Improvements in Mooring Devices.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 23rd Sept., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mooring Devices.
I, FREDERICK BOWMAN LANGSTON, of 295, Gates Avenue, New York City, in the
County of Kings and State of New York, United States of America, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved submarine
mooring device designed for securely anchoring or mooring marine vessels, floats,
buoys or the like and arranged to be quickly embedded in the sand or mud to any
desired depth, to prevent the device from shifting no matter how heavy a strain
is exerted upon it by the moored vessel buoy or the like.
The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same,
as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.
A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying
drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of
reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the improvement as applied;
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same after being lowered to a final position,
and showing means for loosening the device preparatory to removing it;
Figure 3 is a sectional side elevation of a modified form of the improvement;
and
Figure 4 is a like view of another modified form of the same.
The improved mooring device, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, is provided with
an anchor A, preferably of the mushroom pattern, having a dished disk A¹ and
a hollow shank A³ on the upper end of which are pivoted a pair of shackles B
engaged by the ring C¹ on one end of a chain C, extending to the marine vessel,
float, buoy or other like article to be moored.
In the hollow shank A2 the anchor A, fits the lower end D¹ of a pipe D, con-
nected at its upper end by a hose with an air pump, water pump, or other similar
apparatus, for forcing a fluid under pressure through the pipe D from a vessel,
float or the like, located over the place where the anchor A is to be imbedded in
the sand or mud. The extreme lower and somewhat contracted end of the
pipe D extends a suitable distance below the bottom of the disk A¹, so that
when the anchor has been lowered upon the bed of the river, stream or sea, with
the pipe inserted in the hollow shank A2 of the anchor, the fluid under pressure
issuing at the lower end D' of the pipe D loosens the sand or mud, and causes
said sand or mud to pass in an upward direction with the escaping air or water,
to allow the anchor A to settle, partly by its own weight, but mainly by the
operator pressing the pipe D down with the anchor by the action of a collar D²
secured or formed on the pipe, and seated on the upper end of the shank A³.
It will be seen that by the arrangement described, the operator located in the
buoy or vessel can readily press the pipe D down, and wriggle the pipe and
anchor, to insure a rapid settling of the anchor in the loosened ground or mud.

page_text: When the anchor has reached a desired depth, the pipe D is withdrawn, and the
marine vessel, buoy or the like to be moored and attached to the chain C is not
liable to break loose, as the anchor is securely imbedded in the sand or mud,
and is not liable to shift, no matter how much strain is exerted by the marine
vessel, buoy or the like on the chain C and anchor A.
When it is desired to re-locate the anchor A and to remove the same from the
sand or mud, in case the marine vessel, buoy or the like is to be shifted to another
place, then I slip a loop or shackle E loosely onto the chain C from the buoy or
vessel and secure to the free end of the shackle by a set screw E¹ or other means,
the lower end of the pipe D with the collar D2 seated on the shackle, as shown
in Figure 2. The pipe is now lowered with the shackle sliding loosely on the
chain C to guide the lower end of the pipe D to the immediate neighborhood of
the top of the disk A¹ of the anchor A. Air or water is now again forced through
the pipe D into the sand, so as to loosen the same above the disk A¹ of the anchor,
to permit of gradually drawing the anchor A up by winding or pulling up the
chain C.
It is not essential that a hollow shank A2 for the anchor should be provided,
as the shank may be omitted, see Figure 3, and only a small apertured hub A³
be formed on the anchor for the passage of the lower end D1 of the pipe D,
the hub also serving for pivoting the shackles B on the anchor. The pipe D
instead of having a collar D³ may be provided with a shoulder D³ to be seated on
the hub A3, the shoulder being formed by reducing the lower end D¹ of the
pipe. The shank of the anchor A may also be made solid, as shown at A* in'
Figure 4, and in this case, I fasten a guide F to the shank A4 near the upper
end thereof and insert the lower end D¹ of the pipe D into this guide with the
collar or shoulder of the pipe seated on the top of the guide. The lower end D¹
of the pipe also passes through an opening A in the disk A¹ of the anchor and
extends with the outlet a distance below the anchor to readily loosen the sand or
mud for sinking the anchor when forcing water or air down the pipe and manipu-
lating the latter as previously described in reference to Figure 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A pipe detachably connected with an anchor and extending below the
bottom thereof to permit of forcing a fluid under pressure through the pipe into
the sand or mud, the pipe being provided with means, such as a collar, shoulder
or other suitable device, to push the anchor down in the loosened sand or mud.
2. A pipe and a guide thereon for sliding on the anchor chain to guide the
lower end of the pipe to the top of the anchor disk to loosen the mud or sand
above the anchor on forcing a fluid under pressure through the pipe into the
Band or mud.
Dated this 15th day of Auenot 1200
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.