NZ213126A - Anchor with a flexible shank - Google Patents

Description

2 13 126 Pricr ••/0-' - , C6rr.pleta Spetiucatioo Filad: ! C!,„: 2 7 NOV W&V Pub'.wOtlun Dale: ^ P.O. J:urn2.'. No: N.Z.No.

NEW ZEALAND Patents Act 3953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (C :•! f6. - "NOVEL SHANK FOR AN ANCHOR STRUCTURE" We, ALPHA OCEAN SYSTEMS, INC., a California corporation, whose post office address is P.O. Box 160, Kentfield, California 94914, U.S.A., do hereby declare the invention, for vhich we pray that a Patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement : - „ I „ (followed by 1A) « <%/ £ - (A- NOVEL SHANK FOR AN ANCHOR STRUCTURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION An anchor generally comprises several elements including ground engacring means usually in the form of. one or more planar or curvilinear surfaces usually termed the 5 fluke or .flukes. Various fluke shapes are well known in the prior art. The fluke or flukes can be solid or hollow.

In association with the aforementioned fluke surfaces, means are provided to facilitate and maintain the 10 proper engagement of the aforesaid fluke surfaces with the bottom. Such means are usually termed the crown, the latter serving initially to lift the after end of the anchor to force the aforementioned fluke surfaces into bottom engagement.

Extending forwardly from the crown and in advance of such surfaces for attachment to an engaged cable or chain is a so-called shank. Shanks used heretofore have usually been in the form of a heavy, solid rectilinear bar.

Various authors have pointed out that, particularly in a 213126 harder soil such as sand, penetration of an anchor into bottom is limited by the shank which slides over the bottom resisting penetration.

It has long been recognized that deep penetration into bottom is a prime factor in determining the efficiency of an anchor. If the anchor does not penetrate bottom, then the anchor structure merely slides across the bottom and the attempted anchoring is merely an exercise in futility.

To provide stability, one or more elements extending laterally from the fluke or flukes are provided to stabilize the entire anchor structure so that it does not rotate when subject to the pulling action applied to the shank by an attached rode. Such an element is frequently referred to as the stock.

The term "rode" is a nautical word of art commonly used to refer to the means (such as a rope, wire, chain, cable or the like) extended between a water supported object (such as a boat, ship, barge, drydock or the like) and a bottom engaging means such as an anchor, clump or 1 - J» /• -v. the like. * o * 'V SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION | lOSEPflgy It is in general the broad object of the preserife^.lJi<?^ invention to provide an improved shank element for an anchor such that the holding power of the anchor structure is increased many fold over that of any anchor structure known heretofore.

According to one aspect, the invention provides in an anchor, a thin, flexible and resilient shank having a tip end and a base end for attachment in an anchor, the shank when at rest having a horizontal plane and a vertical plane normal to the horizontal plane, the shank being inherently rigid in said vertical plane and capable of flexing - 2a-- 213126 in a horizontal plane throughout its length with a tip angle (as herein described) of at least 25° without causing permanent deformation of the shank.

Desirably, the shank is capable of flexing to achieve a tip angle of between 25° and 80° without causing permanent deformation of the shank.

According to a further aspect, the invention provides in an anchor, a thin, flexible and resilient shank having a tip end and a base end for attachment in ail anchor, the shank when at rest having a horizontal plane and a vertical plane normal to the horizontal plane, the shank being inherently rigid in said vertical plane and capable of flexing in a horizontal plane throughout its length with the extension of the tip alignment under load irtersecting the longitudinal shank axis in the range of 40 to 50% of the length of the shank from the shank swivel axis without causing permanent deformation of the shank.

