IMPROVEMENTS IN ANCHORS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Imray, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
“IMPROVEMENTS IN ANCHORS."-A communication from abroad by
Charles Alexander Chamberlin, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, in the
United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Imray at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th August 1878.
I, JOHN IMRAY, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS. IN. ANCHORS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of anchors,
the nature of which will be best understood by reference to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings.
Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of an anchor constructed
according to one modification of this Invention as it would appear when
hanging freely, and Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of the anchor

page_text: '
when it has taken hold of the ground. The stem a attached to the
cable by the eye a² at its upper end is at its lower end spread into two
forks a³, a¹. To these forks is joined a bow 6 made with flukes 6¹, and
with projecting arms d, d. The weight of the bow 6 is so disposed with
reference to its jointing to the forks a¹, a¹, that when the anchor is
hanging as shown in Fig. 1, the flukes 6', 6', stand up vertically in the
same plane with the stem a. This result instead of being brought about
by the weight of the bow 6 and the position of its centre of gravity,
might be attained by the application of springs to the bow b, or by guide
chains attached to it. When in lowering the anchor the bow 6 reaches
the ground it cants over so as to bring its flukes towards the ground on
the one side, and when the anchor begins to be dragged along in this
position these flukes enter the ground and take hold as shewn in Fig. 2,
the projecting arms & on the lower side serving by their bearing on the
bottom to direct the flukes obliquely into the ground, while the arms d
on the upper side bear as stops against the fork a³ to prevent the bow b
and its flukes from being turned too far round-by the drag. By this
arrangement great holding power is obtained with an anchor of moderate
weight, and a certainty of the flukes catching the ground is secured,
while all chance of their fouling the cable is avoided. Furthermore
owing to the attitude of the flukes when the anchor is raised or lowered,
they are not liable to catch under the forefoot of the vessel in weighing
anchor, nor to injure the bows in catting or fishing, and an anchor thus
constructed can be fished, catted, and handled with ease, can be stowed
snugly, and having no projecting points is not liable to foul the rigging
or chains of vessels passing near.
It will be seen that both flukes are in use at the same time, and even
if one should be broken the anchor will hold whichever way it may cant,
as with the one fluke of an ordinary anchor.
"
Fig. 3 shews a side view, and Fig. 4 a perspective view of an anchor
constructed according to another modification of this Invention with the
flukes arranged to act separately, so that if the one should fail to hold,
the other may nevertheless seize the bottom. In this case also the
stem a is spread into two forks 6, 6, to each of which is jointed a fluke c,
and also a yoke d with a slotted hole in which works a pin e projecting
from the shank of the fluke. These yokes as well as the flukes them-
selves being free to turn upon the pins by which they are respectively
mounted on the forks of the stem, the flukes can swing to either side of
*.

page_text: the stem within a range determined by the length of slot in the yoke,
that is to say, to an angle suited for seizing the ground, as shewn in
Fig. 4. The yokes d are provided with spurs ½ so sloped on their sides
that when the fluke is lying at the seizing angle, the front side h; h³, of
the yoke is parallel to the line of the shank, or nearly so, and thus when
the fluke is deeply buried the yoke having hold also relieves to some
extent the strain on the fluke and adds to the holding power. Further-
more the hinder point of the yoke acts as a tripper tending to throw
down the point of the fluke so as to make it seize. Between the
▸ forks 6 is hung a chain or other flexible connection's so as to prevent the
cable from getting between the forks and fouling the anchor, and also
to afford a facility for fishing the anchor by furnishing an attachment
for the hook.
It will be seen that according to the last described arrangement either
5 fluke can act independently of the other, so that one may sieze even if
the other should slip. Moreover when the vessel swings the off fluke
will form a pivot, the near fluke being backed out by the lateral pull on
the stem.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Imray in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 29th December 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
IMRAY, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Ohancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters. Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Imray, Her special license, that
0 I, the said John Imray, 'my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Imray, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term. therein ex-

