IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND IN THE FORM OF ANCHORS FOR SHIPS AND VESSELS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Tenwick, of Lemington, near Blaydon-on-
Tyne, in the County of Northumberland, Moulder, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND IN THE FORM OF ANCHORS
FOR SHIPS AND VESSELS."
Sealed the 4th February 1873, and dated the 15th November 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Tenwick at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th November 1872.
JOHN TENWICK, of Lamington, near Blaydon-on-Tyne, in the County
of Northumberland, Moulder, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND IN THE FORM OF
ANCHORS FOR SHIPS AND VESSELS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction and to the form of anchors
for ships and vessels, whereby the mode of manufacture is much
simplified, and a better and more durable article is produced than
heretofore.

page_text: The anchors are composed of three main pieces, the shank and the
two flukes, with the arms in combination. The shank end to which the
flukes are attached is of spherical or nearly spherical shape. The bosses
of the flukes, with the arms in combination, are formed with semi-
circular or other shaped hollows, to correspond with the bulb on the end
of the shank which they embrace, and are bolted or rivetted together to
hold them thereon. The bosses or the half bosses have flanges upon
them, with holes for the reception of shackles for fishing or casting the
anchor, and also with shoulders to bear upon or against the shank, whero
they form the fulcrum to resist the strain. The flukes are free to fall
from either side of the shank for "taking" the ground.
The shank and also the flukes can be cast, stamped, or forged from
iron, steel, homogenous iron, or a compound of steel and iron or other
metal.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Tenwick in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 15th May 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
TENWICK, of Lemington, near Blaydon-on-Tyne, in the County of North-
umberland, Moulder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Fifteenth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Tenwick, Her special licence that I,
the said John Tenwick, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Tenwick, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND IN THE
FORM OF ANCHORS FOR SHIPS AND VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Tenwick, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands

page_text: 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
5 Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Tenwick, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings here-
unto annexed, that is to say :—
This Invention relates to the construction and to the form of anchors
for ships and vessels, whereby the mode of manufacture is much
simplified, and a better and more durable article is produced than
heretofore.
The anchors are composed of the shank and the two flukes, with the
arms in combination. The shank end, to which the flukes are attached,
is of spherical, nearly spherical, or equivalent shape. The bosses of the
flukes, with the arms in combination, are formed with semicircular or
other shaped hollows to correspond with the bulb on the end of the
shank which they embrace, and are either bolted, rivetted together, or
otherwise secured to hold them thereon. The bosses or the half bosses
have in some cases flanges upon them, with holes for the reception of
shackles for fishing or canting the anchor, and also with shoulders to
bear upon or against the shank, where they form the fulcrum to resist
the strain. The flukes are free to fall from either side of the shank for
"taking the ground.
The shank and also the flukes can be cast, stamped, or forged from
iron, steel, homogenous iron, or a compound of steel and iron, or other
metal. I prefer to dispense with the stock usually employed.
The accompanying Drawings represent how my Invention in the con-
struction and form of ships' anchors is carried into effect.
Figure 1 shows a shank a, with a nearly spherical bulb 6 on the end,
which bulb is embraced by two half bosses c of corresponding shape, as
in Figures 2 and 3, the half bosses being bolted or rivetted together by
the flanges d, d, to which also the shackles e, e, are attached, for fishing
or canting the anchor, as described. The two half bosses have wings ƒ,ƒ,

