US1120336A - Process of preserving remains. - Google Patents

Description

R. G. SCHNEE & P. W. RILEY. PROCESS OF PRESERVING REMAINS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8,1913.

1 1 20,336. Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT G. SCHNEE AND FRED W. RILEY, F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE. REPUBLIC MAUSOLEUM COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF-OHIO.

PROCESS OF PRESERVING REMAINS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented D ec. 8, 191

Original application filed March 20, 1913,'seriaino.7s5,11s. niw'dea 'ane this application filed September 1 8,1913. Serial No. 788,548.

To all whom; it may concern Be it known that we, ROBERT- G. Sonnet: and FRED W. RrnEY, citizens of the United States, residing at Cleveland, imthe county I maintain of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new'and useful Improvement inProcesses of Preserving Remains, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings. a

This invention relates to methods or processes of preserving remains, this application being I 755,718, filed March 20, 1913.

It is the general purpose of this invention to provide a process for preserving the remains ithin a crypt or compartment by ing within such cryptor compartment a'dry, germicidal atmosphere, whereby the remains will be desiccated, through their contact with such atmosphere, and the formation and discharge of liquidsofdecompositionlwill be prevented.

Referring to the drawings forming part hereof, Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional View through a mausoleum ofthe 'g'en eral character disclosed in out application aforesaid; Fig. 2 .a perspective view of one of the disinfecting cartridges placed within eachcrypt or compartment of the .mausoleum; and Fig. 3 a'similar view of one of the cartridges or containers for the moistureabsorbing material. I

In carrying out our invention, we place within the crypt or compartment containing the remains a sufficient number of t e moisture-absorbing receptacles to secure he absorption of allmoistnre given ofi from the remains into the atmosphere and to maintain such atmosphere dry within the crypt or compartment. We also place within each cryptor compartment a sufficient number of disinfecting'cartridges or containers to saturate the atmosphere with a germicidal gas over a long period of timesuflicient to cover the complete desiccation of the re mains by the action of the moisture absorba division of application No.

is in rapid progress at the time of interment, with the production of large quantities of gas suflicient to produce pressure within the crypt or compartment, means are provided for venting each I crypt or compartment Without, however, enablingthe external atmosphere to have access thereto and without the discharge of the escaping gases into any other crypt or compartment.

For the germicidal agent, formaldehyde.

is preferred, and this is preferably introduced into the crypt orcompartment-in. the shape of a cartridge consisting of an absorbent, such as asbestos, whichis saturated with a solution of formaldehyde gas. By saturating the absorbent with the solution, the

spilling of the same is prevented, and by inclosing the saturated absorbent within a sheet metal container, thefgas .is not given off into the atmosphere until such time as its use is desired. When this time arrives, the top of the casing may be perforated by any suitable tool, the perforations allowing of the gradual escape of the gas, over along period of time, into the atmosphere to be saturated. A sufficient number of these cartridges will be inserted into the crypt or compartment to maintain the atmosphere therein in a germicidal condition as long as may be necessary.

In the drawings, to which reference has been made hereinbefore, 1 denotes. the floor and2 theroof of a mausoleum. This roof will be provided with a suitable number of cross-draft fiues, one of which is indicated at 3, these being connected with the frost space 4 usual in buildings of granite and cement construction.

In the drawings, a single double tier of crypts is shown; but it will be evident that any suitable number of tiers may be pro-, vided, according to the dimensions of the mausoleum. Each crypt 5, as will be apparent from thedrawings, is independent of every other crypt, and is provided with a trapped vent 6 which is adapted to permit of the escape of any gases from within the crypt while preventing gases entering the same from without. A trapped vent of the character'shownin our application 755,718 may be employed forthis purpose.

