IMPROVEMENTS IN PROTECTING PROVISIONAL
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Lumsden Thomson, of Ingram Court,
Fenchurch Street, in the City of London, Merchant, and Thomas
Connolly, of Downham Road, Kingsland, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROTECTING
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Lumsden
Thomson and Thomas Connolly at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 7th September 1875.
We, BENJAMIN LUMSDEN THOMSON, of Ingram Court, Fenchurch
Street, in the City of London, Merchant, and THOMAS CONNOLLY, of
Downham Road, Kingsland, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PROTECTING SHIPS OR VESSELS AND OTHER SUBMERGED OR PARTIALLY SUBMERGED
SURFACES," to be as follows:
Our Invention has for its object protecting iron or other vessels or

page_text: other submerged or partially submerged surfaces from fouling, corrosion,
deterioration, and decay.
•
In order to effect this object we proceed in the following manner :—
We first prepare the side of the vessel or substances to which our metal
-or-other-preparations,-as-herein-after_mentioned, are to be applied by
first thoroughly cleaning and scraping the side of the vessel or substances
upon which we work free from all rust; we then thoroughly clean the
iron plates of the vessel or substances with a solution of naptha so as to
remove any remains of rust, grease, or foul substance; after which we
apply a varnish to the parts so cleaned consisting of caoutchouc and
litharge or other needful compounds reduced by naptha or other solvent.
We then, if necessary lay on the sides of the vessels or submerged
substances sheets of our prepared compounds, as herein-after mentioned,
in such sizes and thickness as may be found needful. Having so pre-
pared the substances alluded to we then prepare sheets of copper, yellow
metal, or zinc, cut in such sizes and thickness as we find necessary, and or
to prevent the possibility of galvanic or other chemical action of a danger-
ous nature setting in between our plates to be applied to ships or other
submerged substances we cover the inner surface of the sheets of copper
or other metals with a metallic film in order to reduce them to the same
electric potential as the iron of the vessel, so as to prevent the possibility
of galvanic action arising, should any accidental rupture of the copper
sheathing take place. We turn down or bevel the edges of the plates
of such metals as we may use, so as to provide additional protection
from galvanic action.
Our insulating adhesive compounds consists of caoutchouc or other
suitable substance combined-with-any sulphide of antimony or other
needful substances, as regards the first layer next to the metallic film on
the copper, and a second layer consisting of caoutchouc and other
suitable substances combined with litharge, oxide of zinc, silica, and
other suitable ingredients, to act as a strongly adhesive protective and
insulating material.
Our insulating adhesive compound possesses antifouling properties of
great value, from the fact that the mixture-consists-to-a-great-extent-of-
antimony, which being an irritant poison prevents the adhesion of bar-
nacles, mollusca, and the like.

page_text: they have been covered with the two layers of adhesive and insulating
materials or compounds and prior to their being placed on the sides of
vessels or other submerged substances, and whereby the inner layer will
become vulcanized, thus adding tenacity and increased insulating power
at the same time.
We further, in addition to the turned down or bevelled edge before
described, arrange
the joints, so far as the sheets of metals are concerned,
that there can be no possibility of their being open, the plates and the
layer of the compound being arranged so as to break joint, and they are
further specially protected by the under surface of the insulating and
adhesive compound being continuous. After we finish the covering of
vessels, as before described, up to the water line, or so far as may be
needful or desired, we leave a-band of our insulating and antifouling
compounds of any required width beyond the termination of the plates,
so as to avoid all chance of any galvanic or other dangerous action
setting in.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Benjamin Lumsden Thomson and Thomas
Connolly in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th March 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, BENJAMIN
LUMSDEN THOMSON, of Ingram Court, Fenchurch Street, in the City of
London, Merchant, and THOMAS CONNOLLY, of Downham Road, Kings-
land, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Benjamin Lumsden Thomson
and Thomas Connolly, Her special license, that we, the said Benjamin
Lumsden Thomson and Thomas Connolly, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Benjamin Lumsden
Thomson and Thomas Connolly, our executors, administrators, 'or
assigns, should at any time agree with and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,

