IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING THE BOTTOMS OF IRON SHIPS AND VESSELS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Scott Russell, of Great George Street, West-
minster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING THE BOTTOMS
OF IRON SHIPS AND VESSELS."
Sealed the 18th May 1858, and dated the 15th March 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Scott Russell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th
March 1858.
I, JOHN SCOTT RUSSELL, of Great George Street, Westminster, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESERVING THE
BOTTOMS OF IRON SHIPS AND VESSELS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in preserving the bottoms
of iron ships and vessels. For these purposes the bottoms of iron ships and
vessels are first coated with varnish or substance which is non-conductive of
electricity, which may be prepared from resin, gum, bituminous, or other
suitable matter, after which a further coating or coatings of such like non-
conducting matters in combination with copper reduced to powder are applied;.
and such last-mentioned coating is burnished, by which a smooth polished
surface of copper is obtained to an iron ship or vessel, which is insulated from
the iron of the ship or vessel. I use the powder of copper obtained by the
process which is known as the wet way of precipitating pure copper when
extracting silver from ores, or I employ copper when precipitated or reduced
to powder by other means.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Scott Russell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th September 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SCOTT RUSSELL, of Great George Street, Westminster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Scott Russell, Her special licence that I, the said John Scott
Russell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Scott Russell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PRESERVING THE BOTTOMS OF IRON SHIPS AND VESSELS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said John Scott Russell, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, 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 John Scott Russell, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in preserving the bottoms
of iron ships and vessels. For these purposes the bottoms of iron ships and
vessels are first coated with varnish, or a substance which is non-conductive of
electricity, which may be prepared from resin, gum, bituminous or other
suitable matter, after which a further coating or coatings of such like non-
conducting matters in combination with copper reduced to powder are
applied, and such last-mentioned coating is burnished, by which a smooth
polished surface of copper is obtained to an iron ship or vessel, which is insu-
lated from the iron of the ship or vessel; I use the powder of copper obtained
by the process which is known as the wet way of precipitating pure copper
-

page_text: when extracting silver from ores, or I employ copper when precipitated or
reduced to powder by other means.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
my
In pre-
The bottoms of iron ships or vessels whether new or old are to be cleaned,
and they have usually a coating of red or other paint thereon, though this is
not necessary so long as the iron is as free as may be from rust.
paring the bottom of an iron ship or vessel for a coating according to:
Inven-
tion, I first apply a coating or coatings of a varnish which is a non-conductor
of electricity, for which gold size is cheap and convenient. I then apply a
coating or coatings of such or like varnish combined with a powder of metallic
copper, preferring to use as much of such powdered copper as the varnish
will carry. When dry and bard, I cause the bottom to be burnished or
rendered smooth by smooth metal or other burnishers rubbed over the surface
till a bright metallic surface of copper is produced, which will be found to
oxidize when subjected to sea water, and will act as copper sheathing does in
keeping the bottom of a ship or vessel clean. The powder of metallic copper
which I use is that obtained in the process which is known as the wet way of
precipitating when extracting silver from ores, or I employ metallic copper
precipitated or reduced to powder by other means.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Scott Russell, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
JNO. ALCOCK.
J. SCOTT RUSSELL. (L.S.)