A NEW AND USEFUL CONTRIVANCE OR MECHANISM FOR SHACKLING OR ATTACHING ANOTHER ANCHOR TO THE CHAIN OF AN ANCHOR TO WHICH A VESSEL MAY BE RIDING, HIS SAID. INVENTION BEING TERMED BY HIM A SECOND ANCHOR SHACKLE
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Gilmour, of the State of Massachusetts, of
the United States of America, for the Invention of "A NEW AND USEFUL
CONTRIVANCE OR MECHANISM FOR SHACKLING OR ATTACHING ANOTHER ANCHOR
TO THE CHAIN OF AN ANCHOR TO WHICH A VESSEL MAY BE RIDING, HIS SAID.
INVENTION BEING TERMED BY HIM A SECOND ANCHOR SHACKLE."
$
"
Sealed the 22nd May 1857, and dated the 27th March 1857.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Gilmour at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration, on
the 27th March 1857, pursuant to the 9th section of the Patent Law
Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, be it known,
that I, GEORGE GILMOUR, of the State of Massachusetts, of the United States
of America, have invented "A NEW AND USEFUL CONTRIVANCE OR MECHANISM FOR
SHACKLING OR ATTACHING ANOTHER ANCHOR TO THE CHAIN OF AN ANCHOR TO WHICH
A VESSEL MAY BE RIDING; MY SAID INVENTION BEING TERMED BY ME A SECOND
ANCHOR SHACKLE;'" and I do hereby declare that the nature of the same, and
the manner in which it is to be performed or used, are fully described and
represented in the following Specification and the accompanying Drawings, of
which Figure 1 denotes a top view of it; Figure 2, a central, vertical, and
longitudinal section of it; Figure 3, a horizontal section taken through its

page_text: spring fly or pawl; Figure 4, a longitudinal section taken through one of its
spring latches.
In the Drawing, A denotes a bifurcated block or frame, having arranged
near the extremities of the prongs c, c, of its fork a roller B, such being as
seen in the Drawing. Combined with the opening C of said frame, or applied
to the rear part of it, is a forked pawl D, which turns freely on a pin E one
hundred and eighty degrees, or from the roller B, over and towards one or
more lever catches or latches F, F, arranged in the frame A, as shewn in
Figures 1 and 4. A spring G should be so applied to the pawl D and the
frame A, as not only to allow said pawl to be revolved from the roller B to the
catches F, F, but to cause the said pawl, when the catches are unlatched, to be
sprung smartly towards or against the roller or a chain which may be passing
through the opening C. The spring catch or catches are forced towards the
pawl, or maintained in engagement with it, by the action of one or more springs
suitably applied to them and the frame A, such being shown at H, in Figure 4.
A wire I, jointed to the lever catch, and extending and sliding freely through the
frame A, in manner as shown in Figure 2, enables the catches to be so
operated or moved as to disengage them from the pawl D, as occasion may
require..
The block or frame A should be constructed in a proper manner to enable
a chain or anchor to be attached to the front or projecting part K.
In using an apparatus constructed substantially in the above-described
manner, it is to be attached to an anchor which it may be desirable to send
down upon a chain of a vessel or ship while riding at anchor, the object being
to apply a second anchor to said chain under circumstances that may require
the same.
The secondary archor may be attached to the block A by a short
chain.
In carrying on the operation of applying said apparatus to the vessel's riding
chain, we first turn over the pawl and latch it by its catches. Next the pin
a', by which the roller B is kept in place in the frame A, should be drawn out
of the roller and frame, so as to allow the frame A to be passed up underneath
the chain, and receive said chain into the opening C. This done, the roller
and its pin should be put back in place again; a line or rope of small
diameter, and of sufficient length, should be attached to the wire I. The
apparatus is them ready for the second anchor to be dropped from the cathead
or part of the vessel from which it may be suspended. After the anchor has
been cast off from the cathead, its weight acting on the shackle will draw said
shackle down upon the riding chain of the main anchor, until the secondary
anchor may reach its destination or the bottom of the sea; which having

page_text: taken place, the wire I should be pulled so as to unlatch the catches and
permit the pawl to be thrown over, so as to act between the links of the
riding chain and clutch the secondary anchor to the said riding chain of the
main anchor.
At the same time that the shackle is being taken down by the secondary
anchor, such shackle, if desirable, may carry down with it a chain cable or
messenger attached to it, such being also connected to the vessel. Further-
dis-
more, in case a chain should part at or near the main anchor, or at any
tance above the same, that part of the chain which hangs from the vessel may
have, by my shackle or Invention, an anchor attached to its lower part, as by
knowing about the length of said chain or part depending from the vessel, and
having the tripping line suitably marked, me may stop the anchor shackle at
such part of the chain as may be desirable.
The roller B turns on a pin a', which is inserted through the prongs of the
frame A. This pin is held in place by a key b', which passes through it, such
key being shown in front and side views in Figures 5 and 6; the shank of the
key is forked, and formed so as to embrace and spring on a stud or pin c¹,
extended from the side of the frame A, in position as seen in Figure 5, which
is a side view of the shackle. By such means the key, when forced through
the pin, is kept in place under ordinary circumstances, it being easy to with-
draw the key when sufficient or ordinary force is applied to it.
My Invention is one of great value and importance, as by means of it a
vessel may be often saved from being wrecked or driven on shore.
I claim the said anchor shackle, apparatus, or contrivance employed for the
purpose or purposes and in manner substantially as herein-before described, the
same consisting of a bifurcated frame A, a roller B, or its equivalent, a spring
pawl D, and a latching and unlatching apparatus or latches F, F, and their
operating line arranged or applied, and inade to operate together, and con-
structed essentially as hercin-before specified.
I also claim the means or arrangement for holding the pin a¹ in place in
the frame A.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my signature and seal, this
6th day of March AD 1857
GEORGE GILMOUR. (L.S.)