A NEW AND IMPROVED METHOD OF APPLYING IRON IN THE SHEATHING OF SHIPS, AND OTHER VESSELS, AND OF APPLYING IRON BOLTS, SPIKES, NAILS, PINTALS, BRACES, AND OTHER FASTENINGS, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1828

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GRANVILLE
SHARP PATTISON, do send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty George the Fourth, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Fourth day of Sep-
tember now last past, did give and grant unto me, the said Granville Sharp
Pattison, my executors, administrators, and assigns, His special licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Granville Sharp Pattison,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within that part of His Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
called England, the Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and
also in all His Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, the Invention or dis-.
covery of "A NEW AND IMPROVED METHOD OF APPLYING IRON IN THE SHEATHING
OF SHIPS, AND OTHER VESSELS, AND OF APPLYING IRON BOLTS, SPIKES, NAILS, PINTALS,
BRACES, AND OTHER FASTENINGS, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS AND OTHER
VESSELS,"
," coinmunicated to me, the said Granville Sharp Pattison, by a
Foreigner residing abroad; in which Letters Patent thero is a proviso
obliging me, the said Granville Sharp Pattison, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and what manner the sanic is to be performed, to
be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar

page_text: months next and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, relation being thereunto had, may more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Granville Sharp Pattison, do hereby declare that the nature of the said
Invention or discovery is fully described and ascertained as follows, that is
to say :-
The New and Improved Method of. Applying Iron in the Sheathing of
Ships, and other Vessels, and of Applying Iron Bolts, Spikes, Nails, Pintals,
Braces, and other Fastenings used in the Construction of Ships and other
Vessels, consists in the applying iron in the above cases in such a way and
by such means as to prevent in a great measure, if not entirely, the corrosion,
rusting, or oxidation of the same; and it is effected by the following processes,
that is to say:-
1st, of the Iron Sheathing.-It is desirable, before the iron sheathing is
applied, that the bottom of the vessel should, as is usual, be well payed or
coated with tar, over which paper or felt is attached. The iron sheets should
be of the size of the copper sheets now used for this purpose. In applying
the iron for this purpose of sheathing vessels there must be attached to each
sheet, by soldering, rivetting, or otherwise, zinc plates, the sum of the areas
of which should bear to that of the iron about the proportion of 5 to 100, but
this precise proportion is not essential. It will be convenient to have the
zinc plates from a half to a whole inch in width, and about one eighth of an
inch in thickness. It is essential that zinc plates (or zinc in some form or
other) should be attached to both sides of the iron sheet. The area of the
zinc plates attached to the outside of the iron sheets should be larger than
that of the zinc plates attached to the inside; at least this is desirable, and the
proportion of three to two will be found convenient. The smoothest side of
the iron sheet should be selected for the outside, and the zinc plates to be
attached to this surface should be rivetted or soldered near that edge of the
sheet which, when attached to the vessel, will constituto its lowest edge. The
zinc plates that are to be attached to the under surface of the sheet may be
placed on any part thereof. The following arrangement of the zinc plates will
be found sufficiently convenient.

page_text: Supposing A and B, Fig. 1, to represent the iron sheet, area 100 square
inches; let C, D, be the zinc plates attached to the outer surface, the
area of which amounts to 3 square inches, & E, F, the zinc plates attached
to the inner surface, Fig. 2, the area of which amounts to 2 square inches;
when the sheet is attached to the bottom of the vessel there should be a
number of perforations through the zinc plates and iron sheets, suitable for
receiving nails; the iron sheets should likewise in other convenient parts,
as are usual in common sheathing, be punched, but in this case care must be
taken to punch the iron sheets with small holes barely sufficient to allow the
nails to pass through them, so that they may thereby come into intimate
contact with the iron sheets. These nails should have well-formed heads. It
is important that there should be the most intimate contact possible between
the iron sheet and iron nails, so that the influence of the zinc plates may also
extend from the iron sheet to all the iron nails. As in the arrangement of
the sheathing it is considered best that the lower sheets should lap over
those directly above, it will be convenient in applying the sheets to the
vessel to begin with the upper streak or row of sheets, and proceed downwards
towards the keel. If the first row of sheets, proceeding in this manner,
be arranged as in Fig. 1 and 2, then the upper end of the second streak
will lap over the zinc plates C, D, Fig. 1, which will be thus secured
from the direct action of the sea water. In nailing on the sheets, parti-
cular care should be taken that nails be driven through those holes or
perforations in the zinc plates and iron sheets into the bottom of the vessel.
The zinc plates and iron sheets should be secured in intimate contact by
rivetting or soldering; this, however, may be effected by nailing, or in any
other manner by which intimate metallic contact may be permanently effected,
but the above-described processes are considered the best. The more intimate
such contact is, the more perfect will be the protection. Any other arrange-
ment of the zinc plates upon the iron sheets will answer, provided they are
secured in intimate contact, and a portion of the zinc plates applied to both
surfaces of the iron sheets; but the arrangement as described is considered
the most convenient.
2ndly, of the Iron Bolts.-Those bolts which are buried in the wood, the
head alone being exposed to the sea water, are protected by placing beneath
the head of the bolt a plate or flat ring of zinc. The bolt should have a
broad well-formed head; the plate or flat ring of zinc should be about the
form and size of the head of the bolt; but this precise form and size are
not absolutely essential, provided the area of the zinc plate or flat ring
be to that of the surface of the whole bolt about as 5 to 100.
The plate of

