AN IMPROVED COMPOSITION FOR COATING OR COVERING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS."
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Smith, of Liverpool, in the County of Lan-
caster, Painter, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED COMPOSITION FOR
COATING OR COVERING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd.
November 1863.
I, JAMES SMITH, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Painter, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED COMPOSITION
FOR COATING OR COVERING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS," to be as follows:-
My Invention of "An Improved Composition for Coating or Covering the
Bottoms of Ships" has for its object to produce a greasy, unetuous, and at the
same time waterproof and durable composition, which, when applied to ships'
bottoms, whether constructed of wood or iron, will protect them, and prevent
barnacles or other marine animals, and sea weed or vegetable substances from
adhering thereto.
My improved composition consists of tallow, fat, or other solid grease, with
the addition of seal or other liquid oil for softening the grease or fat. To this
is added shellac dissolved in wood naphtha or other suitable solvent, and a
small quantity of gum thus, to modify to some extent the brittleness of the
shellac.
In carrying out the Invention I take, say, 1 cwt. of tallow or grease, and

page_text: 1 gallon of seal oil, and I heat these ingredients together until they nearly
boil; about 4 lbs. of shellac and 1 lb. of gum thus are then dissolved in
the naphtha or other solvent, and added to the melted tallow and oil while the
latter are hot. This composition may then be applied to the ships' bottom in
the ordinary manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd May 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
SMITH, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Painter, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said James Smith, Her special license that I, the said James
Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others us I, the
said James Smith, my 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 Invention for "AN IM-
PROVED COMPOSITION FOR COATING OR COVERING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Smith, 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 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 Smith, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):
My Invention of "An Improved Composition for Coating or Covering the
Bottoms of Ships" has for its object to produce a greasy, unctuous, and at the
same time waterproof and durable composition, which, when applied to ships'
bottoms, whether constructed of wood or iron, will protect them, and prevent

page_text: barnacles or other marine animals, and sea weed or vegetable substances from
adhering thereto.
My improved composition consists of tallow, fat, or other solid grease, with
the addition of seal or other liquid oil for softening the grease or fat. To this
is added shellac dissolved in wood naphtha, or other suitable solvent, and a
small quantity of gum thuss, to modify to some extent the brittleness of the
shellac.
In carrying out the Invention I take, say, ten hundredweight of tallow or
grease, and ten gallons of seal oil, or linseed oil, and I heat these ingredients
together until they nearly boil; I then add about six gallons of shellac varnish,
made by dissolving the shellac in naphtha, and two hundredweight of gum
thuss, dissolved in naphtha or other solvent. These ingredients are added to
the melted tallow and oil while the latter are hot. White lead and ochre may
be added to the composition for the purpose of coloring the same. This com-
position may then be applied to the ships' bottom in the ordinary manner, and
it will effectually prevent any marine animals or vegetation from adhering
thereto.
Having now described my Invention of "An Improved Composition for
Covering or Coating the Bottoms of Ships," and having explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect, I would observe that I do not mean to limit
myself rigidly to the precise proportions in which the several ingredients are
combined; but I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as
aforesaid, the use for the purposes above mentioned of a composition such as
that herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witnessed by
H. BENNETT,
170, Derby Road, Liverpool.
JAMES SMITH. (L.S.)