IMPROVE- MENTS IN COFFINS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Scruton, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Tailor and Outfitter, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN COFFINS."
Sealed the 5th July 1872, and dated the 17th February 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Scruton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th February 1872.
I, THOMAS SCRUTON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Tailor and Outfitter, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COFFINS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing and arranging in the manner
herein-after described the parts of coffins whereby great facilities are
afforded for the introduction of the inner part or shell into the outer
part or coffin proper, ready means provided for obtaining when necessary
a sight of the corpse, as well as great security against improper inter-
ference.

page_text: Coffins made according to my Invention admit of the application of
designs more artistic than those which can be applied to coffins of the
ordinary construction.
I make the outer part or coffin proper of a case and lid, the latter
being connected to the former by being hinged thereto on one side
instead of being entirely separable therefrom as usual. One end of the
coffin I make moveable, that is, the said end is capable when the lid of
the coffin is raised of being lifted out of vertical grooves in which it
slides, and when so lifted out the end of the coffin is open and the
shell can be introduced into the coffin at the said open end by a sliding 1
motion instead of requiring to be lifted as is usual over the top edge of
the coffin. The shell in which the corpse is placed is fitted up in the
usual or in any desired manner. I form the upper part or cover of the
shell of glass, which I secure to the edge of the shell by an air-tight cement.
In order to permit of the escape of gaseous matter from the shell it 1
may be provided (by preference at the bottom and near one end) with a
flexible pipe, which may also pass through the outer case or coffin
proper. Udon the top of the shell and between it and the lid of the
coffin an ornamental framing is placed. This framing is made of a
foundation of light wood or other light material and padding of wool or 2
like material covered with an ornamental fabric or covering. The said
framing has an ornamental appearance, but serves as a padding or soft
packing between the lid of the coffin proper and the top of the shell.
I dispense with the ordinary coffin handles and provide for the carrying
of the coffin by means of two or more straps or bands passed underneath 2
the coffin and terminating in handles. These straps may be secured to
the coffin by screws passing through them into the bottom of the
coffin.
For greater security the straps may be passed through guides on the

page_text: OPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Scruton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th August 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
SCRUTON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Tailor and
Outfitter, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Scruton, Her special licence
that I, the said Thomas Scruton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Scruton, 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," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas
Scruton, 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 Thomas Scruton, 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 statement thereof, that is to say:—
My Invention consists in constructing and arranging in the manner
herein-after described the parts of coffins whereby great facilities are
afforded for the introduction of the inner part or shell into the outer
part or coffin proper, ready means provided for obtaining when necessary
a sight of the corpse, as well as great security against improper inter-
ference.

page_text: Coffins made according to my Invention admit of the application of
designs more artistic than those which can be applied to coffins of the
ordinary construction.
I make the outer part or coffin proper of a case and lid, the latter
being connected to the former by being hinged thereto on one side 5
One end of the
instead of being entirely separable therefrom as usual.
coffin I make moveable, that is, the said end is capable when the lid of
the coffin is raised of being lifted out of vertical grooves in which it
slides, and when so lifted out the end of the coffin is open and the shell
can be introduced into the coffin at the said open end by a sliding 1
motion instead of requiring to be lifted as is usual over the top edge of
the coffin. The shell in which the corpse is placed is fitted up in the
usual or in any desired manner. I form the upper part or cover of the
shell of glass, which I secure to the edge of the shell by an air-tight
cement.
In order to permit of the escape of gaseous matter from the shell it
may be provided (by preference at the bottom and near one end) with a
flexible pipe, which may also pass through the outer case or coffin
proper. Upon the top of the shell and between it and the lid of the
coffin an ornamental framing is placed. This framing is made of a
foundation of light wood or other light material and padding of wool or
like material covered with an ornamental fabric or covering. The said
framing has an ornamental appearance, but serves as a padding or soft
packing between the lid of the coffin proper and the top of the shell. I
dispense with the ordinary coffin handles and provide for the carrying of a
the coffin by means of two or more straps or bands passed underneath
the coffin and terminating in handles. These straps may be secured to
the coffin by screws passing through them into the bottom of the
coffin.
]

