IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR- PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Massingham, of Ipswich, in the
County of Suffolk, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Wiliam Massing-
ham at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 26th November 1852.
I, WILLIAM MASSINGHAM, of Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN CARRIAGES AND APPARATUS FOR CARRYING THE DEAD" to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists of a carriage which is arranged with
handles at the sides, so as to be moved and guided by persons
walking at the sides, and on this, or in fact on any suitable carriage
a covered frame provided with handles to carry it by, is placed.
The frame is also provided with bands, straps, or cords, on to which
the coffin is first placed, and by unwinding such bands, chains, and
cords off rollers, the coffin is lowered into the frame, and when the
frame is placed over a grave, the coffin is lowered by the same means
into it.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said William Massingham in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 26th May 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM MASSINGHAM, of Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk, send
greeting.
the
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of November, in
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in
the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto inc, the said William Massingham,
Her special licence that I, the said William Massingham, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Massingham, 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 CAR-
RIAGES AND APPARATUS FOR CARRYING THE DEAD," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Massingham, by an in-
strument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 William Massingham, 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):
This Invention consists of a carriage, which is arranged with
handles at the sides, so as to be moved and guided by persons walk-
ing at the sides, and on this or in fact on any suitable carriage, a

page_text: covered frame provided with handles to carry it by, is placed. The
frame is also provided with bands, straps, or cords, on which the
coffin is first placed, and by unwinding such bands, chains, or cords
off rollers, the coffin is lowered into the frame, and when the fraine
is placed over a grave, the coffin is lowered by the same means into
the grave. And in order that my Invention may be most fully
understood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe
the means pursued by me.
Figure 1, is an end elevation, Figure 2, a side elevation,
Figure 3, a transverse section, and Figure 4, a longitudinal section of
a carriage, with apparatus constructed according to my Invention,
in each of which figures the same letters of reference indicate similar
parts. a, a, is the moveable part of the carriage on to which the coffin
6 is received. This carriage stands on, or is supported by, four legs,
a', a', and has handles a², a², as shown; c, c, are moveable transoms
or bearers, on to which the coffin is first lowered by the bands, straps,
or cords d, d, which are wound on the barrels e, e, and motion is
given to the axes of these barrels by means of the axis f, on which
there are screws g, which take into and drive the screw wheels on
axes of the barrels e, e, and motion is communicated to the axis f, by
a suitable handle and key. The moveable carriage a, a, has small
wheels a³, a³, which run on two rails h, h, fixed on the carriage i, i,
there being an opening through the lower carriage, through which,
when desired, the coffin may be lowered. The carriage i, i, is carried
by four wheels, and is supported by springs as shewn. This part
of the carriage may have a canopy as shewn, with or without
drapery and I would state that the form of the parts may be
varied, so long as the general character of the carriage herein de-
scribed be retained. j, j, are handles at the sides, by which the com-
bined carriage may be moved and guided, or the carriage may be
arranged to be drawn by a horse or horses, and may have the fore-
wheels to move on a locking motion.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of combining the various parts, I would have it understood
that what I claim is, the construction or combination of carriage
herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Massingham, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of May,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE.
WILLIAM MASSINGHAM. (L.S.)