US183228A - Improvement in ice-caskets - Google Patents

Description

NITED` STATES .PATENT OFFICE.

HUGH G. STEWART AND ALMARINE A. GWALTNEY, OF BALTIMORE, MD.

IMPROVEMENT IN ICE-GASKETS.

Specilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 183,228, dated October 10, 1876; application led June l2, 1876.

to the letters of reference marked thereon,

which form a part of this specification.

Our improvements in ice-caskets consist, first, in making the saine in four sections; second, in making the cooling-board in sections consisting of several ice-boxes, all of which will be fully explained in the following speciiication.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a top view of our improved ice-casket. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a detached view, and Fig. 4 is a funnel for filling the broken ice into the boxes.

Our improved ice-casket is made in four sections, A, B, C, and D, as shown in Fig. 2. The top section A is attached by screws, and removable in the usual manner. The bottom D is also fastened by screws, and may be removed and replaced when swollen by wet or cracked and injured, so as not to be longer serviceable. This is an important practical matter, because ice-caskets generally become worthless by rst cracking or warping of the bottom by wet, and consequently must be thrown aside; but in our invention the lower section D may be removed and replaced by a new piece, and thus the casket is cheaply repaired. The third section, C, is a little higher than the cooling-board or ice-boxes E F G, which will soon be described, and by the removal o f the section B the body may be put in place without difficulty; and in many cases, as in yellow fever, it is difficult, if not impossible, to lay the body into the casket without dropping the head or limbs; but with the section B removed the main difficulty disappears. Our coolingboard consists of several sections, E F G, with central divisions e f g, and with covers, as seen in Fig. 2. These boxes are to be filled out-ofdoors, and then brought into the house after the two lower sections C and D have been placed in position. on short legsor feet, so as to keep them above the drip.v The side and head ice-boxes H I K are to be set in place after the corpse is in position. A strip, L, on the underside of the cover or top section A has a facing of cloth, and tits closely down on these ice-boxes, and thus closes their openings at top, as seen in Fig. 2.

For the purpose of refilling these boxes without removing the cover A, and thus allowing odor to escape, we have made holes M, with suitable plugs N, which may be taken out and a funnel, O, Fig. 4, inserted for filling in the broken ice. We propose in a full-sized casket to make these holes M large and rectangular, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. l, and then have a funnel with an angular spout to tit, thus giving plenty of room. These holes are lined with zinc or other metal, P, Fig. 3, so as to avoid wetting the wood or cover.

Having described our invention, we claim- 1. An ice-casket having the four sections A,

B, C, and D, the section O being made sepa-v rate and removable from the bottom D, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A cooling-board consisting otl several sections, E F G, the same being ice-boxes, substantially as specied.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we affix our signatures vin presence of two Witnesses.

"Y HUGH G. STEWART.

ALMARINE A. GWALTNEY.

Witnesses DANIEL BREED, FRED. G. DLETERIGH.

The boxes are supported4

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