Marine anchor system

An improved anchor is provided for small boats for mooring in the bottom of bodies of water such as lakes and coastal and inland waters. Embodiments include an anchor comprising a rod, such as a round cross-section stainless steel rod about 3-6 feet long and about 1-2 inches in diameter. One end of the rod is tapered, either to a point or to a blunt or hemispherical end, while the other end has a swivel with an eyelet for connecting a shackle and a rope or chain. A hand grip is provided on the rod between the two ends of the rod. The tapered end of the rod is inserted into the bottom of a body of water using the hand grip. Thus, the anchor easily sets on the first attempt, the swivel accommodates changes in current and wind conditions that may move the boat while it is moored, thereby avoiding dislodging of the anchor, and the anchor does not snag on debris.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a boat anchor. The invention has 
particular applicability to anchors for relatively small boats used in 
lakes, coastal waters, and inland waterways. 
BACKGROUND ART 
The sport of boating enjoys tremendous popularity. As the sport becomes 
even more popular, there is a concomitant increase in demand for boating 
accessories. For example, relatively small boats (e.g., up to about 10-25 
feet in length), used in coastal and inland waters for fishing and other 
forms of recreation, typically carry an anchor for mooring the boat at a 
desired location. 
Conventional anchors for mooring boats in lakes, coastal waters and inland 
waters having a depth of about 0 to about 20 feet and soft bottoms, such 
as mud or sand, are shown in FIGS. 1A-1C. They include mushroom anchors 
(FIG. 1A), grapnel anchors (FIG. 1B) and navy anchors (FIG. 1C). These 
anchors are typically attached to the boat with a rope or chain, such as a 
nylon rope. In use, after the boat is brought to a desired location, the 
anchor is lowered into the water on the rope until it reaches the bottom, 
and the rope is tugged at an angle to the bottom, causing the anchor to 
dig into the bottom and thereby "set", preventing the boat from drifting 
in the water. 
Conventional anchors have several disadvantages. They are typically 
difficult to set properly, requiring the operator of the boat to attempt 
to set the anchor several times before succeeding, meanwhile allowing the 
boat to drift away from the desired mooring location (e.g., a school of 
fish). Moreover, the anchor may be dislodged from the bottom if the boat 
is moved by wind or current. When retrieved from the bottom of a body of 
water, conventional anchors typically carry mud, grass or other debris up 
with them, which is likely to be deposited in the boat. This is 
inconvenient in that the debris must be cleaned from the boat, and may 
cause damage to the boat or to items inside the boat. Furthermore, 
conventional anchors tend to be noisy when being deployed, thereby 
frightening away fish. Still further, conventional anchors are typically 
bulky and consequently difficult to store when not in use, thus taking up 
valuable space inside the boat. 
There exists a need for a boat anchor that sets easily and remains set 
despite currents and winds. There exists a further need for a boat anchor 
that is convenient to store, and does not retain debris when retrieved. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An advantage of the present invention is a boat anchor for use in lakes and 
inland and coastal bodies of water that sets on the first attempt, and 
accommodates changes in wind and currents. A further advantage of the 
present invention is a boat anchor that does not snag and retain debris 
when retrieved. A still further advantage of the present invention is a 
boat anchor that is easily and conveniently stored in a boat. 
According to the present invention, the foregoing and other advantages are 
achieved, in part, by a boat anchor comprising an elongated rod having a 
tapered portion at a first distal end, and a swivel cap mounted at a 
second distal end to allow rotation of the swivel cap about a longitudinal 
axis of the rod. The swivel cap has an eyelet for attaching a shackle for 
a rope. A hand grip is provided on the rod between the first and second 
distal ends for facilitating insertion of the rod into the bottom of a 
body of water. 
Additional advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent 
to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description, 
wherein only preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown and 
described, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated for 
carrying out the present invention. As will be realized, the present 
invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several 
details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all 
without departing from the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings 
and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as 
restrictive.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Conventional boat anchors are bulky and hard to store on the boat, and 
retain and deposit debris in the boat when retrieved. Additionally, 
conventional anchors are difficult to set in soft bottoms of bodies of 
water, and do not adapt to changing currents and wind conditions that move 
the boat when the anchor is deployed. The present invention addresses and 
solves these and other problems stemming from conventional anchors. 
According to the present invention, a boat anchor is provided comprising a 
rod, such as a round cross-section stainless steel rod about 3-6 feet long 
and about 3/4 inch to about 2 inches in diameter. One end of the rod is 
tapered, either to a point or to a blunt or hemispherical end, while the 
other end has an eyelet, optionally a swivel with an eyelet, for 
connecting a shackle and a rope or chain. A hand grip is provided on the 
rod between the two ends of the rod. 
