An early improvement was the addition of a stock, or horizontal arm, at the top of the shank of the anchor and set at right angles to the hooks, or flukes, the purpose being to ensure that the flukes lay vertically on the sea bed and thus dug themselves in to provide maximum holding power.
The stock is across the crown of the anchor instead of in the more usual place at the top of the shank, and this makes it impossible for the anchor tobe fouled by the cable.