US3579182A

US3579182A - Anchor dragging alarm control based on anchor inclination

Info

Publication number: US3579182A
Application number: US808487A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leonard Schneider
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-03-19
Filing date: 1969-03-19
Publication date: 1971-05-18
Anticipated expiration: 1988-05-18

Abstract

An inclination-sensitive switch is operatively secured to a part of an anchor. The switch is open when the part is oriented such that the anchor grabs the bottom. When the orientation of the anchor part exceeds the horizontal by a predetermined value, corresponding to that orientation when the anchor is freed from the bottom, that switch is closed to actuate an alarm.

Description

United States Patent Inventor Leonard Schneider Beaver Brook Road, Lyme, Conn.

Appl, No. 808,487

Filed Mar. 19, 1969 Patented May 18, 1971 ANCHOR DRAGGING ALARM CONTROL BASED ON ANCHOR INCLINATION 9 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 340/29, 200/61.44, 1 14/206 Int. Cl G08g 3/00 Field of Search 340/29 (D);

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,369,054 2/ 1945 Kehrer 340/29 2,507,986 5/1950 Liss ZOO/61.44

Primary Examiner-Kathleen H. Claffy Assistant Examiner-Jan S. Black Att0rneyJames and Franklin E ABSTRACT: An inclination-sensitive switch is operatively secured to a part of an anchor. The switch is open when the part is oriented such that the anchor grabs the bottom. When the orientation of the anchor part exceeds the horizontal by a predetermined value, corresponding to that orientation when the anchor is freed from the bottom, that switch is closed to actuate an alarm.

' ANCHOR m me ALARM CONTROL BASED ON ANCHORIYNCLINA'YIION ment with the bottom.

When a boat is stopped and itis desired that it'remain in one place, an anchor is dropped. The anchor flukes engage or dig into the bottom to secure .the boat in position for as long a period as it desired. High winds, turbulent seas or shifts in tide or .current often cause the-anchorto become freed from the bottom and to drag therealong. When this occurs, the boat is no longer secured in position and drifts, creating a potentially dangerous, and often an emergency, situation for the crew.

it is readily apparent that if the anchor is so released andis dragging, the crew ofthe boat must be quickly alerted. This is especially-true during the night hours when the crew may be sleeping. 1 The problem of anchor dragging is somewhat complicated 'by the fact that theboat may swing around the anchor if the wind or .tide changes but the anchor may still dig into the bottom and hold the boat in-position. It may well be desirable that an alarm be given when such a shift in tide or wind occurs, so that the crew can be alerted to check the situation if appropriate, but-an alarm given upon this occurrence should be readily distinguishable from the alarm indicating actual anchor dragging. A shift .in tide is expected and may not create a dangeroussituation, 'but any anchor dragging is aserious problem which must be brought positively to the attention of thecrew. v

ln arare numberof cases, the anchor may be dug into the bottom where the bottom has an excessively steep downward declivity. Thiscreates a tenuous and insecure retention of the anchor in the bottom which greatly increases the possibility of the anchor dragging when compared to the situation in which the anchor engagement with the bottom 'is' made at a more level location. Thus an alarm indicating the engagement of the anchor with an excessively sloping part of the bottom is also useful to infonn the crew that it is anchoring in a potentially dangerous location.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an anchor-dragging alarm for use on boats which provides a warning of anchor dragging in a manner which can be distinguished from the mere shifting of the position of the anchor on the bottom.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an anchor-dragging alarm which provides an indication when the anchor is dug into the bottom at an angle exceeding a predetermined safe value for secure anchor retention.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a lightweight, economical, and reliable anchor alarm system which can be readily incorporated onto the anchor conventionally provided in boats. 1

To these ends, the present invention provides an anchordragging alarm system inwhich an inclination-sensitive switch is operatively secured to a part of an anchor in a manner such that when that part departs from a horizontal. orientation by a predetermined extent, the extent is closed and is effective-to actuate an alarm located'on the vessel. The actuation of the alarm provides an indication to the boats crew that this condition has occurred. For many anchors, when their flukes disengage from the bottom their shank is vertical or nearly so, while when their flukes dig into the bottom their shank is horizontal or nearly so. For such anchors the inclination-sensitive switch may be mounted on or operatively connected to that shank.

Various alarm system have been proposedin the past to indicate the releasing of the anchor from the bottom and the ensuing drift of the vessel after it has been so released. A great majority of these systems require the use of a secondary or auxiliary anchor. The auxiliary anchor is operatively associated with various types of relatively complex mechanisms.