page_text: zine should be from about to of an inch in thickness, with a hole perfo-
rated in its centre, so as to form a flat ring or washer, or burr as it is
sometimes called, and slipped over the shaft or shank of the bolt, so that
when it is driven well home the zinc plate will be in intimate contact with
the under surface of the head of the bolt. The contact between the zinc
plate and iron bolt should be as complete as possible, to secure which, the
under part of the head of the bolt should be freed from rust, dirt, and foreign
matter, and the bolt be driven well home. Those bolts which penetrate
through the walls or sides of the vessel will be more completely preserved by
placing plates or washers of zinc (in addition to those under the heads of the
bolts) over the inner ends of the bolts, and securing them by nuts of iron,
rivetted, screwed, or clenched, so that complete contact exist between the
nuts and zinc plates.
Thirdly, of the Iron Spikes.-Iron spikes are protected by means of
washers or plates of zinc in a manner similar to that described in speaking of
bolts. The proportion between the surface of the plate of zinc and that of
the spike should be as above described. The heads of the spikes should be
larger and better formed than those usually employed at present in ship
building; the spikes should be driven well home, so that their heads may be
in contact with the zinc plates. Whenever bolts or spikes are placed in those
parts of the vessel where they are constantly or even occasionally immersed in
the sea, the plank or other wood should be countersunk or excavated, so as
to admit the heads of the bolts or spikes below the external surface of the
plank or other wood; wooden plugs should then be driven tightly in over the
head of the bolt or spike, by which the free access of the sea water to the
zinc plate will be in some measure prevented. When so great an excavation
would weaken the plank or other wood too much, the object may be obtained
by having the head of the bolt or spike concave underneath, so that when it
is driven home the edges of the head of the bolt or spike will be driven into
the wood, so as to exclude sufficiently the access of the sea water to the
zinc plates. It is not the object of this arrangement to exclude entirely the
access of the sea water; this is neither desirable nor practicable, humidity
being indispensable to the protecting influence of the zine plates upon the iron
bolts or spikes. The object is as far as possible to place the bolt or spike
under similar circumstances as when immersed in small quantities of sea
water. This arrangement is not indispensable, but will be found beneficial
in imparting durability to the work.
Fourthly, of the Iron Nails.-The iron nails used as fastenings in ships
and other vessels will be sufficiently protected by having their heads made

page_text: larger than usual, of a circular form, and concave underneath, into which
cavity melted zinc may be poured, or in which a plate or flat ring of zinc
of a suitable size and thickness may be placed, and the nail driven well
home. The edges of the head of the nail will be driven into the wood, and
thus serve sufficiently to protect the ziuc plate from the free access of the
sea water.
Fifthly, of the Rudder Braces and Pintals.-Zinc plates, from a quarter to
a half of an inch in thickness or thereabouts, the areas of which bear to that
of the surface of the rudder braces about the proportion of five to one
hundred, are to be secured by rivetting or soldering, or in any other manner
which will secure intimate metallic contact to each pintal and. brace. It is
proper that a part of the zinc plates should be secured or each shank, and a
portion to both the inner and outer surfaces of the rudder braces and pintals;
perforations should be made through the zinc plates and rudder braces and
pintals. After the rudder braces and pintals have been secured in the usual
manner to the vessel and rudder, small spikes or large nails should then be
driven through the above-named perforations into the wood of the vessel and
rudder. It is highly desirable that the bolts, spikes, or other fastenings by
which the rudder braces and pintals are secured to the rudder, and vessel
should fit closely into the holes they are intended to occupy, so that when they
are driven home they shall be in as close contact as possible with the rudder
braces and pintals. Unless this is carefully attended to the preserving
influence of the zinc plates will not extend so perfectly from the rudder braces
and pintals. to these fastenings; or the bolts or spikes used for the securing
the pintals and braces to the rudder and vessel may pass through the zinc
plates. It should be observed, that though in this Specification the proportions
of zinc and iron to be used are stated to be about as five to one hundred for
preserving the iron fastenings and sheathing of ships and other vessels, yet it
is not indispensable that so large a portion of zinc should be used, and a
larger proportion than five to one hundred may be adopted if desired. In
all the instances mentioned in this Specification, where zinc plates or sheets
are used for preventing the oxydation or rusting of the iron fastenings and
sheathing of ships and other vessels, zinc, alloyed, mixed, or compounded with
small portions of other metals, especially copper, tin, and lead, may be substi-
tuted for the pure zinc. The most suitable proportions of such other metals
to that of the zinc will vary from three to ten per centum. In this Specifi-
cation plates, sheets, and washers of zinc of various forms and thicknesses
have been mentioned; it should, however, be observed that these particular
forms and thicknesses are not indispensable, but only such as have been found

page_text: most convenient in effecting the different objects of this Invention.
The
zine should be closely connected with both sides of the iron sheet; nails should
be driven through the perforations in the zinc plates and iron sheets into the
bottom of the vessel, and the other holes with which the sheet is perforated
should be barely large enough to allow the nails to pass.
Lastly, be it observed that the Invention as to the iron sheathing consists
in the combination of the iron sheets with the zinc plates, or zinc in some
other form attached on both sides thereof, and the application of the iron
sheets so combined for the sheathing of ships and other vessels, so that
thereby the corrosion of such sheathing which otherwise would arise from its
immersion in sea water is, in a great measure, if not entirely, prevented. And
as to the iron bolts, iron spikes, and iron nails used in the fastenings of ships
and other vessels, the Invention consists in the said combination of the same
with the zine washers, plates, or flat rings, and in the applying the same, when
so combined, to the purpose of such fastenings of ships or other vessels, so as
thereby to prevent in a great measure, if not entirely, the corrosion which
otherwise would arise from their immersion in sea water,
In witness whereof, I, the said Granville Sharp Pattison, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and twenty-nine.
M.D.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Fourth day of March,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Granville Sharp Pattison camo
before our Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifi-
cation aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above:
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute in that case made and provided.