EXCAVATING MACHINERY USED IN LAND DRAINAGE. ~ 49 
TABLE 21.—Data pertaining to the wheel excavators. 
Clearance length of machine, feet. 
35 44 46 48 50 52 52 55 55 
q Sz rs | 
Clearance width, feet.-..---.-- 134 18 214 234 25 28 28 30 324 
Size of front wheels, feet ---... 433 5x4 5x4 6x5 6X5 6x5 6x5 6X5 6x5 
Size of apron wheels, feet....| 10X33 | 12X5] 12x53 | 12x5| 14x6| 14x7| 16X7| 16X7 168 
Engine, horsepowet.-- a 30 40 50 50 60 75 80 90 100 
Gasoline consumption | in 10 
hours;eallons.c-s5=--4--- 27 36 45 45 50 60 70 80 90 
Cutting speed, feet per 
TUM LO ae on eens ee eee 3 to 12 |}4to16 | 4to16 |3told |3tol5 |2to12|2tol2|2tol12| 2to12 
Wicieht- tons. — ose. ce 18 21 25 28 32 38 42 . 46 50 
Top w idth of ditch, feet and 
PN CHESS eee eee eee ae 2 6 4 6 6 0 1, AV} 8 0 9 0 10 0 1 ON eee 0 
Depth of ditch, feet and 
ANCHES as Jee Soe ee oe eee 3 3 6 4 6 oO) 2 aye {8} > 6 5 6 5 6] 5 6 
Approximate price. ......... $7, 200 $8, 300 |$10, 000 |$11, 500 |$13, 200 |$15, 400 |$16,300 |$17,100 | $19,300 
The road speed of all sizes of the above machine is about 1 mile 
per hour. Two cars are required for shipping. Four men can 
unload and assemble one of these machines in three to five days. 
There is a wheel type of trench excavator so designed that by 
adding side knives a ditch with sloping sides can be dug. This 
machine is illustrated in Plate XII, Figure 2. A series of buckets 
attached to two parallel chains travel over the circumference of a 
wheel which is supported by a central shaft. The cutting knives 
slice the earth from the sides of the ditch, the dirt falling into the 
path of the buckets. The excavator is made in two sizes. The 
smaller size will dig a ditch 5 feet deep and 3 feet in bottom width, 
with side slopes 1 to 1. The larger size will dig a ditch 6 feet deep 
and 5 feet in bottom width, with 1 to 1 side slopes. The machine is 
mounted on caterpillar tractors. For the small size, 4 by 6 foot 
tractors are used; the large machine requires 43 by 11 foot tractors. 
Either steam or gasoline power is employed, the latter being more 
popular. The smaller excavator weighs 15 tons and requires a 24- 
horsepower engine; the larger tehiae weighs 20 tons and is oper 
ated by a 40- Pee oncwer engine. 
Both types of wheel excavators when equipped with internal- 
combustion power require two men to operate. If the work is in 
extremely soft ground two or more additional men are required. 
In addition a team and teamster are needed for hauling fuel and 
other supplies. 
No average operation figures can be given as to the amount of 
work per s shift that a wheel excavator mill accomplish, as these vary 
ereatly with the character of the soil, the conditions under which 
the work is being done, and the operator. In one of the Gulf States 
a wheel excavator Peageed with a 30-horsepower gasoline engine, 
digging a ditch 4 feet deep, 4 feet wide at the top, aa 2 feet wide 
93127 °—22——_4 
