GB2465618A - A box like shroud and coffin liner combined - Google Patents

Abstract

A shroud (1) which also acts as a coffin liner comprises a flexible, box-like construction with base, end and side panels that are securable to the inner faces of a coffin, and binding means (8) for securing the shroud in position once it has been detached from the coffin (10) and wrapped around the body. Preferably, the binding means (8) comprises a plurality of tapes which are secured at their central regions to the base panel of the shroud, and project outwardly on each side off the shroud at right angles to the side panels. Alternatively the tapes may be secured to the seams between the side and base panels of the shroud. Alternatively pairs of tapes may be secured to the shroud on opposite sides of the base panel. Preferably the side and end panels of the shroud have extending flaps and the shroud is made of natural materiel compatible with dissolution by an alkaline hydrolysis process.

Description

A SHROUD

The present invention relates to a shroud for use, in particular, when human remains are to be disposed of using an alkaline hydrolysis process.

The disposal of human remains using alkaline hydrolysis is currently under consideration in the USA as a more environmentally friendly process of disposing of human remains than cremation. The process involves heating the remains to around 160°C in a pressure vessel whilst they are bathed in a mixture of water and potassium hydroxide. This effectively dissolves the body to produce a liquid containing amino acids, peptides, sugars and salts and a solid bone shadow' comprised of calcium phosphate, which can be readily crushed to powder. The liquid is recycled back to the ecosystem, for example by being applied to a memorial garden or the like, and the powdered remains can be returned to the next of kin in the same way as ashes after cremation.

It will be appreciated that in cremation, the coffin is cremated along with the body. However, wooden or cardboard coffins cannot be readily subjected to the alkaline hydrolysis process as they do not readily break down at the same rate as the body. Preferably, therefore, the human remains are wrapped in a dissolvable shroud before being placed in the pressure vessel. Typically, the shroud is made of silk or other organic fabric which will break down and dissolve at the same rate as the body.

There are two problems that arise with regard to the use of such a shroud. The first is the way that the remains will be presented to mourners before and during the funeral and the second is the way that the body can be handled thereafter by the staff operating the hydrolysis process. It is usual for mourners to wish to view a body prior to a funeral and for a coffin to be used for the funeral ceremony but it is also important that thereafter the dignity of the body is preserved and that staff operating the hydrolysis apparatus, who unlike professional undertakers or mortuary staff, are not required to see or directly handle remains that are not fully shrouded.

The object of the present invention is to overcome the aforementioned problems.

According to the present invention there is provided a shroud that also acts as a coffin liner comprising a flexible, box-like construction with base, end and side panels that are securable to the inner faces of a coffin and a binding means for securing the shroud in position once it has been detached from the coffin and wrapped around a body.

Preferably the binding means comprises a plurality of tapes which are attached to or adjacent to the base panel of the shroud. In one embodiment the tapes are secured to a central part of the base panel of the shroud.

Advantageously, each tape is attached at its central region to the shroud and projects outwardly on each side of the shroud at right angles to the side panels In another embodiment the tapes are secured to seams between the side and the base panels of the shroud. In this embodiment, preferably pairs of tapes are secured to the shroud such that each tape of a pair is secured in a similar position to the other tape of the pair but on an opposite side of the base panel.

Preferably also, the side and end panels of the shroud are extended by means of separate or integrally formed flaps that can be folded to lie adjacent the side and end panels respectively while the shroud is acting as a coffin liner and that can be folded over the body prior to securement of the binding means when the shroud is wrapped around the body.

Preferably also, the shroud is wholly comprised of material compatible with dissolution by an alkaline hydrolysis process.

Advantageously, the shroud is comprised of cloth made wholly from natural fibres.

Further preferred but non-essential features of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

An example of the present invention will now described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shroud in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a an end view of the shroud shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a transverse cross-section of a coffin showing the location of the shroud shown in Figs. land 2 when in use as a coffin liner, the lid of the coffin being omitted; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the coffin shown in Fig. 3 during \vrapping of a body contained within the coffin with the shroud; and Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing a shrouded body within the coffin immediately prior to closure of the coffin.

In accordance with the present invention a shroud 1 for use in an alkaline hydrolysis process for disposal of human remains is made wholly from material compatible with dissolution by an alkaline hydrolysis process.

Preferably, this means that the shroud 1 is made wholly from cloth and sewing yarn comprised of natural fibres. For example, these fibres may be silk, cotton, linen, wool or a mixture of these.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the shroud 1 comprises a plurality of panels that are sewn together to create flexible box-like construction with a base panel 2, opposing end panels 3 and opposing side panels 4. It will be appreciated that the pattern for the shroud 1 may be such as to enable the base panel to be integral with either the end panels 3 or the side panels 4.

Alternatively all of the panels 2, 3 and 4 can be cut out separately and sewn together.

To enable the shroud 1 to cover a body completely when in use, the end panels 3 and the side panels 4 are extended by means flaps 5 and 6 respectively. These flaps 5, 6 can be integrally formed with the panels 3 and 4 or be cut out separately and secured thereto. As described below, these flaps and 6 are folded down to lie adjacent the end and side panels 3 and 4 when the shroud is acting as a coffin liner but are folded over a body 7 when the shroud is to be secured to the body 7.