The casket 7 is shown as resting upon cross rods 8 supported by ledges 9 projecting upwardly from the bottom 10 of the crypt. The space beneath these rods provides a convenient location for the car tridges 11 which contain'the moisture absorbent. These cartridges, when read for use, may be opened by stripping bac the cover 11 by means of a key, in a,wellknown manner. The cartridges 12 containing the germicidal agentmay be supported in any other convenient place, within the crypt, as on the cross rods 8, the sheet metal tops of the receptacles being perforated in the manner shown in Fig. 2, to permit the gradual escape of the gas. The remains may be exposed to the atmosphere within the crypt in any convenient manner, as by removing the lid of the casket, as indicated in the drawings. 7 A single disinfecting cartridge, if made in about the proportions indicated' in .the drawings, will be amply sufficient tofurnish all the disinfecting gas necessary to maintain a germicidal atmos' phere within the crypt throughout the entire period required for the desiccation of the remains. Should any gasesof decomposi tion be evolved, such gases will be neutralized by the germicidal gas; under ordinary conditions,-however,.no such ases will be evolved, since decomposition is prevented and the remains are thoroughly desiccated.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that we have produceda method or process whereby a dry, sterilizing atmosphere will be maintained .within a crypt or compartment, and fora length oftime suflicient to completely dry or: desiccate the remains without the production and discharge of liquids {of decomposition, and without the escape of noxious gases. It will also be evident *that, -by our process, decomposition is normally prevented and that, in

any eventfsuch decomposition will be rereduced to a minimum. It will also. be. evident that the foregomg process is entirely 'automatic in operation and that the agents er. tering into such process are contained within each crypt or compartment. Furthermore, these results are obtained with out the use of an extraneous agent and at a comparatively slight expense.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is 1. The "rocess of preserving remains which consists in inclosing the same within a receptacle which is sealed against the entrance of the external atmosphere, charging a receptacle which is sealed against the entrance of theexternal atmosphere, charging from a pointwithinthe receptacle the atmosphere therein with a germicidal a cut, automatically removing the moisture om the atmosphere within such receptacle, the

charging of the atmosphere with the germicidal agent and the removal of'the moisture therefrom conti'nuing' throughout the period required for the complete desiccation of the remains, and allowing the gaseous contents of the receptacle to escape 'from time to time should the pressure becomeexcessive.

3. The process of "preserving remains which consists in inclosmg the same within a receptacle which-is sealed against the entrance of external gases, placing .within said receptacle a germicidal liberator whereby the atmosphere within the receptacle willbe charged with such gas, and automatically removing the. moisture from, the atmoS- phere withinsuch receptacle, the charging of the atmosphere with thegermicidal gas and the removal of the moisture therefrom continuing throughout theperiod required for complete desiccation of thejremains.

4. The process of preserving remains which consists in inclosing the same within a receptacle which is sealed againstthe entrance of the external atmosphere, producing from a point within the receptacle a germicidal gas whereby the ,atmosphere within the receptacle is saturated with such gas, and removing,.through a drying agent placed within the receptacle, the'moisture from such atmosphere, the charging of the atmosphere with the germicidal gas and the removal of the moisture therefrom continuing throughout the period required for complete desiccation of the remains. 5. The rocess of preserving remains which consists in inclosing the same within a receptacle which is sealed against the entrance of the external atmosphere, discharging a germicidal agent from a cartridge placed within the receptacle, whereby the atmosphere is charged with such germicidal ,agent, and drying the atmosphere within the receptacle by a drying agent contained therein, the charging ofthe atmosphere with the germicidal gas and the removal of the moisture therefrom continuing throughout the period required for complete desiccation of the remains. p

6. The process of preserving remains which consists in inclosing the same in a receptacle which is sealed a ainst the entrance of the external atmosp ere, charging the atmosphere in said reoe tacle with gaseous formaldehyde libera within the receptacle, and subjecting the atmosphere-to the drying action of calcium oxid within the receptacle,the gaseous formaldehyde being gradually discharged into the atmosphere throughout a prolonged period of time suflicient for desiccation and the calcium oxid being present in suflicient quantity to complete the desiccation of the remains.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto affix 15 our signatures in the presence of two wit- BRENNAN B. Wns'r.

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