In another aspect, the invention provides in an anchor having a pair of flukes pivoted upon a stock, a pair of crown plates pivotable with said flukes each disposed on opposite sides of said stock; a thin, flexible and resilient shank having a tip end and a base end independently pivoted on said stock between said flukes; and a relief cut in each crown plate in alignment with said shank to provide a shank stop for said shank at the ground engaging position of said flukes; "2b" 213126 the shank when at rest having a horizontal plane and a vertical plane normal to the horizontal plane, the shank being inherently rigid in said vertical plane and capable of flexing in a horizontal plane throughout its length with the extension of the tip alignment under load intersecting the longitudinal shank axis in the range of 40% to 50% of the length of the shank from the shank stop without causing permanent deformation of the shank.

The shank is provided with a tip at one end for / I' ' attachment to a rode arid, at its other end, with a base for attachment to an anchor structure. The base and tip are provided at opposite ends of an intermediate portion. 5 The aforementioned three elements of the shank, the base, the tip and the intermediate portion are in axial alignment with one another when the shank is at rest. This axial alignment is referred to as the longitudinal axis of the shank.

The three elements, the tip, the base and the intermediate portion, are of such shape, flexibility and strength that the tip can be pulled by the rode into a position in which the tip attempts to follow and may, in fact, follow the direction of the pull of the rode. When 15 the three elements providing the shank are so pulled by the rode, then the entire shank, in plan view, will be curved to a varying degree by (a) the pull of the rode and (b) the resistance of the anchor structure which is, at least momentarily, fixed in the bottom with which it is 20 engaged. Depending upon the magnitude of the resistance by the bottom engaged by the anchor structure, the shank can be in any one of several curvilinear forms. Such curvilinear forms can vary from that (a) in which the shank, in response to the pull of the rode, has adopted 25 a curved form like that of a flyrod under the stress imposed by a fish being played by the rod, (b) a position in which the forward portion of the shank corresponds to an arc of a circle, (c) any one of various arcuate configurations such as those of a parabolic character, and 30 (d) the position imparted by burial in a very soft bottom such as a soft mud in which the shank is only bent to a slight extent. The shank of this invention is fully capable of movement to approximate any one of these postures by (1) the pull exerted by the rode and (2) the 35 opposition to the pull which opposition is provided by the anchor structure in engagement with the bottom.

Such flexible shank provides several advantages. 213126 For example, when the anchor is first engaged with bottom, the flexible shank bends with respect to its Longitudinal axis and allows the anchor to penetrate bottom even if it 5 is not exactly following the direction of the pull exerted by the rode. Further, after the anchor has buried, if the anchor is pulled to one side as by the action of a shifting tide on a ship, the flexible shank curves in its attempt to follow the direction of the pull exerted by the 10 rode. This is in contrast with prior art anchors having a stiff shank which, upon application of such a side thrust, upsets the anchor and dislodges the anchor from engagement with the bottom.

Thus, the anchor of the present invention has an 15 improved shank which greatly increases the holdinq power of the anchor since the flexible shank does not ride over the bottom but, instead, buries in the bottom and assists the anchor structure in penetrating bottom. Further, being very flexible, the shank of the present invention 20 flexes so that a force from the side does not immediately dislodge the anchor from engagement with the bottom. In addition, the shank is much stronger than the conventional shank which usually breaks or permanently deforms if subjected to an excessive force from the side. 2 5 To summarize what is important is that the shank is (1) of such flexibility and (2) of such strength that the shank can bend to the extent required to accommodate the extent that the pull exerted by the rode exceeds the resistance provided by the anchor structure of which the 3 0 shank is a part. The concept of an anchor shank which is (1) of such flexibility and (2) of such strength as to permit of its bending by the excess of the pulL of the rode over the static pressure of that portion of the anchor structure engaged with the bottom is absent from 3 5 any prior teaching or any prior use.

Other features and objects of the invention will be as set forth in the following description of the best 2131 mode of practicing the invention.

Under the heading - Factors re Shank Design - two criterions which we have found important in providing a 5 shank having the required strength and flexibility are set forth.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of an anchor embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side view of the anchor shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view, partly in section, taken on the 15 line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4, is a plan view of another form of an anchor embodying the present invention.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the anchor shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a view, partly in section, taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the Factors re Shank Design.

