IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LOWERING AND "LETTING-GO' SHIPS ANCHORS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Jackson, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Manager of North Forge Ironworks, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LOWERING AND "LETTING-GO' SHIPS
ANCHORS."
Sealed the 26th April 1867, and dated the 1st November 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Jackson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st
November 1866.
I, JAMES JACKSON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Manager of
North Forge Ironworks, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LOWERING AND LETTING-GO' SHIPS'
ANCHORS," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to enable the operation of lowering a ship's
anchor to be effected in a simple and speedy manner, with less labour than
hitherto has been necessary, and to secure the "letting-go" of such anchors
in the best position for taking hold of the ground, that is to say, "stock and

page_text: fluke" together. One apparatus can be used to lower and let-go more than
one anchor. I prefer, however, to use an apparatus for each heavy anchor,
so herein-after I will describe the latter arrangement.
My said apparatus, which I have denominated "the rotary anchor bit," is
placed on the deck close to the vessel's side in a position about equidistant
from the points respectively where the shank, painter, and stopper lead to.
The said apparatus consists,―
1st, of a cylindrical piece of metal or other material free to rotate on or
with its axle or shaft, which rests in suitable bearings and framework.
2nd, of two pieces of chain or rope, one end of each of which is secured to
the ship, and the others are formed so as to ship or connect on or to and detach
from pins or catches secured in the said cylindrical piece.
And, 3rd, of a lowering chain or rope.
The said cylindrical piece is divided into three lengths or portions, one
for the lowering chain or rope, and the other two for the two pieces of chain 1
. or rope.
The mode of operation will be understood from the description contained
herein-after: Before and when an anchor is passed over a ship's side the
two chains or ropes are passed over the ends of the anchor, and are wound
around the cylindrical piece; the 'lowering rope or chain is also wound there- s
around. By paying out the lowering chain or rope the cylindrical piece is
allowed to rotate; the chain or rope is thereby unwound therefrom and the
anchor lowered. So soon, however, as the anchor is near enough the water
(the distance is determined by the length of of the chains or ropes) the chains
or ropes unhook themselves from the cylindrical piece and allow the anchor
to drop into the water.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Jackson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th April 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES 30
JACKSON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Manager of, North Forge
Ironworks, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her Letters
*Patent, bearing date the First day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her 35

page_text: reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, 'the
said James Jackson, the special license that I, the said James Jackson," my
executors, administrators, and' assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Jackson, 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 APPARATUS
FOR LOWERING AND "LETTING-GO' SHIPS. ANCHORS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James Jackson, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 James Jackson, 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 Sheet of illustrative
Drawings hereunto attached, and to the figures 'and' letters thereon, that is
to say:-
The objects of iny Invention are to effect the lowering of ships' anchors in
à simple, safe, and speedy manner, with less labour than hitherto has been
necessary, and to secure that the anchors so lowered are "let-go" or released
in the best position for taking höld of the ground, that is to say, "stock and
fluke" together.
:
For these purposes I employ an apparatus denominated by me-the "rotary
anchor bit," which is placed on the deck of the ship in a position about equi-
distant from the points where the ordinary "shank, painter, and stopper lead
to." The said rotary anchor bit consists,―
1st, of the bit piece itself; which is of a cylindrical or other form, and is
free to rotate on or with its central spindle or axis.
.
2nd; of two pieces of chain or rope, one end of each of which is secured
to the ship, the other ends being free.
...
1 - 3
3rd, of pins or catches secured to the periphery of the bit piece, whereon
the two free ends of the chain or rope can be shipped and held as required
for the purpose hereafter set forth.

page_text: And, 4th, of a lowering chain or rope.
The accompanying Sheet of Drawings contains three views illustrative of
my Invention, Figure 1 being a plan view of a portion of the fore part of
a ship, with an anchor held by my apparatus ready for lowering; Figure 2 a
side elevation of the parts shewn by Figure 1, the dotted lines shew the anchor
being "let-go;" and Figure 3 a vertical section of the "rotary bit." In all
these views like letters denote the same parts."
:
a, the ship; b, the cat heads; c, the cable; d, the anchor; the anchor can
be hoisted or raised in any ordinary or convenient manner. e, the rotary bit,
which is here a cylindrical hollow casting free to rotate on the spindle f firmly
secured by a flange and bolts g to the deck; h, h", the "letting-go" chains
fastened to the ship and passed around the anchor, thence over and through
The ends h, h³,
the guide pieces i,,, to the pins j, j, secured in e.
are fitted with rings a little larger than ; and j³, on which they are shipped
as required; the lowering rope fastened to and hitched around and
fastened on m.
In Figure 1, h, h³, are wound around e, and 1 is unwound
therefrom. The dotted lines in Figure 2 shew h, h³, unwound and wound on.
To lower and "let-go" the anchor from the position shewn in Figures 1 and 2
it is necessary to pay out the rope m, the weight of the anchor and cable at
once puts a strain on h and h³ and thereby causes e to rotate and pay off h, h¹,
whilst m is being wound on. Before the anchor has reached the position
shewn by dotted lines in Figure 2, h, h³, bave slipped off j,j', thereby allowing
the anchor to drop into the water "stock and fluke "together. It will
be obvious that one apparatus can be used to lower more than one anchor;
I prefer, however, to employ one for each heavy anchor, and to select
the position shewn. It will also be obvious that the rotary bit might be
placed so as to have its axis in a horizontal or diagonal line, and that
in any case the anchor can be "let-go;" the chains being made short
enough, and the bulwarks or side of the ship, as in war ships, convenient,
without lowering. In war ships the lowering and "letting-go" can be
accomplished from below, to which position m can be led. In all ships my
Invention renders cockbilling unnecessary, an advantage of great and obvious
moment.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and particularized
the same, I would here state that many modifications can be made without
departing from the leading feature of my Invention, which is the employment
of a rotating bit. What I claim as means for lowering and "letting-go
ships' anchors is the rotating piece with pins j, j³, and l, chains h, h³, and

page_text: lowering rope k, arranged and operating substantially in the manner and for
the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Jackson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
In the presence of
JOHN T. KING,
Patent Agent,
Liverpool.
JAMES JACKSON. (L.B.) .