  Manufactured by Northill Company of Los Angeles, California (Northill was acquired in 1940 by Garrett Corporation which in turn merged with other companies over the years and became AlliedSignal; AlliedSignal merged with Honeywell in 1999). This particular folding stainless steel version is longer in production. Originally produced as a lightweight anchor for sea planes, including the PBY-5 Catalina flying boats (still in use today for firefighting).
Based on design by John Northrop and Harry Gesner, patent number 21,841 issued in 1941 (but originally applied for in 1933!). Interestingly, the inventors were pursuing a design where the weight of the anchor did not play any significant role in setting. As they put it "Practically all existing anchors depend, to a large extent, on their weight for the holding power developed. Various types and shapes of fluke have been evolved in the past to furrow the bottom and resist dragging of the anchor by the moored craft. In general, it may be stated that the fluke sizes and shapes and their relation to the shank and line of pull in existing anchors, are such that comparatively great anchor weight is a vital necessity to the proper engagement of the fluke in the bottom, and that the fluke alone would be relatively ineffective to develop any considerable holding power if the anchor weight was substantially decreased." Drawing below.   |
