IMPROVEMENTS IN SHEATHING SHIPS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHEATHING SHIPS."-A commu-
nication from Messrs. Jackson Brothers, Petin Gaudet, and Company,
of Riso la Cior in the Emir of Krance Tinginoare
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th November 1855.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declaro
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHEATHING SHIPS," a
communication from Messrs. Jackson Brothers, Petin Gaudet, and Company,
of Rive de Gier, in the Empire of France, Engineers," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the sheathing ships of all kinds by the employ-
ment of sheets of steel for that purpose in place of sheets of copper, zinc, or
other substances at present in use therefor. Many advantages are gained by
this application; the cost of the steel is not more than one half that of copper.
and not more than that of zinc, whilst its strength is much greater, and the
material resists the action of sea water to the greatest possible extent.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th May 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, send.greeting;
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, my executors, -administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SHEATHING SHIPS," a communication from Jackson Brothers, Petin
Gaudet, and Company, of Rive de Gier, in the Empire of France, Engineers,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and 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
Scal Patent Offico within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby declaro
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement:-
The said Invention. consists in the employment of plates of, cast or shear
steel for the purpose of sheathing or covering ships' bottoms in place of the
sheets of copper, zinc, Muntz metal, or other material at present employed
for that purpose. The sheets of steel are rolled out to the desired size and
thickness by strong and powerful rolling mechanism, and are applied or
attached to the ship's surface in the manner ordinarily adopted. Many
advantages are gained by this Invention; the cost of the steel is not more than
one half that of copper, and not more than that of zinc, whilst its strength

page_text: is much greater, and it is therefore more fitted to withstand shocks or friction
which would tear or otherwise destroy the sheathing now in ordinary use, and
at the same time the improved sheathing resists the action of the water to
the greatest possible extent.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-seventh day of May, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-six.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.B.)