CERTAIN IM- PROVEMENTS ON OR A SUBSTITUTE OR SUBSTITUTES FOR ANCHORS
Year: 1821

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CHRISTOPHERS, of New Broad Street, in the City of London, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of that part of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland called England, bearing date at Westminster the
Eighteenth day of October, in the second year of His reign, give and grant
unto me, the said John Christophers, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, His
special licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John
Christophers, my exors, adññors, and assigns, during the term of years therein
mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all His
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "CERTAIN IM-
PROVEMENTS ON OR A SUBSTITUTE OR SUBSTITUTES FOR ANCHORS;" in which said
Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, that if I, the said John Christophers,
shall not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after. the date of the said Letters Patents, and all liberties and
advantages whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease, determine, and
become void, as in and by the same, relation being thereunto had, will more
fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1,.the said
John Christophers, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the following
description thereof (that is to say):
My Invention of certain improvements on or a substitute or substitutes for
anchors will be clearly understood by reference to the annexed Drawings,
wherein Fig. 1 represents an elevation of an anchor similar in principle to a
common ship's anchor, but with one of my improvements applied to it, as will
be herein-after explained,; Figure 2 shews an end view of the same; Figure 3
shews an elevation of an improved form for a ship's anchor; Figure 4 repre-
sents a horizontal plan of the same as it would appear when lying upon the
ground in a proper position to take its hold;-Figure 5, an end view of the
same; Figure 6 shews a form of anchor, somewhat similar in its principle to
the ordinary mushroom anchor, part of which is made of cast iron, having also
one of my improvements applied to it, and by making it somewhat heavier I
occasionally employ it as a substitute for a ship's anchor; Figure 7, an end
view of the same. Figure 8 represents a form of anchor, part of which is
made of cast iron, having one of my improvements applied to it; this form,
by making it somewhat heavier, I also occasionally employ as a substitute
for a ship's anchor, but when so employed I recommend the disuse of the two
sliding bars herein-after referred to; Figure 9 shews an end view of the same.
Figure 10 represents a form of anchor, partly constructed of cast iron, with
one of my improvements applied to it, being particularly adapted for a mooring
anchor; Figure 11 an end view of the same.
A, A, Fig. 1, represent the shank of the anchor, which is formed nearly
square at the part where the shackle E is fixed, but is open in the middle or
divided into two
branches separated some distance from each other at the part
where they join to the arms B (instead of being made in one solid mass and
joined to the middle of the arms, as is the case with the common ship's
anchor); the arms B have two enlarged parts or bosses formed in them, as
seen at 6, b, in Fig. 2; these bosses have holes made through them of sufficient
size to admit the ends of the branches A, A, of the shank, which are inserted
therein and rendered secure and firm, either by welding or rivetting, or other-
wise by the ends of the said branches projecting some distance through the
holes in the arms B, and secured by a key or wedge passing through holes
formed in the ends of the said branches. C, C, represent' the palms of the
anchor, which are made in the usual form. D represents the stock, which is
made of wrought iron, passing through an oblong or square hole or mortice

page_text: formed in the solid part of the shank, and secured by a key, so as to be
capable of being taken out when required. The stock D may be inserted or
passed occasionally through the hole or mortice d, formed through the middle
of the arms B. I should recommend the form of the palms to be according
to the dotted lines i, i, in Fig. 1 and 2, as they would take greater hold of the
ground, and would not be so liable to be entangled by the cable. This anchor
with the application of my branching shank is much stronger in proportion to
its weight than a common ship's anchor, particularly during the operation of
tearing or wrenching the anchor out of the ground, as the two branches of the
shank mutually support each other; the arms or flukes are also less liable to
be broken in consequence of the branches of the shank approaching somewhat
nearer to the points of the palms than in the common ship's anchor. This
anchor may be used either with an iron stock, as hereiu-before described, or
with a wooden stock applied in the usual manner upon the shank. The
branches A of the shank are not square, but are much wider in the plan or
direction opposite to that shewn in Figure 1.
The Figures 3, 4, and 5 shew an improved form of anchor, which I propose
to substitute for the ordinary ship's anchor; it is furnished with two double or
oval shaped palms C, C, as seen in Fig. 5; these doublo palms are welded,
rivetted, or otherwise fixed to two curved flukes or ribs b, b, connected by the
cross piece or arm B, somewhat in the form of an H, having bosses formed at
the parts where the flukes or ribs b, b, join to the arm B; these bosses have
holes through their centers of sufficient size to receive the ends of the branch-
ing shank A, A, which are inserted therein, and secured by welding, rivetting,
or otherwise, as before described for the Figs. 1 and 2. The branches A, A, of
the shank are made much wider in one direction than the other, as shewn by
the Figures 3 and 4, but are united together, and form nearly a square at the
part where the shackle E is fixed. This new form of anchor possesses
considerable advantages over the common ship's anchor, since it does not
require any stock, and is capable of taking very firm hold of the ground, by
having always two of its palms and flukes in action at one time; it is also
superior to the common ship's anchor in its property of sustaining a lateral
or side strain for turning round in the ground as the ship swings about when
riding at a single anchor, and is less liable than a common anchor to foal the
cable, that is, to catch or entangle with the cable, by which there is risk of
the anchor being forced out and leaving its hold of the ground, thereby
endangering the ship's going adrift.
The anchor represented by Fig. 6 and 7 is chiefly made of cast iron; the
part B, which enters the ground, is of cast iron, and is formed with six points