I The alarm when actuated provides an indication of vessel drift relative to the bottom by sensing the movement of the boat with respect to the auxiliary anchor. The disadvantages associated with these known systems are apparent. First, is the requirement of a secondary anchor which must be separately carried on the boat and separately dropped along with the main anch'or. Second, additional relatively bulky and complex .equipment is required to sense the relative movement of the boat with respect to the secondary anchor and to produce the warning indication of such drift. Third, the known drift alarm systems require that the boat drift for an appreciable distance before the alarm is given. lt is conceivable that this required drift may itself be impermissible for the safety of the boat and itscrew.- p 1 For owners of small pleasure craft space for the auxiliary equipment required by the known alarm systems is not usually readily available. The cost of any additional equipment is a major factor, as is the ease and reliability of operation of that equipment. As a result, the known alarm systems have met with only a reluctant and limited acceptance by pleasure craft owners.

It is the prime object of the present invention to provide an anchor drift alarm system for a vessel having an anchor which i liable in operation.

The anchor shank may also be at an inclined position relative tothe horizontal, thereby to cause the switch to close, when the anchor is dug into a part of the bottom having a downward declivity greaterthan apredetermined safe value for secure anchorretention. in either event, the warning will be given to the-crew that an unsafe .condition exists and that corrective measures should be quickly initiated.

member is freely movable within that chamber, sothat when i the anchor part to which the housing is secured is moved to its predetermined angular position for switch closing, that'conducting part moves into engagement with the switch contacts to close the switch and actuate the alarm.

- 1 While the anchor-dragging alarm system of the present invention is highly useful for practically all types of anchors con ventionally used on small boats, it is particularly useful in anchors of the Danforth type in which the flukes are pivotal with respect to the shank. When the flukes are dug into the bottom, the shank normally lies substantially horizontally along the bottom, being held in that position by the weight of u the chain interposed between the free end of the shank and the anchor line. When the flukes are pulled from the bottom, that is, when the anchor is starting to drag, the shank will, move from its horizontal position and will assume a substantially vertical position which, as indicated above, closes the switch and actuates the alarm on the boat.

To the accomplishment of the above, and to such otherobjects as may hereinafter appear, the present invention relates to a control for an anchor-dragging alarm system'as'defined in the appended claims and as described in this specification, taken together with the accompanying-drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a boat anchored in a body of water and illustrating the anchor-dragging alarm system of the present invention;

FlG.'2 is a side elevation of an anchor of the Danforth type with which the alarm system of this invention is incorporated;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken designated 14 secured to the boat by means of a line 16. As

ehown best in FIG. 2, anchor 14 is herein shown as being of the Danforth-type which comprises a pair of flukes l8 and-a shank pivotally mounted on a stock 22. However, it willbe understood that the alarm system of the present invention may be used to equal advantage with any ,type of conventional chor, and is'in no way limited for use solely on a Danforthtype anchor.

v i As shown in H6. 3-, switch 22 comprises a rectangular housing 24 madeof a lightweight, noncorrosive, and nonconducting materiaL'such as'lucite plastic, which is mounted on an interrnediate portionof shank 20 as by a bracket 26 the ends of which are secured together by means of a fastening element, 1

such as a rivet 28 (FIG. 4). An interior chamber 30 having'a substantially diamond-shaped cross sectionis formed within housing 24. Apair of normally

unconnected contacts

32 and 34 are secured to the wall of chamber 30 at a location near the outboard or right-hand end of the chamber by anysuitable rheans, or they may as, shown in Fl'G. 3, be partially embedded in the plastic material of housing 24 so that their outer sur faces are in com'municationwith chamber-30. Apair of

conductors

36 and 38 are respectively connected to the

contacts

32 and 34 and extend through passages formed within the interior of housing 24 to the'inboard or"left.-hand end of the housing, andvpass out of the housing through an opening 40 into the interior of a flexible, lightweight,- tubing42 made of "a substance such as neoprene which does not corrode in a salt of housing 24 along the length of line,l6 to the boat; Conduc

tors

36 and 38 are received at the boat and areconnected to the circuit of-an alarm system 44 located at any convenient location on boat 10'. That circuit comprises a suitable voltage source in operative circuit connection with the conductors 3 6 38 and a device such as a buzzer, bell or the like.'When the ends of

conductors

36 and 38, connected to

contacts

32 and 34 respectively, are electrically connected the alarm circuit'is closed and'the alarm is actuated.