A binding means for securing the shroud 1 in position once it has been detached from the coffin and wrapped around a body is also provided. This binding means comprises a plurality of tapes 8 which are used to consolidate the shroud 1 around the body 7 after wrapping and to secure it to the body 7 by tying. In the illustrated embodiment, a plurality of tapes 8 are attached at their centre to a central portion of the base panel 2 of the shroud 1, as at 9, so that they projects outwardly on each side of the shroud 1 at right angles to the side panels 3. Preferably at least four tapes 8 are provided and these are spaced longitudinally along the length of the base panel 2. In another embodiment (not illustrated), tapes could be secured into stitched seams between the side panels 4 and the base panel 2. Pairs of such tapes would be secured to the shroud such that each tape of a pair is secured in a similar position to the other tape of the pair but on an opposite side of the base panel 2.

As it is advantageous for a shroud ito be produced in a standard size that could be used in most coffins, it is expected that the base panel 2 would have dimensions of the order of 1880 mm x 510 mm and that the height of the panels 3 and 4 would be of the order of 300 mm. The flaps S and 6 can each project around 500 mm beyond the upper edges of the end and side panels 3 and 4. The tapes 8 are each preferably around 2100 mm long and secured in the middle along the central region of the base panel 2.

In use, the shroud 1 is first use to line a coffin 10 a shown in Figs. 3 to 5. While a conventional coffin 10 could be used, preferably the coffin 10 is a demountable coffin or coffin liner, for example as described in EP 1457065.

Such a coffin liner has the appearance of a conventional wooden coffin but has side and end panels which can be dismantled from a base panel after a funeral to permit the remains of the deceased, which are disposed therein within an inner inexpensive coffin to be readily removed for cremation. In the present invention, however, the remains of the deceased would be wrapped in the shroud 1 rather than being retained in an inner coffin.

As a result of the box-like construction of the shroud 1, initially the shroud is used to line the coffin 10 with the base, end and side panels 2, 3 and 4 lying adjacent the equivalent inner faces of the coffin 10. The flaps 5 and 6 are folded down adjacent the inner faces of the end and side panels 3 and 4 but they could be folded out of view between the coffin 10 and the outer faces of the panels 3 and 4. Similarly the tapes 8 are located along the inner lower edges of the sides of the coffin so that they are hidden by the base panel 2 and the end and side panels 3 and 4. The end and side panels 3 and 4 are held in position within the coffin 10 by means of clips 11, which have preferably been secured beforehand to the inner sides of the coffin 10.

As the shroud 1 cannot be made of a watertight material, preferably a conventional waterproof coffin lining 12 is also located within the coffin between the shroud 1 and the coffin 10. In addition, a pillow (not shown) may also be located within beneath the shroud 1 within the coffin 10 to support the head of the corpse. The body of the deceased can then be located in the coffin 10. The body may be covered with an appropriate covering, which can be removed prior to closure of the coffin 10, or it can be dressed, as is conventional, in an appropriate garment or garments that will dissolve in the alkaline hydrolysis procedure along with the body.

Immediately prior to closure of the coffin 10, which in most cases takes place just before transportation of the body to the funeral, the shroud 1 is detached from the sides of the coffin 10 and used to wrap the body 7, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. This is readily accomplished by detaching the shroud 1 from the clips 11, pulling up the flaps 5, 6 and folding them and the end and side panels 3 and 4 over the body so that the body is fully enveloped by the shroud 1. The shroud 1 is then secured in position by bringing the tapes 8 up around the body and tying them over the top of the body, as shown in Fig. 5.

The lid can then be fitted to the coffin 10.

After the funeral at the location where the alkaline hydrolysis of the body is to take place, the shrouded body 1 can be removed from the coffin 10 and placed directly within the pressure chamber of the hydrolysis apparatus.

Preferably, the coffin 10 will facilitate this procedure by being demountable, as described above. At all times during this procedure, it will be appreciated that the dignity of the deceased is maintained and the personnel operating the hydrolysis apparatus need never see or come into direct contact with the body.

Claims (10)

1. CLMMS1. A shroud that also acts as a coffin liner comprising a flexible, box-like construction with base, end and side panels that are securable to the inner faces of a coffin and a binding means for securing the shroud in position once it has been detached from the coffin and wrapped around a body.
2. 2. A shroud as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the binding means comprises a plurality of tapes which are attached to or adjacent to the base panel of the shroud.
3. 3. A shroud as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the tapes are secured to a central part of the base panel of the shroud.
4. 4. A shroud as claimed in Claim2 or Claim 3, wherein each tape is attached at its central region to the shroud and projects outwardly on each side of the shroud at right angles to the side panels.
5. 5. A shroud as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the tapes are secured to seams between the side and the base panels of the shroud.
6. 6. A shroud as claimed in Claim 5, wherein pairs of tapes are secured to the shroud such that each tape of a pair is secured in a similar position to the other tape of the pair but on an opposite side of the base panel.
7. 7. A shroud as claimed in any of Claims ito 6, wherein the side and end panels of the shroud are extended by means of separate or integrally formed flaps that can be folded to lie adjacent the side and end panels respectively while the shroud is acting as a coffin liner and that can be folded over the body prior to securement of the binding means when the shroud is wrapped around the body.
8. 8. A shroud as claimed in any of Claims ito 7, that is wholly comprised of material compatible with dissolution by an alkaline hydrolysis process.
9. 9 A shroud as claimed in any of Claims ito 8, that is comprised of cloth made wholly from natural fibres.
10. 10. A shroud hat also acts as a coffin liner substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.