IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS, BOATS, AND OTHER VESSELS, AND IN PRESERVING THE BOTTOMS THEREOF FROM OXIDATION AND INCRUSTATION, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO THE PRESERVATION OF METAL, WOOD, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Donald Nicoll at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th May
1875.
I, DONALD NICOLL, of Clement's Inn, Strand,, London, Esquire,
Justice of the Peace, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS, BOATS, AND OTHER VESSELS,
AND IN PRESERVING THE BOTTOMS THEREOF FROM OXIDATION AND INCRUSTATION,
PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO THE PRESERVATION OF METAL,
WOOD, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
The first part of my Invention refers to the construction of the
interior fittings of ships, boats, and other vessels, and consists of making
the cabin linings, the floorings, cabin walls, and roofings of a light
buoyant material, such as cane fastened with wire, and where required
sealed or cemented with the carbon compound herein-after described,
and called "Nicolline;" and in order to carry out this part of my.
Invention I prepare planks or slabs of canes of any suitable size and
thickness calculated to float with great buoyancy in water, and from the
fact that the cane of which these slabs or planks are composed are
covered with a natural coating of silica they will resist the attacks of
-

page_text: 65
insects, and to a great extent the action of flame. I fasten or secure
together laterally these planks or slabs of cane by means of wire, either
by piercing through one cane to the other adjoining one, or by plaiting
the wire around and between them, and I seal up or secure the cut
ends of the canes with the herein-after described compound, called
'Nicolline," or by some other suitable substance, so that the pith or
inner cells of the canes cannot absorb water. I prefer to construct the
interior fittings of ships in separate planks or slabs, so that they may be
detached and be made into rafts in case of shipwreck, or be used as life
buoys or for laying down on the clamp decks of ships, or inside boats,
and for other similar purposes. When it is required to increase the
buoyancy of these slabs or planks two thicknesses are placed together,
and there is inserted between them a sheet of the "Nicolline" compound
herein-after described.
The second part of my Invention refers to the preservation of ships':
bottoms from oxidation and incrustation, and consists of the application
thereto of the carbon compound called "Nicolline." This carbon
compound, designated "Nicolline," consists of a composition of soot
or other plentiful and cheap kind of carbon with so much caoutchouc
Eas will cause the whole to cohere and unite sufficiently for the required:
purpose. This carbon compound, which is commercially known, consists
of about eight proportions of soot or other cheap carbon to two pro-
portions of caoutchouc mixed and amalgamated by heat and under
pressure, and rolled into various degrees of tenuity from any number of
inches down to the thinness of gold leaf, and I apply sheets of this
compound to the bottom of ships, and as these sheets are applied after
the ship itself has been constructed, the parts pierced by rivets, or when
rivets, screws, or nails have been countersunk, are covered and protected
from leaking, and as the whole of the ship's bottom and sides may be
covered with this soft and yielding material the effects of concussion are
considerably deadened and lessened. It is well known that marine
insects, such as the destructive terredo navalis, barnacles, limpits, and
other organisms which attack iron and wooden ships, will not attach
themselves to any composition consisting largely of carbon; hence the
coating of "Nicolline" effectually prevents incrustation, and it equally
well resists oxidation.
'
Thirdly. My Invention refers to the preservation of metal, wood, and
athon onbetonon farm the fans of asidation whathas sunduood

page_text: the action of the atmosphere or by water, and it consists of applying
the above-named carbon compound, to the substance to be preserved;
and whether it be for telegraph poles, railway sleepers, dock gates, or
piles, or for submerged or partially submerged structures, the effect
produced is thoroughly to protect the material from dry rot, from
perling, and from insects, and at a less cost than by the process known
as "pickling."