To deploy the inventive anchor, the user inserts the tapered end of the rod 
into the soft bottom of a body of water using the hand grip, and connects 
the shackle and the rope to the eyelet. Optionally, the anchor may be 
deployed into the bottom of a body of water, such as a lake, by throwing 
it into the water, as close to perpendicular to the water surface as 
possible, in a manner that a javelin or spear is thrown. The anchor of the 
present invention easily sets on the first attempt, thereby avoiding 
drifting of the boat. The swivel accommodates changes in current and wind 
conditions that may move the boat while it is moored, thereby avoiding 
dislodging of the anchor. Furthermore, the inventive anchor does not snag 
on debris, and so comes out of the water free of debris that fouls the 
inside of the boat. Still further, the inventive anchor is easily mounted 
out of the way on board the boat, such as inside a cylindrical fishing rod 
holder or in brackets or clamps attached to the inside walls of the boat. 
An embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 2A-3B. Referring 
now to FIGS. 2A and 2B, a boat anchor 200 according to this embodiment of 
the present invention comprises an elongated rod 210, such as a stainless 
steel rod with a circular cross-section having a length L of about 3 feet 
to about 6 feet and a diameter D of about 3/4 inch to about 2 inches. 
Stainless steel is a preferred material for rod 210 because of its 
anti-corrosive properties. However, any material or combination of 
materials may be used which provides the strength and weight necessary for 
the function of the inventive anchor. Length L and diameter D are 
determined by the size of the boat with which anchor 200 is to be used. 
For example, an inventive anchor 200 having a length L of about 4 feet and 
a diameter D of about 3/4 inch would be appropriate for a boat having a 
length of 16 feet or less. A larger boat of about 16-25 feet in length 
would require anchor 200 to have a length L of about 5 feet and diameter D 
of about 1-2 inches for best results. 
Rod 210 has a tapered portion 215 at one distal end. Tapered portion 215 is 
pointed, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, or in alternative embodiments can be 
blunt, as shown in FIG. 4A, or semicircular, as shown in FIG. 4B, 
depending on the type of bottom of the body of water in which anchor 200 
is to be used. A pointed taper as shown in FIGS. 2A-2B is best suited for 
a sand or mud bottom, while a blunt or hemispherical bottom as shown in 
FIGS. 4A-4B is suitable for a softer bottom. A protective cap 230 that 
fits over tapered end 215 prevents injury to the user and damage to the 
boat when anchor 200 is not in use. 
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, illustrated in FIG. 4C, rod 
210 has a removable end piece 211 that includes tapered end 215. Rod end 
piece 211 has a threaded cylindrical cavity 211a for threading into a 
threaded portion 210a of rod 210 for retaining rod end piece 211 to rod 
210. Rod end piece 211 is made of a tough, resilient, corrosion-resistant 
material such as stainless steel, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE or 
Teflon.TM.) or another material with properties similar to PTFE. Rod end 
piece 211 is easily removable and replaceable if damaged or worn by rocks, 
shells, or other hard matter when the anchor is in use. 
Rod 210 has a swivel cap 220, preferably of stainless steel, mounted to its 
other distal end, which rotates about a longitudinal axis of rod 210, and 
has an eyelet 220a which is engageable with a shackle (not shown) for 
connecting a rope, chain or cable (not shown) to anchor 200. A hand grip 
225 is provided between tapered end 215 and swivel cap 220 for 
facilitating insertion of rod 210 into the bottom of the body of water. 
Hand grip 225 preferably comprises a resilient material, such as rubber. 
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5, 
hand grip 225 comprises a knurled portion 500 of rod 210. 
Referring now to FIGS. 2B, 3A and 3B, rod 210 has a portion 310 with a 
circular cross section at one distal end, and swivel cap 220 has a 
cylindrical cavity 330 for fitting over circular portion 310. Circular 
portion 310 has circumferential grooves 320, which are approximately 
semicircular, and the wall 330a of cavity 330 comprises approximately 
semicircular grooves 340. Grooves 320 and 340 cooperate to provide a race 
for a plurality of ball bearings 350 which retain swivel cap 220 on rod 
210 and allow rotation of swivel cap 220 relative to rod 210. Ball 
bearings 350 are preferably about 1/4 inch to about 3/8 inch in diameter. 
Swivel cap 220 has through-holes 360 extending from its outer surface 220b 
and communicating with grooves 340 for allowing insertion of ball bearings 
350 into grooves 320, 340. Plugs 370 retain ball bearings in grooves 320, 
340 after insertion. Plugs 370 are preferably threaded fasteners, such as 
Allen head set screws, which engage threads 360a in through-holes 360. 
