 is a~diagrammatic representation, in elevation, of the
- ~ principal parts of a suction pod forming part of the invention;
~4 is a diagrammatic representation, in elevation, of parts
~ ~of~a~tail boom assembly forming part of the invention;
is a representation, in isometric projection, of a
;suction boom~assembly forming part of the invention;
Figure 5A is part of a hinge, shown on a slightly larger scale,
forming part of the assembly of Figure 5; and
Fi~ure 6 is a diagrammatic isometric projection of the essential
parts of a pressure boom assembly forming part of the invention.
The shallow water bodies or sloughs for which the invention
is particularly adapted generally have a depth no yreater than 50
or 100 centimeters. The invention permits such bodies of
stagnant water to be pumped down to a depth in the range of four
to eight centimeters, if the suctlon pod or intake of the
equipment can be placed in the deepest part of the water body for
final pumping.
Turning now to the details of the invention shown in the
drawings, in Figures 1 and 2 the illustrated agricultural water
cannon, in both operating (Fig. 1) and transport (Fig. 2)
positions, has first a suction pod, 1; greater detail of the
suction pod is shown in Figure 3. Adjacent the suction pod is a
tail boom assembly, indicated generally as 2; adjacent the tail
boom assembly is a suction boom assembly, indicated generally as
3. Adjacent the suction boom assembly in turn are a pressure
boom assembly, indicated generally as 4, and a conventional
motive power source, indicated generally as a tractor 5, which
does not form part of the invention. Preferably the motive power
source has a rotary power takeoff capable of driving a rotary
shaft; also the power source preferably has hydraulic power lines
and is adapted to provide hydraulic pressure for operation of
hydraulic power means, for example hydraulic cylinders and
hydraulic motors.
2~ Turning now to Figure 3, the suction pod comprises a
generally flat, planar, rigid, horizontal base plate 6, which can
rest on the bottom of a pond or slough and support the weight of
the tail boom assembly 2. Attached to the base plate,
conveniently by a hinge 7 and a releasable fastener (not shown)
for example, is a generally flat horizontai main plate, 8, spaced
above the base plate by a distance of approximately two to six
_entimeters to permit ingress of water between the plates. To
preclude ingress of large solid objects between the plates it is
preferable to have a screen or mesh, 9, (partially shown)
covering the opening between the plate. Sealingly fastened on
top of the main plate is a suction chamber, 10, shown partially
cut away, covering part of the main plate. The suction chamber
surrounds large aperture 11 through the main plate.
on top of the main plate inside the suction chamber there is
a valve, for example a simple hinged plate, 12, attached by valve
plate hinge 13; the valve permits water to enter the suction
chamber from below the main plate, but precludes it flowing back
out of the suction chamber through aperture 11. Also fastened on
top of the main plate adjacent the suction chamber there is a
small immersible power driven centrifugal priming pump, 14. The
pump may be driven by an immersible electric motor but
preferably is driven by an hydraulic motor, 15, powered through
hydraulic lines, 16, 17, connected at their distal ends to the
hydraulic pressure system of the tractor. The inlet 18 of the
priming pump is placed in a second aperture in the main plate,
and the discharge 19 of the priming pump is into the suction
chamber 10. Sealingly attached to an aperture in the suction
chamber is the inlet end of a rigid tail boom tube, 20,
conveniently a steel pipe of 15 to 20 centimeters diameters for
~ example.
;~ ~Z5 Referring now to Figures 1 and 4, the tail boom tube 20 is
the main structural element of the tail boom assembly. The
distal end of the tail boom tube is connected by a piece of
flexible suction tubing 21 to thé inlet end of a rigid suction
boom tube, 22, conveniently also steel pipe the same diameter as
~ the tail boom ~ube. Preferably the rigidity of the tail boom
lbe is reinforced by light structural members or framework, for
example struts 23 which form a truss with the tail boom tube 20.
The rigidity of suction boom tube 22 likewise is reinforced for
example by additional struts 23, appropriately placed to form a
truss with tube 22. At the distal end of the tail boom tube 20 a
hinged connection 24 wi~h the inlet end of the suction boom tube
22 is formed by the junction of pairs of struts 23A and 23B
(Fig.4) fastened on each side of tubes 20 and 22 respectively
adjacent their respective ends. The connection hinges on a
horizontal axis A, shown on Figure 1.
