IMPROVEMENTS IN COFFINS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Cyrus Cole, of Smethwick, in the County of
Stafford, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COFFINS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Cyrus Cole at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th June 1866.
I, JOHN CYRUS COLE, of Smethwick, in the County of Stafford, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
COPPINS," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object the construction of a coffin in which the
body may be enclosed in a state of partial or entire vacuum, and may thus be
preserved from decomposition. With this view I make the coffin to open
(by preference) across the shoulder, and if necessary again across the mid-
length between the shoulder and the foot; though in some cases it may be
desirable to make it to open longitudinally at about half its depth. When
divided transversely the meeting edges of the parts are rebated or grooved,
and made to fit as accurately as possible; provision being made to ensure close
contact by metal rods of a bow form following the outline of the sides of the
coffin, from which sides they are projected a little by distance studs. The
ends of these rods pass through metal plates secured at the head and foot,
and are fixed by nuts screwed on to the ends, so that the bow form of theso
rods would always compensate for expansion or contraction, and thus keep the
meeting edges of the opening parts in close contact. Through the foot of

page_text: the coffin, or in any other suitable position, an opening is made through which
to withdraw the air and gases before burial by means of an exhaust pump or
other convenient appliance; this opening can afterwards be closed by an
accurately fitting screw plug. These coffins may be made in wood, metal,
glass, porcelain, or any other suitable material, and the joints may be further
secured, if requisite, by bands of metal surrounding them, under which may be
a packing of cement or other filling medium.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Cyrus Cole in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
December 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN.
CYRUS COLE, of Smethwick, in the County of Stafford, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Cyrus Cole, Her special licence that I, the said John Cyrus Cole,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Cyrus Cole, 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 John Cyrus Cole, by an
instrument 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 John Cyrus Cole, 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 Drawings hereunto annexed and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention has for its chief object the construction of a coffin in which

page_text: the body may be enclosed in a state of partial or entire vacuum, and
be preserved from decomposition.
may thus
Figure 1 is a horizontal section, Figure 2 a front elevation, Figure 3 a
side elevation, and Figure 4 a section of part of the foot shewing the valve.
I make the coffiu to open, by preference, across the shoulder, from (a-to b,)
and if necessary again across the midlength between the shoulder and the foot,
though in some cases it may be desirable to make it to open longitudinally at
about half its depth. When divided transversely the meeting edges of the
parts are rebated or grooved and made to fit as accurately as possible, provision
being made to ensure close contact by metal rods (c, c,) of a bow form following
the outline of the sides of the coffin, from which sides they are projected a
little by distance studs (d, d). The ends of these rods pass through metal
plates (e, e,) secured at the head and foot, and are fixed by nuts (f, f.) screwed
on to the ends, so that the bow form of these rods would always compensate for
expansion or contraction, and thus keep the meeting edges of the opening
parts in close contact. Through the foot of the coffin or in any other suitable
position an opening is made and a passage fitted with a valve, as shewn at (9),
is formed, through which to withdraw the air and gases before burial by means
of an exhaust pump or other convenient appliance; this opening can after-
wards be closed by an accurately fitting screw plug. These coffins may be
made in wood, metal, glass, porcelain, or any other suitable material, and the
joints may be further secured, if requisite, by bands of metal, as at (h),
surrounding them, under which may be a packing of cement or other filling
medium.
=
Having thus described the nature and object of my said Invention I claim
the construction of coffins in which bodies may be buried in partial or com-
plete vacuum, as herein described.
And I also claim the peculiar form of coffin herein shewn and described,
made in any material, and whether capable of being hermetically closed or
not.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Cyrus Cole, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelth day of December, in the year of our Lord
Landund and aimbo niw
JOHN CYRUS COLE. (L.s.)