Improved Means and Method of Manufacturing. Memorial Words, Characters, or Devices for use upon Graves, or för Garden Decoration.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means and Method of Manufacturing. Memorial Words,
Characters, or Devices for use upon Graves, or för Garden
Decoration.
I, JOHN RICHARD SMITH of 16 Seymour Road Chatham Hill, Chatham, Agent
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
My invention refers to building up a name or names by means of a number of
specially made letters, characters, or devices secured to an angle iron or other
suitable attachment, and this invention is chiefly intended for use upon graves as a
memorial of the deceased person buried below.
For the purposes of my invention I form a number of letters, characters, or
devices of varying size or character which are channel shaped in section, and these
I arrange in the order to spell the required word, and solder or otherwise attach
these letters to a bar of angle iron or other continuous connecting piece along the
top and bottom of the letters.
It will readily be understood that these letters can be filled with flowers so as to
give a very handsome appearance, and that the channel shape of the letters will
hold the necessary water to prevent the flowers from withering quickly. Should it
be desired to form a name in the ground by growing flowers my invention will be
most useful, as it would be placed in the ground so that the top of the letters were
just below the surface. The said letters having been previously filled with mold
and sprinkled with the necessary seed. By these means the growing flowery letter
would be formed with great precision. When my letters are used for this purpose,
I form small holes in the bottom of same to allow for drainage.
I proposed to form my improved letters of thin sheet metal such as zinc or the
like, but I may also make them of glass or earthenware. I may arrange my letters.
either in straight or curved lines to spell the required words, and as my improved
letters, characters, and devices, are capable of being stocked in large quantities, I
claim to be able to make a memorial tablet for placing upon a grave for the required
names or words much cheaper than by any method now in use.
Instead of forming words with letters, I may make channel shaped designs or
characters of a geometrical or floral nature to be used either along or in com-
bination with the letters.
In order that my invention may be the more fully understood, I will now proceed
to describe the sheet of drawings hereunto annexed, like letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts throughout.
Figure 1 is an elevation of four letters spelling the word JANE formed and
attached together after the manner of my invention.
Fig. 2 is a section taken through the line-X X of Figure 1 shewing the
channel formation of the letter which in both figures is indicated by small
letters a a.
The sides of the letters are marked and the connecting angle pieces are
marked C C.
Should I desire to prop up my improved memorial device, I form hinged
supports at the back attached to the top connecting angle piece, when my inven-
tion is made in metal, I paint the same in any desired colors which also prevents
rusting.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
Improved means and methods for manufacturing memorial words by using letters
of channel section attached together, all as herein before described in this Specifi-
cation and illustrated by the acompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of November 1891.
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.