US3780688A

US3780688A - Anchor having improved fluke crown coupling

Info

Publication number: US3780688A
Application number: US00178233A
Authority: US
Inventors: D Hungerford
Original assignee: Brunswick Corp
Current assignee: Brunswick Corp
Priority date: 1971-09-07
Filing date: 1971-09-07
Publication date: 1973-12-25
Anticipated expiration: 1990-12-25
Also published as: CA968229A; JPS4862190A; IT967220B; GB1393751A; AU467905B2; AU4638672A; DE2243512A1; JPS5513956B2; FR2152165A5

Abstract

An anchor for marine vessels having an improved fluke which is removeably coupled to the crown assembly by a longitudinal flange disposed along the fluke inside edge. The removeable flukes allow the shank pivot shaft to be removeably coupled through the crown wall adjacent the fluke flanges.

Description

[ 1 Dec. 25, 1973 United States Patent [191 Hungerford 114/208 Ogg 114/208 R Johnson 114/208 R 2,789,526 4/1957 Go11ner.........,............,........ 2 840,029 6/1958 2,722,191 11/1955 ANCHOR HAVING IMPROVED FLUKE CROWN COUPLING [75] Inventor: Daniel Comstock Hungerford,

Primary Examiner-Milton Buchler Assistant Examiner-Ga1en L. Barefoot Att0rneyBarry L. Haley 22 Filed: Sept. 7, 1971 211 Appl.No.: 178,233

ABSTRACT An anchor for marine vessels having an improved fluke which is remove-ably coupled. to the crown [58] Field 207 208 sembly by a longitudinal flange disposed along the fluke inside edge. The removeable flukes allow the shank pivot shaft to be removeably coupled through the crown wall adjacent the fluke flanges.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2.641315 6/1953 Danforth............................. 114/208 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTED UEBZ 5 I973 sum 10:

ANCHOR HAVING IMPROVED FLUKE CROWN COUPLING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to twin-fluke anchors, and more specifically to an improved fluke and crown assemblage for providing removeable flukes with no reduction in the anchor holding strength.

In the past on twin fluke anchors, the flukes have generally been secured to the crown side walls by welding. Welding is expensive and time consuming and provides a permanent fluke mounting. Structural failures along the weld seams are common. Welding also restricts the use of light-weight materials such as aluminum for anchor construction because of the loss in strength at the welded area without subsequent and costly heat treatment.

Applicants invention provides a fluke and crown assemblage having increased strength which requires no welding and permits the use of light weight materials in construction and allows disassembling of the anchor elements for storage, shipping, or repair.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An anchor for marine vessels having an improved fluke and crown coupling comprising a crown having a pair of flanged receiving side wall portions, a shank, a shank pivot shaft coupled to said crown and said shank, a pair of flukes each having a flanged inside edge interlocked to said crown flange receiving portions and a stock coupled to the bottom edges of said flukes. The flukes are removeable from the crown side walls. The shank pivot shaft may be coupled to the crown through the crown side walls.

It is an object of this invention to provide an anchor having removeably coupled flukes.

It is another object of this invention to provide an anchor constructed from lightweight materials such as aluminum.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide an anchor having no welded portions between the flukes and the crown.

Yet still another object of this invention is to provide an anchor that may be disassembled for shipping, storage, or repairs.

And still yet another object of this invention is to provide an anchor having an improved shank pivot axis position.

In accordance with these and other objects which will be apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of Applicants invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of Applicants invention.

FIG. 3 is a close-up perspective view of the crownfluke coupling of Applicants invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-section elevation of the crown-fluke coupling of Applicants invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section elevation of an alternate crown-fluke coupling in accordance with Applicants invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-section elevation of another alternate crown-fluke coupling in accordance with Applicants invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 1, Applicants anchor 10 is comprised of a crown having a pair of supporting members .12 rigidly attached at their ends to angularly disposed

crown plates

14 and 16, a stock 20 disposed through apertures in the crown supporting members 12, a shank 24 pivotably coupled between the crown supporting members 12 on shank pivot shaft 28 (FIG. 2). Symetrically disposed on each side of shank 24 is a pair of flukes 18, each fluke having a T-shaped flange along the edge adjacent the shank 24. On the outer side of each crown supporting member 12 is a C-shaped female flange removeably coupled about a portion of the T-shaped flange of each fluke 18. The flukes 18 are connected to the stock by C-clamps bolted through the fluke surfaces.

Referring now to FIG. 2, crown supporting members 12 are shown coupled to

crown plates

14 and 16. The stock 20 is connected through apertures 38 while the shank pivot pin 28is connected between apertures 36. With the exception of the

crown plates

14 and 16 which are permanently coupled to crown supporting members 12, the entire anchor may be disassembled as shown in FIG. 2. This is possible because the crown supporting members have an outside facing C-shaped female flange with projecting arms 12A and 128 which are sized to receive the T-shaped flanged edge 18A of each fluke 18. The fluke flange 18A slides down into the

crown flange arms

12A and 12B, where it fits snugly. The fluke is secured to the stock 20 by C- clamps 22 (FIG. 1).