page_text: pressed, 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 ANCHORS,"
a communication to me from abroad by Charles Alexander Chamberlin,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Imray, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Imray, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
-
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of anchors,
the nature of which will be best understood by reference to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon.
Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of an anchor constructed
according to one modification of this Invention as it would appear when
hanging freely, and Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of the anchor
when it has taken hold of the ground. The stem a attached to the
cable by the eye a" at its upper end is at its lower end spread into two
forks a¹, a¹. To these forks is jointed a bow 6 made with flukes b², 6¹¹,
and with projecting arms d, d. The weight of the bow 6 is so disposed
with reference to its jointing to the forks a¹, a², that when the anchor is
hanging as shewn in Fig. 1, the flukes 61, 6", stand up vertically in the
same plane with the stem a. This result instead of being brought about
by the weight of the bow band the position of its centre of gravity, a
might be attained by the application of springs to the bow b, or by
guide chains attached to it. When in lowering the anchor the bow b
reaches the ground it cants over so as to bring its flukes towards the
ground on the one side, and when the anchor begins to be dragged
along in this position, the flukes enter the ground and take hold, as
shewn in Fig. 2, the projecting arms d on the lower side serving by
their bearing on the bottom to direct the flukes obliquely into the

page_text: ground, while the armis d on the upper side bear as stops against the
fork a³ to prevent the bow b and its flukes from being turned too får
round by the drag. By this arrangement great holding power is
obtained when an anchor of moderate weight, and a certainty of the
flukes catching the ground is secured, while all chance of their fouling
the cable is avoided. Furthermore owing to the attitude of the. flukes
when the anchor is raised or lowered they are not liable to catch under
the forefoot of the vessel in weighing anchor, nor to injure the bows in
catting or fishing, and an anchor thus constructed can be fished, catted,
and handled with ease, can be stowed snugly; and having no projecting
points is not liable to foul the rigging or chains of vessels passing
It will be seen that both flukes are in use at the same time, and even:
if one should be broken, the anchor will hold whichever way it may
cant, as with one fluke of an ordinary anchor.
Fig. 3 shows a side view, and Fig. 4 a perspective view of an anchor
constructed according to another modification of this Invention, with the
flukes arranged to act soparately, so that if the one should fail to hold
the other may nevertheless seize the bottom. In this case also the
stem a is spread into two forks b, b, to each of which is jointed a fluke c,
and also a yoke d with a slotted hole in which works a pin e projecting
from the shank of the fluke. These yokes as well as the flukes them-
selves being free to turn upon the pins by which they are respectively.
mounted on the forks of the stem; the flukes can swing to either side of
the stem within a range determined by the length of slot in the yoke,
that is to say, to an angle suited for seizing the ground as shewn in
Fig. 4. The yokes d are provided with spurs / so sloped on their sides
that when the fluke is lying at the seizing angle, the front side h; h³, of
the yoke is parallel to the line of the shank, or nearly so, and thus when
the fluke is deeply buried, the yoke having hold also relieves to some
extent the strain on the fluke, and adds to the holding power.. Further-
more the hinder point of the yoke acts as a tripper tending to throw
down the point of the fluke so as to make it seize. Between the forks b
is hung a chain or other flexible connection i so as to prevent the cable
from getting between the forks and fouling the anchor, and also to
afford a facility for fishing the anchor by furnishing an attachment for
the hook.

page_text: It will be seen that according to the last described arrangement
either fluke can act independently of the other, so that one may seize
even if the other should slip. Moreover when the vessel swings the off
fluke will form a pivot, the near fluke being backed out by the lateral
pull on the stem.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I claim,―
.
5
First. The use of an anchor constructing and operating substantially
as herein described in reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying 1
Drawings, wherein two flukes 6¹ are pivotted to the arms of a bifurcated
stem a; these flukes being connected together by a bow 6 provided with
arms d to act as trippers for causing the flukes to seize the soil, and as
stops to prevent the rotation of the flukes.
Second. In an anchor such as is above referred to, making the bow bi
to overbalance the flukes 6', so that when the anchor hangs the flukes
stand upright substantially as herein described.
Third. The use of an anchor constructed and operating substantially
as herein described in reference to Figs. 3 and 4 of the accompanying
Drawings, wherein two flukes c are pivotted respectively to the arms of
a befurcated stem a, and limited in their angular motion by yokes d, so
formed as to act as trippers directing the flukes into the soil, and to give
an additional hold therein.
Fourth. The use in combination with an anchor such as is last
referred to, of the chain or flexible connection i between the arms of the
stem for the purposes herein-before set forth.
an additional hold therein.
Fourth. The use in combination with an anchor such as is last
referred to, of the chain or flexible connection i between the arms of the
stem for the purposes herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Imray, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-.
three.