The inlet end of suction boom tube 22 .is supported by a pair
of wheels 25, conveniently mounted f~r example under the struts
forming a truss with the tube 22. Through the hinged connection
24 the wheels 25 thus support the weight of the distal end of the
tail boom assembly. As shown in Figure 4, an hydraulic cylinder,
26, is mounted between lugs 27 and 28 fastened to the top of
tubes 20 and 22 respectively. Preferably lug 27 is pivotally
attached to tube 20 on an axis parallel to axis A, to facilitate
extension of cylinder 26 as tubing 21 flexes and tube 20 hinges
about axis A. Cylinder 26 is powered by hydraulic lines 16 and
17 from the tractor 5, in conjunction with the operation of the
priming pump 1~, as will be more fully explained later.
Hydraulic line 16 contains an anti-bac~ flow or non-return valve
49 and a branching hydraulic by pass line 16A. Contraction of
cylinder 26 pivots the tube 20 around axis A of hinged connection
24 and raises the inlet end of tube 20 and the suction pod from
the ground or ~rom the bottom of the water, thus placing the
entire weight of the suction pod and tail boom assembly on the
wheels 25. With the weight of the suction pod and tail boom
assembly thus carried on wheels 25, these elements are in a
transport position and transported easily by pulling them with
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the suction boom assembly.
Turning now to Figure 5, the distal end of suction boom tube
22 is attached to a sturdy framework, 29, which includes a hitch,
30, attachable to the conventional drawbar hitch of a tractor.
The distal end of the suction boom tube is connected to the inlet
of a high pressure, high volume, centrifugal pump, 31, mounted on
the framework 29. The centrifugal pump must be capable of
pumping a large volume of water at high pressure to a
distribution nozzle on the pressure boom assembly 4. There are
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numerous pumps available commercially to do this; one example is
; the Berkeley Model B4JRMBH High Pressure Irrigation Pump. The
centrifugal pump is driven by a transmission means 32, for
example a belt and pulley connection to the power takeoff shaft,
33, of a tractor. The discharge of centrifugal pump 31 is
A 15 connected to a short length of flexible pressure hose, 34, the
distal end of which is connected to the inlet end 44 of an
elongated rigid pressure boom tube, 35, (Figures 1 and 6),
forming part o~ pressure boom assembly 4. Tube 35 also is
conveniently a length of steel pipe, but adequately is of
20 ~ somewhat smaller diameter than that of the tubes 20 and 22.
Agaln referring to Figure 5, attached to framework 29,
preferrably hingedly on a substantially horizontal hinge axis
;~ preferably directly below the suction tube 22, for example at
hinge points 36, is a substantially horizontal rigid frame piece
25 ~ 37. The ~rame piece 37 can conveniently be in the general shape
of a horizontal A-frame as shown, but it could also be any other,
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generally planar, shape. On the frame piece 37~ remote from the
hinge axis, a universal hinge 38 connects the frame piece to the
pressure boom assembly 4. A convenient form of universal hinge
is shown in Figure 5A. ~his comprises a vertical cylindrical
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shaft, 39, which fits through a vertical hole 38A in the distal
part of frame piece 37, and a pair of lugs, 41, on a horizontal
bar 40 fastened to the top of shaft 39. The lugs have a pair of
aligned holes therein through which can pass a hinge pin to hold
the lugs in alignment with a similar pair of lugs on the pressure
boom assembly. The vertical shaft 39 forms the vertical axis B
of the universal hinge and the hinge pin forms the horizontal
axis C of the universal hinge. With this connection, the
pressure boom assembly is able to pivot on the axis B around
frame piece 37 to move from transport to operating position, and
to pivot on axis C rela~ive to ~he frame piece when the water
cannon is being moved from one location to another over uneven
ground in the transport position. Obviously the details of the
; universal hinge can be altered and still provide the desired
vertical and horizontal axes of rotation for pressure boom
assembly 4 to pivot relative to the frame piece 37.
