IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ANCHORS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Isaac Meacock, of Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF ANCHORS."-A .communication from abroad by. Henry Scholfield,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Isaac Meacock
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th April 1864.
I, WILLIAM ISAAC MEACOCK, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF ANCHORS," a communication to me from abroad by Henry
Scholfield, resident at the City of Halifax, in the Province of Nova Scotia,
to be as follows :---
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of
anchors, whereby greater holding power is obtained than by the ordinary
anchor in consequence of two flukes acting at once independently of each
other.
I propose to form the shank with a solid head instead of with a slotted head
to form cheeks for the insertion of flukes made on a quadrant or arm in the
ordinary manner of forming flukes and palms. The head is enlarged on each
side by shoulders, presenting two angular surfaces towards the flukes.. I make
the flukes separately from each other, and thus do away with the quadrant or

page_text: curved connecting arm, merely using a straight arm, or an arm in line
with the fluke, and I attach one of these flukes to each side of the shank
below the head by means of an ordinary bolt forming a pivot for the swinging
or working of the arms and flukes, which will consequently work or hang
downwards whichever way the shank may lie on the ground. Now the
bearing surfaces or fulera for the arms of the flukes is afforded by the angular
internal cut or recesses in each of the shoulders of the shank, and thus the
play of the arms and flukes is limited to any desired angle or extent. When
not in action the arms and flukes will thus lie close against the shank in a
very narrow compass, their internal surface being flush or parallel to the
shank, their outer edges slanting and curving from the shank, and turning
ultimately inwards at an angle of about 45 degrees, the shank to form the
points of the flukes. Two barbs or angular projections are formed on the
upper and under surface of each fluke at their junction with the arms, pre-
senting a right-angled holding surface to the flukes. The anchor will lay on
deck in a small compass, it cannot injure the bows of a ship when hanging
in.the fish or from the cat-head, nor can a ship injure herself by laying on it.
The stock may be made of iron, or wood, or both combined.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Isaac Meacock in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 29th October 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ISAAC MEACOCK, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters'
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord'
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Isaac Meacock, Her special licence that I, the said William
Isaac Meacock, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I;
the said William Isaac Meacock, my executors, administrators, and 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, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ANCHORS," a communication to me from abroad
by Henry Scholfield, resident at the City of Halifax, in the Province of Nova

page_text: Scotia, upon the condition (amongst others) that, I, the said William Isaac;
Meacock, my,executors or administrators; by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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;
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said. Letters Patent....
.....!!
NOW, KNOW YE, that I, the said William Isaac Meacock, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same?
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
:
***
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of:
anchors, whereby greater holding power is obtained than by the ordinary
anchor in consequence of two flukes, acting at once independently of each:
other.
The shank is to be formed with a solid head instead of with a slotted head,
to form cheeks for the insertion of flukes made on a quadrant or arm in the
ordinary manner of forming flukes and palms. The head is enlarged on each:
side by shoulders, presenting two angular surfaces towards the flukes. The
flukes are made separately from each other, and thus obviate the use of the
quadrant or curved connecting arm, merely using a straight arm, or an arm in
line with the fluke, and I attach one of these flukes to each side of the shank
below the head by means of an ordinary bolt forming a pivot for the swinging
or working of the arms and flukes, which will consequently work or hang
downwards whichever way the shank may lie on the ground: Now the
bearing surfaces or fulcra for the arms of the flukes are afforded by the
angular internal cuts or recesses in, each of the shoulders of the shank, and
thus the play of the arms and flukes is limited to any desired angle or extent.
When not in action the palms and flukes will thus lie close against the shank
in a very narrow. compass, their internal surface being flush or parallel to the
shank, their outer edges slanting and curving from the shank, and turning
ultimately inwards at an angle of about 45 degrees to the shank to form the
points of the flukes. Two points or angular projections are formed on the
upper and under surface of each fluke at their junction with the arms, pre-
senting a right-angled holding surface to the flukes. The anchor will lie on
deck in a small compass; it cannot injure the bows of a ship when hanging
in the fish or from the cat-head, nor can a ship injure herself by laying on it.
The stock may be made of iron, or wood, or both combined.
с
The Invention will be completely understood from the foregoing description,

page_text: reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Fig. 1
represents a plan view of the anchor, and Fig. 2 a side view of the same;
similar letters denote corresponding parts in each Figure.
The outline and form of the flukes and palms is thus clearly shewn.
the shank, with the solid head b enlarged on each side to form the shoulders
c, c; d, d, shew the internal angular faces of the shoulders for the bearing
surface of palms of the flukes e, e, which are connected to the shank by the
bolt f, on which they swing; 9 represents a shackle for the purpose of fishing
the anchor.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I would remark in conclusion that I do
not limit myself to the precise details and configuration of parts herein
expressed and shewn, as the same may be modified or varied slightly without
in any way departing from the principle of the Invention, but what I claim
and desire to be secured to me by the herein in part recited Letters Patent
are, the general construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, sub-
stantially as herein specified and illustrated, constituting "Improvements in
the Construction of Anchors," according to the title hereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Isaac Meacock, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
THOMAS GARBATT,
Book-keeper,
11, West Seacombe Terrace,
Seacombe, Cheshire.
W. I. MEACOCK. (L.S.)