A NEW OR IMPROVED ANTI-FOULING COMPOSITION FOR COATING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Niccol Baird and Ernest Gibson Baird; both of
Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, for an Invention of
"A NEW OR IMPROVED ANTI-FOULING COMPOSITION FOR COATING THE
BOTTOMS OF SHIPS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Niccol Baird and
Ernest Gibson Baird at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
27th July 1880.
FRANCIS NICCOL BAIRD and ERNEST GIBSON BAIRD, both of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark North Britain. "A NEW OR IMPROVED ANTI-FOULING
COMPOSITION FOR COATING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS."
This Invention relates to a new or improved composition for coating the
bottoms of ships, for the purpose of preventing fouling, or adhesion thereto of
barnacles and other marine animal or vegetable life, and which is designed to be
more efficient, durable, and economical in use than anti-fouling compositions as
hitherto prepared.
"
of
The Invention consists essentially in the preparation of a new anti-fouling
composition by the admixture or combination with ordinary "metallic soaps
various proportions of paraffin wax or scale, (or other similar products of paraffin or
petroleum), which may either be added to the metallic soaps of commerce, or
introduced and combined with the ingredients of such soaps during their manu-
facture.
'
In preparing the new or improved composition, we prefer to use previously
manufactured metallic soaps, but when such are not available the composition is
prepared by first making an ordinary soap from tallow or other fatty matter
combined with an alkali in the usual way. The soap is then dissolved in water
and a quantity of sulphate of copper in solution is added, when the tallow or fat
combines with the copper salt, and a portion of the alkali remains in solution and is
drained off with the water, leaving what is commonly known as a metallic soap.
To this soap we then add a quantity of paraffin wax or scale (or other similar
product of paraffin or petroleum), varying, according to the quality of anti-fouling
composition to be produced, from a very small proportion to about 50 per centum

page_text: by weight or even more. The whole is then heated in any convenient vessel and
stirred or otherwise intimately mixed, and is then ready for use as a composition
for coating ships. When a small percentage only of paraffin wax or scale is
combined with the metallic soap, tallow or grease may be added with advantage,
and the cost of the composition may be reduced by adding a quantity of shellac,
rosin, or other resinous substance with a sufficient quantity of spirit of wine, naptha,
paraffin oil, or petroleum, or any other oil or oily grease (say about 150 per
centum of the metallic soap), to make the composition of such consistency that
when melted it can be readily applied to the bottoms of ships. Any other ordinary
metallic soaps which have been previously manufactured may be taken and heated
with varying proportions of paraffin wax or scale, as already described, depending
on the ingredients of the soap, to combine.the whole into a homogeneous mixture
for use as an effective anti-fouling composition in accordance with this Invention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Francis Niccol Baird and Ernest Gibson Baird in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 22nd January 1881.
FRANCIS NICCOL BAIRD and ERNEST GIBSON BAIRD, both of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain. "A NEW OR IMPROVED ANTI-FOULING
COMPOSITION FOR COATING THE BOTTOMS OF SHIPS."
Our said Invention relates to a new or improved composition for coating the
bottoms of ships, for the purpose of preventing fouling, or adhesion thereto of
barnacles or other marine animal or vegetable life, and which is designed to be
more efficient, durable, and economical in use than anti-fouling compositions as
hitherto prepared.
Our Invention consists essentially in the preparation of a new anti-fouling
composition by the admixture or combination with ordinary "metallic soaps" of
various proportions of paraffin wax or scale (or other similar products of paraffin
or petroleum), which may either be added to the metallic soaps of commerce, or
introduced and combined with the ingredients of such soaps during their manu-
facture.
In preparing the new or improved composition, we prefer to use previously
manufactured metallic soaps, but when such are not available the composition is
prepared by first making an ordinary soap from tallow or other fatty matter
combined with an alkali in the usual way. The soap is then dissolved in water
and a quantity of sulphate of copper in solution is added, when the tallow or fat
combines with the copper salt, and a portion of the alkali remains in the solution
and is drained off with the water, leaving what is commonly known as a metallic
soap. To this soap we then add a quantity of paraffin wax or scale (or other
similar product of paraffin or petroleum), varying, according to the quantity of anti-
fouling composition to be produced, from a very small proportion to about 50 per
centum by weight or even more. The whole is then heated in any convenient
vessel and stirred or otherwise intimately mixed, and is then ready for use as a
composition for coating ships. When a small per centage only of paraffin wax or
scale is combined with the metallic soap, tallow or grease may be added with
advantage, and the cost of the composition may be reduced by adding a quantity
of shellac, rosin, or other resinous substance, with a sufficient quantity of spirit of
wine, naptha, paraffin oil, or petroleum, or any other oil or oily grease (say about
150 per centum of the metallic soap), to make the composition of such consistency,
that when melted it can be readily applied to the bottoms of ships.
According to our Invention any other ordinary metallic soaps which have been
previously manufactured may be taken and heated with varying proportions of
paraffin wax or scale, as already described, depending on the ingredients of the
soap, to combine the whole into homogeneous mixture for use as an effective anti-
fouling composition.
Having now described our said Invention and the manner of performing the
same, we wish it to be understood that what we claim as our Invention is, the
preparation of an anti-fouling composition for coating the bottoms of ships by
combining, in the manner herein described, a proportion or quantity of paraffin

page_text: wax or scale, or similar products of paraffin or petroleum, with ordinary metallic
soaps, or with the ingredients of such soaps.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Niccol Baird, on behalf of myself and
the said Ernest Gibson Baird, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Twenty first day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER, C.E.,
96, Buchanan Street,
Glasgow.
FRANCIS N. BAIRD. (L.S.)