IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLYING COPPER, YELLOW METAL, OR OTHER METAL SHEATHING TO IRON OR STEEL SHIPS AND OTHER NAVIGABLE VESSELS BUILT OF IRON OR STEEL
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Bishop Cornish, of New York, in the
United States of America, Master Mariner, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLYING COPPER, YELLOW METAL, OR OTHER METAL
SHEATHING TO IRON OR STEEL SHIPS AND OTHER NAVIGABLE VESSELS BUILT
OF IRON OR STEEL."
Sealed the 21st March 1865; and dated the 27th September 1864.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Bishop Cornish
at the Office of the Commissioners of. Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 27th September 1864, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
5 TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
BISHOP CORNISH, of New York, in the United States of America, Master
Mariner, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPLYING COPPER, 'YELLOW METAL,' OR OTHER METAL SHEATHING TO IRON OR STEEL

page_text: OF IRON OR STEEL," and have
my executors, adininistrators,
SHIPS AND OTHER NAVIGABLE VESSELS BUILT
petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me,
and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn
Declaration that I am the true and first Inventor thereof, and that the same
is not in use by any other person or persons fo the best of my knowledge and
belief.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Bishop Cornish, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification under my hand and seal fully
describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, in and by the following statement (that is
to say)-
:-
The object of this my said Invention is a means whereby copper, "yellow
metal," or other metal sheathing can be applied to iron or steel ships and
ether navigable vessels built of iron or steel in such a way that the copper or
other metal sheathing will not effect the iron or steel shell of the vessel, nor
will the sheathing be effected by the iron or steel, and the bottoms of the
vessels to which my improvements are applied will be effectually protected
from the action of the sea water, and consists, first, in applying a sheathing of
wood to the vessel's bottom, and attaching the. same thereto by means of
screwed bolts and nuts or headed bolts passing through the planking and skin
of the vessel, and, where convenient, also the frame of the vessel. When the
bolts are to be riveted, I prefer to drive them from the exterior, and rivet
them on the inner surface of the skin or frame of the vessel, taking care in
this case, as well as when screwed bolts and nuts are used, to countersink
the heads on the outside, and then cover them with wooden plugs, cement, or
other suitable material, so that no portion of the bolt head will be exposed; I
then caulk the seams, sheathe with tarred paper, felt, or other suitable
material, and apply the copper or other sheathing by means of nails in the
ordinary way.
In some cases I prefer to attach the wood sheathing by means of screwed
bolts from the interior, in which case I prefer to tap the holes in the metal
skin of the vessel, and form the bolts with a thread the whole length of their
shanks.
In this modification, when applying the planking, it will be requisite to
have it in close conctact with the skin of the vessel previous to inserting the
Finding screws, as these screws will have no drawing property, in consequence
of the thread of the screws taking into the threads formed in the holes through
the skin of the vessel; but my object in screwing the bolts through the skin

page_text: of the vessel is, that should by accident the wood sheathing. be carried away
and the ends of the bolts broken, the holes through the skin of the vessel will
still be effectually closed, as the bolts being screwed therein, cannot drop out.
In this last modification no metal will be exposed externally, as I do not allow
the screwed bolts to pass entirely through the planking.
In some cases I prefer to place felt or other like sheathing between the
metal plating of the vessel's bottom and the wood sheathing.
That this my said Invention may be the more readily seen and understood;
I have hereunto annexed Drawings illustrating portions of a vessel's bottom
baving my improvements applied thereto. Like letters marked thereon are
used to denote similar parts.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a portion of a vessel's bottom, showing the
wood sheathing attached thereto by bolts and nuts; Figure 2 is also a
portion of a vessel's bottom, showing my improvements attached thereto by
means of riveted bolts; and Figure 3 is a like section showing my improve-
ments attached thereto by screwed bolts from the inside of the vessel.
A, frame of the vessel, shown broken off; B, the outer skin or plating of
the vessel, which is, say, half an inch thick; C, the wood planking or
sheathing of, say, two inches thick; D, a sheathing of paper, felt, or other
suitable material between the plating of the vessel and the inner surface of
the wood sheathing; E, felt or other sheathing below; F, the copper, 'yellow
metal,' or other external metal sheathing; G (Figure 1), bolts and nuts, the
heads of which are countersunk, and covered by H, wooden plugs, cement, or
other suitable material; K (Figure 2), rivets, the heads of which are also
countersunk, and covered with wooden plugs, cement, or other suitable
material; L (Figure 3), headed screws, which are applied from the interior
of the vessel.
I would here remark that the thicknesses of wood sheathing to be used will
depend upon circumstances and the size of the vessel, and may range from,
say, one inch upwards, but I believe sheathing of about two inches thick would
be found sufficient for a vessel of one thousand tons burthen.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this my said
Invention, and how I believe the same may be best carried into practical
effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise
details, relative proportions, or dimensions of the several parts herein-before
described and set forth, as it will be readily seen the same may be con-
siderably varied without departing from the Invention; but what I claim is,
applying copper, yellow metal, or other metal sheathing to iron and steel

page_text: ships and other navigable vessels, substantially in the manner and for the
purposes herein-before described and set forth.
⋅
In witness whereof, I, the said George Bishop Cornish,.have hereunto
set my hand and affixed my seal, this Twenty-third day of Sep-
tember, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-four.
Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER,
of 44, Castle Street,
Liverpool.
GEORGE BISHOP (L.B.) CORNISH.