Underground Construction - February 2021 - 16

reported. In 1955, for example, Ditch Witch Power was equipped
with a patented " endless conveyor digging chain " design that
enabled it to be operated by one person.
Small buckets with sharp, finger-like edges were mounted in
sequence on an endless moving chain that carried each bucket
downward to chew out chunks of soil, then upward to dump the
spoil in neat piles on the ground. A 4-inch-wide trench with a
digging depth of 24 inches was the goal. The operator sat on the
machine and used simple lever controls to raise and lower the
digging device.
A year later, M.J. Crose Manufacturing introduced a machine
with a novel, rotatable head for digging into dirt, sifting out
coarse material and directing it to a conveyor or the like prior
to laying the pipe. In addition, a pad protected the pipe against

damage from rocks and other materials during the subsequent
ditch-filling operation.
In 1957, Jim Cummings, co-founder of Crutcher-RollsCummings (CRC) Inc., invented a dragline ditch padder that
protectively encased pipe to be buried underground during
evacuation backfilling operation.
That same year, Case Construction Equipment produced the
first fully integrated backhoe loader, versus attachments added
to loaders or farm tractors.

Projects evolve
Projects during 1957 and after continued to make significant
strides, geographically and technologically.
In the aftermath of the Suez Canal crisis, representatives
of 17 major American and European oil companies mapped

Magazine Matures with Industry in the 1950s
From the start of the decade,
Pipeliner was well-ahead of its
competitors. Its circulation -
at 4,600 - was more than
double what it was when it
debuted in October 1948 and
was growing by 256
subscriptions a month.
It was also far larger than the competition in size, now
boasting 80 pages per issue. It remained focused on jobs,
with " Contracts Let " running 30 pages.
Another top priority was pipeline projects. Pages were
filled with details on the plans and progress of major
construction. And special Construction Reports highlighted
everything from river crossings to new compressor stations.
It supported the burgeoning industry's meetings and
events. The January 1950 issue extensively covered the
November 1949 PLCA convention, as the magazine would
all future association sessions.
Technology was an increasingly important factor. In
addition to highlighting its role in projects, the magazine
published its first technical paper in January 1950:
" Double Jointing Large-Diameter Pipe Speeds Up Pipe Line
Construction, " provided by Floyd Berry, a welding engineer.

Color
In 1951, Pipeliner displayed its first full-color page ad, by
Midwestern Constructors Inc. About a year, ads describing
the latest in telecommunications and microwave systems
began appearing in the magazine.
Following his father's death in 1954, Oliver C. Klinger Jr.
assumed the role of publisher and maintained the magazine's
legacy of evolving with the pipeline industry. In 1956, its
name became Pipeline Construction, to reflect its focus more
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FEBRUARY 2021 | UCONonline.com

accurately. The changes in content and format enhanced its
popularity and influence.
One was the addition of full-page editorials. Examples
include a far-sighted warning, in 1957, that although pipeline
construction was one of the five top industries in the country,
jobs were increasingly starting later and ending early, forcing
many highly skilled workers out of the business. The magazine
urged the industry to retain contractors for maintenance
and repair, thus enabling contractors to keep key personnel
on the payroll year-round.
Another editorial, also in 1957, speculated on the pipeline
industry of 1975, predicting that pipe diameters would
push 60 inches and ditching would create development
of ultra-sonic disintegrators to pulverize soil and rock for
removal from the trench area by suction. Instead of welding,
it envisioned that abutting pipe ends would be combined
through an ultra-high frequency sonic process.
Further enhancement came from adding " News of Note "
columns covering important events and issues, such as in
Washington, D.C. In 1956, for example, a column reported
on the Federal Power Commission's decision that arbitrarily
lowered a negotiated price of natural gas from producer to
transporter and issued one of the first industry calls against
government interference to normal business standards.
Referred to as the " Memphis decision, " it was reversed in 1958.
Safety was another topic for " News of Note, " such as the
American Standards Association's 1959 publication of the
first code exclusively dedicated to the transportation of liquid
petroleum products and crude oil. (Currently, this code is
referred to as ASME B31.4, 1998 Edition.) Separate codes
for pressure piping evolved during the late 1950s, in
recognition of the increasing complexity and diversity of
pipe needs in various industries.

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Underground Construction - February 2021

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