An Improved Composition or Paint for Preventing Attachment of Barnacles to the Bottoms of Iron and Steel Plated Ships.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1886.
Complete Left, 14th Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 14th Jan., 1887.
An Improved Composition or Paint for Preventing Attachment
of Barnacles to the Bottoms of Iron and Steel Plated Ships.
We, ALFRED CLAYFIELD IRELAND, Paint Manufacturer, and JOHN RICHARD
BOWBEER, Commercial Traveller, both of Cheese Lane, St. Phillips, in the City and
County of Bristol, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The composition which constitutes this invention consists of sulphate of copper
reduced to powder and ground with linseed oil. The well-known poisonous property
possessed by sulphate of copper acts as a preventative to the attachment of barnacles
to the bottom of a ship to which the said composition is applied.
To the composition may be added a small proportion of pulverized oxide of iron,
which, in addition to imparting a greater degree of consistency to the composition,
acts as a preservative to the plates of a ship's bottom.
A small proportion of pulverized black lead may also be introduced to impart a
smooth surface to the composition when laid on.
If oxide of iron and black lead be introduced, they are preferably first added to the
sulphate of copper and the three ingredients are then ground together in the oil.

page_text: An Improved Composition or Paint for Preventing Attachment
of Barnacles to the Bottoms of Iron and Steel Plated Ships.
We ALFRED CLAYFIELD IRELAND paint manufacturer and JOHN RICHARD BOWBEER,
commercial traveller, both of Cheese Lane, Saint Philips, in the city and county of
Bristol, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The composition or paint for preventing the attachment of barnacles and such like
marine parasites to the bottoms of ships, to which this invention relates, consists, under
one form, of sulphate of copper which, after having been first partially reduced to
powder by calcination) or otherwise, is subsequently ground in linseed oil or other
suitable oil in the manner usually followed in the composition of paints.
The poisonous property possessed by copper prevents the attachment of barnacles
and such like marine parasites to the bottoms of ships coated with the paint in which
this invention cousists.
Though designed for use specially as a paint for the bottoms of iron and steel
plated ships, the paint may also be used for the same purpose for the bottoms of
wooden ships.
In order to neutralize the injurious effect on the plates of iron and steel plated ships
of the sulphuric acid in the paint, a suitable proportion of carbonate of lime is added.
The degree of consistency or "body" of the paint may be increased by the introduction
of pulverized oxide of iron in proportions according to requirement.
Oxide of iron acts also as a preservative of the plates.
By the introduction of pulverized black lead the surface of the paint when applied
is of increased smoothness.
When carbonate of lime, oxide of iron and black lead are to be imported into the
paint, they are preferably first added to the sulphate of copper with which they are
then ground in oil.
The following proportions are found in practice to give good results; sulphate of
copper, 35 per cent pulverized oxide of iron, 40 per cent; pulverized black lead,
15 per cent; and carbonate of lime, 10 per cent; but, as above indicated, the
proportions of the ingredients may be varied according to requirement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1. The use of sulphate of copper prepared with linseed or other suitable oil as a

page_text: paint for coating ships' bottoms, to prevent the attachment thereto of barnacles and
other like marine parasites, substantially as herein before described.
2. The use of sulphate of copper in combination with suitable variable proportions of
carbonate of lime, pulverized oxide of iron, and pulverized black-lead, or in com-
bination with any one or more of these substances, and prepared therewith as a paint
for the bottoms of ships to prevent the attachment thereto of barnacles and other like
marine parasites, substantially as herein before described.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.