AN IMPROVED ANCHOR
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED ANCHOR." -A communication from
abroad by Frederick Wittram, of San Francisco, California, United
States of America.
Sealed the 9th October 1868, and dated the 12th June 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th June 1868.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,"
No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED ANCHOR," a communication, to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to anchors for steam ships, boats, and other vessels,
and has for its object the production of an anchor which will be cheap

page_text: and efficient, and which may be easily stowed and be made to occupy
but small space when not in use, while from its peculiar construction in
whatever way it may fall on the ground or bottom one or both arms
or flukes will immediately take and hold. These objects are accomplished
by placing the two arms or flukes in longitudinal openings in different
portions of the shank and at right angles to each other, so that the said
arms or flukes may swing out on either side by gravitation as the anchor
falls, while when not in use they lie within the body of the shank.
The shank of the anchor is made of any suitable form and of a length
sufficient to give room for the openings and their respective arms or
flukes. One of these openings is made at the bottom or lower portion of
the shank and extends to near the centre thereof, while the other opening
is made through the shank in a plane at right angles with the first
opening, and extends from near the centre to the upper end or portion
of the said shank. The arms or flukes are made of any convenient form,
and of suitable strength, and turn easily on strong pins or bolts so placed
that when the arm or fluke has moved out to a proper distance it rests
against a shoulder formed by the edge of the opening in the shank, or
against a lug which may be placed or forged at that point on the shank
or arm if desired. The chain or cable is bent or fastened to a ring at
the end of the shank, and insures one or both arms or flukes taking
ground in whatever position the anchor falls. As there are no projections
such as the stock or unused arm or fluke of ordinary anchors there will
be no danger of fouling as the vessel or ship swings or moves with the
tide or otherwise, and when the anchor is not in use the arms or flukes
lie within the shank out of the way, or the whole may be hung up by
a ring at the bottom of the anchor; the latter is thus at the same time
very compact and always ready for service.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th December 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL.COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, South-
ampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Con-
sulting Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her
special licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Robert Lake, 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 "AN IMPROVED ANCHOR," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Robert Lake, 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 Robert Lake, 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 following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification :-
My Invention relates to anchors for steamers, ships, boats, and other
vessels, and has for its object the construction of an anchor which shall
be cheap and useful, and which may be easily stowed, and can be made
to occupy but small space when not in use, while from its peculiar
construction, in whatever way it may fall on the ground or bottom one
or both arms or flukes will immediately take and hold. These objects
are accomplished by placing the arms or flukes in longitudinal openings
in different portions of the shank and at right angles to each other, so
that the arms or flukes may swing out on either side by gravitation
as the anchor falls, while when not in use they lie within the body
of the shank.

page_text: Figure 1 is an end view of my anchor showing the arms open ;
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same showing one arm open;
Figure 3 is a side elevation showing the other arm open; Figure 4
is an elevation of the same side as Figure 3 showing the arms
closed. Similar letters of reference in each of the Figures indicate
like parts.
A is the shank of an anchor constructed according to my Invention,
which shank may be made of suitable form and of a length sufficient to
give room for the openings and their respective arms or flukes. These
openings are made through the shank, one B at the bottom or lower
portion of the shank and extending to near the centre thereof, while
the other C is made in a plane at right angles with the first opening,
and extending from near the centre to the upper end or portion of the
shank. The flukes or arms D and E are made of suitable form for
strength and convenience, as shown, and turn easily on strong axles F,
so placed that when the arm or fluke has moved out to the proper
distance it rests against a shoulder formed by the edge of the opening
in the shank, as shown at a; or a lug may be placed or forged at that
point on the shank or arm if desired against which it shall rest. The
chain or cable is bent or fastened to the ring G, and if the anchor falls
with the arms in the position shown in Figure 1 it will insure both
arms or flukes taking ground, while if it falls as in Figure 2 the arm
or fluke D will hold. As there are no projections such as the stock
or unused arm or fluke of ordinary anchors there will be no danger
of fouling as the vessel or ship moves or swings with the tide or
otherwise, and when the anchor is not in use the arms or flukes lie
within the shank out of the way, as shown in Figure 4; or the whole
may be hung up by the ring H at the bottom of the anchor, so that
the anchor is at once compact and ready for service. Its use will be
more advantageous and its cost much less than that of ordinary
anchors.
Having thus described the said Invention as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First. Openings made lengthwise in the shank of an anchor, through
which arms or flukes move freely to either side.

page_text: Second. The placing of arms or flukes at different portions of the
shank's length.
Third. Constructing an anchor with arms or flukes moving at right
angles to each other.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight.
10 Witness,
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
THO8. N. PALMER,
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
8, Southampton Buildings,
W.C.