With removeable flukes 18, the shank pivot axis 28 (FIG. 3) may be separated from the stock and moved forward closer to the front of the crown support 12. This reduces the length of the moment arm whenever the shank is rotated into contact with the front edges of

crown plate

14 or 16 which define the limits of angular travel of the shank 24. The shank pivot shaft 28 is positioned in apertures 36 (FIG. 2), the ends of which are adjacent the fluke flange surfaces 18A when the flukes 18 are coupled to the crown support member 12.

FIG. 4 shows the male fluke flange 18A snugly coupled within the female

crown flange arms

12A and 12B engaged in the working position. However the crown wall 42 in FIG. 5 has the T-shaped male flange 44 engaged to the female C-shaped arms 48 protruding from a fluke 46, as an alternate embodiment of the flange coupling of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 shows a fluke flange 18A having a groove 18B disposed along the surface adjacent the crown supporting member surface. The groove 18B allows the shank pivot shaft to extend through and/or be bolted through the crown housing thus permitting the fluke to slide over the ends of the protruding shaft and/or the bolt head or nut attached to shank shaft 28.

The anchor may be disassembled for shipping, storage or repair as shown in FIG. 2. Broken flukes may be replaced individually. When ready for use the shank 24 is attached to the fluke by the pivot shaft 28. Flukes 18 are positioned in and slid within the crown

support flange arms

12A and 12B, the fluke ends being stopped adjacent the stock apertures 38. The stock 20 is inserted into the crown housing apertures 38 and bolted to the flukes. The anchor is then ready for use.

Large forces are experienced along the crown-fluke coupling boundary which have caused welding seams to fail in the past. However the flange boundary will take large amounts of stress and shear without breakdown, thus allowing for the use of lightweight materials such as aluminum which are difficult to weld and when welded are not very strong. The crown housing may be welded or riveted together (supporting members 12 to

crown plates

14 and 16 in a trapezoidal shape) or may be cast by means of a sand mold, permanent mold or die into one monolithic structure. The top and base of the crown are open to permit flow through. The angular disposition of the crown plates with respect to the fluke plane is selected to aid fluke penetration into the mooring bottom.

Thus Applicant's anchor, having an improved crownfluke coupling provides a lightweight, dependable anchor that may be disassembled.

The instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. A twin fluke anchor comprising:

a stock;

a crown having a pair of parallel supporting walls coupled together by a pair of crown plates; receiving means on said crown support walls;

a pair of flukes, one on each side of said crown, the

flukes coupled to the stock along the rear edges of means being a pair of flanged C-shaped arm members protruding outwardly from the crown supporting walls; and a shank pivotally coupled to said crown.

2. An anchor as in claim 1, wherein said flukes inl elude:

flanged, T-shaped inner edge portions removeably engageable with said C-shaped support arm members whereby the flukes are removeably coupled to said crown.

3. An anchor as in claim 2, including:

a shank pivot shaft coupled to said crown forward of said stock, said shank pivotally coupled to said shank shaft at one end.

20 4. An anchor as in claim 3, including:

- said shank pivot shaft having a bolt head at one end and a nut receiving threaded portion at the other end; v

a nut coupled to said shank shaft;

said flukes having grooved portions along said inner crown coupling edges to fit over said nut and bolt head.

each fluke removeably coupled to said support wall receiving means along an inside fluke edge portion, said receiving means being on the outside of said crown support walls, said support wall receiving

Claims

1. A twin fluke anchor comprising: a stock; a crown having a pair of parallel supporting walls coupled together by a pair of crown plates; receiving means on said crown support walls; a pair of flukes, one on each side of said crown, the flukes coupled to the stock along the rear edges of each fluke removeably coupled to said support wall receiving means along an inside fluke edge portion, said receiving means being on the outside of said crown support walls, said support wall receiving means being a pair of flanged C-shaped arm members protruding outwardly from the crown supporting walls; and a shank pivotally coupled to said crown.

2. An anchor as in claim 1, wherein said flukes include: flanged, T-shaped inner edge portions removeably engageable with said C-shaped support arm members whereby the flukes are removeably coupled to said crown.

3. An anchor as in claim 2, including: a shank pivot shaft coupled to said crown forward of said stock, said shank pivotally coupled to said shank shaft at one end.

4. An anchor as in claim 3, including: said shank pivot shaft having a bolt head at one end and a nut receiving threaded portion at the other end; a nut coupled to said shank shaft; said flukes having grooved portions along said inner crown coupling edges to fit over said nut and bolt head.