page_text: on each side of them, so that when the anchor is cast, and the flukes g,g,
have fallen over on to the ground, which they will do the instant the
boss touches the ground, the points or edges of the wings bite, and cause
the points of the flukes to enter, the drag of the chain causing them to
enter into the proper depth for holding the vessel safely at anchor.
The bulb or sphere is sufficiently loose to allow perfect freedom for the
flukes to fall to either side, and so soon as the wings touch the ground
the shank adjusts itself to the angle formed by the length of chain
payed out from the vessel, without interfering with the bite which the
flukes have within the ground. Should however the chain be at an
acute angle, the neck h of the shank will bear against the shoulder i of
the bosses on either side, and find a fulcrum to resist the strain. The
wings ff, are slightly hollowed in their faces, and act as scoops to
pocket the ballast should the ground into which the anchor falls be of
gravel or other loose material. The hold thus obtained is in itself almost
sufficient to secure a moderately sized ship at the spot desired, with little
fear of the anchor dragging, but should a drag be supposed to occur it
could not actually take place, because the bite of the wings causes the
points of the flukes to enter the ground, and thereby form a holding
medium in conjunction with the hold upon the surface, the two occurring
simultaneously.
It
I have in Figure 4 shown one of the half bosses with a fluke, the body
of which is of tapered form from the boss to the point, without a spoon-
shaped protuberance or palm as in the existing form of anchor.
will be seen that the point g¹ is slightly bearing in towards the shank,
and when the two are fitted on to the shank, as in Figure 2, they form
a kind of single wedge to act upon the same body of earth, obtaining, as
has been proved in practice, a bite greatly superior to that obtained by
any anchor previously Patented, and about six times as great as that
obtained by the old service single fluke spoon-palmed anchor, and with
a less weight of metal, for not only do my two wedge points enter and
bite the ground themselves, but their closeness causes the earth between
them to become disturbed and pocketed so to speak, a circumstance of
great importance in the holding power of my anchor, and an advantage
not hitherto obtained. The anchor is without the stock usually
employed.
In Figures 2, 3, and 4, I have shown the wings f,f, close up to the
shoulders i, i, but they may be at the crown, as in Figures 5 and 6, and

page_text: in lieu of forming the crown of two half bosses it may be in one. In
that case the chain shackle end of the shank a can be first passed through
and pushed along until the bulb finds itself in the hollow prepared for it
in the crown, after which a strap; can be bolted or screwed to the crown
to prevent it shifting, the strap also serving to hold the shackles e, e, for
canting or shipping the anchor by, or the shackles e, e, may be screwed
into the body of the crown, as in Figure 6. In the latter form or con-
struction of anchors the shanks have plates k, k, rivetted to them for
impinging against the shoulders i, i, when the shank is drawn into
position that they touch.
Figures 7 and 8 show a form of shank a, with a couple of axles or
arms 1, 1, which find a lodgment in the hollows of corresponding shape
in the crown. The axles permit the crown and the wedge flukes to fall
over to either side in the same manner as the sphere.
I have in the foregoing only referred to some of the forms or construc-
tions of anchors which I purpose making under the Letters Patent
granted to me, of which this is my Specification; and as an example of
another form or construction, in which equivalent movements and actions
are obtained, I in Figures 9 and 10 show the pivotting point of the
crown as between the two wedge pointed and armed flukes before
described, and in lieu of employing two wings fif, on each side of the
crown on all occasions, I sometimes make the crown with only one m
on each side, and I sometimes use fixed staples e, e, as in Figure 11,
instead of jointed shackles for canting and shipping purposes to obtain
the greatest strength with as little weight as possible.
In every case I close the wedge points of my flukes in towards one
another more or less as shown.
The construction represented in Figure 9 has a key n put through the
crown, and the shank a, which is pinned to the eye of this key on the
inside and between the fluke arms, causes the pull of the chain to incline
the shank to a greater angle than is possible with the sphered shanks
before the neck / or plate & touches the shoulder.
In Figure 9 I have shown one fishing shackle upon the crown end of
the key, but two may be fitted to it or to the crown itself if found
desirable.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my

page_text: Invention of improvements in the construction and form of anchors for
ships and vessels,―
Firstly. The special construction and form of anchor, as described
and shown in reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the Drawings
annexed.
! Secondly. I claim the modification described and shown with reference
to Figures 5 and 6 of the Drawings annexed.
Thirdly. I claim the modification described and shown with reference
to Figures 7 and 8 of the Drawings.
Fourthly. I claim the modifications described and shown with reference
to Figures 9, 10, and 11 of the Drawings annexed.
And, lastly. I claim, constructing or arranging the two arms of ships'
anchors, with the points closer together than the other parts, when such
arms fall and act simultaneously, as described, without reference to the
particular shape of the arms shown in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Tenwick, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of May, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-three.