US22537A

US22537A - Coffin

Info

Publication number: US22537A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1859-01-04
Anticipated expiration: 1876-01-04

Description

NITE earns Afr onFCE.

CHARLES E. H. RICHARDSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

COFFIN.

Specication of Letters Patent No. 22,537, dated January 4, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. H. RICH- ARDsoN, of the city of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Construction of Air and Damp Tight Caskets for the Preservation of the Dead; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a top view of my improved casket, with the top removed, showing an internal lining, hereinafter explained. Fig. 2 is a sectional longitudinal elevation, and Fig. 3 a perspective or general view.

The object of my invent-ion is the pr0- vision of an air and damp tight casket for the perfect preservation of the dead from decay and the prevention of the escape of any offensive odor or gases. Ordinary cofiins have the objections of being vulnerable to decay and the attacks of vermin, and although coflins have been made free from these defects, yet such have been generally made of iron, which is cumbrous and difiicult to handle. Or, if made of Wood, they have been mostly prepared in such a way as to give them an appearance calculated to disclose at once their obj ect, and necessitate their removal to places specially kept private. I propose to avoid these objections as follows. I make the casket as shown at A, A, Fig. 3, z'. e., of an oblong form with circular ends, and of well seasoned wood of some hard and sound species. Inside of this, and covering every part of the sides and bottom and their joints, there is a lining B, B', Figs. l and 2, of heavy silk, duck, or other material. This lining I propose to cover with a coat of some suitable paint. Metallic paint would probably answer best, and I would recommend its use. Sheets of smooth, sound, prepared cork are to be provided, which are to be soaked in collodion sufciently long to fill up the pores and permit the collodion to coat the Surthis cork is laid in a proper position on the bottom and around the sides of the coiin, so as to lit snugly to the silk or duck lining. lNhen so placed the oints are to be saturated with such paint as is used on the silk or duck lining.

A lid of strong and heavy plate glass, D, D, Figs. 2 and 8, covers the cothn and is secured in the cork lining by halving or rabbets, and so as to make an air and damp tight joint. Strong bands of plated or other metal, E, E, E, FX", Figs. 2 and 3, of suitable dimensions, encircle the top and bottom of the casket; the top one being bent so as to resemble in section the gothic letter L. This top band encircles the glass top D, D, as shown in Fig. 2; thus protecting the glass against displacement from jarring or the expansion of the air conned within, if the coiiin is not exhausted after the remains have been placed in.

Outside of the plate glass lid, D, D', I place a lid of'the same kind of wood as that in the body of the cofiin. This lid is divided longitudinally into two equal parts, F, F, and F, F", Fig. 3, which swing on the hinges C, Cr, Fig. 3.

If it is desired to exhaust the cotlin of air, the body of it might also be coated with the metallic or other paint, and the glass top be braced by any convenient means.

That- I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The construction of a coflin or casket made air and moisture tight by a double lining of cloth and cork, prepared and combined in the manner and for the purpose substantially as above described.

CHAS. E. H. RICHARDSON.

Witnesses:

J. H. B. JENKINS,

JEMINI CHILD.