US1858941A - Grapnel - Google Patents

Description

May 17, 1932. I J, P SALMON I 1,858,941

GRAPNEL Filed Nov. 26. 1930 IN VEN TOR.

James 1 Salmon ATTORN Y.

Patented May 17, 1932 TENT OFFECE JAMES P. SALMON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA GRAPNEL Application filed November 26, 1930. Serial No. 498,228.

My invention relates to grapnels for use in recovering lost anchor chains, lines or cables, and it relates more particularly to grapnels of a character which will readily hook and insure a firm grip on the chain, line or cable. 7

An object of my invention is to provide a grapnel simple to construct, which will easily recover lost chains, cables or the like.

A further object of my invention, is to so construct my grapnel that it will grip and hold hooked chains, cables or lines in a manner that will not injure them and yet will not permit them to slip or be pulled off.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists broadly of a grapnel so designed that the hooked chain, cable or line is not released except at the will of the operator.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawings forms thereof which are at present preferred by me, since the same have been found in practice to give satisfactory and re-' liable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and or anized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Referring to the drawings in which like reference characters indicate like parts Figure 1 represents a fragmentary side elevation of the lower portion of a grapnel hook embodying my invention, illustrating the wedge-like relationship between the fluke and shank.

Figure 2 represents a fragmentary front elevation of a four fluke grappling iron embodying my invention, illustrating the wedge-like relationship between the four flukes and the shank.

Figure 3 represents a fragmentary view in perspective of a modified form of grappling iron embodying my invention, illustrating the wedge-like relationship between the flukes.

Figure 4i represents a fragmentary side elevation of a further modified form of grapnel hook embodying my invention illustrating the chain link receiver and a chain hooked therein.

Figure 5 represents a front elevation of a further modified form of grappling iron embodying my invention.

My invention consists of a grappling hook, an embodiment of which is shown in Figure 1, which includes a shank 7 and relatively long fluke 8 between which is a gradually tapering opening 9. The opening is so arranged that a cable or line 10 will slide along the fluke 8 and become firmly hooked and wedged between the shank 7 and fluke 8. Any lift or forward drag of the grapnel will tend 109 increase the grip on the hooked cable or A modification of my present invention is illustrated in Figure 2, in which a particular form of wedge-like opening relationship 11 is shown. For purposes of illustration, this is shown as applied to a grappling iron 12 consisting of shank 13 and four relatively long flukes 14 each perpendicularly disposed with respect to the adjacent fluke, and all disposed at an acute angle to said shank. The length and angular disposition of the flukes with respect to the shank and with respect to each other, tend to insure the maintenance of one or more free, engaging tips of the flukes against or close to the floor of the body of water, when the grapnel is dragged, regardless of the angle between the shank and the floor.

It will be noted that a bulge 15 is applied on the portion of the shank adjacent the wedge-like opening so that the opening relationship is now between the fluke 14 .and the bulge 15 of the shank. The purpose of the bulge is to permit the use of the wedge-like opening without cutting too deeply into the mass portion 16 of the grappling iron 12.

Another modification of my present invention, in which a wedge-like relationship exists between the hooks of a grapnel 17 as shown in Figure 3. In this form of grappling iron, the shank 18, relatively long lower hook 19, and two relatively long upper hooks 20, are so disposed that a wedge-like opening relationship 21 exists between the lower hook and the two upper hooks, said upper hooks, being somewhat shorter than the lower hook 19. As the iron is dragged, the lower hook 19 drags the floor of the body of water operated in, while the upper hooks 2O protrude forward; or the lower hook l9 and one of the two upper hooks 20 may drag the floor of the body of water. But in either case, the line is engaged first by the lower hook l9, and then interlocks with the upper hooks 20. In the process of dragging the hook 19 slides under the line or' c'able 10 'until the line or cable is can ht between the rotrudin hooks 20 and the dragging hook 19. Any further dragging or lift of the'iron will tend to increase the hold on the line or cable 10. The grip in this case is'particularly strong inasmuch as there are not only individual wedgelike opening relationships between the protruding flukes 20 and the dragging fluke 19, but thereis a further grip resulting from the bending action on the line or cable occasioned by'the' tendency of the line or cable 10 to pass over the hook 19 and beneath the hooks 20.

