IMPROVEMENTS IN ANCHORS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ANCHORS."-A communication
from Louis Frederic Francois David, of Havre, in the Empire of France,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson 'at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th March 1855.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ANCHORS," a communication
from Louis Frederic Francois David, of Havre, in the Empire of France,
Chain Manufacturer, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improved constructions of ships' anchors,
whereby the forging is rendered much more simple; the number of component
parts reduced, all welding in the direction of the strain avoided, repairs are
more easily effected, and the anchor may be made at a less cost than those of -
the ordinary constructions. The flukes of the anchor are forged in one piece,
and project both on the same side of the shank, to which they are attached

page_text: loosely by separate cheeks, and tie pieces of cast or wrought iron and of various
forms rivetted or bolted together. In most cases the stock will be dispensed
with, but when used it need not be longer than half the length of the shank.
The angle which the flukes should assume when open with regard to the shank
should not be less than 50°. The crown of the shank has an opening formed
through it, and the flukes are formed through this opening, and are kept in
their proper place by the cheeks and tie pieces herein-before referred to.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th September 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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, excrcise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN ANCHORS," a communication from Louis Frederick Francois
David, of Havre, in the Empire of France, Chain Manufacturer, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly 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 Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the

page_text: following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The said Invention relates to certain improved constructions and arrange-
ments of ships' anchors, whereby the stock may be dispensed with, and the
anchor rendered double holding; at the same time that the forging is rendered
much more simple, the number of component parts reduced, all welding in the
direction of the strain avoided, repairs more easily effected, and the anchor
made at a less cost than those of the ordinary constructions, whilst it is more
easily shipped, and will take up less room on board ship. The flukes of the
anchor are forged in one piece, and project both on the same side of the shank,
to the end of which they are attached loosely by separate cheeks and tie pieces
of cast or wrought iron and of various forms, rivetted or bolted together. In
most cases the stock will be dispensed with, but when used it need not be
longer than half the length of the shank. The angle which the flukes should
assume when open with regard to the shank should not be less than 50°.
The crown of the shank has an opening formed through it, and the flukes are
passed through this opening, and are kept in their proper place by the cheeks
and tie pieces herein-before referred to.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall refer
to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the Drawings represent different modifications
of anchors, with the various details composing the same.
It will be obvious, on referring to the Drawings, that none of the parts
composing the anchors present any difficulty of construction. In these anchors
there are no welded joints, and consequently there are no interior flaws
arising from imperfect welding, as is sometimes the case in anchors of the
ordinary construction, which, although perfectly good in external appearance,
frequently break close to the crown from defects in welding.
In cases of fracture of this anchor repairs are easily effected in consequence
of its being made in separate parts; any broken part can therefore be easily
removed and replaced when mended.
A represents an elevation of the anchor complete; B, the crown of the
anchor; C, the arms or flukes of the anchor; C', the arms or flukes with the
connecting cheeks attached; D, the cheeks, separated from the other parts of
the anchor and united the cross ties; E is a front side elevation and plan
of one of the cheeks; E' represents a slightly modified form of cheek; F is the

page_text: ring for the cable; F¹ is a hinged eye in place of a ring for the cable; G is
a ring for facilitating the shipping of the anchor; & H represents a section
through the centre of the arms or flukes. The diameter of the bolts or rivets
which unite the cheeks should be at least half the diameter of the centre.
portion of the arm or fluke of the anchor.
In bending the arms or flukes after forging, the metal is liable to become
injured or weakened in the central portion of the bend; moreover, when the
anchor is in use the strain will be greatest at the same part. In making the.
anchor it is therefore necessary to make the central portion stronger than
the rest, and for that purpose more metal may be placed there, and an oval
shape may be given to it, as shewn in section at H, Figure 5).
As it is necessary that the moveable arms and the cheeks to which they are
firmly attached should have free play in and about the crown of the shank,.
care,should be taken in forming and fitting these parts to leave ample space
between the cheeks and the sides of the crown of the shank, and to make the
hole in the crown, in which the central portion of the arms works, larger than
that central portion. The parts should be so formed, that when the anchor
is in use, and the palms are holding, the angle formed by the arms and the
shank shall be at least fifty degrees.
In Figure 2 the cross piece I, which is fitted between the cheeks E to keep s
them at the proper distance apart, is shewn detailed. This cross piece may be
formed of flat wrought iron turned up and welded into the shape required.
The cheeks D, E, are made so as to be held together by rivets with strong
heads.
In the arrangement Figure 2, K is a stud or pin passing through and s
projecting beyond each side of the shank, to serve as a stop for the cheeks D, E,
to bear against. In the arrangement shewn in Figure 1, the cross piece I is
made to abut against the shank of the anchor, in order to keep the arms fixed
at the proper angle when in use. A pin L when passed through the cheeks
and crown serves to keep the arms or flukes of the anchor parallel to the shanks
when on board ship or not in actual use.
In Figure 3 the cross piece I is of a different form. In this arrangement
the cross pieces may be made of cast iron, as the shank of the anchor does
not abut against them, but against the bolts or rivets which unite the cheeks.
In cases where a stock would be found desirable, it should be about one- a
half the length of the shank, as represented by dotted lines in the Drawings,
Figure 3.
In Figure 4 the cheeks E are shewn made with projections on them at I', I,
and in this arrangement they may be connected by bolts or rivets, without the

page_text: intervention of a separate cross piece or cross pieces. In Figure 5, O represents
an eye, hinged by a joint pin to the crown of the anchor for attaching a rope
in place of a ring, as in the other Figures, to facilitate its shipping and
unshipping. I is a moveable cross piece of wrought iron. It will be seen
from these various Figures, that both in the cheeks and in the crown of the
anchor the hole for the entrance of the arms or flukes is elongated to allow the
palms to pass through, but such elongation being placed lengthwise in both
shank and cheeks, the strength of these parts is not interfered with. P repre-
sents the arms of the anchor as they are forged before being bent.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom. without
deviating from the principles or main features of the said Invention; but
what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general construction and arrangement of ships' anchors with
moveable or oscillating double-holding flukes, as herein-before described.
Second, the peculiar system or mode of attaching the flukes or arms to
the shanks of anchors, as herein-before described.
Third, the peculiar constructions and arrangements of checks, cross pieces,
and bolts or rivets for connecting the flukes or arms to the shank, allowing
their free motion, and controlling their movement within certain limits, as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-ninth day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-five.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.