AN IMPROVED COMPOSITION FOR COATING OR COVERING SHIPS' BOTTOMS AND OTHER SURFACES SUBJECTED TO THE ACTION OF SEA WATER
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Hamilton, of St. Helen's Place, in the City
of London, Merchant, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED COMPOSITION
FOR COATING OR COVERING SHIPS' BOTTOMS AND OTHER SURFACES SUBJECTED TO
THE ACTION OF SEA WATER."-A communication from abroad by James
Beeston, at present residing at Table Bay, Cape of Good Hope, Master
Mariner, and John Spence, of Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope, Merchant
and Shipowner.
Sealed the 16th October 1866, and dated the 19th April 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Hamilton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
April 1866.
I, ROBERT HAMILTON, of St. Helen's Place, in the City of London, Merchant,.
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED COM-
POSITION FOR COATING OR COVERING SHIPS' BOTTOMS AND OTHER SURFACES SUBJECTED
TO THE ACTION.OP SEA WATER," a communication to me from abroad by James
Beeston, at present residing at Table Bay, Cape of Good Hope, Master
Mariner, and John Spence, of Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope, Merchant
and Shipowner, to be as follows:-
This Invention has reference to a peculiar composition for coating or
covering bottoms of iron and other ships and other surfaces subjected to the
action of sea water with a view to preventing corrosion of such surfaces and
preserving then clean and free from barnacles and sea weed. The peculiar

page_text: composition which constitutes the essential feature of this Invention consists
of a mixture of tallow, arsenic, and the composition known as "mercurial
ointment." The proportions of these ingredients which have been found to
give a good result, but which may nevertheless be varied slightly, if desired,
are, 50 lbs. of tallow, 30 lbs. of white arsenic, 10 lbs. of mercurial ointment.
These ingredients are to be boiled together and well stirred so as to effect
perfect admixture with each other, and the composition thus obtained is to
be applied in a heated state to the surface to be protected by means of a brush,
care being taken that the temperature of the composition be not sufficiently
elevated to injure the brushes.
Before applying the above composition the iron or other surface to be
coated must be thoroughly cleansed by scraping or otherwise.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Hamilton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th October 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
HAMILTON, of St. Helen's Place, in the City of London, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Robert Hamilton, Her special license that I, the said Robert Hamilton,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Robert Hamilton, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from!tinie to time, and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
ase, exercise, and vend within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Ax
IMPROVED COMPOSITION FOR COATING OR COVERING SHIPS' BOTTOMS AND OTHER ..
SURFACES SUBJECTED TO THE ACTION OF SEA WATER," a communication, to mė
from abroad by James Beeston, at present residing at Table Bay, Cape of
Good Hope, Master Mariner, and John Spence of Cape Town, Cape of Good
Hope, Merchant and Shipowner, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Robert Hamilton, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under hand and seal, should particularly describe and

page_text: ascertain the nature of the said Invention, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Hamilton, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say :-
The said Invention has reference to a peculiar composition for coating or
covering the bottoms of iron and other ships and other surfaces subjected to
the action of sea water with a view to prevent the corrosion of such surfaces
and to preserve them clean and free from barnacles and sea weed.
The peculiar composition which constitutes the essential feature of this
Invention consists of a mixture of tallow, arsenic, and the composition known
as "mercurial ointment." The proportions of these ingredients which have
been found to give a good result, but which may nevertheless be varied slightly
if desired, are, 50 lbs. of tallow, 30 lbs. of white arsenic, 10 lbs. of mercurial
ointment.
Since mercurial ointment is merely a mechanical combination of the metal
mercury with some kinds of fat, it may in some cases be sufficient to employ
a well mixed composition of arsenic, metal mercury, and tallow for the purpose
aforesaid.
These ingredients are to be boiled together and well stirred, so as to effect
perfect admixture with each other, and the composition thus obtained is to
be applied in a heated state to the surface to be protected by means of a
brush, care being taken that the temperature of the composition be not suffi-
ciently elevated to injure the brushes.
Before applying the above composition the iron or other surface to be
coated must be thoroughly cleaned by scraping or otherwise.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Hamilton, have to this my
Specification hereunto set my hand and seal, this Second day of
October, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
R. HAMILTON. (L.S.)