page_text: or projections like a star, as seen by the end view, Fig. 7; the shank is of
wrought iron divided or branched off, according to one of my improvements,
into three separate parts A, A, A, which parts are arranged in the form of a
triangle; the ends of the said branches pass through holes formed in the cast
iron B, as seen at b, b, b, in Figure 7, and are secured by rivetting or by keys,
or otherwise; the three branches are united and form nearly a square at the
part where the shackle E is jointed. h shews a round hole made through the
middle of the star to allow the sand and water to escape in raising the anchor,
or otherwise for the purpose of attaching a buoy rope to it. This form of
anchor is very strong, and some of the points of the star would be sure to take
hold of the ground in whatever situation it might happen to fall.
Figure 8 represents a side elevation of an anchor having the head or holding
part B made of cast iron, the form of which is shewn by the end view,
Figure 9. The two prominent beaks C, C, are intended to enter the ground;
the head B is cast hollow or concave, in the form represented by the dotted
lines C, C, Figure 8, and has a round hole h through the crown or middle
thereof, to suffer the sand or water to escape in raising the anchor, or other-
wise for the purpose of attaching a buoy rope, as before mentioned in Figure 7.
The shank is of wrought iron, and is divided into two branches A, A, according
to one of my improvements. The two branches of the shank are united into.
nearly a square at one end, to receive the shackle E, and the other ends are
formed like tenons, which pass through holes made in the cast iron B, and the
ends of the branches are secured by wedges or keys passing through them, as
before described in Figures 1 and 2, as also seen at K, in Figure 8. The
cast iron B has two hollow channels in it at the part where the keys or
wedges K pass, to prevent the necessity of the ends or tenons of the branching
shank projecting out so as to endanger the fouling of the cable. F, F, repre-
sents two square or oblong bars of wrought iron, which pass through holes in
the cast iron so as to be capable of sliding freely in the said holes, but are
prevented from falling out by having projections at each end, as seen at e, e,
Figure 8. The object of the bars F, F, is to prevent the cable from becoming
entangled with or getting under the ends of the cast-iron head B, so as to
force the anchor out of the ground. When the anchor stands up with one of
its points or beaks Cupon the ground, the bars F, F, will both slide down-
wards and touch the ground, as shewn in the Figure 9, so as effectually to
prevent the cable from getting under the anchor near the beak or point C,
to force it out of the ground; and when the anchor happens to be in the
position represented by the dotted lines in Figure 9, one of the bars F would
be slided upwards so as to project chiefly above the anchor, and the other bar

page_text: would slide downwards. its own weight until its end touched the ground, as
shown by the dotted position, Figure 9, thereby preventing the cable becoming
entangled in whatever position the anchor might happen to lie in or upon the
ground.
The form of anchor represented by Figures 10 and 11 is particularly
applicable for heavy anchors, such as are employed for moorings. The head B
is formed of cast iron, somewhat oval shaped, as seen by the end view
Figure 11, having indentations or notches cast in the sides thereof, leaving
three points or beaks C, C, C, on each side for the purpose of taking a firm
hold of the ground. The head B is cast concave or hollow on the side where
the shank projects, as shewn by the dotted lines c, c, in Figure 10; it has also
a hollow cavity of an oval form cast in it on the opposite side, as seen in
Figure 11, having a round hole h quite through the centre to allow the sand
or water to escape from the hollow part or cavity before mentioned when the
anchor is required to be raised. It has also four holes cast through it, as
shewn by dotted lines a, a, a, a, in Figures 10 & 11, for the purpose of attaching
a buoy rope to the anchor. The shank is of wrought iron, and is branched
into four parts according to one of my improvements, two only of which
branches are visible at A, A, in Figure 10. The ends of the four brances
pass through holes in the cast iron, as represented by b, b, b, b, Figure 11, and
are secured by rivetting or otherwise. The shackle E is jointed to a nearly
square part of the shank, which is formed by the union of the four branches.
Having fully explained my said improvements on anchors so as to enable
persons conversant with such matters to put them in practice, it remains for
me to state what I consider as constituting my clain; and I hereby declare
that I confine my claim to the following particulars :-
First, to the dividing or branching of the shanks of anchors into two, three,
four, or more parts, as herein-before described, thereby obtaining a greater
degree of strength (in proportion to the weight of metal employed, than has
hitherto been effected by the usual method of making the shank in one solid
mass..
Secondly, I make claim to the improved form of anchor described by the
Figures 3, 4, and 5 in the annexed Drawings, which I propose to substitute
for the common ship's anchor.
And, lastly, I make claim to the application and combination of the branch-
ing shank (above mentioned), with the various forms of anchors described by
the Figures 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 in the annexed Drawings, and which
I employ occasionally as substitutes for common anchors; but I do not claim
the forms themselves, all other parts which are described or mentioned in this