IMPROVED MEANS FOR THE PROTECTION OF SHIPS BOTTOMS AND OTHER SUBMERGED STRUCTURES OR SURFACES FROM FOULING OR CORROSION to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: I BENJAMIN LUMSDEN THOMSON of Gracechurch Street in the City of London
Merchant do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS
FOR THE PROTECTION OF SHIPS BOTTOMS AND OTHER SUBMERGED STRUCTURES
OR SURFACES FROM FOULING OR CORROSION to be as follows:-
"
The object of my Invention is to provide means whereby the application of
vitreous Copper, yellow metal or other metallic plates to the Hulls of ships or other
submerged or partly submerged structures or surfaces is greatly facilitated and
rendered more perfect.
In carrying my Invention into effect I take Cork or any description of wood or
other suitable material and fill up the recesses caused by the lapping of the metallic
protecting plates or I use ground or broken Cork or other material mixed with oil
and resin or other equivalent matter into a plaster or plastic state and rolled into
sheets of any required size or thickness. These sheets may have a backing of
canvas or paper or equivalent fabric on one or both sides. With these sheets I fill
or cover any recess-To cause them to adhere I use a solution of rubber glue or
any other suitable preparation such as that I at present use in attaching plates to
ships After I bave thus applied the said filling to the said recesses I cover the
entire surface to be protected with India rubber felt, cloth, or any textile fabric or
paper specially prepared then I cover the India rubber or other material thus
applied with vitreous copper or yellow metal plates which have already been
prepared by a solution of Tin or Glass or other compound or which are roughened
on the side which is to be affixed to the India rubber or other material the means
of attaching the one to the other being Rubber glue or other suitable adhesive as
before mentioned. One great advantage of filling the recesses as described is that
when zinc or other suitable nails are attached to the metal plates and these nails
are slightly longer than the depth of the recess over which I prefer to joint the
metal plates when the plates are put in their place and a slight blow given on the
plate where the nails are fixed the nails come into contact with the metallic plate
and their points are turned or clenched thus preventing the plates from becoming
loose another advantage of filling the recesses as aforesaid is that I produce an
even surface on the ship for the attachment of the metal plates.

page_text: To make the cork or wood or other substance which forms the filling as secure
as possible against the action of the water or attacks of any worms or animalculos
I immerse the same in a solution of specially prepared Creosote or other equivalent
suitable preservative liquid or I apply Creosote or the like to the substances by
other means.
In all cases I may use in combination with the means described the process of
vitrifying or enamelling the entire sides of vessels or any part thereof or of the
whole or part of any surface required to be covered by the plates prior to applying
the adhesive materials and plates.
I sometimes press the plates into their position by the assistance of inflated bags
and keep the pressure on the plates until thorough adhesion has taken place.
Dated this 97th day of March 1981
J. HENRY JOHNSON,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the said Benjamin Lumsden Thomson. 1

page_text: I BENJAMIN LUMSDEN THOMSON of Gracechurch Street in the City of London,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVED MEANS FOR
THE PROTECTION OF SHIPS' BOTTOMS AND OTHER SUBMERGED STRUCTURES OR
SURFACES FROM FOULING OR CORROSION," and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of my Invention is to provide means whereby the application of
vitreous copper, yellow metal or other metallic plates to the Hulls of Ships or other
submerged or partially submerged structures or surfaces is greatly facilitated, and
rendered more perfect.
In carrying my Invention into effect I take cork or any description of wood or
other suitable material of a like or equivalent nature and I fill up therewith the
recesses caused by the lapping of the metallic protecting plates, to give an even
surface for the attachment of the sheathing plates.
To make the cork or wood or other substance which forms the filling, as secure
as possible against the action of the water or attacks of any worms or animalculo
I immerse the same in a solution of Creosote or other equivalent suitable
preservative or I apply creosote or the like to the substance by other means-
I may use ground or divided Cork or other material of a like or equivalent nature
mixed with oil and resin or other equivalent matter into a plaster or plastic state.
This may be applied as a plaster to fill recesses or joints or it may be rolled into
strips or sheets of any required size or thickness. These sheets may have a
backing of canvas or paper or equivalent fabric (preferably soaked in India Rubber
solution, or other preservative) on one or both sides-With these sheets I fill any
recesses, or cover the surfaces or parts thereof-To cause them to adhere I uso a
solution of rubber, glue, or any other suitable preparation, such as that at present
used in attaching plates to ships-After I have thus applied the said filling or
covering I cover the entire surface to be protected with India rubber, felt, cloth or
any textile fabric or paper coated or saturated with India Rubber or equivalent
solution, then I cover the India rubber or other material thus applied with copper
or yellow metal (or the like) plates preferably tinned or coated with vitreous
material, which plates may be roughened on the side which is to be affixed to the
India Rubber or other material, the means of attaching the one to the other being
rubber, glue, or other suitable adhesive matter as before mentioned. The
roughening of the surface may be effected by scratching the metal, and then
putting on some adhesive compound, upon which sand is sprinkled. For attaching
the plates to one another and to the filling or sheets between them, and the ships
bull or other surface, I may use zinc or other nails driven through the metal plates
and the said filling or intervening sheets. These nails are slightly longer than the
thickness of the plates and the filling or intervening sheets combined, so that on
the nails being driven home they are fixed by the points thereof coming into
contact with the hull of the ship or other surface, their points being thereby turned
or clenched, thus preventing the plates from becoming loose.
In all cases I may use in combination with the means described, the process of
vitrifying or enamelling the entire sides of vessels or any part thereof, or of the
whole or part of any surface required to be covered by the plates, prior to applying
the adhesive materials and plates as described in the Specificiation of my application
for Patent 4658 dated tenth March One thousand eight hundred and eighty four.

page_text: I sometimes press the plates into their position by the assistance of inflated
bags and keep the pressure on the plates until thorough adhesion has taken place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
First: In the protection of iron or steel ships bottoms, and other equivalently
constructed submerged or partially submerged structures or surfaces, the employment
of cork or wood or material of a like or equivalent nature, treated or not with
creosote or other preservative, as a filling for the recesses caused by the lapping of
the plates of which such surfaces are composed, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Second: As a means to be employed in the protection of ship's bottoms and
other submerged or partially submerged structures or surfaces, a material formed
of ground or divided cork or material of a like nature mixed with a binding agent
such as oil or resin, or the like, to be applied at once as a plaster, or rolled into
strips or sheets, and with or without a fabric, on one or both sides, for application
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Third The protection of ships. bottoms or other submerged or partially
submerged structures or surfaces, by first applying thereto, or filling, or covering
the recesses thereof, with a material prepared as claimed by the second preceding
claiming clause, then covering the surface to be protected, with India Rubber,
prepared felt, cloth, paper or the like and afterwards applying metal plates (covered
or not with glass or tin or the like) substantially as herein before described.
Fourth In attaching protecting surfaces or plates to ship's bottoms or other
submerged or partially submerged structures or surfaces, the employment of inflated
bags for applying and maintaining the necessary pressure, substantially as herein-
beforo described.
Fifth Connecting protecting or sheathing plates of ships or other submerged
or partially submerged surfaces or structures, to each other and to the filling or
sheets of material intervening between the said plates and the ships hull or other
surface, by means of nails driven through the plates and intervening filling or
sheets, the said nails being of such a length as to be clenched by contact with the
ships hull or other surface, as herein beforo described.
Dated this twentieth day of December One thousand eight hundred and eighty