IMPROVEMENTS IN COFFINS OR BURIAL CASES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the
Haseltine, of the "International Patent
Office," No. 100, Fleet Street, in the City of London, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COFFINS OR BURIAL CASES."-A communication from
abroad by George Scollay, M.D., of St. Louis, Missouri, United States
of America.
Sealed the 6th February 1863, and dated the 1st November 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Haseltine at the
- Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st
November 1862.
I, GEORGE HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 100, Fleet
Street, in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-.
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COFFINS OR BURIAL CASES," a communication to him
from abroad by George Scollay, M.D., of St. Louis, Missouri, United States
of America, to be as follows:-
As soon as a human body begins to decompose there is evolved a kind of
gas which is very offensive as well as infectious, and otherwise noxious when
inhaled; there is also a fluid generated by this decomposition, which is
exceedingly penetrating and offensive.
When a body is placed in a burial case or coffin constructed of wood in the
ordinary manner, the generated fluid and gas find their way either through the.
pores of the wood or joints of the case. If the case or coffin be made air-tight
the pressure of this gas, if no means be provided for its escape, will soon burst.

page_text: the case.
These are great and serious objections when it is desired to keep
the body uninterred for any considerable length of time after death. And I
propose to avoid these objections by constructing a burial case or coffin which
shall be tight enough to contain the fluids generated by decomposition of the
body, and by which the gas generated or evolved by such decomposition will be
controlled, disinfected, or deodorized, so as not to burst the case or coffin
when made to exclude the air, and so as to render this gas innocuous and
inoffensive.
In order to accomplish this result economically I construct the case or
coffin of wood in the following manner :-The pieces of the proper shape and
size, having been prepared, they are grooved on the parts that are to be joined
together. These grooves are then filled with a suitable cement, so that when
the pieces are united a cement tongue will be between all the seams, the
several parts being fastened together-in the usual manner.
i
After the case or coffin is constructed. I give the inside thereof a heavy
coat of bees'-wax and resin to fill up the pores of the wood, and cure any
defects there may be in the lumber. There are other materials which may be
used for this coating, the special material or mode of application not being
essential, provided the coating will resist the action of the fluid and gas
generated by the décomposition or decay of the body, so as to protect the case
and render it impervious to both. This coating may also be advantageously
applied to the inside of metallic burial cases, as it will increase the durability
of the metal by protecting it from the action of the fluid, and it will also close
the pores or other imperfections in the case.
:
The case or coffin having been thus constructed, I put a false end in the
foot thereof, by which two chambers are formed with a partition between them
with an aperture near its centre. In the lower chamber is a valve opening
into the same, which covers an aperture in the false end, and is held in
position by means of a spring or other convenient device. A valve is also
fixed on the outside of the case near the top at the foot, which covers an
aperture communicating with the upper chamber; these valves and their seats
are constructed of metal or other suitable material. The upper chamber is
filled or partly filled with chlorine or other disinfecting and deodorizing material
mixed with sufficient charcoal or other absorbent, to keep it dry. A false
perforated bottom is placed in the case or coffin, with charcoal under it to
absorb the moisture during the early stages of decomposition. As soon as
sufficient gas has been evolved by the decomposition of the body to force open
the lower valve, it will escape from the case or coffin into the lower chamber,
and pass through the opening into the upper chamber, and thence through the

page_text: chlorine and charcoal forcing back the upper valve and passing out, when it
will be found entirely innocuous and deodorized. Though only one valve is
absolutely necessary, I have thought it advisable to use two for safety. A
body may be preserved for a considerable time by excluding the air, and it is
to this end that the apertures are closed by valves. The said chambers may
be made in any convenient part of the case or coffin, and of any desirable
form, but care should be taken that the gas may have free access to the
chamber containing the disinfecting and deodorizing substances before it
escapes into the atmosphere.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Haseltine in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st May 1863.
.1."
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 100, Fleet Street, in the
City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the First day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reigu, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Haseltine, Her special licence that I, the said George
Haseltine, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said George Haseltine, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
COFFINS OR BURIAL CASES," a communication from abroad, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Haseltine, my executors or admini-
strators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Haseltine, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be.
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following

