AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF FLOATING ANCHOR OR MARINE DRAG
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph William Collins of Trafalgar Square Chelsea in
the County of Middlesex, Assistant United States Fish Commissioner, for an
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph William Collins at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th September 1883.
JOSEPH WILLIAM COLLINS of Trafalgar Square, Chelsea in the County of
Middlesex, Assistant United States Fish Commissioner
"AN IMPROVED
CONSTRUCTION OF FLOATING ANCHOR OR MARINE DRAG."
The object of this invention is to improve the construction of Floating Anchors
or marine drags which are used to keep the ships head to the wind.
As hitherto constructed these anchors have been very liable to rot when stowed
away by reason of the difficulty of drying the canvas of which they are in great
part composed.
By my improvements I am enabled to detach the canvas readily from its rigid
framing and to provide for the stowage in a small space of the parts composing the
floating anchor.
To this end I provide a ring of wrought iron proportionate in size to that of the
vessel to which it is to be applied. This ring I divide diametrically and hinge the
two halves together. The ring I stiffen by applying radial struts of wrought iron
thereto connecting them with the ring in such a manner as to permit of their facile
detachment. Fitted to the ring thus constructed is a semi-spherical canvas bag
which I connect to the ring by what is known as sister clips or their equivalent
the object being to provide for the facile attachment and detachment of the bag.
Secured to the gores of this bag are ropes which meet at the centre of the bag and
then connect with a tripping rope which is led through a thimble or block on the
ring its free end being retained on shipboard. The ring is connected by chains to
a cable which is payed out from the ship for any desired length. Attached also
to the ring is a suspending rope which connects with a buoy provided for
"

page_text: suspending the anchor at any desired depth in the water. This buoy is connected
with the ship by a rope corresponding in length with the cable and the whole
apparatus being attached to the bow of the vessel is allowed to swing to the right
or left of the vessels head according to the run of the current. The anchor keeps
the vessels head up to windward and prevents it from falling off into the trough
of the sea.
When it is desired to haul in the anchor the tripping rope attached to the canvas
bag is hauled taut and the anchor being thus tipped from a vertical to a horizontal
position will offer but a comparatively slight resistance to the hauling in of the
cable.
When the anchor is got on board the canvas is detached from the ring by the
opening of the clips or sister hooks the radial struts are removed from the ring
and the ring may then be folded up and stowed away while the canvas is
suspended in the air to dry.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph William Collins in the Patent Office on the 19th March
1884.
JOSEPH WILLIAM COLLINS of Trafalgar Square Chelsea in the County of
Middlesex Assistant United States Fish Commissioner "AN IMPROVED
CONSTRUCTION OF FLOATING ANCHOR OR MARINE DRAG'
"
My Invention relates to a novel construction of floating Anchor or marine drag.
for use on Sea-going Vessels to insure their safety in lying to in heavy gales when
by reason of the breaking down of Machinery (on Steamers) the blowing away of
sails or from other causes a Vessel might become unmanageable and be in danger
of foundering unless provided with apparatus of this kind Heretofore Seamen
have generally been compelled in such emergencies to rely on some sort of floating
anchor improvised from spare material on shipboard such as spars casks & &c the
rigging up of which is always attended with much danger and delay. (at a time too
when the utmost dispatch is desirable if not imperative) and when completed these
rude constructions are rarely if ever found to answer the purpose for which they
were designed shipwreck and loss of life often being the result of their faulty
construction.
)
When ships have been provided with floating anchors it has been found that they
were very liable to rot when stowed away after use by reason of the difficulty of
drying the canvas of which they are in great part composed.
Now my improved construction of anchor provides for the safe and compact
stowage of the same on board ship for its being readily put into use and when
not further required for its being safely stowed away in a dry condition.
In the accompanying drawing Fig 1 is a side view of the Floating Anchor or
Marine drag rigged and extended as when in use Figures 2 and 3 are plan and
section views respectively of the ring frame and Fig 4 shews the drag in use and
illustrates its position with respect to the Vessel the wind being on the bow.
The
AA is a ring of wrought iron proportionate in size to that of the Vessel to
which it is to be applied This ring is divided diametrically and its two halves are
hinged together This is to allow of the ring being folded when out of use.
ring I stiffen by applying radial struts B B of wrought iron thereto connecting
them with the ring by booking their ends into eyes formed on the ring and
securing them by nuts or in such a manner as will permit of their facile
detachment Fitted to the ring thus constructed is a semi-spherical bag C.
composed of gores of canvas This bag I connect to the ring by what is known
as sister hooks or their equivalent the object being to provide for the facile
attachment and detachment of the bag.
Secured to the gores of this bag are ropes o which meet at the centre of the
bag and then connect with a tripping rope D which is led through a thimble or
fair leader d on the ring its free end being retained on Shipboard.
The ring is connected by guy ropes or chains e to a hawser or cable E which
when the anchor is lowered is payed out from the Ship for any desired length.
Attached also to the ring is a suspending rope f which connects with a buoy F
connected with the ship by a rope fi corresponding in length with the Cable The
buoy line f serves to keep the ring frame A in a vertical position and at a suitable
depth thus rendering it certain that the apparatus will always be in the best
possible situation for efficient and immediate action This apparatus being
attached to the bow of the Vessel is allowed to swing to the right or left of the
Yessel's head according to the run of the current.

page_text: The anchor keeps the Vessel's head up to windward and prevents it from falling
off into the trough of the sea.
When it is desired to haul in the anchor the tripping rope D attached to the
canvas bag C is hauled taut thus brailing the bag up to the ring frame and tipping
the anchor from a vertical to a horizontal position By reason of this change of
position the anchor will offer but a comparatively slight resistance to the hauling
in of the Cable
.
This method of tripping the floating anchor or marine drag when out by brailing
it up to the ring frame by the tripping line makes it possible for a ship lying to
to trip her anchor set sail at once and sail ahead to clear an anchored vessel an
iceberg or any other obstruction which may suddenly and unexpectedly be seen to
leeward in the path of the drifting craft.
When the anchor has been hauled in and got on board the tripping line is first
disengaged therefrom the canvas bag is then detached from the ring by the opening
of the Clip or sister hooks and the radial struts are removed from the ring The
hinged ring frame may then be folded up and stowed away while the canvas bag
before being stowed away is suspended in the air to dry.
•
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "An improved construction
of floating anchor or Marine Drag" and explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I claim.-
4
The construction of Floating anchor or Marine Drag above described with reference
to the Drawing, which Drag or anchor permits of being instantly thrown out of
use and permits also of the parts of which it is composed being readily detached
for the purpose above set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Joseph William Collins have hereunto set my
hand and seal the 29th day of February in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty four.
JOSEPH WILLIAM COLLINS (ra)
JOSEPH WILLIAM COLLINS (ro)