IMPROVEMENTS IN PROTECTING THE BOTTOMS AND SIDES OF SHIPS, AND OTHER ENTIRELY OR PARTIALLY SUB- MERGED SURFACES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Brown, of Aldgate, in the City of
London, Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROTECTING
THE BOTTOMS AND SIDES OF SHIPS, AND OTHER ENTIRELY OR PARTIALLY SUB-
MERGED SURFACES."
Sealed the 3rd October 1862, and dated the 8th April 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Brown at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
April 1862.
I, JAMES BROWN, of Aldgate, in the City of London, Chemist, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROTECTING
THE BOTTOMS AND SIDES OF SHIPS AND OTHER ENTIRELY OR PARTIALLY SUBMERGED
SURFACES," to be as follows:-
My improvements consist in protecting the bottoms and sides of ships and
other entirely or partially submerged surfaces with plates or sheets of iron,
which have been previously coated or covered with an enamel or glaze either
on one or both sides, such glazed or enamelled plates being caused to adhere
to the sides and other portions of the vessel desired to be protected by means
of a suitable cement, such as glue or other adhesive material or mixtures. The
plates may also be attached by means of nails, screws, rivets, or other suitable
means, but I prefer the employment of adhesive materials as before mentioned,
and more especially of that known as marine glue. The enamel or glaze with

page_text: which iron or metal plates or sheathing to be employed for the above purposes
are coated or covered is such as will resist the action of salt or fresh water
and will not easily be detached from the iron or other metal.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
BROWN, of Aldgate, in the City of London, Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Brown, Her special license that I, the said James
Brown, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said James Brown, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and 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
PROTECTING THE BOTTOMS AND SIDES OF SHIPS AND OTHER ENTIRELY OR PARTIALLY
SUBMERGED SURFACES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
James Brown, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in. writing
under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them, 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 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 James Brown, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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:-
My said Invention consists in protecting the bottoms and sides of ships
and other entirely or partially submerged surfaces with plates or sheets of iron
which have been previously coated or covered with an enamel or glaze either
on one or both sides, such glazed or enamelled plates being caused to adhere
to the sides and other portions of the vessel desired to be protected by means

page_text: of a suitable cement such as glue or other adhesive material or mixtures. The
plates may also be attached by means of nails, screws, rivets, or other suitable
means, but I prefer the employment of adhesive materials as before mentioned.
and more especially of that known as marine glue. The enamel or glaze
with which iron or metal plates or sheathing to be employed for the above
purposes, are coated or covered is such as will resist the action of salt or fresh
water, and will not easily be detached from the iron or other metal.
In carrying out my Invention, I select iron as the best metal, because the
danger of galvanic action is avoided should the plates accidentally come into
contact with the sides of an iron vessel. The plates may be of various thickness,
but that which I have found to be most applicable is 24 wire gauge. They
may be made of suitable shapes shapes to fit the outline of the vessel, and may
be fixed in various ways, either edge to edge or overlapping as may be found
most convenient. The method of fastening the plates I have found the most
effective, is to place them side by side so as to bring the edges of the plates
into contact; should there be an interstice it will be filled with the marine
glue or other cement employed in fastening them to the ship's bottom, so as
to protect the unglazed or unenamelled part from oxydation, the whole being
fastened to the vessel or surface to be covered, thus giving to a ship such a
surface as will prevent the attachment of animal or vegetable matter while
the pliable nature of the glue in each interstice enables wooden vessels at sea
to work without detaching the plates.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the covering of the bottoms and sides
of ships or other partially or entirely submerged surfaces with glazed or en-
amelled plates of iron and applied in the manner and for the purpose above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Brown, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Seventh day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-two.
JAMES BROWN. (L.S.)