A shank-mounted reverse pull slide and slide stop to effect release of a fouled anchor. The device can be readily mounted on a substantially solid, conventional twin fluke anchor shank without altering the structural integrity of the shank. The slide housing has interior wall surfaces which are shaped to provide a shank contact portion and a plurality of passages between the shank surface and the slide housing walls to prevent sand and other marine grit from jamming or restricting movement of the slide along the shank in a marine environment. The slide stop is mounted within the conventional shank line receiving aperture or eye and includes a shear pin receiving channel. When utilized with a shear pin, the slide is locked near the shank free end and cannot move along the shank until the shear pin is severed. Without the shear pin, the slide is moveable between the slide stop and the shank end connected to the crown. The shear pin is easily installed or removed to accommodate either mode of operation.
5890451 - Anchoring apparatus and method - Owned by Brupat Limited (Douglas,GB4) Filed: January 20, 1998PCT Filed:July 22, 1996PCT No.:PCT/GB96/01755371 Date:January 20, 1998102(e) Date: January 20, 1998 PCT Pub. No.:WO96/39324PCT Pub. Date:December 12, 1996
A drag embedment normal load anchor ("Denla") comprises a fluke with a shank pivotally attached thereto, the shank including an anchor cable attachment point and control or restraint mechanisms whereby the shank can be set such that the cable attachment point can lie selectively in first, second, and third directions relative to the fluke centroid, the directions providing three fluke centroid angles (.alpha., .beta., and .theta., respectively) with the fluke forward direction (F). The Denla is part of an anchoring apparatus including a rear drogue line serving to orientate the anchor correctly at the sea bed without the need for a separate pendant line. In operation, the Denla is embedded by pulling on an anchor cable with the first fluke centroid angle .alpha. present; when the desired horizontal anchor loading is achieved, the shank is moved to the second larger centroid angle .beta. and the anchor swung back until the fluke forward direction (F) is inclined upwardly, this position constituting the normal load anchoring position. For Denla retrieval, the shank is swung forwardly to occupy the smaller third fluke centroid angle .theta., and the anchor pulled upwardly in the included fluke forward direction (F). The restraint/control mechanisms are preferably located in a grease filled housing for protection and a further fluke centroid angle lower than the first centroid angle can be provided for the shank to ensure satisfactory initial burying of the anchor. The invention enables setting of the Denla and also retrieval using a single line, i.e., the anchor line.
A deep water tow system adapted for being towed by a tow cable behind a ship includes a buoyant tow vehicle for housing apparatus to be used underwater, a coupler for connecting the tow vehicle to the tow cable, and a weight in the form of a multi-link chain attached to the tow cable at a location some predetermined distance from the tow vehicle. The chain is of sufficient weight to pull the tow vehicle downwardly in water until the chain contacts the water floor. When pulled by a surface vessel, the chain is pulled over the water floor and the tow vehicle is maintained some fairly constant predetermined distance above the water floor.
An assembly used in connection with an anchor, whereby, on use, the anchor comprises one or more endpieces (2) meant to penetrate into the bottom, a shank (1) from the endpiece, and fitted to the shank end a fixing holding block (8) furnished with a hole for the pulling element of the anchor. The mounting holding block (8) or similar of the pulling element is fitted to piece (9) movable along shank so that on anchoring the motion of piece (9) from shank (1) end towards endpiece (2) is prevented by a blocking arrangement (7,11) between shank (1) and the piece and lifting the anchor on use the impact of the locking arrangement is eliminated.