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, 
rod 210 has a portion 610 with a circular cross section at one distal end 
and a threaded hole 620 extending into rod 210 longitudinally. Swivel cap 
220 has a cylindrical cavity 630 for fitting over circular portion 610, 
and a through-hole 640 that communicates with threaded hole 620 in rod 
210. A bolt 650 extends through through-hole 640 into threaded hole 620 to 
retain swivel cap 220 to rod 210 while allowing rotation of swivel cap 220 
relative to rod 210. A washer 660, such as a teflon washer, provides a 
low-friction bearing surface between swivel cap 220 and rod 210. 
In another alternative embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated 
in FIG. 7, rod 210 has a threaded portion 710 at one distal end, and 
swivel cap 220 has a threaded cylindrical cavity 720 for threading into 
threaded portion 710 for retaining swivel cap 220 to rod 210 and for 
allowing rotation of swivel cap 220 relative to rod 210. 
In other embodiments of the present invention, rod 210 has features to 
facilitate setting anchor 200 in the bottom of a body of water. As shown 
in FIG. 8, rod 210 can have a plurality of circumferential grooves 810 
about 12 inches from the end of rod 210. Alternatively, rod 210 can be 
provided with a plurality of through-holes 910 near its distal end having 
a diameter of about 3/8 inches or less for allowing the passing the 
passage of particles such as mud or sand. 
Another alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 
10A and 10B, wherein rod 210 has a plurality of prongs 1010 near one 
distal end which move from a retracted position (FIG. 10A) in grooves 1020 
flush with the outer surface of rod 210 to an extended position (FIG. 10B) 
protruding from rod 210. Prongs 1010 are held in the retracted position, 
for example, by a rubber O-ring 1030 until anchor 200 is inserted into the 
bottom of the body of water. Then, a slight upward pull on anchor 200 
moves O-ring 1030 and allows prongs 1010 to open, thereby aiding the 
anchor's set. 
In still another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 11, 
the swivel cap is eliminated, and an eyelet 1110 for connecting a shackle 
(not shown) is provided near a distal end of a rod 1100 having a circular 
cross-section and a tapered end 1120. As in the other embodiments of the 
present invention described above, a hand grip 1130 is provided between 
tapered end 1120 and eyelet 1110, rod 1100 can have a removable end piece 
100a comprising tapered end 1120, and tapered end 1120 can be pointed, 
blunt or hemispherical. The anchor of this embodiment is economical to 
produce, and since rod 1100 has a circular cross-section, it is able to 
accommodate current and wind changes that cause the boat to move without 
dislodging from the bottom. 
FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate the inventive anchor of FIG. 2A in use. FIG. 
12A shows eyelet 220a of swivel cap 220 engaged with a shackle 1210, which 
is in turn attached to a rope 1220, such as a 3/8 inch or 1/2 inch nylon 
rope. FIG. 12B shows anchor 200 inserted by hand and set in the bottom 
1230, such as mud or sand, of a body of water 1240. Rope 1220 typically 
attaches to a cleat 1250 of the boat 1260. Anchor 200 should be inserted 
in bottom 1230 at an acute angle A of about 30.degree. to about 40.degree. 
to ensure a proper set. Once properly set, swivel cap 220 allows boat 1260 
to move in reaction to changes in wind or current without dislodging 
anchor 200 or snagging rope 1220. 
FIG. 13 illustrates a way of storing anchor 200 when not in use, wherein 
clamps 1300, which may comprise metal or a resilient material such as 
rubber, are employed to hold rod 210 on a side 1260a of boat 1260. 
Alternatively, anchor 200 can be easily stored in a fishing rod holder 
(not shown) on boat 1260, or can be attached to cleats 1250. 
Thus, the inventive anchor has many advantages over conventional boat 
anchors. The anchor of the present invention easily sets on the first 
attempt due to its elongated shape and hand grip, thereby avoiding 
drifting of the boat during setting attempts. The swivel cap accommodates 
changes in current and wind conditions that may move the boat while it is 
moored, thereby avoiding dislodging of the anchor. Furthermore, the 
inventive anchor does not snag on debris, and is therefore clean upon 
retrieval. Still further, it is easily mounted out of the way on board the 
boat, such as inside a cylindrical fishing rod holder or in brackets or 
clamps easily attached to the walls of the boat. 
The present invention can be practiced by employing conventional materials, 
methodology and equipment. Accordingly, the details of such materials, 
equipment and methodology are not set forth herein in detail. In the 
previous descriptions, numerous specific details are set forth, such as 
specific materials, structures, chemicals, processes, etc., in order to 
provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it 
should be recognized that the present invention can be practiced without 
resorting to the details specifically set forth. In other instances, well 
known processing structures have not been described in detail, in order 
not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention. 
Only the preferred embodiment of the present invention and but a few 
examples of its versatility are shown and described in the present 
disclosure. It is to be understood that the present invention is capable 
of use in various other combinations and environments and is capable of 
changes or modifications within the scope of the inventive concept as 
expressed herein.