A boat or ship anchor having a crown portion with a spaced apart pair of flukes projecting forwardly therefrom in the same plane, and a pair of tail plates extending rearwardly therefrom, the tail plates being splayed to present a large frontal area. Intermediate the flukes and extending through the crown is an aperture. A shank element, adapted for attachment to the anchor line at its forward end, extends through the aperture and is dimensioned for sliding relation in the aperture intermediate the flukes. A projection in the form of a minor fluke on the tail end of the shank element limits the sliding motion of the shank through the aperture in a first direction while permitting limited rotational or angular movement thereof relative to the flukes and crown at least in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the flukes. In operation, with tension on the anchor line or chain, the minor fluke holds the shank to the crown, while the flukes and the tail plates combine their functions to provide increased holding powder without overly deep penetration of the bottom. When it is desired to release the anchor from the bottom, the anchor line tension being reversed, the shank element slides through the aperture, the minor fluke impinging upon or into the bottom acting as a fulcrum about which the shank rotates, the shank acting as a lever to pull the flukes from the bottom along the same line of action as they entered. In the event of accidental release of the anchor, the action is as described above, the flukes then flipping or rotating about the shank element and burying themselves into the bottom on the opposite side in the direction of tension of the anchor chain connected to the shank element.

An anchor in which an L-shaped shank has a single fluke pivotally secured to the shorter leg of the L. The L-shaped shank lies substantially in a plane. The fluke pivots through the plane but not in the plane. The fluke has a single triangular, planar fluke member which may be disposed in the plane. The longer leg of the shank is arcuate and the anchor cable is attached thereto.

A marine anchor comprises a fluke with a shank attached to the fluke to enable the anchor to be joined to an anchor cable. Additionally there is provided a soil barrier plate located aft of the rear of the fluke but above the level of the fluke, with a soil passage between the barrier plate and the fluke. The barrier plate is set an angle to the fluke, and the barrier plate and the associated soil passage are arranged so as to function in a manner enabling the anchor to operate effectively and without adjustment in cohesive soils such as mud even when the fluke is set (say at an attack angle 0.degree. of 30.degree.) for optimum operation in non-cohesive soils such as sand, without substantially detracting from the performance of the anchor in non-cohesive (sand) soils.

An anchor having a V-shaped twin shank with its legs composed of flat shapes in planes substantially parallel to the fluke so that the soil moves as through a tunnel for sliding penetration which is kept in a straight course due to stabilizer ear plates at a forwardly opening angle at the rear corners of the fluke.

The present invention relates to an anchor for floating devices and includes a body provided with a shackle linked to an anchor chain, with one set member for engaging the bed of a body of water being jointedly mounted on said body. The body includes a first portion having two longitudinal ends and a second portion extending between the ends of the first portion and being spaced away so as to surround a void space therebetween. The shackle is slidingly mounted along the second portion and the set member is assembled on the first body portion in a jointed fashion to thereby be able to switch between set positions pointing oppositely from each other.