Figure 8 is another diagrammatic view illustrating 25 the shank tip angle that is described in The Anchor Construction and Tests portion of the text.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT in Figures 1 through 3 an embodiment of an anchor is shown which includes flukes 10 and 11, shank 12, stock 13 and opposite crown plates 14 and 15. Intermediate portion 40 of the shank 12 (Figure 2) tapers in side elevation between the base end 26 of the shank and its 35 tip end 24. The flukes are secured in a co-planar relationship on either side of the shank 12, the latter having an eye 16 at its forward end for attachment to a 2 1 % [, &ca Ntai/ rode such as is provided by any of the aforementioned means. The edges of the shank can be sharpened as at 28 and 29 to aid penetration by lowering the resistance to 5 penetration and burial of the shank.

The flukes 10 and 11 have reinforcing ribs 18 and 19 formed on the flange edge nearest the shank. Each rib is secured to one of spacer plates 20 and 21 provided on each side of the shank. These confine the shank to its posi-10 tion on the stock 13 and support the crown plates 14 and 15. Each crown plate may be relieved as at 22 to permit the desired swing of the shank; the swing of the fluke or flukes is generally termed the fluke angle. In an anchor structure intended for use primarily in hard sand a 15 favorable fluke angle is about 33°, while a favorable fluke anqle for an anchor structure for use in soft mud is about 55°.

In that form of the invention shown in Figures 4-6 the shank tapers in thickness as at 30 from its tip end 24 20 to its base end 26. This is in contrast to the shank shown in Figures 1-3 which tapers only in its side elevation from its tip end 24 to its stock end 26. The numerals applied to the structure of Figures 1-3 are applied to like elements in Figures 4-6. 25 The dimensions and the material of the shank must be selected so that the flexibility is achieved without exceeding the limit: of the elasticity of the shank, i.e., upon release of pressure, the shank must return to substantially its unstressed position at right angles to 30 the stock.

The shank can be regarded as a single leaf cantilever spring and can be made from any one of the various fine grain alloy steels, e.g. a spring steel having a yield strength of the order of 200,000 pounds per square 35 inch, or a high carbon alloy steel. When it is desired to provide a shank manufactured by forging or by casting, a flexible material such as nodular graphite can be utilized.

I 2 O t 2 6 One can also use a fiber-reinforced plastic as produced by Union Carbide Corporation, 3M and Hexcel. One can also utilize KEVLAR RTM, a product of E.I. du Pont dc Nemours and Company of Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A. KEVLAR is a solid resinous material containing an aromatic polyamide, a fluorocarbon polymer and a polyamide. The manufacture of composites from a fiber-reinforced plastic is well-known and is described fully in both the patent art and in the literature, see, for example, "Science," Vol. 208 for May 23, 1980, pages 832-840.

FIGURES RE SHANK DESIGN Two criterions of importance in design of the shank are the "included angle" and the "linear deflection." The included angle is that angle between (1) a line drawn through the tip of the shank and that point on the longitudinal axis of the shank at which curvature of the shank commences and (2) the longitudinal axis of the shank when the shank is at rest. This angle is shown in Figure 7 for shank position designated R^.

The linear deflection is the distance between (1) the shank tip and (2) the longitudinal axis of the shank at rest, the distance being measured along a line normal to the shank. This dimension is also shown in Figure 7 for shank positions R-^ through R^.

When the shank is made of any one of the aforementioned materials, the deflection can be expressed as a function of the shank length. The shank length herein is defined as the distance between the axis of its swing or pivot upon stock 13 and the center of eye 16 to which the rode is attached. Thus, with the shank at an included 1 s angle of 45° to the longitudinal axis of the shank when the shank is at rest, we have found that the shank is capable of such deflection that its tip or forward end is spaced linearly from the longitudinal axis of the shank a distance which is about 60% of the shank length without any adverse affect such as breaking or the imparting of a 5 permanent set.