, water environment. Tubing 42 extends from the inboard end pivot around the stock 22 and dig into the bottom at the opposite side of'the stock. Accordingly, for-a short duration of time, shank 20 will pivotalong with flukes l8 around stock 22 until shank 20 reassumes its horizontal position. However,

during the interval in which shank 20 is moving in thismanner,

' it temporarily assumes a position away from the horizontal to cause ball 46 to roll into electrical connection with

contacts

32 and 34, thereby causing a temporary actuationof the alarm dug into the bottom, and there is no need for them to take corrective' measures. However, if the alarm continues to sound for alonger period of time, the crew is then made aware that the anchor itself is dragging-along the bottom and that the boat is either drifting or will soon begin to'drift into deeper and more dangerous waters. I i

In some instances itmay be desired that the same alarm, a continuous one, be given when the anchor shifts as when it actually drags. This can readily be accomplished by providing a latching relay in the alarm system, therelay being actuated to latching position whenever the circuit is closed between contacts 32 and-34 and the relay being effective when latched'to sound the alarm.

Sometimes the initial dropping of the anchor causes the flukes to engage the bottom at alocation at which the bottom is sloping either downwardly or upwardly at an angle exceeding a safe declivity for secure-anchor retention. When this occurs shank 20, weighed down by chain 48 and its own weight, will rest on-"the bottom at an angle corresponding to the declivity of the bottom. I

To provide. an indication of this potentially dangerous situation a second pair of contacts 32a and 3411' are provided at the left end of chamber 30. Thesec'ontacts are respectively'electrically connected 'to Eonductors 36 and 38'and are in effective parallel

circuit relation withcontacts

32 and 34. When the angle of that -declivity.-of the shank 20 exceeds the predetermined value in either direction (i.e. upwards or downwards),

To this end a conducting member In the form of a metallic ball 46 is arranged for free, rolling movement within "the chamber 30. When housing 24 is in a substantially horizontal position, ball 46 rests in the lower apex of the diamond of chamber 30 as shown in the solid-line position of ball 46 in FlG. 3. Returning toFlG. 1, his seen'tha't when flukes l8 of anchor 14 are dug into the bottom, shank 20- lies in a substan tiallyhorizontal position as a result of its own' weight as well as the weight of a chain '48 which may be interposed-between the free end of shank 20 and line 16. At this horizontal position of shank 20, housing 24 is in a correspondinglyhorizontal position and the conducting ball 46 remains atits lowermost position within chamber 30, shown in FIG. '3. As a result,

contacts

32 and 34 remain unconnected to one another. If the'boat shifts positionsufficiently to lift the shank 20 to its more nearly vertical broken line position in FIG. 1, the flukes l8will be pulled from the sea bottom and the anchor will no longer 20, also moves away from the horizontal towardsa nearly vertiball 46 is caused to roll into'the space either between

contacts

32 and 34, or contactsI32a and 34a depending on which end of the shank (i.e. the fluke-connected or the chain-connected) is above the other end. when this occurs, the contacts so engaged by ball 46 are electrically connected and the alann circuit is closed as described above, to actuate alarm system 44. The critical angle of declivity of the'bottom which will cause ball 46 toroll into contact with one of the contact pairs is indicate'd as angle a in FlG. 3, which is approximately one-half the-apex angle along the major or horizontal axis of chamber 30. 1

For these anchoring conditions at which anchor retention is at best uncertain and unreliable the sounding of the alarm indicates a potentially dangerous anchoring situation even though the flukes .18. may still be dug into the bottom to anchor the boat in position. The crew is thus alerted that the anchor must be released and the boat moved to a new position where anchoring can be effected at a-more level portion of the bottom which will ensure a. more secure retention of the anchor. t

' The specific inclination-sensitive switch here illustrated is I but one of many different types which could be used. Penducal position. This raises the inboard end of housing 24 above its outboard end. When the deviation of shank 20 andhousing 24 from a horizontal position exceeds a predetermined value (c.g. 20) the ball 46 will roll along'the inner wall of chamber 30 until it 'seats between contacts 32 and34, thereby to electrically connect these contacts. As described above, this causes the actuation of the alarm system 44, which in turn provides thedesired indication of anchor release and dragging.

