CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ANCHORS AND FIDS FOR MASTS OF VESSELS
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
JAMES ALEXANDER MACCARTHY, of Sidney Terrace, Brompton, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-second day of October, in
the tenth year of Her reign, did give and grant unto me, the said John
James Alexander Maccarthy, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her. especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John James
Alexander Maccarthy, my exors, admors, and assigns, and such others as I,
the said John James Alexander Maccarthy, my exors, admors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term of years therein mentioned, should and law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within that part of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, Her Dominion of
Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in the Islands of Jersey,
Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and in all Her Colonies and Plantations
abroad, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ANCHORS AND FIDS FOR
MASTS OF VESSELS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
requiring that I, the said John James Alexander Maccarthy, shall particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, and cause the same to be enrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of

page_text: Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said John
James Alexander Maccarthy, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by this present Instrument in writing,
reference being had to the several Drawings hereunto annexed, and in which
said several Drawings similar parts are marked and referred to by similar letters
or figures (that is to say) :-
My said Invention consists,-
Firstly, of an improved mode of constructing or shaping anchors of ships
and other vessels; and,
Secondly, of improvements in the fids or means used for supporting the
upper masts of ships and other vessels.
"My improved anchor for ships and other vessels is made of such form or
shape, and with its centre of gravity in such a position that it will, by force of
its own gravity, be canted or turned or have a tendency to be canted or turned
(when necessary), or be kept lying with the point of its fluke downwards, so
that it may enter into or hold upon the ground. My improved anchor is con-
structed with only one arm or fluke, as represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Figure 1 is a side view of my anchor; Figure 2 is a bird's-eye view of the
same anchor as lying upon the ground; Figure 3 is a view of the fluke end;
and Figure 4 is a view of the ring or shackle end of my anchor. A', A², is
the shank of the anchor; B is the arm or fluke; C is the palm; D, D, is a
heart-shaped stock or ring piece of iron fixed upon the shank of the anchor
instead of the ordinary stock; E is the loop by means of which the anchor is
to be fastened to a cable or rope. The shackle or stock end A¹ of the shank
is made very much heavier than the other end, and I prefer it to be of the
shape shewn in the Drawings, the shank being shaped in such a way as to
make the centre of gravity of the anchor as near as it conveniently may be to
a line drawn between the stock end of the shank and the point of the fluke of
the anchor. The heart-shaped iron stock or ring piece D, D, is to be welded
or fastened by any other convenient means to the anchor shank, the flat part
of it, which is shewn welded to the shank, being made heavier than the other
parts of it, so as, in conjunction with the heart-shaped form of it, to cause the
anchor to lie cant or turn with the point of its fluke upon, in, or towards the
ground, and so facilitate its entering into or taking hold of the ground.

page_text: The second part of my said Invention being improvements in the fids or
means employed for supporting the upper masts of ships and vessels consists
of a paul and ratchet fid and a metallic strap fid to be used for supporting
such upper masts in lieu of the fids usually employed for that purpose.
One of my said improved fids, which I call a paul and ratchet fid, is repre-
sented in Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of the said Drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 5 is a side view of the top of a lower mast and the bottom of an upper
mast elevated and supported in its proper position by means of my said
improved paul and ratchet fid. Upon the top of the lower mast is mounted
the ordinary cap a, through the orifice of which the upper mast is to pass, and
a little lower down upon the lower mast is fixed a trussel or cross tree b,'
through an orifice of which the upper mast is also to pass. The upper mast
is furnished with a pulley let into it near to the bottom of it, and by means
of which pulley it is to be raised and lowered from time to time in the ordinary
manner. The metallic paul p is attached to the lower mast, and is let into'
that side of it which is next to the upper mast just below the trussel or cross
tree. The paul moves upon a pin or hinge near to its lower extremity, and
so that its weight (when unrestrained) will cause the upper extremity of it to
fall against the upper mast, so as to take into the ratchet r, when required, as.
shewn in Figure 5. The inner side of the paul .is furnished with a loop to
which is attached a cord, and this cord passes over a pulley placed behind the
paul, and mounted in the usual way within a groove inside the mast; the
cord then passes out at an orifice below the paul down the side of the mast to
or near to the deck. By means of this cord the paul may be drawn out of
gear with the ratchet, and held within the side of the mast which it is let
into, as before mentioned. The metal ratchet or rack r is fixed to the upper
mast near to the bottom of it, and on that side which is next to the lower
mast. This ratchet must be placed so that when the upper mast is elevated
into its proper position, the paul p, in the lower mast, may take into or against
some one of the teeth of the ratchet or rack, and so support the upper mast"
in such position. The ratchet may be furnished with several teeth, so that
the height to which the upper mast is from time to time elevated may be
varied to the extent allowed by the length of the ratchet. Figure 6 is a
detached view of an upper mast-shewn as passing through the cap and trussel·
or cross trees (shewn in section) with the ratchet or rack fixed on one side of
it near to its lower part. Figure 7 is a detached view of a portion of the
lower mast, with a section of its trussel or cross tree and the paul fallen back
from the mast to which it is attached.. Figure 8 is a similar view of a portion

