IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' ANCHORS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Warren, of Jersey, Channel Islands, for,
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' ANCHORS."
Sealed the 19th July 1870, and dated the 22nd January 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION. left by the said William Warren at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd January 1870:
I, WILLIAM WARREN, of Jersey, Channel Islands, do hereby declare.
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' ANCHORS,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of
anchors whereby the penetration of the flukes is rendered certain and
their holding power increased, and whereby the danger of damage to a
ship or vessel from fouling her anchor is entirely obviated.
The anchor consists of a shank tapering from the flukes to the cable
end, and furnished with a head in which a space is cut through from
side to side, or cavities or recesses are cut one on each side for receiving.
the flukes, which are secured by pivoted joints, and are capable of
extending outwards to the required angle, at which they are held by
contact of the flukes with the edges.of the recesses, and are also capable

page_text: of lying flat on the shank, by which arrangement, according to the
position of the anchor, the holding fluke will be fully extended, while
the fluke not in use will lie close on the shank instead of projecting
upwards and forming a dangerous impediment liable to penetrate the
bottom of a vessel striking. thereon. Each fluke is provided with a
projection on its outer edges to enable the flukes more readily to grip,
and two shackles are passed through the shank near the flukes for
tripping or fishing the anchor, and two oblique projections are formed
on the flukes with holes therein for receiving the fish hook in the event
of the shackles giving way. The other extrémity of the shank is.
furnished with an enlarged boss bored through and through, and serving
to hold a stock at right angles to the shank. This stock is secured by
shoulders on each side of the shank, which are cut with clutches gearing
in corresponding clutches cut in the boss, so as to enable the stock to
turn for a degree of an arc sufficient to enable the curved ends of the
stock, furnished with points, to enter the ground whichever way the
anchor falls, and the rod serves invariably to place the anchor in such a
position that one of the flukes is ready to enter the ground immediately
a stress is given to the shank. A shackle is then applied to the shank
beyond the boss for the attachment of the cable, and the anchor is
complete. By these arrangements the anchor never fails to hold, and.
therefore the tendency to drag is almost entirely obviated; each fluke
is independent, and damage to one does not interfere with the free
working of the other; it can be easily taken to pieces and put together,
thus affording great facility for transport; and when on deck the flukes
lie close to the shank, and are not in the way like other anchors where
one of the flukes always projects. Spare flukes can be carried in case
of need to obviate the necessity of sending broken anchors on shore for
repairs.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 30
filed by the said William Warren in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd July 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WARREN, of Jersey, Channel Islands, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 35
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of January, in the

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Warren, Her special licence
that I, the said William Warren, my executors, administrators, and
5 assigns, or such others as I, the said. William Warren, 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
SHIPS ANCHORS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Warren, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 William Warren, 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:-
;
My Invention relates to certain improvements; in the construction of
anchors whereby the penetration of the flukes, is rendered certain and
their holding power increased, and whereby the danger of damage to a
ship or vessel from fouling her anchor is entirely obviated:
The anchor consists of a shank tapering from the flukes to the cable
end, and furnished with a head, in which a. space. is cut through from
side to side, or cavities or recesses are cut one on each side for receiving
the flukes,, which are secured by pivoted joints, and are capable of
extending outwards to the required angle, at which they are held by
contact of the flukes with the edges of the recesses, and are also capable.
of lying flat on the shank, by which arrangement according to the
position of the anchor the holding fluke will be fully extended, while the.
fluke not in use will lie close on the shank instead of projecting upwards
and forming a dangerous impediment liable to penetrate the bottom of a
vessel striking thercon. Each fluke is provided with a projection on its
outer surface to enable the fluke more readily to grip, in which an
aperture is formed for the purpose of attaching a chain or cable for

page_text: tripping the anchor. The other extremity of the shank is furnished with
an enlarged. boss bored through and through, and serving to hold a
stock at right angles to the shank; this shaft is secured by shoulders on
each side of the shank, which are cut with clutches gearing in corre-
sponding clutches cut in the boss, so as to enable the stock to turn for a
degree of an are sufficient to enable the curved ends of the rod
furnished with points to enter the ground whichever way the anchor
falls, and the rod serves to invariably place the anchor in such a
position that one of the flukes is ready to enter the ground immediately
a stress is given to the shank. A ring bolt or shackle is then applied to
the shank beyond the boss for the attachment of the cable, and the
anchor is complete. By these arrangements the anchor never fails to
hold, and therefore the tendency to drag is almost entirely obviated;
each fluke is independent, and damage to one does not interfere with the
free working of the other; it can be easily taken to pieces and put
together, thus affording great facility for transport; and when on deck
the flukes lic close to the shank, and are not in the way like other
anchors where one of the flukes always projects. Spare flukes can be
carried in case of need to obviate the necessity of sending broken anchors
on shore for repairs.
In order that my said Invention may be more completely understood
I annex the accompanying Drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a side
view of the anchor with the flukes extended; Fig. 2 being a front view
with the point of the fluke resting on the shank. Similar letters denote
corresponding parts in each Figure.
a is the shank, and b, b, the flukes secured in cavities or recesses cut
in the head of the shank and by pivot joints c, c; the flukes cannot be
extended to a greater angle when contact is made at the points d, where
the outer curves of the flukes come in line with the curves of the head
of the shank; e, e, are projections from the flukes, and are provided with
holes for attaching a rope or chain for tripping the anchor by a fish hook
in the event of the shackles giving way; the other end of the shank has
a boss or enlargement f, which is for the purpose of holding the shaft g,
which is free to turn partly round in either direction; this shaft is made
with curved or rounded ends terminating in points, as shewn at h. The
degree or extent of rotation permitted to the shaft is regulated by the
shoulders or steps i, i, on the boss of the shank and by steps cut in the
clutches or hubs k, k', on each side of the shank, through which the

page_text: stock passes and is steadied. m is the ring bolt for the attachment of
the cable. The clutches k, k¹, are arranged as follows:-The clutch k
is made in one piece with the shaft g, the other end of the shaft being
passed through the boss f, when the clutch k¹ being loose and free to
slide on the shaft is pushed along the shaft till it comes flush with the
boss, when a key is driven through the shaft and through a slot cut in
the clutch, whereby it is tightened up and the position of the shaft
secured. Any equivalent means of securing the clutch may be adopted.
The spaces n, n, cut in the clutches are continued an equal distance
round the opposite side of the clutches, so as to permit the shaft to turn
the contrary way according to the side of the shank and fluke nearest
the holding ground. The form of fluke within the shank is shown by
the dotted lines in Fig. 1. o, o, are shackles on the shank for tripping
or fishing the anchor.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I would remark in
conclusion that I do not restrict myself to the exact details and
configuration of parts which I have expressed and shewn, as the same
may obviously be varied or modified without departing from the
principles on which my Invention is based; but what I claim and desire'
to be secured to me by the herein in part recited Letters Patent is, the
construction and application to shanks of ships' anchors of independent.
flukes b, b, and of the shaft or cross bar g, with the appliances in
conjunction therewith, substantially as and for the purposes. hercin
specified and shewn by the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Warren, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy..
:
Witness,
JOSHUA HUMBY,
No. 20, Chevalier Road,
St. Helier's,
Jersey.
WILLIAM WARREN. (L.S.)