IMPROVEMENTS IN ANCHORS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Wilson, of Liverpool, in the County of Lan-
caster, Shipowner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ANCHORS."
Sealed the 23rd November 1861, and dated the 1st June 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st June 1861.
I, ROBERT WILSON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Shipowner,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ANCHORS," to be as follows (that is to say):-
This Invention consists in a peculiar form and construction of anchor, which
is made from various plates of metal riveted together.
This improved anchor is made with a hollow shank, formed from one, two,.
or more longitudinal pieces of plate iron, steel, "puddled steel," or "homo-
geneous metal," having their longitudinal edges turned up to form flanges,
through which they are riveted together. The plates forming the hollow'
shank may be shaped so as to form the centre round; or of any other suitable
shape.
The anchor arms are made so that in cross section. they will resemble
the letter T, the lower limb forming a strengthening ridge on the outer side;
they may be formed from one piece of metal bent to the required shape, and

page_text: pointed at each end; or the upper portion may be formed of a plate pointed
at the ends, and bent to the required form, and the strengthening piece on
the outside of the arms being formed by riveting on a picce of T-iron bent to
the required form. The shank and arms are united together by rivets through
a collar of angle iron, which surrounds the bottom of the shank, and two
plates of metal placed edgeways, and running from the arms to about halfway
up each side of the shank.
The anchor stock can be formed from a piece of T-iron or other metal, or
it may be constructed in the same way as the shank and arms described.
In cases where great strength is required it will be found of advantage to
use two pieces of T-metal, or three or four pieces of angle metal riveted
together, and these may be additionally strengthened by filling in two or
more of the angles with longitudinal segment pieces.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Wilson' in 'the Great Seal Patent Office, on the
29th November 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
WILSON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Shipowner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Robert Wilson, Her special licence that I, the said Robert
Wilson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Robert Wilson, 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 ANCHORS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said; Robert
Wilson, 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 immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Wilson, 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 (that is to say):-
This my said Invention consists in constructing anchors from various
suitably shaped pieces of boiler plate, or other suitable rolled or hammered
plate metal riveted together, and in the peculiar form of anchors incidental to
this system of manufacture.
In constructing an anchor according to this Invention, I prefer in most
cases to make the shank hollow, forming it from one, two, or more longi-
tudinal pieces of plate iron, steel, "puddled steel," or "homogeneous" metal,
having the longitudinal edges turned up to form flanges, through which I rivet
them together. The plates used in building these hollow shanks can be so
shaped that the cavity in the centre may be round, squar, or of any other
suitable shape; and in some cases, where very great strength is required,
I introduce mid-feathers, extending down the whole or a portion of the length
of the shank.
The anchor arms I construct of such a form, that in cross section they will
resemble the letter T, the lower limb forming a strengthening ridge on the
outer side. The arms may be formed of one piece of metal bent to the
required shape, and pointed at each end; or the upper portion may be made of
a plate pointed at the ends, and bent to the desired form, and strengthened by
riveting on to the convex side thereof a piece of T-metal bent to the required
shape. The shank and arms I unite by means of rivets passing through
collars of angle iron or steel surrounding the bottom of the shank, and by a
metal plate or plates placed edgeways, and running from the arms to about
half way up the shank.
The anchor stock can be formed from T-shaped iron or other metal, or it
may be constructed in the same way as the shank or arms herein-before
described.
In the construction of various parts where great strength is desired, it will
be found of advantage to use two pieces of T-metal, or three or four pieces of
angle metal riveted together; and these may be additionaly strengthened by
fitting in two or more of the angles with longitudinal segment pieces.
That this my said Invention may be the more readily seen and understood,
I have hereunto annexed Drawing in partial illustration of several plans for
practically carrying out various modifications of my improvements; like letters
and figures marked thereon have reference to similar parts.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of one of my improved anchors, the shank of

page_text: which is constructed of two semicircular plates, baving a mid-feather running
longitudinally through the centre of both shank and arms, the arms being
formed of two pieces of angle or L metal;; Figure, 2 is a side view of the stock
and upper end of the shank broken off; Figure 3. is an horizontal section.
taken from a to b, Figure 1; and Figure 4. is a vertical transverse section of
the arms and lower portion of the shank and stay pieces, taken through, the
centre of the crown of the anchor seen at Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of an anchor, the shank of which may be
constructed of two pieces of T-metal or four pieces of angle iron, having a
mid-feather running the full length of the shank, and sufficiently broad at the
lower end to form stays for the arms to which it is riveted; Figure 6 is a
side elevation of the stock and upper end of the shank of the same; Figure 7
is a horizontal section taken from c to d, Figure 5; and Figure 8.is a partial,
sectional elevation of the lower part of the shank and arm taken through one
side of the crown of the anchor shown at Figure 5.
Figure 9 is a vertical elevation showing the upper end of a mid-feather of
an anchor shank, with a strengthening plate riveted on each side, and through
which, the shackle bolts pass. The narrow vertical slot down the centre is to
receive the ridge on the lower side of the anchor stock previous to putting on.
the shackle; Figure 10 is a cross section showing a mode of constructing an
anchor shank with segmental sections; Figure 11 is another cross section of
an anchor shank constructed of four segmental pieces and two pieces, of,
T-iron or four pieces of, angle, iron, which design has the element of great
strength.
A (Figures 1, 2, 3, & 4,) are semicircular plates which are riveted to B.
(Figures 1, 2, 3, & 4), a centre plate, a mid-feather in the centre of the arms
and shank, and brace plate between the arms and shank; C (Figures 1 & 4),.
_angular plates riveted on to the sides of the mid-feather B forming the anchor
arms; D (Figures.1 & 4), brace or stay pieces for strengthening, and securing.
together the shank and arms; E (Figures 1 & 2), the stock formed by
riveting together two pieces of angle metal. A¹ (Figures 5, 6, 7, & 8), four
angular pieces of metal, which form the anchor shank when riveted, together
with B (Figures 5, 6, 7, & 8), mid-feather plates; F (Figures 5 & 8), a
curved faced plate pointed at each end, which with G (Figures 5 & 8), a
curved T-piece form the anchor arms; D (Figures 5 & 8), stay pieces;
H (Figure 9), view of the upper end of a mid-feather with strengthening
cheek plates riveted to the side thereof, and which, are shown slotted to receive
the lower feather of the anchor stock; I, the anchor shackles; K (Figure 10).
are four segmental pieces riveted together by their flanked edges to form an

page_text: anchor shank; K (Figure 11) are four segmental pieces which are riveted
together with L, two or four pieces of angle metal, to form an anchor shank.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this my said
Invention, and how I believe the same may be best carried into practical
effect, I wish it to be clearly understood that I do not confine myself to the
precise details, relative dimentions, and proportions herein-before described and
set forth, as it will be readily seen that the same is capable of a great variety
of modifications without departing from the Invention; but what I do claim is,
the construction and use of anchors made from various pieces of plate metal
shaped and riveted together, substantially and in the manner herein-before
described and set forth, or any near modification of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Wilson, have hereunto set my
hand and affixed my seal, this Twenty-eighth day of November, in the
year of our Lord 1861.
5
Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER,
Of 44, Castle Street,
Liverpool.
ROBERT (L.S.) WILSON.