An Anchor Watch for the Purpose of Giving Warning when a Ship is Dragging her Anchor.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Jan., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 26th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 26th Feb., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Anchor Watch for the Purpose of Giving Warning when a Ship is
Dragging her Anchor.
WALTER CHENEY HART, 7, Woodville Road, Blackheath, S.E., Master Mariner,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A reel suspended by its axle, in a stand suitable to be fixed to a rail or fastened
to the deck. The reel to carry a line (about the thickness of whipcord) & about
50 fathoms in length with a sinker about 5lbs. in weight, at the end: the reel
to have a bell at the side of it; the anchor being let go and the ship brought
up, the sinker may be taken forward & let go with a few fathoms of slack line &
the bell set: if the ship drags the sinker will pull the line off the reel making it
revolve and ring the bell at each revolution.
1000
An Anchor Watch for the Purpose of Giving Warning when a Ship is
Dragging her Anchor.
WALTER CHENEY HART, 7, Woodville Road, Blackheath, S.E., Master Mariner,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement:-
My anchor watch is an apparatus with a line and sinker attached which can be
fixed on a bridge of a ship or in the captain's cabin or other suitable place, so
that if the ship drags her anchor or otherwise shifts her position, for instance, by
the tide turning, wind shifting or her breaking her sheer, an alarm is given.
Fig. 1 shews a side elevation & Fig. 2 a section through Y Z of the apparatus.
The most convenient method of doing this is to have about 30 fathoms of small
line Fig. 1 (A) with a sinker (B) about 10 lbs. in weight attached which is thrown
overboard after the ship is brought up. When the sinker has reached the bottom
two or three fathoms of spare line are paid out to allow for ranging. The end
of the line passes over a winch (C) Fig. 1 & 2 attached to the outer case (H)
having a bell (D) attached to the side. A clapper (E) Fig. 1 projects outside the
dome; a trigger (F) Fig. 1 & 2 attached to the clapper is arranged so that upon
the reel unwinding owing to the ship moving from her position the trigger is
struck by suitable projections such as handles (G) which are otherwise used to
wind up the reel, thus causing the striking of the bell. The outer case is arranged
so as to either screw on to the side of the cabin through the holes (I) Fig. I or

page_text: on to the rail on the bridge through the holes (J) Fig. 1. The hole (K) Fig. 2
is cut out of the sliding lid of the box opposite the bell to allow the sound easily
to be heard, and there is a hole (L) Fig. 1 about 2 of an inch in diameter
through which the line passes, the line being protected by a thimble being
inserted.
For permanent use inside a cabin the outer case is not required, this merely
being a protection for use when exposed to the weather. Other methods of alarm
can be used instead of a bell. For instance, a trigger may be pulled and a weight
released which gives the alarm or a continuously ringing bell may be started
either by the running down of the weight or otherwise. The line can be led
through pulleys or thimbles so as to conveniently pass into the cabin without
friction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
An apparatus for giving warning on board' a ship substantially as described.