IMPROVEMENTS IN ANCHORS, CAPSTANS, WIND- LASSES, AND MEANS OF MOORING AND RIDING SHIPS AT ANCHOR
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
CHARLTON, of Wapping, in the County of Middlesex, Master Mariner, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eighth day of February, in the first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
George Charlton, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said George Charlton; my exors, admors, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said George Charlton, my exors, admors, or assigns, or such
others as I, the said George Charlton, my exors, admors; or assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make;
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ANCHORS, CAPSTANS, WIND-
LASSES, AND MEANS OF MOORING AND RIDING SHIPS AT ANCHOR;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I,. the said George Charlton, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's

page_text: High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
George Charlton, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is say:
My improvements on anchors relates to a mode of fishing anchors, inde-
pendently of the flukes; and this part of my Invention is shewn at Figure 1,
a, a, being two projections affixed by welding or other suitable means, as is
clearly shewn; the object of these projections is that the ordinary fish hook
may be passed under either of them when the anchor is to be fished, in
place of employing the flukes of the anchor for the same purpose as heretofore
practised, whereby I am enabled to have the flukes rounded off, which is a
figure more suitable for good holding than the flukes now used, but which,
according to the present mode of fishing, is requisite. And I would remark
that I prefer to have a shackle at the crown of the anchor, as is shewn in the
Drawing for the buoy rope.
What I claim as the first part of my Invention is the forming or applying
suitable surfaces for receiving the rope for fishing the anchor as at a.
The second part of my Invention relates to a mode of constructing capstans,
whereby I am enabled to encrease the power thereof when desired. Figure 2
shews a capstan partly in section, constructed according to this part of my
Invention. 6 is the axis of the capstan, which is secured and fixed on the
deck of a ship or other place. c is the capstan barrel, and d the head of the
capstan. e is a circular plate or frame which is securely fixed to the axis or
spindle 6 of the capstan, the capstan being capable of turning freely on the
spindle or axis b. In the head of the capstan is formed and affixed a circular
toothed rack f, which takes into and drives the toothed wheel g, which has a
pinion affixed thereto, and i is the axis of the wheels g and pinion h, the
axis i being carried by the plate of framing e, there being four sets of such
wheels. The pinions h take into and drive the toothed wheels j,j, the axes of
which, with the pinions, are capable of being raised out of action; they take
into the circular toothed rack kaffixed on the barrel of the capstan, hence, when
the head of the capstan is turned by the men by the aid of capstan bars, the
speed of the barrel of the capstan will be much slower than the capstan head,
and thus will much power be gained when desired.

page_text: What I claim as the second part of my Invention is the mode of combining
the parts as herein described for obtaining power in capstans.
The third part of my Invention relates to a mode of working windlasses,
and the improvements are shewn at Figures 3 and 4, Figure 8 being a view
of a windlass looking in a direction from stem to stern of a ship or vessel; and
Figure 4 is a section of the windlass, the construction of which may be
similar to any of the ordinary constructions of windlasses, my Invention not
relating to the form of the windlass, but only to the parts superadded thereto
for working the same. j, j, are two ratchet wheels affixed on the windlass.
k is a lever, having handles at each end for the men to raise and lower the
lever. On the lever are applied two instruments, which I call "lifts" or
"drivers," the construction of which is clearly shewn in the Drawing, and
they are so formed that the pins 7, as they descend, will pass below the teeth
of the ratchet wheels, and as they ascend will cause the ratchet wheels, and
as they ascend will cause the ratchet wheels, and consequently the barrel of
the windlass, to turn round. It will be evident that in place of the pins /
acting at their up stroke, they may be caused to act in their down stroke,
but in such case the cable is to be passed under the windlass, and the panels
are to be abaft the barrel of the windlass; and it is the mode of combining
the parts j, k, l, for working windlasses which constitutes the third part of my
Invention.
The fourth part of my Invention relates to a certain apparatus to be used
in mooring and riding ships at anchor, whereby in place of the ship riding from
the hawse hole by the cable, I apply a portion of a chain to a point below the
water line of the vessel, as is shewn at Figure 5, where a shackle is made fast
to two lugs at the stem of the vessel at the point m, m, by suitable bolts
passing through to the hook m² inside, as is clearly shewn in Figure 6. To
this shackle or ring is affixed a portion of chain of sufficient strength to ride
the ship or vessel, such portion of chain, when not in use for riding the ship,
being suitable for a bobstay to the bowsprit. The mode of using this appa-
ratus is as follows:-The anchor being run out by the chain cable, the portion
of chain attached at m is to be brought on board and connected by an
ordinary shackle to the chain cable, the cable with the portion of chain
from m is then to be run out till the ship rides from the point m. By this
arrangement considerable advantages will be obtained, for it will be evident
that the ship, from the position of attaching the chain at m, will ride more
easily than when riding by the cable on the deck of a ship or vessel,
besides other advantages. I would here remark that I do not confine myself
to the particular place of applying the chain at m, for the same may be varied;

page_text: but what I claim as the fourth part of my Invention is the applying a chain,
as herein described, for riding the ship in place of riding direct only by the
chain cable from the hawse, as heretofore practised.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Charlton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of August, One thousand eight hundred
but what I claim as the fourth part of my Invention is the applying a chain,
as herein described, for riding the ship in place of riding direct only by the
chain cable from the hawse, as heretofore practised.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Charlton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of August, One thousand eight hundred
and thirty-eight.
GEORGE (L.S.) CHARLTON.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eighth day of August, in the
year of our Lord 1838, the aforesaid George Charlton came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and thirty-eight.