IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOSITIONS FOR, COATING WOOD, METAL, AND OTHER MATERIALS EXPOSED TO THE ACTION OF SEA WATER OR THE WEATHER
Year: 1853

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for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOSITIONS FOR, COATING
WOOD, METAL, AND OTHER MATERIALS EXPOSED TO THE ACTION OF SEA
WATER OR THE WEATHER."
Sealed the 20th October 1858, and dated the 23rd April 1853..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Onslow
Aston and George Germaine at the Office of the Commissioners
of, Patents, with their Petition, on the 23rd April 1858.
We, EDWARD ONSLOW ASTON and GEORGE. GERMAINE, both of Mill
Wall; in the County of Middlesex, Master Mariners, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOSITIONS
FOR COATING WOOD, METAL, AND OTHER MATERIALS EXPOSED TO THE ACTION
OF SEA WATER OR THE WEATHER," to be as follows:-
We melt together, and thus combine in variable proportions, sulphur,
naptha, and creosote, adding thereto verdigris or acetate of copper.

page_text: Sometimes we use, instead of this last-named salt of copper, copper
pyrites, artificial sulphurets of copper, blue vitriol or sulphate of copper,
and other combinations of copper with acids or oxygen, either singly or
mingled. The sulphur, naptha, creosote, and sulphuret, or salt or salts
of copper, singly or combined, are to be melted together, after which
the composition resulting therefrom may be poured out into suitable
moulds, and when cold broken up and packed in a dry hard state,
ready to be remelted when wanted for use.
One of the various preparations that may be thus compounded, is
made by fusing in a suitable iron pan, three parts by weight of sulphur,
and adding one part of naptha heated in another pan. When these
materials are thoroughly incorporated, one pound of acetate of copper
or verdigris is to be added to every eight pounds of the composition,
and well stirred into it, after which it may be cast in moulds, cooled
and stored for use.
To coat iron with any of the compositions, we recommend the sur-
face of the iron to be first well cleaned, by rubbing it over with a stiff
scrubbing brush repeatedly dipped in naptha. When a sufficient sur-
face has been thus prepared a pot of the composition in a hot state is
to be provided, and it is to be spread over the prepared iron, as
customary in using pitch. When the sides and bottom of an iron
vessel have thus to be prepared, the iron must be freed from all moisture
by common rubbing, and afterwards by sanding or dusting it over with
any dry powdery material that will absorb remaining moisture. It
will then be ready for cleaning with naptha, as described, before laying
on the composition.
These compounds may be applied to dry surfaces with or without
the first application of naptha, particularly when used for buoys, piles,
and all common out-door work, and for roofs to guard them against
either moisture or the attacks of insects.
For ships' bottoms, and all exposed iron or wood marine work, these
compositions will be found to preserve them against the adhesion of
animal and vegetable products, common under such circumstances in

page_text: consequence of the well known action of the mineral poisons. We
therefore do not restrict ourselves to any particular proportions of the
several ingredients; but we declare that we do especially claim as our
Invention, the use of sulphur combined with any oxides, sulphurets, or
salts of copper, for the purposes herein described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,.
filed by the said Edward Onslow Aston and George Germaine,.
in the Great Seal Patent Office, on the 20th October 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
EDWARD ONSLOW ASTON and GEORGE GERMAINE, both of Mill Wall, in
the County of Middlesex, Master Mariners, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Edward Onslow Aston and George.
Germaine, Her special licence that we, the said Edward Onslow Aston
and George Germaine, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said Edward Onslow Aston and George
Germaine, our 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOSITIONS FOR COATING WOOD, METAL, AND
OTHER MATERIALS EXPOSED TO THE ACTION OF SEA WATER OR THE WEATHER,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Edward Onslow
Aston and George Germaine, by an instrument in writing under our
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office

page_text: within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Edward Onslow Aston and
George Germaine, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
Our Invention refers to mineral compositions, prepared principally
from sulphur and salts or oxides of copper, which are to be applied
while in a hot liquid state to metal, wood, stone, cement, and other
materials; being used for wood ships, in lieu of coppering, and for iron
ships instead of the usual anti-corrosive paints' and other ingredients
employed for coating the same; and may likewise be used as a pre-
ventive of the action of the weather. or sea water generally, by coating
the surfaces of the exposed materials therewith..
And for the better understanding of our said Invention, we will now
proceed to describe the details of our process, and our mode of using
our mineral preparations.
We melt together, and thus combine in variable: proportions, sulphur,
naptha, and creosote; adding thereto, verdigris or acetate of copper.
Sometimes we substitute for verdigris, copper pyrites, artificial sul-
phurets of copper, blue vitriol or sulphate of copper, and other
combinations of copper with acids or. oxygen, either singly or mingled,
being first properly ground. The sulphur, naptha, creosote, and
sulphuret, or salt.or salts of copper,. singly or combined, are to be.
heated together and well stirred, after which the composition resulting
therefrom may be poured out into suitable moulds, and when cold
broken up and packed in a dry hard state, ready to be remelted- when
wanted for use.
One of the various preparations that may be thus compounded is
made by fusing in an iron pan, or any convenient vessel, three parts
by weight of sulphur, and adding one part of naptha heated in a
separate pan. When these materials are thoroughly incorporated, one
pound of acetate of copper or verdigris is to be added to every eight
pounds of the composition, and well stirred into it; after which it -may-

page_text: be run into moulds, cooled, and stored for use. Or, the sulphur being
melted, the verdigris may be added, then the naptha, and afterwards the
creosote, at a boiling heat, to secure the amalgamation of the materials.
The same process will apply to the adding of pyrites, they being first
well pulverized; and to the salts and oxides of copper generally; all
which may
be used in variable proportions. according to the quality
required.
To coat iron with any of our improved mineral compositions, we re-
commend the surface of the iron to be first well cleaned by scraping, and
then rubbing it over with a stiff brush repeatedly dipped in hot naptha.
When a sufficient surface has been thus prepared, a pot of the hot
composition is to be provided and spread over the prepared iron, as
customary in using pitch. When the sides and bottom of an iron
vessel have thus to be prepared, the iron must be first freed from all
moisture by common rubbing and firing, or in some cases simply by
sanding or dusting it over with any dry ashy absorbent powder; the
iron will then be ready for cleaning with the hot naptha before laying
on the mineral composition.
To coat wood, and particularly wood ships' bottoms, the surface
should be scraped clean, then coated with a boiling compound of
naptha and creosote, preparatory to applying the mineral composition,
the surface of which may be afterwards smoothed with suitable hot
irons.
Our mineral compounds may be applied to dry surfaces, with or
without the first application of hot naptha, particularly when used for
buoys, piles, and all common out-door work; and for roofs to guard
them against either moisture or the attacks of insects.
For ships bottoms, and all exposed iron or wood marine work, these
compositions will be found to preserve them from the sea worm, and
the adhesion of animal and vegetable products common under such cir-
cumstances, in consequence of the well known action of the mineral
poisons. We, therefore, do not restrict ourselves to any particular
proportions of the several ingredients.
And we do declare that what we especially claim as our Invention

page_text: is, namely, the use of sulphur combined with any oxides, sulphurets, or
salts of copper for the purposes herein described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edward Onslow Aston and George
Germaine, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twentieth
day of October, in the year of our Lord 1853.
EDWARD ONSLOW ASTON. (L.S.)
GEORGE GERMAINE. (L.S.)