The shanks used heretofore were incapable of any deflection of the order of 60%. At the most their deflection without failure did not exceed a few percent, at the most 5%. This deflection was at an included angle 10 of only a few degrees, usually less than 5°. Any deflection of a prior art shank beyond either of the foregoing limits resulted in a failure by breakage or imparting of a permanent set.

THE INCREASE IN RESISTANCE TO CONTINUED BURIAL U.S. Patent No. 2,249,546 contains a comparison of the resistance to continued burial of several anchors then available on the commercial market (1940) with the anchor 20 which was the subject of that patent. The resistance was given under heading "holding power per pound weight." That value ranged from 2.0 to 206.9. Mention was also made of a 29 pound anchor whose resistance was such that a 3/8" chain, rated at 8,000 pounds tensile strength, 25 failed under continued pull. Under these conditions, the resistance was of the order of 275 pounds per pound of anchor weight. The tests reported in that patent were made in certain areas of San Francisco Bay. In tests made in the same areas utilized in the earlier reported tests 30 and under like conditions, an anchor made in accordance with this invention provided a resistance to burial of 1,500 pounds and more per pound of anchor weight.

The significance of that unexpected increase in burial resistance per unit of anchor weight is believed to 35 be of great importance to every anchor user. In the small boat field, it enables a boat user to anchor safely with greater ease and convenience in the handling of the anchor 213126 before and after mooring. At the other extreme, for example, in the offshore drilling field where the weight of the anchor is measured in tons rather than in pounds, 5 the difficulties in the placement of such immense anchors are materially reduced.

The anchor of U.S. Patent No. 2,249,546 was a great advance in the anchor art. This was attested to by the governments of the United States, Great Britain and the 10 Netherlands for each purchased a license under that patent. The contributions of the teachings of that patent were recognized in an article which appears in LIFE, a national U.S. weekly publication in the 1930's, 1940's and 1950's. The article was published soon after the cessation of 15 hostilities in World War II. The gist of the article was that the anchor of the U.S. patent had made possible the successful use of landing craft for the delivery of men, machinery and supplies to the beaches in all war zones involved in that conflict.

In carrying out the so-called landing craft program, each craft carried an anchor of the patented design at its stern. As the craft approached a landing on a beach, the anchor was dropped to engage bottom and a strain was maintained on the anchor cable to insure that the bow of 25 the craft was directed toward the beach, thus avoiding broaching of the craft. When the delivery of the cargo of the craft had been completed, the craft pulled itself free of the beach and this without regard to the tidal condition existing. This freed the beach for the landing of other 30 crafts and made the unloaded craft less likely to enemy air attack. The usual weight of the anchors employed on the landing crafts varied with the size of the craft and was from 100 to 3,000 pounds. With the anchor of this invention, this weight can be substantially reduced, 35 lightening the load on the craft and materially reducing the weight of metal required for the anchors in the ^ overall operation. /._/ o\ !°S*pt987* ■' '*• / T -i, i THE ANCHOR CONSTRUCTION AND TESTS.

Anchors embodying this invention were constructed as taught in the U.S. Patent No. 2,249,546 with the exception of the shank; it was constructed to embody this invention. Basically, each shank was made of a suitable thin, flexible and resilient high tensile steel which, after being formed to the desired tapered configuration, was heat treated to provide shanks of the following dimensions, which are in inches: SHANK NUMBER 3 8 20 THICKNESS 5/32 1/4 13/32 LENGTH 19 31 49 HEIGHT AT TIP END 3/16 9/32 7/16 HEIGHT AT BASE END 2 1/2 <1 7/16 Each shank was quite resilient and flexible and vas easily moved into a position wherein the shank tip had the linear deflection in inches shown in the following table. The included angle is also shown in degrees. To effect this movement, the base of each shank was firmly held as if attached to an anchor. A pull was then applied to the shank tip to bend the shank to a desired extent, Upon release of the applied pull, each shank returned to its normal straight-line position. No breakage or permanent set occurred.

