IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF GAS FOR THE PREPARATION OF WOODWORK GENERALLY AND IRON SHIPS, FOR THEIR BETTER PRESERVATION AND RECEPTION OF PAINT OR OTHER PROTECTING COATING, AND FOR DISINFECTING SHIPS, HOSPITALS, AND OTHER PLACES
Year: 1863

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Clark at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th February
1863. A communication from abroad by Henri de Lapparent, Civil
Engineer, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF GAS FOR THE PREPARATION
OF WOODWORK GENERALLY AND IRON SHIPS, FOR THEIR BETTER PRESERVATION AND
RECEPTION OF PAINT OR OTHER PROTECTING COATING, AND FOR DISINFECTING SHIPS,
HOSPITALS, AND OTHER PLACES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the application of inflammable gas under pressure.
(described in a previous Patent granted to me, and dated February 7th, 1862,
No. 328), for preserving wood and carpenters' work generally, and more
especially for carbonizing the bottoms of vessels entire, and after they are built
and completed. A jet of gas in ignition, which may be either lighting gas or
gaseous oxide of carbon, is projected on to the surface of the hull, and in order
to render its action more efficacious and char the surfaces with greater
rapidity, I have stated in the Patent above referred to that the gas should be
condensed before issuing from the nozzle to a certain pressure; I also, in order
to quicken combustion, inject heated air (by means of a blower) in com-
bination with the gas. Now this Invention relates to new applications of said
mode of carbonization for searing or charring surfaces intended to resist
destructive influences; for example, iron ships require coating with a protec-

page_text: tive paint, and on returning from a voyage the old coating must be removed
by scraping and replaced by a fresh one. According to this Invention I apply
the same process of carbonization by means of a jet of inflammable gas,
especially lighting gas, or that obtained from oxide of carbon, applied under a
certain pressure with an excess of heated air, for the purpose of cleaning such
iron structures, as also for preserving exposed surfaces, as above mentioned.
The jet of gas burns up and detaches the rust, and completely and rapidly dries
the sheet iron, and so permits of the immediate application of a fresh coat of
paint or other covering; the gas jet carbonizes the old coating and separates
it from the iron, which is left clean and dry. The improvement thus consists of
a general and uniform carbonization of the surfaces of iron ships by means of
an inflammable gas. I also apply this improved process for the carbonization of
the holds of ships, whether of wood or iron, on returning from a voyage, and
so completely dry the hold and destroy any miasma of vegetable or animal
origin which might tend to rot the wood and produce unhealthiness in the
crew, and damage the materials, provisions, or cargo stowed therein.
Lastly, these improved processes may also be applied with great advantage
in many cases, for instance, for the purposes of disinfection in hospitals, laza-
rettos, colleges, or large establishments, especially after an epidemic, as it is
understood that the gas only carbonizes the surfaces to as slight an extent as
desired, and does not injure them in the least, the sharpest angles being
preserved intact.