IMPROVEMENTS IN PROTECTING IRON SHIPS AND VESSELS FROM CORROSION
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Clutton Blair Salt, of Birmingham, in the.
County of Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PROTECTING IRON SHIPS AND VESSELS FROM CORROSION."
Sealed the 12th July 1864, and dated the 9th February 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Clutton Blair Salt
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th February 1864.
I, JOHN CLUTTON BLAIR SALT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PROTECTING IRON SHIPS AND VESSELS FROM CORROSION," to be
as follows:-
My Invention consists in protecting iron ships and vessels from corrosion by
coating the iron plates of which the ship or vessel is built with glass or enamel,
and covering the rivets and junctions of the plates with glass or enamel in the
manner herein-after explained I coat or cover the iron plates of which the
ship or vessel is built with glass or enamel in the same way as hollow ware and
various articles of iron are now commonly coated, that is, either by spreading
on one side of the cleansed plate powdered glass or enamel made into a pulp with
water, or by covering the plate with gum water or other adhesive matter, and
dredging or dusting powdered glass or enamel thereon. By the application of
heat the glass or enamel is fused on the plate, and adheres firmly thereto. In
building the ship or vessel the plates are joined together by rivetting in the

page_text: usual way. After the rivetting of the plates has been completed, and the
junctions have been caulked, I fuse glass or enamel over the heads of the
rivets and over the caulking, and at the same time repair the glass or enamel
on the parts of the plates around the rivet holes or elsewhere where it may
be required; I effect this covering of the rivet heads and the caulking and
repair the glass or enamel around the rivet holes or elsewhere by means of
glass or enamel fused on the said parts by means of a blow pipe or otherwise.
In this way the whole of the outside of the ship or vessel, or that part exposed
to the corrosive action of water, may be covered with a continuous or unbroken
coating of glass or enamel, and the iron of which the ship or vessel is built
effectually protected from corrosion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Clutton Blair Salt in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 3rd August 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CLUTTON BLAIR SALT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Clutton Blair Salt, Her special licence that I, the said
John Clutton Blair Salt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Clutton Blair Salt, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROTECTING IRON SHIPS AND VESSELS FROM CORROSION,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Clutton Blair Salt,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said John Clutton Blair Salt, 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 :-
My Invention consists in protecting iron ships and vessels from corrosion
by coating the iron plates of which the ship or vessel is built with glass or
enamel, and covering the rivets and junctions of the plates with glass or
enamel in the manner herein-after explained. I coat or cover the iron plates
of which the ship or vessel is built with glass or enamel in the same way as
hollow ware and various articles of iron are now commonly coated, that is,
either by spreading on one or both sides of the cleansed plate powdered glass
or enamel made into a pulp with water, or by covering the plate with gum
water or other adhesive matter, and dredging or dusting the powdered glass or
enamel thereon. By the application of heat the glass or enamel is fused on
the plate and adheres firmly thereto. In building the ship or vessel the plates
are joined together by rivetting in the usual way. After the rivetting of the the
plates has been completed, and the junctions have been caulked, I fuse glass
or enamel over the heads of the rivets and over the caulking, and at the same
time repair the glass or enamel on the parts of the plates around the rivet
holes or elsewhere where it may be required; I effect this covering of the rivet
heads, and the caulking, and repair the glass or enamel fused on the said parts
by means of a blow pipe. In this way the whole of the outside and inside of
the ship or vessel, or that part exposed to the corrosive action of water, may be
covered with a continuous or unbroken coating of glass or enamel, and
the iron of which the ship or vessel is built effectually protected from
corrosion.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe
the manner in which the same is to be performed. In coating the iron plates
with glass or enamel, I clean the said iron plates by means of dilute sulphuric
acid and by scouring the same in the manner which is well understood and
commonly practised, and I coat them with the glass or enamel by spreading
the said glass or enamel in a state of fine powder and made into a pulp with
water, or I use the powdered glass or enamel in a dry state, the plate to be
glazed or enamelled being in this case covered with a coating of gum water or
other adhesive matter. The powdered glass or enamel is dusted or dredged
on the plate and is retained by the adhesive matter. The glass or enamel
thus attached to the plate on one or both sides is fused thereon in a muffle.
As the process described of coating or enamelling the plates is well understood
and commonly practised, I have not thought it necessary to describe the said

page_text: process minutely. In building the ship or vessel the coated or enamelled
plates are joined together by rivetting in the usual way, the junctions of the
plates are caulked, and I fuse glass or enamel over the heads of the rivets and
over the caulking, and repair the glass or enamel in any parts where it may
have been cracked or injured during the rivetting of the plates. The fusing
of the glass or enamel on the rivet heads and on the caulking is most con-
veniently effected by means of a blow pipe. Any kind of flame urged by a
blow pipe may be employed, but I prefer to use a blow pipe in which a mixture
of hydrogen or coal gas with atmospheric air is employed, such as is commonly
employed by brazers and others for brazing or joining metals. The glass or
enamel is applied to the rivet heads and caulking by heating the said rivet
heads and caulking by means of a blow pipe, and when sufficiently heated
applying the powdered glass or enamel thereto and fusing it thereon by means
of the blow pipe.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my
Invention the improvements in protecting iron ships and vessels from corrosion
herein-before described, that is to say, by coating the iron plates of which the
ship or vessel is built with glass or enamel, and after the ship or vessel has
been built or partially built, or the said plates have been rivetted together,
coating the rivet heads and junctions of the plates with glass or enamel so as
to form a continuous coating or covering of glass or enamel on the exterior
or both on the exterior and interior of the ship or vessel, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Clutton Blair Salt, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JOHN CLUTTON BLAIR SALT. (L.S.)