A further modification of my invention, consisting of a grapnel for the recovery of chains and other objects of uneven thickmasses is illustrated particularly in Fi ures 4; and 5. In Figure l, my invention consists ofa grappling hook 22 which includes a shank 23, a long guiding fluke 24 angularly disposed therewith, guiding rod 25, and link receiver 26.

The long guiding fluke 24: is disposed at an acute angle of such degree with the shank 23 as to enable the free tip of the fluke to remain close to the surface being dragged, when the grapnel is in dragging operation, generally regardless of the angle between the floor and the median plane common to said fluke and said shank. As shown, a chain 27, consisting in part of links 28 and 29 (shown partly broken away) is caught and her 1 in the link receiver 26. The width of this link receiver is but little greater than the thickness of the link so that once the link is caught in the opening, the adjoining links will not permit the sliding of the chain in either direction through the opening 26. The angle and position of the link receiver 26 does not permit the chain to fall out of the pocket. In this manner, an almostperfect hold on the chain is insured.

In Figure 5 is shown a modified form of the link receiver as applied to a four-fluke grappling iron 30 consisting of a shank 31, fiukes 82, dragging head 88 and link receiver 34. Here the link receiver is not of uniform width, but consists of a pocket 35 for holding the link and a narrow opening 36 to permit the entrance of the chain link. The pocket is wide enough to permit freer motion of the chain link but still: too narrow to permit the adjoining links to pass through it.

The advantage of this form of link-receiver lies in the almost enclosed housing for the chain link so that in cases where the chain would begin to slip out of the link-receiver, the link would be caught by the narrow opening and be retained.

For cases in which an undesirable object has been hooked by the grapnel, l have provideda release cable 37 and an eyelet 38 therefor. lhis eyelet is so placed that an upward pull on the rel-ease cable will upset the grapnel, dumping the objecthooked therein.

1 am aware that my invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the presentembodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I hereby claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A grapnel having a shank, moans operable to drag and lift said shank, a fluke extending from the lower terminal portion of said shank at an acute angle with respect thereto and having alength and an angle of divergence with respect to said shank such as will tend to cause the free tip of the fluke to remain close to the surface being dragged, regardless of the angle between the median plane common to said shank and fluke and the surface over which the grapnel is being dragged; locking means at the juncture of saidfluke and said shank to hold a recovered line against displacement with respect thereto, said fluke having a relatively long guiding edge between the tip thereof and said locking means for guiding and transferring the engaged line from the tip to said locking means, by means of the dragging of the grapnel, and for preventing the unhooking of the grapnel from the caught line due to any disturbances prior to its firm locking in said locking means; the juncture of said fluke and shank being thickened.

2. A grapnel having a shank, means operable to drag and to lift said shank, a fluke extending from the lower terminal portion of said shank, and forming a wedge-like relationship between said fluke and said shank, and having a length and an angle of divergence with respect to said shank such as will tend to cause the free tip of the fluke to remain close to the surface being dragged regardless of the angle between the median plane common to said shank and fluke and the surface over which the grapnel being dragged; said wedge-like relationship being adapted to wedgingly grip a hooked line into locked engagement therewith; said fluke having a relatively long guiding edge between the tip thereof and the apex of said locking wedge for guiding and transferring the en-' gaged line from the tip to said apex, by means of the dragging of the grapnel, and for preventing the unhooking of the grapnel from the caught line due to any disturbances prior to its firm locking in said wedge.

3. A grapnel having a shank, means operable to drag and lift said shank, a plurality of flukes extending from said shank and having a wedge-like relationship between said flukes for gripping into locked engagement a recovered line therebetween, said flukes having a length and an angle of divergence with respect to said shank and to each other, such as will tend to cause the free tip of one of said flukes to remain close to the surface being dragged, regardless of the angle between said shank and said surface; and one of said flukes having a relatively long guiding edge between the tip thereof and the looking, wedge-like juncture of said flukes with said shank, for guiding and transferrlng the engaged line from the tip to sa d locking juncture, by means of the draggin of the grapnel, and for preventlng the uriliooking of the grapnel from the caught line due to any disturbances prior to its firm locklng in said wedge-like relationship.

