CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING COFFINS, AND IN MACHINES FOR CONVEYING COFFINS FOR INTERMENT, AND APPENDAGES TO THE SAME IN THE CHURCH AND BURIAL GROUND
Year: 1818

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
LILLIE BRIDGMAN, of Goswell Street Road, in the Parish of St. Luke's, and
the County of Middlesex, Tallow Chandler, send greeting.
WHEREAS Ilis most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of that part of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland called England, bearing late at Westminster,
the Twenty-third day of April, in the fifty-eighth year of His reign, give and
grant unto me, the said Edward Lillic Bridgman, my exors, adñiors, and
assigns, His special licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said Edward Lillie Bridgman, my exors, adiñiors, and assigns, should
and lawfully might, during the term of years therein mentioned, make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING COFFINS, AND IN
MACHINES FOR CONVEYING COFFINS FOR INTERMENT, AND APPENDAGES TO THE SAME
IN THE CHURCH AND BURIAL GROUND;" in which said Letters Patent there is
contained a proviso, that if I, the said Edward Lillio Bridgman, shall not
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, and cause the same to bo inrolled in His Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within two calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all
liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease, deter-
mine, and become void, as in and by the same, relation being thereunto had,
may more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Edward Lillie Bridgman, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the
following description thereof (that is to say):-
My improvement in making coflins consists in the forming them of cast or
wrought iron, steel, or of any other proper metal or composition of metals as
I may find needful, and in the manner of securing them so as that they cannot
be opened without difficulty when the bodies are inclosed therein.
My improvements in the machines for conveying coffins for interment
consist in the uniting of the hearse with the body of the coach or other vehicle
for the attendants upon the funeral into one machine, so as to render the
conveyance thereof more secure and ecconomical.
And in regard to my improvements in the appendages to the same in the
church and burial ground, they consist in the forming tombs of cast or wrought
iron, steel, or other proper metal or metallic compounds, which also answer the
purpose of vaults, and cannot be opened without considerable difficulty; and
also in the forming substitutes for head and foot grave stones and coverings for
gravos of cast or wrought iron or other fit metal or compound of metals.
Having now stated generally the nature and intentions of my said improve-
ments, shall proceed, by reference to the Drawings accompanying this
Specification, more particularly to describe some of the methods by which my
said Inventions can be carried into effect, not, however, meaning thereby to
limit myself to those methods only, but to avail myself of every other mode not
hitherto employed, by which my said Inventions can be effected during the
term of years for which my said herein recited Letters Patent have been

page_text: Fig. 2, E, E, a longitudinal section of the coffin, with the lid A, A, in its
place, and the rim D, D, resting upon a ledge or border F, F, which is con-
tinued all round the inside of the coffin; the spring catches B, B, and C, C, C,
are likewise shewn with their springs lying under their ledge F, F, and
thereby preventing the lid from being raised after the coffin is closed. G, G, G,
three bars with dovetailed ends, which fit into dovetailed recesses or cavities
made in the upper side of the ledge F, F, to receive them, as shown in Fig. 4,
and are put in after the corpse is placed within the coffin, and the use of
which is to prevent the sides of the coffin from being forced asunder, so as to
disengage the springs of the catches and thereby to raise the coffin lid.
Fig. 3, A, A, represents the under side of the coffin lid with its rim or
border D, D, rivitted or otherwise firmly secured to it, and having many holes
in it, into which a greater or lesser number of the spring catches B, B, or
C, C, C, of Figs. 1 and 2, may be screwed at the will of the person or persons
closing the coffin, so that their situations cannot possibly be known by any
ono else.
Fig. 4, E, E, is an inside view of the body of the coffin, with the lid off;
F, F, F, the ledge or border within it to support the lid, and have dovetailed
recesses or cavaties H, HI, H, H, H, II, in the upper side of it to receive the
dovetailed ends of the bars G, G, G, G, into them, as before mentioned.
Fig. 5, G, one of the three bars, with its dovetailed ends shewn separately.
Fig. 6, C represents one of the spring catches, shewn edgewise, on a
larger scale; D, a section of the rim or border rivetted or otherwise secured
to the under side oft he coffin lid A; F, the ledger or border rivetted or other
wise secured around the inside of the body of the coffin, low enough to permit
the coffin lid A to rest upon it and its top to even with the upper edge of the
body of the coffin E, so as to prevent any instrument from being thrust under-
neath the lid to force it up; the spring of the catch C is also shewn projecting
underneath the ledge F, as before described.
Fig. 7, C, a front view of the spring catch.
other
proper
Figs. 8. 9, 10, and 11, represent different views of a coffin made of cast
iron or other proper metal or compound of metals, which resembles that
already described, made of wrought iron or any
malleable metals,
or compound of metals, excepting only that the rim D, D, and the cross bars
G, G, are cast entire with the lid A, A, and the ledge F, F, is also cast solid
with the body of the coffin E, E; the loose dovetailed cross bars being omitted,
as not being necessary to prevent the sides of the coffin from being forced
asunder, owing to their greater thickness and strength.
Fig. 8, A, A, the coffin lid, shewn edgewise; B, B, two of the end, and