SHANK NUMBER 3 8 20 LINEAR DEFLECTION 12 1/2" 22" 34 3/4" PERCENT OF LINEAR INCLUDED DEFORMATION/SHANK LENGTH ANGLE 65.8 42° 71.5 46° 53.3 '45° After performing the.foregoing manipulation of each shank, each was then placed in position and secured in those 2131- -ii- elements necessary to provide a complete anchor; namely, the flukes, a crown and a stock. The three anchors thus provided were of the following weights in pounds: ANCHOR WEIGHT 3 8 20 65 16 4 Each assembled anchor was then attached to a rode so that the anchor could be engaged with the bottom and then pulled by the force provided by a landing craft. The actual craft was a Navy landing craft, capable of exerting 15 a force sufficient to drag the anchor under test at least 25,000 pounds. A strain gauge was positioned in engagement with the rode to determine the magnitude of the pull required to force the anchor to pass through the layers of solids making up the bottom. With the passage of time, 20 these layers became more compact as the water in which the solids were once suspended is forced from between the solids until they provide a very solid and dense mass. The anchor penetrates the bottom until it reaches a level at which the resistance to further anchor penetration exceeds 25 the applied pulling force. was, in turn, attached to the aforementioned landing craft. Because of a desire to examine each anchor after it had been pulled by the landing craft, none was pulled to the 3 0 point where it was dragged. It was feared that an anchor might be destroyed by application of a force of the magnitude required to break the anchor free so it could be dragged. In any case, the maximum force exerted upon each anchor while it was still stationary in the bottom is 35 shown in the following table as are the pounds of resistance per pound of anchor weight.

The three anchors were each attached to a rode which 21312 ANCHOR 3 8 20 TOTAL WEIGHT - POUNDS 3 16 65 MAXIMUM OF EXERTED POUNDS RESISTANCE FORCE - LBS PER POUND OF WEIGHT 6,000 1,500 16,000 1,000 40,000 615 While the three anchors tested were of a nominal weight, the test results are truly indicative of what can be expected in anchors of greater size and weight. Those skilled in the art can readily determine the dimensions required for larger size anchors. This has proven to be 10 true in the anchors made under U.S. Patent No. 2,249,546 in sizes of 10 to 50 and more tons.

The relation of the height of the tip to the height of the base and to the length of the shank is shown in the following table in which (a) is the height of the tip, 15 (b) is the height of the base, and (c) is the length of the shank for the three shanks discussed above.

SHANK 3 8 20 c/a 101 110 112 c/b 7.6 7.8 9.2 b/a 13.3 14 12 The above ratios can vary betveen 80 to 130 for the length of the shank to the height of the tip end, from 5 to 10 for the ratio of the shank length to the height of the base end and from 10 to 15 for the ratio of the height 25 of the base end to the height of the tip end. The taper of the shank is preferably within these limits.

An anchor shank made in accord with this invention was also tested to determine the tip angle at various loads as illustrated in Figure 8. The tested shank thickness was 30 3/16 inches, length was 24-3/4 inches, height at tip end was 5/16 inches and height at base end was 3-1/4 inches. The tip angle in relation to the included angle for 2 t 3 L 6 various test loads is tabulated below. The tip angle is the angle included between the longitudinal axis of the shank at rest and the extension 50 of the tip alignment of the generally straight shank axis between the tip end 24 and the load point at the shank eye 16 as the shank deflects under load, as is shown on Figure 8. The tabulated values for the test positions shown in Figure 8 for various loads show that at any particular load the tip angle is always larger than the included angle and that the extensions 50 of the tip alignment for all tabulated loads pass through the longitudinal shank axis between about 40 and 50% of its length from the pivot axis at the indicated shank stop.

