Page 148 - Moving the Earth_ The Workbook of Excavation

ROCK, SOIL, AND MUD

3.42 THE WORK

FIGURE 3.32 Digging out of a mudhole.

Lesser and more common damages are tearing off of bumpers and bending of front axles.
Many trucks have no satisfactory pull points on the front end. The bumper should be used only at
the fastening to the frame. If it is necessary to use the axle, the line should be attached as close to
a spring as possible, and care should be used to prevent it from catching any part of the steering
when tightened, or when the wheels are turned.
Pull Line. The most generally effective device for extricating bogged machinery is a winch. It
may be mounted on and powered by a tractor or a truck, or may be a portable winch. A power
winch may have 200 feet or more of cable which enables it to reach a long way from firm ground,
or on shorter pulls, to multiply its power many times by means of pulleys and anchors. The pro-
cedure for rigging and operating the winch is the same as that described under stump pulling in
Chap. 1. The use of multiple lines is often advisable, even when the machine may be debogged
by direct pull, as the slower speed is less liable to cause damage. Hand winches are slow and labo-
rious to wind in, but are powerful and can be used in places inaccessible to larger machines.
Where possible, it is best to pull the truck straight out with the truck wheels driving. If it is
necessary to pull at an angle, the truck should be steered toward the pull.
A cable or chain may be stretched from the stuck truck to another truck or a tractor, with or
without pulleys, and a traction pull used. Care should be exercised not to use too short a line and
get the assisting machine stuck also. See Fig. 3.33.

Push. A dozer or front-loader tractor can get behind it to lift and shove at the same time, but
someone should be stationed to put poles in front of it as it moves so that it will not get stuck in
the hole the truck leaves.

FIGURE 3.33 Too much power.