page_text: Figures 1 and 2 represent in perspective a coffin constructed according
to my Invention, Figure 1 exhibiting the coffin open, and Figure 2 the
coffin closed; Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the coffin
Figure 2; Figure 4 represents in longitudinal vertical section and end
elevation the outer part or coffin proper without the inner part or shell
and with the removable end detached. Figure 5 represents in elevation
and plan the inner part or shell, and Figure 6 is a vertical section of a
part of Figure 5 drawn to a larger scale. The same letters indicate the
same parts in the several Figures of the Drawing.
a is the outer part or coffin proper, and 6 is the inner part or shell.
The said outer part a consists of a case having a lid o hinged at c³ to
one side of it. The case a is made by preference of the general figure of
a cross, the hinged lid c having a corresponding figure, as best seen in
the perspective views, Figures 1 and 2. The lid c is hinged by its
The sides of the case a
broadest part to the broadest part of the case a.
are inclined to one another.
Although I prefer to give the case a the ornamental figure represented,
yet the said case may be made of other ornamental figures.
The end d of the case or coffin a is made moveable, the introduction
of the said end into the case a and its removal therefrom being effected
by a vertical sliding motion. The connection of the moveable end d to
the case a is effected by making grooves in the opposite edges of the
said end (one of these grooves is marked in Figure 4), and providing
each side of the interior of the case a where the end d is to be fixed with
vertical ribs e, e, (see the end elevation Figure 4) with which ribs the
grooves d³ of the moveable end d engage. When the lid c is raised as
illustrated in Figures 1 and 4, the moveable end d may be lifted out of
the case a. The end of the coffin or case a is thereby opened, and the
shell or inner coffin 6 can be introduced into the outer case or coffin
proper a at the said open end by a sliding motion. When the lid c is
shut down the part c³ bears upon or covers the top of the moveable
end d and secures it firmly in its place (see Figure 3). By constructing
the end of the coffin in the way described and illustrated the incon-
venience of lifting the shell or inner coffin 6 over the top edge of the
outer coffin a is obviated.
The upper part or cover of the shell 6 is made of glass marked b* for
the purpose of obtaining when necessary a sight of the cornee
The

page_text: manner in which the glass cover b³ is fixed will be best seen by the
enlarged view, Figure 5, where 6 is the shell in a rebate, in the top
edge of which the glass 62 rests, the said glass being held down in its
place by the strips of wood b³ projecting over its edge. The strips 6³ are
secured to the top edge of the shell 6 by screws. The junction between
the glass 63 and the shell 6 may be made air-tight by means of cement
inserted between the rebate and the edge of the glass.
Upon the top of the shell b and between it and the lid c of the
coffin a (see Figures 1, 3, and 6) is an ornamental frame ƒ made as
herein-before described. The said frame f besides giving an ornamental
appearance to the top of the coffin serves as a padding or soft packing
between the lid c and the glass top 6' of the shell b. The lid c when
closed is secured down by the locks at g, g, the under side of the lid c
being provided with staples h, h, with which the bolts of the locks
engage.
The coffin is carried by means of straps or bands screwed to the under
side of the bottom of the coffin and passed through guides a³, a³, on the
said bottom of the coffin and also through guides on the sides of the
coffin, but the latter guides are not necessary. The said straps or bands
terminate in handles. The straps or bands are not represented in the
Drawing, neither is the flexible tube which is used for conveying away
the gaseous matter from the shell 6, represented in the Drawing.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I
do not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illus-
trated, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature
of my
Invention ; but I claim as my Invention of "Improvements in
Coffins,-
Firstly. The combination with the outer part or coffin proper con-
structed as described of a lid hinged to one side thereof, the said coffin
and lid being provided with locks and staples as represented in the
accompanying Drawing.
Secondly. Making one end of the outer part or coffin proper with a
sliding or moveable end for the purpose and substantially as described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.

page_text: Thirdly. Making the upper part or cover of the inner coffin or shell
of glass, fixed substantially as described and illustrated.
Fourthly. The combination with the glass cover of the shell of an
ornamental framing, which also serves as a padding to the said glass
cover, as described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Lastly. The combination with a coffin constructed as described and
illustrated of straps or bands passing through guides and screwed to the
outer part of the coffin, and terminating in handles for carrying the said
coffin as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Scruton, have hereunto.
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
5 Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
THOMAS SCRUTON. (L.S.)