Turning now to Figure 6, the principal structural member of
the pressure boom assembly is the rigid tube 35 whose rigidity is
reinforced by framework, for example struts 23 similar to those
used with tubes 20 and 22. At the inlet end of tube 35 the
framework of the pressure boom assembly has a pair of lugs, 42,
matching lugs 41 on horizontal bar 40, the lugs 42 having a pair
of aligned holes to receive the hinge pin forming part of the
universal hinge 38. The weight of the pressure boom assembly may
be carried partIy by the hinge 38 and the remainder by at least
one castor mounted wheel, 43, under the boom assembly.
Preferably two such castor mounted wheels are used, for example
as shown, appropriately spaced along the length of the pressure
boom assembly for greater stability. At the distal end of tube
35 there is mounted a no7zle, 45, preferably a rain gun or
oscillating nozzle of an agricultural sprinkler, for example a
a
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"Rain Bird" (trademark) Rain Gun 250G impact sprinkler or a
Nelson "P200 Big Gun" (trademark) agricultural sprinkler. Such
commercially available nozzles are designed to operate with water
pressures in the range from 50 to 150 pounds per square inch (345
to 1035 KPa)~ and to deliver water in the amounts between about
300 and about 1200 US gallons per minute (1100 to 4400 liters per
minute) over a range up to 275 feet (84 meters) from the nozzle.
The nozzle is preferrably mounted to spray a jet of water over an
adjustable arc around the distal end of the pressure boom.
lOBecause there is considerable reaction to the water jet at
the nozzle, the reaction tends to pivot the pressure boom
assembly around the vertical axis of the universal hinge 38,
particularly when the nozzle is oscillating and directed at right
angles to the longitudinal axis of the pressure boom assembly in
15the operating position. ~urthermore, when the water cannon is in
the transport configuration and is being towed along a roadway,
:
the castoring wheel or wheels of the pressure boom assembly
permit the pressure boom assembly to vary from a straight line
path parallel to the direction of travel of the suction boom
20assembly, alongside which it is intended to travel; such
variation is a hazard to oncoming traffic. Therefore, to
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stabilize the pressure boom assembly in a stationary position
~when~ the water cannon is operating, and to stabilize it in a
;position parallel to the suction boom assembly when they are
2~being transported, it is preferred to have a stabilizer bar, 46,
Figure 6) pivotally attached to each of the pressure boom
assembly 4 and a part of the frame piece 37. Bar 46 is shown in
dotted lines in Figure 6, and includes its pivotal attachment to
the framework of pressure boom assembly 4. The distal end of bar
~ 3046 has a pivot axle 47 which connects it with frame piece 37,
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conveniently on top of additional framework or stabilizer bar
support 48, rigidly fastened to framepiece 37 and shown in dotted
lines in Figure 5. A vertical aperture 48A in the top of the bar
support 48 receives the pivot axle 47, thereby connecting the
stabilizer bar 46 pivotally to the frame piece 37. To
accommodate the pivotal movement of pressure boom assembly 4
around the axis B (Figure S) with stabilizer bar 46 also
pivotally attached to both the pressure boom assembly and the
frame piece 37, it is obvious that the stabilizer bar must be
extensible if the pivotal attachments at the ends thereof are to
remain in place during pivoting. This is readily achieved by
having the stabilizer bar 46 made up with a telescoping structure
and, to ensure rigidity of the telescoping structure when the
pressure boom assembly is not being pivoted, it must have means
to lock it in a telescoped position. With a telescoping
stabllizer bar locked into the contracted condition and attached
to both the pressure boom assembly 4 and the frame piece 37, in
eLther the transport mode or the pumping mode of the water
cannon, the pressure boom assembly is held rigidly in position
~relative to the position of the suction boom assembly. Thus the
p~essure boom~assembly is resistant to the reaction of the water
jet ~when the nozzle is operating, and is constrained from
; diverglng from a path parallel to that of the suction boom
assembly when the latter is being towed along a roadway.