page_text: statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing making
part of this Specification, in which Figure 1 is a top view, with the lid
'removed; Figure 2, a vertical longitudinal section through the centre. Like
letters refer to corresponding parts in both Figures. As soon as a body begins
to decompose there is evolved a kind of gas which is very offensive as well
as infectious and noxious to the health of persons that breathe it; and
there is also a kind of fluid generated by the decomposition of a dead body,
which, in, the case of large plethoric human beings, is considerable, and
always exceedingly penetrating and offensive. Now if a dead body be put
in a burial case made of wood, in the ordinary manner, the fluid aforesaid
soon finds its way either through the pores of the wood or joints of the coffin,
and the generated gas will also escape through the pores or joints, if the
case be constructed in the ordinary manner; and if made air-tight the
pressure will become sufficient to burst the case unless means be provided for
the escape of this gas. These are serious difficulties when it is desired to keep
the body uninterred for any considerable length of time after death, that the
friends of the deceased may see it or have it sent to them. These difficulties
I propose to overcome by producing a coffin or burial case which shall be
tight enough to retain the fluids generated by the decomposition of the body,
and by which the gases generated or evolved by such decomposition will be
controlled, disinfected, and deodorized, so as not to burst the coffin when made
to exclude the air, and so as to render it innoxious and inoffensive to the breath
and smell.
To accomplish this object and to furnish a cheap article, I make the coffin
of wood in the following manner, that is to say:-I first make the different
pieces to compose the case of the proper size and shape, and then groove them
as shown at b, wherever they are to be joined together; these grooves I then
fill with any suitable cement, so that when the pieces are united cement
tongue will be between all the seams, the several parts being held together in
the ordinary manner.
After the coffin has been thus made, I give the inside thereof a heavy coat
of bees'-wax and resin to fill up the pores of the wood, and cure any defects
there may be in the lumber. There are other materials which may be used
for this coating, such as asphaltum, tar, and the like; but it matters not what
material is used for the coating, nor how it is applied, if it will resist the action
of the fluids and gases generated by the decomposition or decay of the body,
so as to protect the coffin and render it impervious to both, the object will be
accomplished. This coating may also be applied to the inside of metallic
coffins to great advantage, because it will increase their durability by protecting

page_text: 6.
the iron from the action of the fluids, and consequently against corrosion, and
will also close the pores and other imperfections of the case.
The coffin having been made and coated in manner aforesaid, I fit a false
end D in the foot thereof of such configuration as to form the chambers C, C',
with the perforated partition d.between them. The chamber C' I fit with a
valve r opening in the chamber, and hold it in position by means of a spring o
or other convenient device. I also fit a valve a in the foot of the coffin near
the top to communicate with the chamber C, which last-mentioned valve is
held in position by means
the valve P. Both the aforesaid valves are of
metal, and have metal seats in the nature of tubular screws fit in the wood.
The said valves and seats, however, need not necessarily be of metal, but may
be made of india-rubber, or anything that will make a tight joint and will not
be deteorated by the action of the gases. The chamber C I fill with chlorine
or other disinfecting and deodorizing material, or just as much of such
substance in said chamber as experience may show to be necessary. There
should also be enough charcoal or other absorbant, united with the chlorine to
keep it light and dry. I also put a perforated false bottom B in the coffin with
charcoal under it to absorb the moisture during the early stages of decomposi-
tion. Now as soon as sufficient gas has been evolved by the decomposition
of the body to generate pressure enough in the coffin to open the valves, it will
escape from the coffin into the chamber C', and pass up through the hole v,
and the disinfecting and deodorizing substance in the chamber C, and out
through the valve a, entirely innoxious and deodorized. It is not absolutely
necessary to use two valves, either one of them might be dispensed with and the
same end accomplished. I have thought it best, however, to show two valves
in the Drawing, for in case there be but one, and it should become disarranged,
the air would enter the coffin and hasten the decomposition of the body. The
life-like appearance of a dead body may be preserved for a few days after
death by excluding the air therefrom, and it is to this end I use the valves;
but when there is no object in thus preserving the body by excluding the air,
the valves may be dispensed with altogether, and simple holes be made in the
chamber for the gas to escape through the deodorizing and disinfecting material
as fast as it is generated. The chamber for holding the deodorizing and dis-
infecting substance may be made in any convenient part of the coffin, and of
any desired form, but care should be taken to make it so that the gas may
have free access to it before it escapes in the atmosphere, and I think it best
to make the gas pass through the disinfecting and. deodorizing material as it
leaves the coffin.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my

page_text: Invention and in what manner the same may be performed, I wish it under-
stood that I do not confine myself to the details herein set forth; but I
claim,
First, controlling, disinfecting, and deodorizing the gases as they escape
from the coffin by making holes or valves therein, and combining and confining
with or over said holes or valves the disinfecting and deodorizing material in
some part of the coffin, which is to be otherwise air-tight.
Second, making a chamber in combination with the coffin for the purpose
of holding the deodorizing and disinfecting material, and causing the gases to
pass through the said chamber on their way out of the coffin.
Third, the use of the valve a in combination with the disinfecting and
deodorizing chamber.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.S.)