AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS' ANCHORS
Year: 1823

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HAWKES, of Lucas Place, Commercial Road, in the Parish of Stepney Old
Town, in the County of Middlesex, Ship Builder, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth did,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of His United Kingdom,
bearing date at Westminster, the First day of November, One thousand
eight hundred and twenty-three, in the fourth year of His reign, give and
grant unto me, the said George Hawkes, my exors, admors, and assigns,
His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
George Hawkes, my exors, adiñors, 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS' ANCHORS;" in which
said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso that if I, the said George
Hawkes, shall not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo 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 Patent,
that then the said Letters Patent, 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
aunoar

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
George Hawkes, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly de-
scribed and ascertained in and by the Drawing hereunto annexed, and the
following description thereof (that is to say) :-
Certain Improvements on Anchors, by George Hawkes, Shipbuilder.-The
anchors in present use are made by forming the shank and flukes separately,
and by the fusion and the power of beating are united or welded into cach
other, and the cable is fastened to a ring or shackle passed through the shank
sideways. The stocks, if of wood, are let or stored over each side, and bolted and
hooped over the shank of the anchor; if iron, the eye for it is punched through
the shank of the anchor. The palms are made separate, and welded on the
flukes. My improvements consist in forming a part of the shank and all the
fluke in the length of the anchor, and bending them to the form required; and
should the bars of iron not be manufactured long enough, they are to be
welded, and the welds separated in the numbers of bars that are sufficient to
make the size required. Parts of anchors thus made will not be liable
to bad welding, or being burnt by the great fusion required to make a weld,
and the iron will experience a severe trial in bending. This method will
allow of a groove or pieces fastened on each side of the shank for the chain or
bolt to pass through, and an eye to be opened on each part of the shank, to
admit of the wood stock passing through, which is to be made round or other-
wise, in two pieces, one to pass each way, with iron shoulders on each piece,
and when hooped it cannot get out of the eye of the anchor. Parts of
anchors thus made, either to suit two, three, or four fluked anchors, are put
-together and firmly hooped, or otherwise. And for the more perfect understand-
ing of my improvements I refer to the annexed plate and the following explana-
tions: Fig. A shewing the principle of forming it in two pieces, as at (1),
with a score down the middle for the cable to pass through, which, if of chain,
is bent to a ring, as at (2); if of hemp may be knotted or otherwise. (3) an
eye to hold the stock. (4) shews a piece of chain laid in the groove, the
ring or shackle at the square end for bending the cable to (5) at the crown for
-the buoy rope, and by it the chain is fast. (6) shews a stout iron rod, which
may be used for the same purpose as the chain. The stock is round, or
otherwise, and is held fast in the clip (8), they having shoulders or cleats, which
prevent its getting out, and when hooped it will be secure. Fig. B shews it
when fixed for use. The chain passes through the shank and wood stock, or
by à large ring to the chain on each side to pass over the stock. (1) the hoops
by which it is held together. (2) a collar to fit the square. (3) sectors of the

page_text: shank at that place. (4) palms.
(4) palms. (5) plate on the crown. Fig. C, 1 and 2,
stock in halves, being the inside part, shewing the groove as at (3) for the
cable to pass through, and the shoulders, which prevent its going farther
through the clip (as at Fig. A, 3) than is intended. (4) the stock together,
shewing the hoops, collers, and holes through for the cable, as at (5.) Fig. D,
one of two pieces to be fayed together to form a single anchor in case of
necessity at sea. Fig. E, two of the pieces put together, forming a common
anchor. (1) shews crowbars, one on each side, which lay in bevel of the
shank, and when jammed by the hoops, which are to be driven tight, is
perfectly firm. (2) a collar to fit the square of the anchor, so that the hole
for the bolt and that for the shackle pass through it as well as the shank,
thereby holding both. (3) shews a sector of the angles of the pieces of the
shank, with the deficiency for the crowbars, as at (1). If the chain be rove,
the shackle on the crown must be off at the time, as at (5) in A. (4) the
stock to pass through a link of the chain, which is to be made large to receive
it. Fig. F shews three of the parts, the cable to reeve through or otherwise,
and which is hooped together. (1) shews the sector of the parts at the end
of the shank; (2) the same when closed; (3) a collar which receives through
it the shackle and bolts, a stock not being required; (4) the hoops; (5) a
brace or stay, may be used or not; (6) holes for bolts; (7) shackle. These
anchors are made larger in the shank than those in common use, and of an
oval form.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Hawkes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-four.