Z5 A brief explanation of the method of operating the invention
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will now be given. To begin, the agricultural water cannon in
transport position (Figure 2) is towed to location beside a
shallow body of water~it is desired to pump onto adjoining land.
Conveniently it is towed with a tractor which also provides the
power take-off required to drive the high pressure centrifugal
~ ~ pump as well as providing the hydraulic pressure utilized to
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power the hydraulic cylinder for raising and lowering the tail
boom assembly and power the hydraulic priming pump. The tractor
and water cannon are aligned in the transport position a short
distance from the body of water with the tractor facing away ~rom
the water body and the pressure boom assembly free of any
constraint to pivoting on universal hinge 3~. The tractor is
then bac~ed towards the ~ody of water, pushing the suction boom
assembly and tail boom assembly directly towards the water body.
Because of the castor mounting of the wheel or wheels under the
pressure boom, the pressure boom does not remain parallel to the
suction boom, but pivots on the vertical axis of universal hinge
38 as the latter pushes the pressure boom towards the water body.
The castoring wheels thus move the pressure boom assembly around
the vertical axis of universal hinge 38 as the latter moves
-- 15 towards the water body with the suction boom assembly, until the
two assemblies achieve the relative positions or operating mode
configuration shown in Figure l; then the stabilizer bar 46 is
locked, either automatically or manually. Backward movement of
the tractor is continued until the suction pod and tail boom
assembly are over the water body. Comparable immobility of the
pressure boom assembly could be achieved, for example, merely by
fastening it with a chain to a s~ake driven securely into the
ground. With the water cannon thus aligned in the operating
mode, the hydraulic cylinder 26 (Figure 4) is activated by
hydraulic pressure, most conveniently from the tractor through
hydraulic lines 16 and 17. The cylinder is activated to extend
the piston thereof by applying pressure through line 17~ thus
pivoting lug 27 and tail boom tube 20 around hinged connection 24
to lower suction pod l into the water and bring it to rest on the
3~ bottom of the water body. Hydraulic fluid from the cylinder 26
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returns to the tractor through lines 16A and 16 as the piston
extends. Thereafter, pressure in line 17 tends to extend the
piston of cylinder 26 and rotate lug 27 away from the body of the
cylinder 26 until the latter has extended to its limit. Because
hydraulic line 17 continues beyond cylinder 26 to hydraulic motor
15, continued pressure in line 17 initiates rotation of hydraulic
motor 15 and centrifugal priming pump 14, which is the route of
least resistance for the return flow of hydraulic fluid through
line 16 to the tractor after cylinder 26 is extended to its
limit. When the water priming cycle is completed, the hydraulic
circuit is de-activated.
To raise the suction pod and tail boom assembly out of the
water body, hydraulic pressure is applied through line 16 from
the tractor, thence through line 16A to the hydraulic cylinder
26, thus retracting the piston thereof as hydraulic fluid returns
to the tractor through line 17. The anti-backflow valve 49
prevents the application of hydraulic pressure through line 16 to
hydraulic motor 15. Thus hydraulic motor 15 can be rotationally
driven only in one direction, i.e. by pressure applied through
line 17. When suction pod 1 is held off the ground, by hydraulic
~ ~ ~ cylinder 26, its weight tends to rotate suction tube 20 around
`~ hLnged connection 24 in the direction to extend the piston of
cylinder 26. Thus pressure applied through line 17 is assisted
by the weight of suction pod 1 until the latter is resting on the
ground or on the bottom of the water body. With this arrangement
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of the hydraulic lines, both the positioning of the tail boom
assembly and operation of the hydraulically driven priming pump
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can be achiaved with one hydraulic circuit from the tractor.
Referring now to Figures 3, 5, and 6, with the suction pod
~30 resting at the bottom of the water body and the priming pump
driven by operation of the hydraulic motor, water is pumped into
suction chamber 10 on top of valve plate 12, which closes to keep
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the water in chamber 10 and force water to flow up into tail boom
tube 20, thence through flexible suction tube 21 and suction boom
tube 22 into the inlet of high pressure centrifugal pump 31.