page_text: C, C, C, three of the side spring catches; D, D, the rim or border; and G, G,
the two cross bars cast entire with the coflin lid.
Fig. 9, E, E, a longitudinal section of the body of the coffin without its lid,
and F, F, the ledge or border cast solid with it.
Fig. 10, A, A, the under side of the coffin lid; D, D, the rim or border,
and G, G, the cross bars cast with it.
Fig. 11, E, E, the inside view of the body of the coffin; F, F, the ledge or
borders cast solid within it.
REFERENCES TO DRAWING NO. 2.
Fig. 1, A represents a side view of the body of a coach, and B, tho hearse
under its canopy C, being fixed upon the same carriage or machino D, D.
Fig. 2, a front view of the same machine; A, the coach; 13, the hearse;
D, the carriago.
Fig. 3, A, the back view of the coach; D, the carriage.
Fig. 4, the top or bird's-eye view of the coach A and hearso B. A, the
coach; B, the body of the hearse, moved one quarter round from underneath
its canopy C, for the greater convenience of putting in or taking out the
collin; E, the bolt or pin upon which it turns; F, F, the two flat circular
sweeps or segments of iron fixed upon the bottom of the canopy, upon which
the body slides to lessen the friction in turning it; G, G, handles to turn it by;
H, a bolt or lock to prevent the body from being turned round when not
required; I, the door of the hearse represented as opened. The other parts
of the machine being so fully drawn, and being common to other carriages,
need not be particularly described. I can also unite the hearse to the body
of a chariot or other four-wheeled carriage, as also to a two-wheeled carriage,
various modes of doing which can be readily understood without the necessity
of describing them more particularly in this Specification.
REFERENCES TO DRAWING No. 3.
Fig. 1 is a side view of a tomb or receptacle for coffins made of cast and
wrought iron as it appears above the surface of the burial ground.

