SUP- PORTING THE FLUKE OF AN ANCHOR, AND DISCHARGING THE SAME PROM THE RUEWADE RATE OF
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hatsel Higgins, of Orleans, in the State of Massa-
chusetts, of the United States of America, for the Invention of "SUP-
PORTING THE FLUKE OF AN ANCHOR, AND DISCHARGING THE SAME PROM THE
RUEWADE RATE OR
"
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Hatsel Higgins at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declara-
tion on the 28th February 1860, pursuant to the 9th Section of the
Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, BE IT
KNOWN, that I, HATSEL HIGGINS, of Orleans, in the State of Massachusetts,
of the United States of America, have made a new and useful Invention for
"SUPPORTING THE FLUKE OF AN ANCHOR, AND DISCHARGING THE SAME, PROM THE
BULWARK RAIL OF A VESSEL ;" and I do hereby declare that the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which it is to be performed, or in other
words, its construction and mode of operation, are fully described and repre-
sented in the following Specification and the accompanying Drawings, of which
Figuro.1 denotes a side view of a vessel's hull as provided with my Invention,
and with an anchor sustained by it; Figure 2 is a top view of the same;
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the tripper and its holder; Figure 4 is a
transverse section of the tripper; Figure 5 is an inner end view of the holder.
In the said Drawings, A exhibits an anchor swung in the usual manner
from a cathead B of the hull C, and having its fluke a resting on the rotary
tripper shown at D.
It is well known to mariners that the process of casting the fluke of a heavy

page_text: anchor off the bulwark rail of a ship preparatory to anchoring the vessel or
dropping the anchor into the sea, is often not only one of much difficulty, but
is attended with considerable expenditure of time. Vessels are often ship-
wrecked or run ashore in consequence of the delay in getting their anchor
flukes off their bulwarks. With my Invention the discharge of an anchor
fluko is a matter of easy accomplishment, and requiring scarcely more than a
second or two of time; and therefore such Invention is one of great value and
importance on shipboard, and may often be the means of preventing the loss
of a ship and its crew and passengers.
In carrying out my Invention, I apply within a port or recess c formed in
the bulwark rail d a rotary block or tripper D, of a prismoidal or other proper
form, such block having a journal e extending from each of its ends, and into
a suitable bearing formed in or applied to the rail, the same being to enable
the block to be revolved either partially or wholly in a transverse direction. In
connection with such block I uso a holder or device for preventing it from
revolving, except when it may be desirable to have it revolve. That shown in
the Drawings is a notched pawl f hinged to the rail, so as to be capable of
being turned upward out of the way of the tripper. It is constructed with an
angular notch g to receive and straddle upon the tripper. A hole may be
made transversely in the tripper to receive a lever or bar, which may be
employed to facilitate the turning of the tripper, should it not freely turn
under the downward pressure of the anchor. When the anchor is in position,
as shown in the Drawings, its fluke will be caught upon and held up by the
tripper. In order to discharge the fluke so as to enable the anchor to fall into
a vertical position from the cathead, it will only be necessary to raise the
holder off the tripper, and should not the tripper turn by the pressure of the
anchor fluke and discharge the anchor, it will only be requisite to apply the
lever and revolve the tripper a little.
I do not confine my Invention to the precise construction of either of the
parts of it, as herein described, as the form thereof may be somewhat varied,
and still retain its principle of operation.
I claim the rotary anchor fluke tripper and its holder, applied and used
substantially as and for the purpose stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hatsel Higgins, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this 3rd day of February 1860.
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