AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF COFFINS AND AIR-TIGHT RECEPTACLES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph George, of King's Holme, in the County of
Gloucester, Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE
OF COFFINS AND AIR-TIGHT RECEPTACLES."
Sealed the 2nd January 1866, and dated the 7th July 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph George at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
July 1865.
I, JOSEPH GEORGE, of King's Holme, in the County of Gloucester, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MANU-
FACTURE OF COFFINS AND AIR-TIGHT RECEPTACLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates chiefly to the construction of coffins that will resist
the decaying influence of moisture. The coffins I form of slabs of slate,
marble, stone, or earthy or vitreous compounds. These slabs I connect
together by means of doubled grooved bars of iron or other metal to form the
sides and ends, the edges of the slabs being rebated to fit the grooves and
being cemented therein. At the angles of the coffin the grooves in the bars
will be at right angles to each other but in the coupling bars at the sides the
grooves will be in the same line. These bars at top and bottom will be
provided with screws, which will pass through holes made in the slabs that

page_text: form the top and bottom of the coffin, and will secure these slabs in position
by means of screw nuts. This Invention also applies to the framing together
of slabs in the manner described for the manufacture of air-tight boxes or
as to ho need for various useful purposes
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph George in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th January 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
GEORGE, of King's Holme, in the County of Gloucester, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Joseph George, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph George, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph
George, 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 "AN IMPROVED MANU-
FACTURE OF COFFINS AND AIR-TIGHT RECEPTACLES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Joseph George, my executors or administrators, 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 Joseph George, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention of "An Improved Manufacture of Coffins and Air-
tight Receptacles," relates chiefly to the construction of coffins that will
resist the decaying influence of moisture. The coffins or other air-tight

page_text: receptacles are formed principally of slabs of slate, marble, stone, or
earthy, or vitreous compounds, or sheet iron or other metal may be
employed. These slabs are connected together by means of double grooved
bars of iron or other metal to form the angle pieces at the sides and ends,
as shewn in the accompanying Drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation
of a coffin constructed according to my Invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of
the same with the cover removed. The edges of the slabs a, a, which form
the sides of the coffin are inserted into grooves made in the vertical metal
bars b, b, which form the angles of the coffin; the side slabs may be
cemented in these grooves if desired. At the corners of the coffin the grooves
in the bars will be nearly at right angles to each other, but in the coupling
bars b', b', at the sides the grooves will be nearly in the same line as shewn
in the Drawing. These bars b, b, b, which are shewn detached at Figures
3 and 4 are provided at top and bottom with screws e, e, which will pass
through holes made in the flat slabs c, d, Fig. 1, that form the top and bottom
of the coffin, and will secure these slabs in position by means of screw nuts
el, e, which when screwed up tight will hold all the parts together and may
be made to form a perfectly air-tight joint.
This Invention also applies to the framing together of slabs in the manner
described for the manufacture of air-tight boxes or cases to be used for various
other useful purposes.
It should be observed that for all purposes where air-tight joints are required
the grooves in the vertical bars b, b, b¹, may either be filled with cement,
when the slabs a are secured in their place, or the slabs may be laid on sheet
rubber, gutta percha, or other elastic substance placed in the groove which
will from an air-tight joint. I would also observe that although for obvious
reasons I prefer to use slate for the purposes of my Invention, other material such
as sheet iron, cast iron, glass, marble, stone, or earthenware may be employed
with advantage. Moreover, in order to prevent the fracture or breakage at
the joints of the more fragile materials, such as slate, glass, earthenware, or
marble, I place beneath the bottom slab a plank of wood, through which the
screws of the vertical grooved bars b, b¹, pass, so that the bottom nuts may be
screwed up against the wood, leather, or other washers may be placed under
the upper nuts for the same purpose.
Having now described my Invention of an "improved manufacture of coffins
and air-tight receptacles, and having explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent
as aforesaid, the mode herein set forth of combining slabs or plates of any
suitable imperishable material, such as those herein set forth, so as to form

page_text: coffins or receptacles that will resist the decaying influence of moisture and be
rendered air-tight when required.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph George, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Sixth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
JOSEPH GEORGE. (L.S.)