US534254A

US534254A - Coffin

Info

Publication number: US534254A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1895-02-19
Anticipated expiration: 1912-02-19

Description

NITED STATES ATENT onion.

FRANZ EGERLAND AND JOHN M. FREESE, OF SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA.

COFF|N.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 534,254, dated. February 19, 1895. Application filed November 15,1894:- Serial No. 528,904- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANZ EGERLAND and J OHN M. FREESE, citizens of the United States,

residing at Sioux Falls, in the county of Minnehaha and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coffins; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in'.

coffins or burial caskets, the object of the same being to provide a device of this character, which is designed to prevent the sufiocation of persons accidentally buried alive and enable them to sound an alarm, indicating that life is not yet extinct. V

The invention consists in the provision of a coffin of ordinary construction provided with a tube or pipe leading from the surface of the ground to a point inside the coffin for the purpose of providing air to maintain the life in a revivified person, the said pipe having a globe attached atone point between the coffin and the surface of the earth adapted to hold disinfecting material to prevent the discharge of poisonous or obnoxious gases from the ooffin. We also supply the cofiin with an electric battery, the wires therefrom leading through the air inlet pipe to an alarm on the outside of the ground, the circuit of said alarm being closed by a slight movement of the revivified person.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a plan View of a coffin made according to our invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical central longitudinal section of the same, showing the air inlet pipe leadin g therefrom. Fig.3 is aside elevation of the circuit closing device.

Similar numerals of reference indicate simi lar parts in the various views.

1 represents a coffin, and 2 a pipe leading from inside thereof to the surface of the earth, or to a point some distance above it. This tube leads from one side of the coffin and enters the same through an opening therein, as shown at 3. At a point about midway between the coffin and the surface of the earth we 10- cate a globe 4, in which is placed a suitable disinfecting substancefor the purpose of preventing noxious gases from rising from'the coffin, to the surface of the earth. Situated at any suitable point inside the coffin is an electric battery 5, preferably a dry battery, the same having'circuit wires leading therefrom up through the pipe 2 and connecting with an annunciator or alarm 6 on the outside and at a point inside the coffin is a push button or other circuit closing apparatus, as shown in Fig.3. This consists of a strong flat spring 7, which when raised, is adapted to engage and press against the push button 8 for the purpose of closing the circuit and ringing the alarm. Between the spring 7 and the abutment 9 forming a part of the push button device, we place a bar 10, preferably made with a ball 11 on its outer end which is of wider diameter than the height of the button 8, and which keeps the spring 7 normally out of engagement with said button. At the outer end of the bar 10 the same is formed with a loop 12, to which are attached cords 13, the other end of which are fastened to any suitable part of the corpse, preferably the fingers thereof. By this construction it will be seen that if by any chance a body once buried revives, it will not become suffocated by reason of the fact that fresh air is supplied to the coffin through the tube or pipe 2, and also, the slightest movement of said revived body will withdraw the bar 10 from engagement with the spring 7, which, when released, will depress the push button 8, close the circuit through the battery 5 and the annunciator 6 and thereby sound the alarm, giving notice of the factthat the revival has taken place of the body inside the coffin.

The invention has been described in its preferred form, but it is obvious that many minor 'of the earth. This circuit is normally open,

changes may be made therein without departcorpse the said bar is pulled out of engagement with said spring, and the alarm is actuated, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof We have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANZ EGERLAND. JOHN M. FREESE. \Vitnesses:

G. H. KILAND, WM. FUERSTE.