When pump 31 has been thus primed~ i.e. filled with water, its
pumping action can be started by initiating rotation of the
tractor power takeoff shaft 33 driving transmission 32 and pump
31. Commercial high pressure centrifugal irrigati~n pumps used
in this invention generally are capable of sucking water up to 15
feet (4.6 meters) vertically above the surface of the water
source to the centerline of the pumps impeller, once they are
primed. Thus the elongated tail boom assembly and suction boom
assembly generally should be placed to avoid positioning the high
pressure pump more than the foregoing vertical distance above
the lowest level to which it is desired to lower the water body.
1~ Once the high pressure pump has been started, operation of the
priming pump can be discontinued by stopping the hydraulic motor.
The high pressure pump 31 sucks water from around the suction
:
pod, through the screen 9 and between base plate 6 and main plate
8, through aperture 11 forcing open valve plate 12, into suction
chamber 10, thence up tubes 20 and 22 to the impeller of the
pump; the pump then forces water through the flexible pressure
hose 34 and pressure ~oom tube 35 to oscillating nozzle or rain
gun 45. A nozzle that can oscillate through a 270 degree arc to
distribute water supplied to a 1.88 inch ~4.78 cm) nozzle bore at
2~ a rate of 1000 U.S. gallons per minute (3787 liters~minute) can
irriyate 4.12 acres (1.67 hectares) under calm air conditions.
At the foregoing rate of pumping, an acre-foot of water (ahout
; 327,000 U.S. gallons or 1.24 million liters~ can be pumped out of
a slough in less than five and one half hours, and spread over
4.12 acres (1.67 hectares).
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With a suction pod having a main plate spaced above a base
plate by approximately two to five centimeters, and preferably
with perforated shielding projecting upwardly, for example from
seven to fifteen centimeters, above and from the main plate
around its perimeter, to ~educe eddying of the water being sucked
into the pod as the water becomes shallow, the high pressure pump
can lower the depth o~ water in which the pod rests to as low as
five to eight centimeters. One type of shielding suitable to
reduce eddying is shown, partially cut away, in Figure 3. It
` 10 comprises simply a small vertical wall or flange, 50, fastened to
the top of the main plate around its perimeter and having
perforations, 51, therethrough to permit water to flow through
the shielding but at the same time impede its flow in an inwardly
spiraling direction towards the aperture 11 in the main plate~
l~ With the shielding, the water flows more readily in a radially
1~
; inward direction to the ~perture 11 rather than spirally.
When the water kody becomes so shallow that the high
pressure pump cannot maintain suction in the suction chamber, the
:
; pump must be stopped and the remainder of the water body can be
~ allowed to evaporate in the sun and/or soak into the soil. The
water cannon can be move~ to another location by first activating
hydraulic cylinder 26 to raise the tail boom assem~ly until the
suction pod~is off the~round or bottom of the water body. ~For
transport ~purposes it is prudent to lock the tail boom in the
raised posi~tion with a s~fety chaln, safety catch, or locking pin
of some kind, so that release of the hydraulic pressure on
cylinder~26 does not permit the tail boom assembly to drop. With
the pressure boom~assem~l~ then released from any constraint to
its rotation around the vertical axis of universal hinge 38, the
water cannon is pulled forward by the tractor. The castoring
wheel or wheels under the pressure boom assembly permit the
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latter to pivot around hinge 38 as the suction boom assembly
moves forward until the pressure boom assembly swings beside it
and takes up a position substantially parallel thereto for
transport, as shown in Figure 2. The pressure boom assembly
should then be locked in this position for example by stabilizer
bar 46 or a safety chain, so that the water oannon can safely be
pulled along roadways in two way traffic.
Numerous modifications can be made in the various elements
of the combination just described as comprising the invention.
- .
For example, it may be desirable to have drain cocks in some of
the various suction tubes, pressure tubes, and centrifugal pump
connections just described, to facilitate draining of water
therefrom when the water cannon is to be drained for transport or
to avoid danger from freezing of water therein, or to facilitate
bleeding of air from suction tubes when the high pressure
centrifugal pump is being primed.
~Numerous other modifications may be made in the specific
-- expedients described without departing from the applicants
: : ~ invention, the scope of which is defined in the following claims.
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