page_text: of the lower mast, with a section of its cross tree, but with the paul p
drawn up against the lower mast, or into the recess of the mast within which
it is mounted or hung. Figure 9 is a view of the section of the upper and
lower masts taken through just above the cross tree, shewing the upper side of
the cross tree and the paul in a tooth of ratchet, so as to support the upper
mast. When it is desired to raise the upper mast into its proper position,
that is to be effected in the ordinary way, the paul being left at liberty to
fall back from the mast to which it is attached, as shewn in Figure 7, so that
when the ratchet or rack arrives opposite to it, the paul may take into or
against one of its teeth, and the mast having been raised to the extent desired,
one of the teeth of the ratchet or rack resting upon the upper end of the paul
will cause the mast to be supported, as shewn in Figure 5; and when it is
desired to lower the upper mast, the cord c must be pulled so as to draw the
paul out of gear with the ratchet, by which means the upper mast will be left
free to be lowered in the ordinary way.
The other of my said improved fids consisting of a metallic strap fid attached
to the under side of the cross tree of a mast, as shewn in Figures 10, 11,
and 12 of the said Drawings hereunto annexed. Figure 10 is a side view of
part of the top of a lower mast and the bottom of an upper mast elevated
and supported in its proper position by means of my said strap fid. Figure 11
is a back view of the same portions of the upper and lower masts, the upper
mast being supported by my strap fid, as in Figure 10. Part of the bottom of
the lower mast is placed immediately below this figure, in order to shew the
use and application of the chain and cord. Figure 12 is a view of part of a
lower mast similar to that seen in Figure 10, but without any portion of the
upper mast, the strap fid being shewn as drawn towards the lower mast, as it
will appear when it is not in use. Part of the bottom of the lower mast is
also below this figure, so as to shew the use and application of the chain and
cord. Upon or near to the top of the lower mast is mounted a cap a, through
which the upper mast passes, and a little lower down the lower mast is fixed a
cross treeb, through which the upper mast passes, as before mentioned. The upper
mast is also furnished with a pulley for raising and lowering it, as before men-
tioned. The metallic strap S is attached to the lower side of the cross tree by
means of two metal loops, so that the bottom of the strap may be drawn to one
side, and towards the lower mast, as shewn in Figure 12. The metal loops which
sustain the strap must be securely fixed to the cross tree, so as to sustain the
weight of the upper mast. To the bottom of the strap is attached one end of
a short length of chain 7 passing over the pulley x attached to the side of the

page_text: lower mast, and to the other end of the chain is attached a cord c, which
passes down to or nearly to the deck of the vessel or bottom of the mast, as
shewn in Figures 11 and 12. The lower end of the upper mast is notched or
cut, as shewn in Figures 13 and 14, so that there may be a projection against
which the strap fid can be drawn by the chain and cord already mentioned,
when the uppr mast is elevated, and thus keep the strap securely in its place.
When the upper mast is not elevated, and the strap fid is not in use, it will be
drawn against or towards the lower mast, as already mentioned and as shewn
in Figure 12; but when it is desired to raise the upper mast into and support
it in its proper position, the cord is to be released so as to allow the
strap to fall against the npper mast, and the upper mast being raised
sufficiently high for that purpose the lower part of strap fid will pass
under the lower end of the upper mast, which may then be suffered to
descend so as to rest upon the strap fid, by which it will be supported
in its proper position. The cord is then to be drawn tight, and fastened, as
shewn in Figures 11 and 12, so as to keep the strap fid against the shoulder
or projection at the bottom of the upper mast, for the purpose of keeping the
strap fid more securely in its proper position, and so preventing the upper
mast from falling. When it is desired to lower the upper mast, it must be
first raised a little, and sufficiently so to allow of the strap fid being drawn out
from under the end of it, and that being done, and the fid drawn out of the
way towards and held against the lower mast, as shewn in Figure 12. The
upper mast may be lowered in the ordinary manner.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of the several parts of
my said Invention, and the manner of performing the same, I hereby declare
that I claim as of my Invention,―
Firstly, an anchor constructed so that it will, by force of its own gravity, be
canted, turned, or have a tendency to be turned, or be kept lying with the
point of its fluke downwards, as herein-before described.
Secondly, the application of a paul and ratchet fid for supporting the upper
masts of vessels, as herein-before described; and,
Thirdly, the application of a strap fid for supporting the upper masts of
vessels, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John James Alexander Maccarthy, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.
I. J. A. MACCARTHY. (L.S.)

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Seventeenth day of April, in
the year of our Lord 1847, the aforesaid John James Alexander Maccarthy
came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged
the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and
specified, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was
stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.