IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOSITIONS FOR COATING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS AND OTHER SUBMERGE STRUCTURES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Thompson Blair, of Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Painter, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN COMPOSITIONS FOR COATING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS AND OTHER SUBMERGE
STRUCTURES."
Sealed the 1st December 1871, and dated the 5th June 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Thompson
Blair at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 5th June 1871.
I, THOMAS THOMPSON BLAIR, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Painter, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOSITIONS FOR COATING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS AND
OTHER SUBMERGED STRUCTURES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to the production of compositions for coating
submerged surfaces from (1) novel combinations of ingredients, and (2)
novel methods of incorporating the same.
-
I take quicksilver, rosin, tallow, or other animal fat, and a finely
divided pigment or substance, preferring French chalk with colouring

page_text: matter added, in about the following proportions, to form 100 lbs. pounds
of the composition, 14 pounds quicksilver, 31 pounds rosin, 31 pounds
animal fat, 18 pounds French chalk, and 6 pounds colouring matter.
One method of incorporating these substances consists in grinding the
quicksilver, French chalk, and colouring matter together, and then
stirring the whole in a vessel to which heat is applied.
A second method consists in incorporating the ingredients by placing
them in a vessel, then whilst applying heat stirring and mixing the
whole into a homogenous condition.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
.
filed by the said Thomas Thompson Blair in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th December 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
THOMPSON BLAIR, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Painter,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Thomas Thompson Blair, Her special licence,
that I, the said Thomas Thompson Blair, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Thompson Blair, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
COMPOSITIONS FOR COATING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS AND OTHER SUBMERGED
STRUCTURES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Thomas Thompson Blair, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Thompson Blair, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to the production of compositions for coating
submerged surfaces from (1) novel combinations of ingredients, and (2)
novel methods of incorporating the same.
I take quicksilver, rosin, tallow, or other animal fat, and a finely
divided pigment or substance, preferring French chalk or zinc white,
with colouring matter added, in about the following proportion, to form
one hundred pounds of the composition, 14 pounds of quicksilver, 31
pounds rosin, 31 pounds animal fat, 18 pounds French chalk or zinc
white, and 6 pounds colouring matter. The proportions of these sub-
stances may be varied. I prefer those given, however, as therefrom,
when incorporated as hereafter described, a composition is provided
which has a smooth enamel-like surface, and is yet sufficiently soft to
be slowly worn away from the bottom of a ship by friction in passing
through water.
One method of incorporating these substances consists in grinding the
quicksilver, French chalk or zinc white, and colouring matter together
under paint manufacturers' grinding or mixing stones into a pasty
mass, and mixing the said pasty mass with the rosin and tallow in a
vessel to which heat is applied. The heat and stirring are continued
until the composition is of uniform consistency.
A second method consists in incorporating the ingredients by placing
them in a vessel, then, whilst applying heat, stirring and mixing the
whole into a homogeneous condition.
In practice I prefer the method first above described.
The composition can be applied in the warm or cold state.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and
particularized the same, so that others will be enabled to carry my
improvements into practice at the proper time, what I claim is,-
First. The substances herein-before named in combination for the
production of compositions for coating submerged structures, substantially
as set forth.

page_text: And, second. The methods of incorporating the substances herein-
before named, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Thompson Blair, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Second day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.
In the presence of
J. T. KING,
Patent Agent,
Liverpool.
THO³. T. BLAIR. (L.S.)