4:. A grapnel having a shank, means operable to drag and lift said shank, a nuke extending from the lower portlon of said shank at an acute angle with respect thereto and having a length and an angle of divergence with respect to said shank such as will tend to cause the free tip of the fluke to remain close to the surface being dragged regardless of the angle between the median plane common to said shank and fluke and the surface over which the grapnel is being dragged; a slot at the base portion of said fluke, said slot having a width slightly greater than the thickness of a link of the chain to be recovered, said fluke having a relatively long guiding edge between the tip thereof and said slot for guiding and transferrlng the engaged chain from the tip to said slot by means of the dragging of the grapnel, and for preventing the unhooking of the grapnel from the caught chain due to any disturbances prior to its firm locking in said slot, the chain hnk within said slot being locked against transverse slippage therethrough by means of the adjoining links.

5. A grapnel havlng a shank, means operable to drag and to lift sald shank, a; fluke extending from the lower terminal portion of said shank, and forminga wedge-like relationship between said fluke and said shank, and having a length and an angle of divergence with respect to said shank such as will tend to cause the free tip of the fluke to remain close to the surface being dragged regardless of the angle between the median plane common to said shank and fluke and the surface over which the grapnel is being dragged;

said wedge-like relationship being adapted to wedgingly grip a hooked line into locked en-- gagement therewith; said fluke having a relatively long guiding edge between the tip thereof and the apex of said locking wedge for guiding and transferring the engaged line from the tip to said apex, by means of the dragging of the grapnel, and for preventing the unhooking of the grapnel from the caught line due to any disturbances prior to its firm locking in said wedge; and an eyelet for a release cable so disposed with relation to said fluke and to said wedge that an upward pull on a release cable attached thereto will tend to disengage a hooked line from said wedge and said fluke.

6. A grapnel having a shank, means operable to drag and lift said shank, a plurality of flukes extending from said shank and having a wedge-like relationship between said flukes for gripping into locked engagement a recovered line therebetween, said flukes having a length and an angle of divergence with respect to said shank and to each other, such as will tend to cause the free tip of one of said flukes to remain close to the surface being dragged, regardless of the angle between said shank and said surface; and one of said flukes having a relatively long guiding edge between the tip thereof and the locking, wedge-like juncture of said flukes with said shank, for guiding and transferring the on gaged line from the tip to said locking juncture, by means of the dragging of the grapnel, and for preventing the unhooking of the grapnel from the caught line due to any disturbances prior to its firm locking in said wedge-like relationship, and an eyelet for a release cable, so disposed with relation to said flukes that an upward pull on a release cable attached to said eyelet will tend to disengage a hooked line from said flukes.

7. A grapnel having a shank, means operable to drag and lift said shank, a fluke extending from the lower portion of said shank at an acute angle with respect thereto and having a length and an angle of divergence with respect to said shank such as will tend to cause the free tip of the fluke to remain close to the surface being dragged regardless of the angle between the median plane common to said shank and fluke and the surface over which the grapnel is being dragged; a slot at the base portion of said fluke, said slot having awidth slightly greater than the thickness of a link of the chain to be recovered, said fluke having a relatively long guiding edge between the tip thereof and said slot for guiding and transferring the engaged chain from the tip to said slot by means of the dragging of the grapnel, and for preventing the unhooking of the grapnel from the caught chain due to any disturbances prior to its firm locking in said slot, the chain link within said slot being locked against transverse slippage therethrough by means of the adjoining links; and an eyelet for a release cable so disposed With relation to said fluke and said slot that an upward pull on a release :cable attached to said eyelet Will tend to disengage a chain from said slot and said fluke. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of October, 1980.

JAMES P. SALMON.

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