TIP LINEAR INCLUDED TEST LOAD ANGLE DEFLECTION ANGLE POSITION LBS.) (DEGREES) (INCHES) (DEGREES) 0 0 0 — _ 1 16 2.4 6 2 27 16 3.7 3 41 23 .35 14 4 50 26 6.2 16 62 31 7.3 19 6 74 36 8.37 22 7 81 38 8.92 24 8 98 43 9.90 26 9 128 50 11.55 31 150 54 12.57 34 11 175 58 13.65 38 12 200 65 14.50 41 13 230 69 .20 44 14 285 71 .85 46 285 75 16.37 48 16 335 80 16.50 51 THE DEVICES WITH WHICH THE SHANK CAN BE EMPLOYED While the improved shank has been disclosed with some specific references to the anchors disclosed in Danforth and Ogg patents, such reference is without any limitation of the disclosure because the novel shank can be employed with any structure useful to secure in place any water borne object attached by a rode to a device enqaged with a bottom and which device restrains or limits the movement of the object with respect to the water supporting the object. In connection with the above, 5 reference is made to each of the aforementioned patents as well as the various anchors disclosed in the several publications bv the applicant herein, entitled "Anchor and ■Anchoring," and on deposit in the U.S. Library of Congress, including Copyright No. A129402 and later editions.

SUMMARY Summarizing the above, the shank has a tip joined bv an intermediate portion to a body portion. The 15 aforementioned three elements when at rest are in alignment along the longitudinal axis of the shank, the shank beinq inflexible in a first plane and flexible in a second Diane which is oriented at 90° to the first plane. The shank is flexible to an extent such that the tip can be moved in 20 the second plane into a position wherein it is substantially normal to the aforementioned longitudinal axis without permanent deformation of the shank and where the extension of the tip alignment passes through the shank longitudinal axis between about 40 and 50% of the shank length from the 25 swivel axis at the stock. m 213126

Claims (4)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. In an anchor, a thin, flexible and resilient shank having a tip end and a base end for attachment in an anchor, the shank when at rest having a horizontal plane and a vertical plane normal to the 5 horizontal plane, the shank being inherently rigid in said vertical plane and capable of flexing in a horizor^gl^lane^hro^ghout its length with a tip angle^of at least 25° without causing permanent deformation of the shank. 10

2. The anchor of Claim 1 wherein the tip angle is in the range of 25° to 80°.

3. In an anchor, a thin, flexible and resilient shank having a tip end and a base end for attachment in an anchor, the shank when at rest having 15 a horizontal plane and a vertical plane normal to the horizontal plane, the shank being inherently rigid in said vertical plane and capable of flexing in a horizontal plane throughout its length with the extension of the tip alignment under load intersecting 20 the longitudinal shank axis in the range of 40 to 50% of the length of the shank from the shank swivel axis without causing permanent deformation of the shank. J11L ^ > n » ,i.—i, n. —— — -16-

4 . In an anchor having a pair of flukes pivoted upon a stock, a pair of crown pLates pivotable with said flukes each disposed on opposite sides of said stock; 5 a thin, flexible and resilient shank having a tip end and a base end independently pivoted on said stock between said flukes; and a relief cut in each crown plate in alignment with said shank to provide a shank stop for said shank 10 at the ground engaging position of said flukes; the shank when at rest having a horizontal plane and a vertical plane normal to the horizontal plane, the shank being inherently rigid in said vertical plane and capable of flexing in a horizontal plane 15 throughout its length with the extension of the tip alignment under load intersecting the longitudinal shank axis in the range of 4 0% to 50% of the length of the shank from the shank stop without causing permanent deformation of the shank. ALPHA OCEAN SYSTEMS, By Their Attorneys HENRY HUGHJEIS/t'tMITED By: 2 //&<, *Sr