page_text: 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROTecting Ships or
VESSELS AND OTHER SUBMERGED OR PARTIALLY SUBMERGED SURFACES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Benjamin Lumsden
Thomson and Thomas Connolly, our executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the
liand and seal of one of us, 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 Benjamin Lumsden Thomson
and Thomas Connolly, do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be 1
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment, that is to say :-
Our said Invention has for its object protecting iron or other ships or
vessels or other submerged or partially submerged surfaces from fouling,
corrosion, deterioration, and decay, and this object is attained by the 2
application to the sides of the vessel or other surfaces suitably prepared
sheets of copper, zinc, yellow metal, or other similar metals or alloys,
with the interposition between such sheets and the sides of the vessel or
other surfaces to be protected of a layer or layers of insulating adhesive
compounds, as herein-after described. The insulating adhesive com- 2
pounds may be applied either only to the inner surface of the metal
sheets before they are placed upon the vessel or other surfaces to be
protected, or to the exterior of the vessel or other surfaces, or both to the
inner surface of the metal sheets and to the exterior of the vessel or
other surfaces to be protected, as found desirable.
--
In carrying out our Invention wo proceed in the following manner :-
We prepare the side of the vessel or other surfaces to be protected by
first thoroughly scraping the same, and we then further clean it or them
with a solution of naphtha, so as to remove any remains of rust, grease,
or foul substance, after which we apply a varnish to the parts so cleaned, 3
consisting of caoutchouc and litharge or other suitable compounds
reduced-by-naphtha-or-other-solvent,-as-is-well-understood.-We-then-if-

page_text: The approximate total thickness which we have found suitable in
practice of the layers of insulating and adhesive compounds varies from
say, about inch to about inch, but this thickness may be increased
or diminished as found desirable.
We further apply heat to the sheets of copper or other metals or
alloys after they have been covered with the two layers of adhesive and
insulating materials or compounds, whereby the inner layer will become
vulcanized, thus adding tenacity and at the same time increased insu-
lating power. The copper or other metal sheets thus prepared are then
placed on the prepared sides of the vessel or other surfaces to be protected,
and caused to adhere by the application of pressure in any usual or
suitable manner.
When the sheets of the insulating and adhesive compound are applied
to the exterior of the vessel or other surfaces to be protected, in lieu of
or as well as to the inner surface of the copper or other metal sheets,
the metal sheets are arranged so as to break joint with the sheets of the
compound applied to the exterior of the vessel or other surfaces, as
before mentioned, so that the surface of the insulating and adhesive
compound beneath will be continuous at the parts where the joints of
the metal sheets occur.
:
We also in some cases employ on the under side of the plates at the
corners thereof small pieces of copper arranged so that each piece extends
beneath two adjoining plates, whereby the whole of the plates are
rendered mutually dependent for support in the case of an accidental
blow.
A band of any required width of our insulating and adhesive com-
pounds is also left beyond -the termination of the copper or other metal
sheets at the water line or other height to which it may be considered
necessary to carry them, so as to obviate all liability of any galvanic or
other dangerous action setting in.
Our insulating adhesive compound first mentioned possesses anti-
fouling properties of great value from the fact that the mixture consists
to a great extent of antimony, which being an irritant poison would in the
event of any accidental rupture or displacement of any of the plates
-prevent-the-adhesion-of-barnacles,-mollusca,.and.the.like.,

page_text: Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we consider
to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The application to the sides and bottoms of ships or vessels and
to other submerged or partially submerged surfaces prepared in the
manner before mentioned of sheets of copper, zinc, yellow metal, or
other similar metals or alloys, with the interposition between such sheets
and the surface to be covered of a layer or layers of insulating and
adhesive compounds, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before
described.
Secondly. The application and use of the before-mentioned insulating
and adhesive compounds, substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Benjamin Lumsden Thomson and
Thomas Connolly, have to this our Specification set our hands
and seals, this Third day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand sight hundred and sovente.siv
BEN. L. THOMSON. (L.s.)
THOS. CONNOLLY. (L.S.)
Witness to the signature of B. L. Thomson,
J. MAC KINLAY,
Ingram Court, Fenchurch St.,
E.C.
Witness to the signature of Tho. Connolly,
D. D. McPHAIL.