IMPROVEMENTS IN COFFINS:
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Julian Larkman, of Chelsea, in the County of
Middlesex, and John Diprose, of Kennington Park Road, in
the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
COFFINS:"
Sealed the 6th October 1875, and dated the 7th August 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Julian Larkman and
John Diprose at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 7th August 1875.
We, JULIAN LARKMAN, of Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex,
and JOHN DIPROSE, of Kennington Park Road, in the County of
Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IN-
PROVEMENTS IN COFFINS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its objects the so making of coffins that pre-
viously to interment they shall possess all the strength, solidity, and
appearance of coffins as ordinarily constructed, and that subsequently to

page_text: interment they shall be speedily resolved by the natural-pressure-and-
moisture of the soil or earth, and shall thus enable the latter similarly
to rapidly effect by its resolvent action the natural dissolution of the
body in the manner most conducive to sanitary requirements and the
better maintenance of the public health, and to prevent the deleterious
saturation of the soil.
To attain and effect these objects and requirements, our Invention
consists mainly in constructing or forming the body or the principal
portion of the coffin of any suitable materials of a much more perishable
or destructible nature than wood (the ordinary material of which
coffins are made) when subject to the conditions and resolvent actions
consequent upon interment in the soil of the earth. Of such materials
we find to be among the most suitable paper or its pulp, or any of its
preparations, sawdust, rags, and textile fabrics, and fibrous materials,
and mull lining cloth. Suitable materials of this nature we use
separately, or in any combination in their ordinary or manufactured
forms, and those materials requiring such treatment, in order to attain
the objects of the Invention most completely, we pulverise or make
pulp of; and in some cases we cement or combine such materials
with a suitable adhesive material, and, if required, we forcibly compress
them to the shape and size of the coffin required.
In all cases we line the coffin inside with mull lining cloth or any
other suitable waterproof material, so that if the decomposition or dis-
solution of the body is far advanced before interment any escape of its
elements cannot take place previously thereto.
To give the coffin any desired degree of strength we imbed in such
materials metallic wires or bands, and otherwise. To give any desired
degree of strength or ornamentation we use wood or iron or other metal,
which we fix in, on, or around the body and lid of the coffin to form
a skeleton frame of any approved or desired strength, form, or shape,
and panelled, or otherwise. The bottom we prefer to construct the
strongest, and the sides, ends, and top less strong, so that the natural
pressure and moisture and resolvent action of the earth subsequently to
interment, shall the more speedily overcome the resistance presented by
the perishable coffin and effect its decomposition and the speedy
resolution of the enclosed body.

page_text: "
We propose to call coffins constructed according to this Invention,
The Necropolis Earth to Earth Coffins."
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Julian Larkman and John Diprose in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 7th February 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JULIAN
LARKMAN, of Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex, and JOHN
DIPROSE, of Kennington Park Road, in the County of Surrey, send
greeting.
•
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself; Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said Julian Larkman and
John Diprose, Her special licence that we, the said Julian
Larkman and John Diprose, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Julian Larkman and John
Diprose, our 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," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Julian Larkman and John Diprose,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, or one of our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 we, the said Julian Larkman and John
Dinmon de hovah
ז ..

page_text: and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing,
to say:
-
15
This Invention has for its objects the so making of coffins that
previously to interment they shall possess all the strength, solidity, and
appearance of coffins as heretofore ordinarily constructed, and that sub-
sequently to interment they shall be speedily resolved by the natural
pressure and moisture of the soil or earth, and shall thus enable the
latter to seek contact with the body, and similarly to rapidly effect by
its resolvent action the natural dissolution thereof in the manner most
conducive to sanitary requirements and the better maintenance of the
public health, and to prevent the deleterious saturation of the soil.
Such being the nature and object of our said Invention, we will now
proceed to describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to
be or may be performed or carried into practical effect..
To attain and effect these objects and requirements our Invention
consists in constructing or forming the body or the principal portion of
the coffin of any suitable materials of a much more perishable or
destructible nature than wood (the ordinary material of which coffins
are commonly made) when subject to the conditions and resolvent
actions consequent upon interment in the soil of the earth. Of such
materials, those that we find to be among the most suitable are paper
or its pulp, or any of its preparations, such as very stout cardboard, or
sawdust, rags, and textile fabrics, and fibrous materials, and mull lining
cloth. Suitable materials of this nature we use separately, or in any
combination in their ordinary or manufactured forms, and those
materials requiring such a treatment, in order to attain and carry out
the objects of the Invention most completely, we pulverize or make
pulp of; and in some cases we cement or combine such materials with
suitable disinfecting or deodorizing chemical constituents or agents, or
with a suitable adhesive material, and, if required, we forcibly compress
them by the use of suitable machinery or apparatus to the shape and
size of the coffin required.

page_text: solution of the body is far advanced before interment, any escape of
its elements from the coffin cannot take place previously thereto.
To give the coffin any desired degree of strength for bearing with
perfect safety removal and lowering into the grave, we. imbed or place
in such materials metallic wires or bands, and we also use wood or iron
or other metal which we fix in, within, on, or around the body and lid
of the coffin to form a skeleton filleting or frame of any approved or
desired strength, form, or shape, and panelled or otherwise ornamented
as desired. The bottom we prefer to construct very much the strongest,
and the sides, ends, and top less strong, so that the natural pressure and
moisture and resolvent action of the earth, subsequently to interment,
shall the more speedily overcome the resistance presented by the more
rapidly perishable portions of the coffin, and effect its decomposition and
the speedy resolution of the enclosed body.
The coffin may also be enveloped in cloth, as very customary, or
ornamented to any degree, all such ornaments being affixed as
usually.
re
Coffins constructed according to this Invention (and which we call
"The Necropolis Earth to Earth Coffins,") have all the appearance of
coffins as hitherto ordinarily constructed of wood; they are also equally
as strong, very considerably lighter in weight, and as impervious to the
escape of any liquid or moisture which may exude from the body, being
lined with the usual mull lining or any other cloth of a similar nature;
they thus conform in every respect to the appearance and other require-
ments to which the mind from long usage has got most accustomed, so
that though a radical innovation, they will not induce any feelings of
repugnance in the minds of those having to use them for the inter-
ment of their friends.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
objects of our said Invention, together with the manner in which the
same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, we
would remark in conclusion, that we claim as our Invention, the con-
structing the body, or the most considerable portion thereof, of coffins,
of materials of a much more perishable or destructible nature than
wood (when subjected to the conditions and resolvent actions con-
sequent upon interment in the soil of the earth), and in lieu thereof;

page_text: and-the-combining-with such materials-of-metallic wires or bands and a
metallic or wooden filleting or framing, substantially in the manner and
for the purposes herein-before fully specified.
In witness whereof, we, the said Julian Larkman and John
Diprose, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fifth
day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-six.
JULIAN LARKMAN. (L.S.)
JOHN DIPROSE.
(L.S.)