TxPROVEMENTS TN ANCHORS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Van Valkenburgh De Guinon, of Brooklyn,
in the County of Kings, and State of New York, United States of
Amoring for the Invention of siTxPROVEMENTS TN ANCHORS."
Sealed the 29th June 1855, and dated the 5th March 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Van Valkenburgh
De Guinon at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 5th March 1855.
I, RICHARD VAN VALKENBURGH DE GUINON, of Brooklyn, in the County of
Kings, and State of New York, United States of America, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ANCHORS to be as
follows:-
I attach to an anchor, either of the ordinary construction or made specially
to receive the same, movable extension flukes, made of suitable metal, and so
constructed that each of these flukes fits on to the point or fluke of the ordinary
anchor by means of a strap fastened on the under side of the movable fluke,
and each of said movable flukes fits around the shank and crown of the
anchor, and they are secured to each other by means of bolts passed through
eyes on the inside of said movable flukes. These flukes thus form a large
curved basin, which in sandy or muddy bottoms takes hold of a very large
body, affording as much resistance to the anchor being dragged by a vessel as
is necessary to secure the efficiency thereof. And in order to support the sides

page_text: of these movable extension flukes I provide braces jointed to the insides of
the flukes near the edges thereof, connecting to a joint near the upper end of
the shank of the anchor; these joints should be made in such a manner as to
be readily connected or disconnected, in order that the movable extension
flukes may be attached to or detached readily from the anchor, and the points
of said flukes should be turned slightly outwards from the line of the anchor
flukes to ensure their entering the sand. When not required for use, these
flukes can be easily stowed away, and in order to weigh the anchor a second
chain should be made use of, attached near the crown or one fluke, the lifting
on which raises the anchor and turns out all that would otherwise remain in
the movable flukes.
SPECIFICATION. in pursuance of. the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Van Valkenburgh De Guinon in the Great. Seal
Patent Office on the 23rd August 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
VAN VALKENBURGH DE GUINON, of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings, and
State of New York, United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of March, A.D. One thousand eight hun-
dred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself,
Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Richard Van
Valkenburgh De Guinon, Her special licence that I, the said Richard
Van Valkenburgh De Guinon, my executors, administrators, and assigns,.or
such others as I, the said Richard Van Valkenburgh De Guinon, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ANCHORS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Van Valkenburgh De
Guinon, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in
the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Van Valkenburgh De Guinon,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
I provide movable flukes constructed in such a manner that they can
be attached to the ordinary anchor or to an anchor specially adapted to
receive them.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a vertical section of an anchor
fitted with my improvements; Fig. 2 is an elevation endwise of the arms and
flukes; and Fig. 3 is a plan below the line a, a, Fig. 1. Similar letters refer to
the same parts.
•
6 is the shank; c, c, the arms; d, d, the flukes; e is the ring to receive the
cable; and fis the stock, collectively forming an anchor of any ordinary or
suitable construction. 1 is a collar, attached to or formed with the shank near
the crown, beneath which collar the straight side of each of the movable
flukes or scoops g sets, the scoop being provided with a semicircular notch to
pass the shank. The movable flukes 9 are to be formed of either wrought
or cast metal, and of a shape to set on to and coincide with the arms c; and
near the point of each of the said movable flukes a strap or thimble 2 is
provided, to set over the ends of the arms c and connect said flukes to the
arms.
Whenever these inovable flukes are required, in consequence of the muddy
or sandy character of the bottom, each fluke is lowered by means of eyes or
ring bolts 7, 7, on to its respective arm c, and the point of the arm passes
into the thimble or strap 2, while the said fluke, by means of its semicircular
notch, passes beneath the collar 1, thereby any sea striking beneath said
movable flukes cannot displace the same; and in order to sustain said movable
flukes I connect tie rods h, h, to them by means of joints (5) at any suitable
point or points within said movable flukes, which tie rods are attached at
their upper ends in any suitable manner to the shank 6 of the anchor, said
tie rods being shewn in the accompanying Drawing as passing between ears
i, i, on the shank 6, and connected by a bolt or pin 6.
The pair of movable flukes 9 should be connected to each other at the
point where they come together by means of bolts 4, 4, passing through lugs
on said flukes, and secured by split keys through mortices in said bolts.
Whenever the character of the bottom or the force of a gale renders it
probable that a vessel will drag the ordinary anchor, these movable flukes
should be attached, and when in use will take hold of such a mass of sand or

page_text: mud as effectually to prevent the anchor being dragged; but whenever these
movable flukes are not needed, the anchor is unobstructed, and ready for use
in the ordinary manner.
In order to heave anchor when the movable flukes are used, a chain
attached to the eye 8 should first be heaved on, which discharges all the mud
or sand which would otherwise be lifted in the flukes g, g. If found necessary,
projections may be formed on the convex sides of the movable flukes, to set
on each side of the arms c, to guide and steady the flukes when being lowered
down into place.
I claim fitting movable flukes to an anchor so as to adapt the same for
holding in soft or sandy soil, in the manner and substantially as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Van Valkenburgh De Guinon,
have hereunto set my hand and seal; this Twenty-ninth day of May,
A.D. One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witnesses,
JNO. MURRAY,
LEMUEL W. SERRELL,
289, Broadway, N. Y.
R. V. DE GUINON. (L.s.)