page_text: sent six of the twelve fastenings by which the end plates of the tomb aro
secured to the side plates. Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9, shew these fastenings on a
large scale, B, B.
Fig. 6 is a section of part of one of the end plates, with a boss C, or thickened
part cast upon it to receive a screw D; E, E, is an inside view of part of one
of the side plates, having an ear F cast at right angles to it, with a hole in it
for the stem of the screw D to pass through, which unites it with the end
plato B.
Fig. 7, E, E, a section of part of one of the side plates; F, the ear; and
D, tho screw.
Fig. 8, B, B, an inside view of part of one of the end plates, shewing the
boss C or thickened part of it to receive the screw as before described.
Fig. 9, an horizontal section of parts of the side and end plates B, B, and
E, E, through the screw holes; D, the screw; G, G, part of the bottom plate
of the tomb upon which they rest, and are confined in their places sideways by
the rim or border H, H, which projects above the surface of the plate G, G,
and is cast entire with it.
Fig. 10, a vertical section of part of the bottom plate G, G, with its rim or
border II; B, B, a section of part of one of the end plates, and E, E, an inside
view of part of one of the side plates.
Fig. 11, B, B, a vertical section of the upper part of one of the end plates,
and E, E, an inside view of part of one of the side plates, each having an
internal rim or ledge I, I, cast with it, for an inner lid or cover to rest upon, a
section of part of which is shewn at J, J, and which is secured from being
raised when the tomb is closed by means of spring catches, one of which is
shewn at L, fixed by its square shank or stem in a square hole made through
the lid J, J, and rivitted on the upper side of it, and the spring of which
catches underneath the said rim or ledge I, I, so that the inner lid cannot be
removed but by cutting off the heads of the rivits of the spring catches.
M, M, is part of the outer lid or cover of the tomb, with a rim or border N all
round it, which shuts over and surrounds the side and end plates of the tomb,
and rests upon the top or upper edges of the said plates.
REFERENCES TO DRAWING No. 4.
The same letters of reference refer to the same parts in all of the first six
Figures.
Fig. 1 is a side view of the two cast-iron tablets or substitutes for head
and foot grave stones, shewn edgewise, and the cover of a grave likewise made
Antonst iron tablet axented normandioleskab

page_text: of the grave; B, a smaller one at the foot of the grave; C, the cover of the
grave, secure at each end by screws D, D, &c. to the head and foot tablets;
E, the level of the earth in the burial ground.
Fig. 2, a horizontal plan of the same. F, F, two flanches cast to the
lower edges of the grave cover C to afford a broader basis or support to the
whole, and which must be covered to a proper depth in the earth, so as to
provent it from being overturned without difficulty.
Fig. 3, a view of the head and foot tablets from the foot of the grave. G, a
plate to receive the inscription, which may be cast with the tablet. Suc-
ceeding inscriptions may be added upon other plates, rivitted or otherwise 1
attached to the tablet.
Fig. 4, a cross section at H, H, in Fig. 1, shewing the internal flanch 1, 1, 1,
with holes in it, at the head end of the grave cover C, for the sirews to pass
through, by which it is secured to the head tablet A.
Fig. 5, an end view of the head end of the grave cover C, with tho flanch 1
and screw holes I, I, I, in it.
Fig. 6, an end view of the foot end of the grave cover C, with the flanch
and screw holes I, I, I, in it.
Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, represents another mode of securing the head
and foot tablets together when no grave cover is required, the same letters 2
referring to the same parts in all the Figures.
Fig. 7 is a side view of J the head, and K the foot tablets, which are united
together by three iron bars, two of which are here shown at L, L, being
screwed to them at M, M, &c.; N, N, flanches cast at right angles to the
fect of tho tablets, to form a basis or support to them by being covered to a 2
proper depth with earth, to prevent them from being overturned; O, O, the
level of the earth in the burial ground; P, P, the top of tho grave.
Fig. 8, a view of the head and foot tablets from the foot of the grave.
Fig. 9, a cross section at the bottom line Q, Q, of Fig. 7.
Fig. 10, a plan of the head and foot tablets J, K, and flanches N, N, and 3
also of the three bars I, L, L, and screws which bind the whole together.
Fig. 11, an horizontal section of the head tablet J, at the dotted line R, R,
in Fig. 9.
Fig. 12, part of tho same on a larger scale.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Lillie Bridgman, havo hereunto 3
set my hand and scal, this Twenty-third day of June, in the year of
Land One thousand oight hundred and eighteen.
EDWARD LILLIE (1.s.) BRIDGMAN.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-third day of June, in the
year of our Lord 1818, the aforesaid Edward Lillie Bridgman came before
our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-third day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighteen.