IMPROVEMENTS IN PREVENTING THE FOULING OF SHIPS' BOTTOMS, AND IN CLEANSING THE SAME WHEN FOULED
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Hett, of the City of London, Doctor of
Medicine, and Frederick William Basset, of Camberwell, in the County
of Surrey, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PREVENTING THE FOULING OF SHIPS' BOTTOMS, AND IN CLEANSING THE SAME
WHEN FOULED."
Sealed the 25th September 1863, and dated the 9th April 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Hett and Fre-
derick William Basset at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 9th April 1868.
We, ALEXANDER HETT, of the City of London, Doctor of Medicine, and
FREDERICK WILLIAM BASSET, of Camberwell, in the County of Surrey, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PREVENTING THE FOULING OF SHIPS' BOTTOMS, AND IN CLEANSING THE
SAME WHEN FOULED," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists in the application of water raised to a sufficiently
high degree of temperature, or of either hot or cold water charged with
metallic salts or other poisonous substances, or of hot air, smoke, or of
gases,
to the external surface of a ship's bottom, so that on being discharged from
the pipes or conduits which convey them, they are brought in contact with
and exert an influence over any vegetable or animal organism (which may
have attached itself or become attached thereto) either destroying life therein
or causing the loosening of its attachment to the bottom.

page_text: When we make use of water or air we first raise these bodies to a suffi-
ciently high degree of temperature, and then we force them through pipes or
conduits to any part of the ship's bottom to which they are to be applied.
In the case of steam vessels, in addition to heating water or air for the
purpose, we make use of the hot water which is blown off or discharged from
the boilers in the usual way of working. We likewise use the heated air and
smoke, together with the other products of combustion which are found in
and may be easily obtained from the smoke stack or funnel. The pipes or
conduits employed may be either permanent appliances fixed to the ship's
bottom, or made to be removable at pleasure.
In some cases we make a second metallic skin or covering of the vessel at
a short distance from the outer or main one, and between the two we force in
hot water, hot air, or smoke, which by heating the external surface of the
outer skin or covering produce the same results as if they were applied
directly to the external surface of the ship's bottom by means of pipes or con-
duits, as herein-before described.
Ships' bottoms need only be submitted to the treatment herein-before
described for such periods and at such intervals of time as in practice may be
found necessary, and when the vessel is either in a state of rest or in motion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Hett and Frederick William Basset in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 9th October 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ALEX-
ANDER HETT, of the City of London, Doctor of Medicine, and FREDERICK
WILLIAM BASSET, of Camberwell, in the County of Surrey, Civil Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight. hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Alexander Hett and Frederick William Basset, Her special licence that
we, the said Alexander Hett and Frederick William Basset, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Alexander Hett
and Frederick William Basset, 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

page_text: 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 PREVENTING THE FOULING OF SHIPS' BOTTOMS, AND IN
CLEANSING THE SAME WHEN FOULED," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said Alexender Hett and Frederick William Basset, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said Alexander Hett and Frederick
William Basset, 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 :-
The nature of our said Invention of improvements in preventing the
fouling of ships' bottoms, and in cleansing the same when foul, consist in the
application of water raised to a sufficiently high degree of temperature, or of
steam, or of either hot or cold water charged with metallic salts or other
poisonous substances, such as arsenic (for instance), or of hot air, smoke, or
of carbonic acid or other suitable gases to the external surface or covering of
a ship's bottom, in such a manner that they are brought in contact with and
exert an influence over any animal or vegetable organism which may have
attached itself or become attached thereto, either destroying life therein or
causing the loosening of its attachment to the bottom.
$
When we make use of hot water, hot air, smoke, or gas, we first raise these
bodies to a sufficiently high degree of temperature, such, for instance, as from
110 degrees Fahrenheit upwards, that is, sufficiently high to produce the
effect. desired, and, then we force them by means of a pump or fan through
suitable pipes or conduits to any part of the ship's bottom to which they aro
to be applied. When we heat water for this purpose in boilers or close
vessels, or make use of water which has been so heated, the pressure of the.
steam on the surface of the water in the boiler or close vessel will drive or
force the hot water therein contained through or along the pipes or conduits,
and render a force-pump or fan unnecessary.
In the case of steam vessels, in addition to heating water for the purpose,
we take advantage and make use of the hot water which is blown off or
discharged from the boilers in the usual course of working; we likewise use the
heated air and smoke, together with the other products of combustion which
are found in and may be easily obtained from the smoke stacks or chimneys,

page_text: and drawn from them, and forced through the pipes or conduits by means of
the before-mentioned pumps or fans. The pipes, tubes, or conduits are to
have holes or apertures at suitable distances for the escape and even distri-
bution of the water, smoke, hot air, or gases. The pipes or conduits employed
may be either permanent appliances fixed to the ship's bottoms or so con-
structed as to be applied and removed at pleasure.
It would be useless to the practical man to lay down rules as to the precise
size or shape of the pipes or conduits above referred to, or give the exact
size of the openings or perforations aforesaid, or to specify the exact situation
on the ship's bottom to which they should be applied, as it will be obvious all
these would be varied with size, shape, and construction of the vessel or ship,
(if flat-bottomed or not, if constructed of wood, or if copper-bottomed, or of
iron), to which this our Invention is to be applied. In some cases we make a
second metallic skin or covering to the vessel at a short distance from the
usual outer or main one, and between these two we force in hot water, steam,
hot air, or smoke, which, heating the external surface of the outermost
skin or covering, will produce the same effect as if they were applied directly
to the external surface of the ship's bottom by means of pipes or conduits as
herein-before described. Whatever methods of application of heat, poisonous
fluids, or vapours be adopted, they need only be kept in operation for such
short periods and at such intervals of time as in practice may be deemed
requisite, and either when the vessel is at rest or in motion.
As an example (for the sake of illustration), we would, in a steam ship or
vessel, provide a conduit or pipe which should open into and proceed from
the boiler at some point below the water level, and be carried through the side
of the vessel to a point where it should be connected with and open into fixed
perforated pipes or conduits placed on or let into the outside of the vessel on
each side of the keel, so as to insure the distribution of the heated water over
the surface of the bottom. The pipe or conduit first mentioned should, after
leaving the boiler, be furnished with a stop-cock or stop-valve, so as to shut
off connection with the boiler when not required to be used. The pipes used
in steam ships or vessels for conveying the blow-off water to the outside of the
vessel may be led into the said pipe or conduit first mentioned instead of into
the sea, and the blow-off thus rendered useful for the purposes of our
Invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we hereby
declare that we claim the use of heated water, heated air, steam, or poisonous
substances, vapours, or gases, whether heated or not heated, or smoke distri-

page_text: buted over or upon or applied to ships' bottoms for preventing the fouling
thereof, and in cleansing the same when fouled.
In witness whereof, we, the said Alexander Hett and Frederick William
Basset, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Ninth day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-three.
Witness,
GEORGE MARSHALL.
ALEXANDER HETT.
(L.S.)
FREDERICK WILLIAM BASSET. (L.S.)