' For a Danforth'type of anchor, as shown in FIGS. 1 and '2, it

may occur that a shift in the tide may cause the flukes [8 to lur'n-actuated and mercury-actuated switches are typical of the known available switch types. Y

' The anchor-dragging alarm system control of the present invention thus provides a reliable and substantially instantaneous indication of the orientation of the anchor in a positionsuch that its flukes are not digging into the bottom. The anchor alarm system of this invention is readily incorporated with a conventional anchor by means ofa lightweight'and economical switch-housing readily mounted on a shank'of the anchor. The control can therefore be sold as an accessory to be attached to the anchor by'the' boat owner. Moreover, the

'5 alarm system is simple and requires little skill or experience to use to full advantage.

The alarm system of this invention is thus inexpensive to purchase and relatively simple to install and-use, and provides a reliable and substantially instantaneous indication of anchor dragging. While only a single embodiment of the present invention has been herein specifically disclosed, it will be apparent-that many variations maybe made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

lclaim:

l. A drift alarm control system for indicating drift in a water-going vessel, said system comprising an anchor, a line adapted to lead from the vessel to said anchor, a housing, means effective to operatively secure said housing to a part of said anchor, said part normally having a given anchoring orientation relative to said sea bottom when said anchor is operative, normally open first and second contact means in said housing, connecting means operatively connected to said contact means and adapted to be operatively connected to an alarm located on the vessel, and means effective to sense the angular orientation of said anchor part relative to a reference position corresponding to that normally assumed by said part when said anchor is operative on a horizontal sea bottom and effective when said orientation varies from said reference position by a predetermined value to operatively close said contact means, thereby to actuate the alarm..

2. The control system of claim 1, said housing having an inner chamber formed therein, said contact means being located at one one of said chamber.

3. The control system of claim 1, inner chamber formed therein, said contact means being located at one end of said chamber, said orientation-sensing means comprising conducting means articulatably disposed in said housing having an said chamber and movable from a first position in which it does not engage said contact means, to a second position in which it is effective to engage and electrically connect said contact means when said housing orientation exceeds the horizontal by said predetermined value.

4. The control-system of claim 1, said anchor having a fluke adapted to dig into the bottom, and a shank articulatably secured to said fluke, said shank defining said anchor part,

5. The control system of claim 4, said shank and said housing lying in a substantially horizontal position with respect to the bottom when said fluke is dug into the bottom, and at a position away from the horizontal by an amount exceeding said predetermined value when said fluke is released from the bottom.

6. The control system of claim 2, said anchor having a fluke adapted to dig into the bottom, and a shank articulatably secured to said fluke, said shank defining said anchor pan.

7. The control system of claim 6, said shank and said housing lying in a substantially horizontal position with respect to the bottom when said fluke is dug into the bottom, and at a position away from the horizontal by an amount exceeding said predetermined value when said fluke is released from the bottom.

8. The control system of claim 3, said anchor having a fluke adapted to dig into the bottom, and a shank articulatably secured to said fluke, said shank defining said anchor part.

9. The control system of claim 8, said shank and said housing lying in a substantially horizontal position with respect to the bottom when. said fluke is dug into the bottom, and at a position away from the horizontal by an amount exceeding said predetermined value when said fluke is released from the bottom.

Claims

1. A drift alarm control system for indicating drift in a watergoing vessel, said system comprising an anchor, a line adapted to lead from the vessel to said anchor, a housing, means effective to operatively secure said housing to a part of said anchor, said part normally having a given anchoring orientation relative to said sea bottom when said anchor is operative, normally open first and second contact means in said housing, connecting means operatively connected to said contact means and adapted to be operatively connected to an alarm located on the vessel, and means effective to sense the angular orientation of said anchor part relative to a reference position corresponding to that normally assumed by said part when said anchor is operative on a horizontal sea bottom and effective when said orientation varies from said reference position by a predetermined value to operatively close said contact means, thereby to actuate the alarm.

3. The control system of claim 1, said housing having an inner chamber formed therein, said contact means being located at one end of said chamber, said orientation-sensing means comprising conducting means articulatably disposed in said chamber and movable from a first position in which it does not engage said contact means, to a second position in which it is effective to engage and electrically connect said contact means when said housing orientation exceeds the horizontal by said predetermined value.

4. The control system of claim 1, said anchor having a fluke adapted to dig into the bottom, and a shank articulatably secured to said fluke, said shank defining said anchor part.

6. The control system of claim 2, said anchor having a fluke adapted to dig into the bottom, and a shank articulatably secured to said fluke, said shank defining said anchor part.

9. The control system of claim 8, said shank and said housing lying in a substantially horizontal position with respect to the bottom when said fluke is dug into the bottom, and at a position away from the horizontal by an amount exceeding said predetermined value when said fluke is released from the bottom.