Improvements in Coffins.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 14th May, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coffins.
We JONES DADD SISLEY, of 16 Hawley Street, Margate, and RICHARD
HENRY LOVETT, of 55 High Street, Margate Undertakers, 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:-
Our invention relates to improvements in coffins, for burial or cremation
purposes and has for its object to construct a coffin which will be readily and
speedily destroyed by damp, pressure, or heat, to expedite the decomposition of
the enclosed body, while at the same time by reason of its light construction and
air and water-tight qualities, the coffin will be specially suitable for transporting
bodies from a distance.
And in order that the said invention may be the more readily understood,
we have shown same upon the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings
wherein :
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the coffin,
Fig. 2 being a side view thereof while
Fig. 3 is a plan of the underneath of same.
a is a frame-work of wooden or other suitable battens, the ends a¹ of such
frame-work being of panel or solid form. The frame-work so constructed is covered
with cloth, paper, or any other suitable material b stretched tight and made, if
desirable, to resemble wood or stone or the like. The top and bottom of this
outer case or coffin are not covered with the material, as shewn.
The under part of the coffin is provided with a wire netting bottom c as shewn
in Fig. 3, so that the moisture from the earth may readily reach the corpse and
assist the natural process of decomposition, and also in cases where the coffin and
its contents are to be consumed by a cremating furnace, the open wire bottom
and the general construction of the coffin, will render same readily consumable by
heat.
In cases where a corpse is to be transported from a distance, we provide an inner
shell d formed of stiff millboard or similar material. This shell is fashioned with
two sides and ends as in the outer coffin, but has a solid bottom formed of the
same material as the sides and ends. A lid or cover e is also provided to this
shell d, and is formed as shewn in Fig. 1, with a portion forming a lid e¹ which
can be lifted up for the purpose of exposing the contents of the shell. A glass
panel e is fitted in that portion of the cover of the shell over which the lid e¹ goes.
The seams of the aforedescribed shell d are rendered air-tight by any suitable
means, and the cover e is cemented or otherwise fastened over the top, thereby
forming a hermetically sealed shell, from which all the air can be drawn off by
means of any suitable air-exhausting apparatus, through the outlet d', thereby
preserving the corpse for an indefinite period.
The shell d as before described, would be fastened to the coffin proper by means
of quick-drying glue or other suitable means and can if desirable be employed
in ordinary cases of interment, but for cremation purposes it is obvious that the
said inner shell would be dispensed with. A cover or lid is provided for closing
the top of the outer coffin, and is formed in the same manner as the latter, of a
wooden or other framework over which is tightly stretched cloth, paper, or other
suitable material painted or otherwise made to resemble wood, stone, or the like.
Handles 9 are secured to the solid ends of the coffin, and to any other suitable
part of the framework.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A coffin consisting of a wooden or other framework a around which is
stretched a cloth or paper covering b; the wire meshed bottom c, lid f and air-
outlet d', substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
2. In combination with a coffin such as above claimed, the inner shell having a
lide and glass panel e³, substantially as described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawing.
3. The complete coffin, substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawing.
Dated this 7th day of Anril 1892
HUGHES, SON & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.