IMPROVEMENTS IN COFFINS
Year: 1884

page_text: I GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the General Patent Office, No 4, South
Street, Finsbury, in the county of Middlesex, Patent Agent do hereby declaro
the nature of the said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN COFFINS' to be as
follows:-
"
"
This invention relates to improvements in coffins and the invention consists in
the manufacture of a light metallic coffin which is impermeable to air and moisture,
the cover and body of the coffin being made of wire gauze interlaced with bands
of tarred paper and suitably fastened to a flanged metal frame and covered on the
inside and outside with layers of tar, asphalte, pitch or the like, and paper.
In carrying out the invention the upper edge of the body of the coffin
intended to receive the corpse consists of angle iron which extends completoly
round the edge of the coffin. A cross piece is provided below the angle iron and
inside the coffin and having small holes at suitable distances apart. Through these
holes pass the ends of a piece of wire netting or gauze which ends are fastened to
the angle iron. In this manner a kind of long wire basket is formed, the par-
ticular shape of which will depend on the form given to the angle iron in plan
and on the shape to be given to the basket in cross section, the wire netting or
gauze is flat and the meshes of the same are alternated with interlaced bands of
tarred paper in such a manner that coarse grained sand would not pass through
the fabric so formed.
of paper
This basket consisting of iron and paper is first painted with a mixture of hot
coal-tar, pitch and asphalte and while this covering is soft a layer of strong paper
is placed thereon the paper exactly conforming to the shape of the coffin. Over
this layer of paper is placed another coating of the hot mixture and a layer
pressed quickly thereon these layers of paper extend to the upper
and outer edge of the angle iron. The outside of the coffin is covered in a similar
manner to that herein before described. The number of layers of paper to be
employed in making the coffin depends on the nature of the soil in which the
grave is situated, that is to say, on the pressure of the earth or water and
the number of layers of paper and coatings of mixture on the inside or on the
Price Gidl

page_text: outside should be greater or less accordingly. The mixture of which the said
coating is composed should be varied according to the climate. Both the inside
and outside paper coverings are covered with a coat of the hereinbefore described
mixture, but these last coatings should contain a larger proportion of asphalte so as
to resist the action of the sun's rays to which the coffin might be exposed before
burial. The coffin-lid or cover is constructed in a similar manner to that herein-
before described but as moisture is not likely to pass from the inside of the cover
to the outside, a greater number of layers is put on the outside than on the inside
of the cover. The body and lid of the coffin so formed are then put together so
that the horizontal flanges of the bordering angle iron face each other.
In the upper and lower flanges are corresponding holes which servo partly for
receiving bolts as hereinafter described and partly to allow of handles being fixed
thereto.
In the better class of coffins the angle iron may be coated with zinc or copper,
and the coffin may for ornament be provided with handles and other ornamental
fittings.
In the commoner class of coffins the angle iron as well as the wire netting or
gauze are only protected by coatings of the herein before described mixture.
As the layers of paper are passed over the flange of the angle iron they will
allow of a perfectly airtight joint being obtained when the angle irons are bolted
together. The size of the wire to be used depends on the size of the coffin and on
the amount of pressure of the earth or water. As the wire is firmly held between
the layers of paper and coatings of mixture it is unnecessary to otherwise secure it
from becoming rusty. The advantages which this improved coffin possesses over
wooden coffins are that it will not rot for a much longer period, that it is almost
indestructible when put in the earth under favorable conditions; that it can be
closed airtight so as to prevent the escape of any odours from the corpse and that
moisture is prevented from passing from the outside to the inside and, from the
inside to the outside thereof the result being that a poisoning of the soil is almost
impossible. Over existing metal coffins which also may be said to possess the
before named properties this improved coffin possesses tho advantage of being much
lighter and cheaper,

page_text: "
I GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN of the General Patent Office No 4 South Street,
Finsbury in the county of Middlesex, Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature
of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COFFINS (which invention has
been communicated to me from abroad by Messieurs Wirth and Co of Frankfort-
on-the-Main acting as agents for Leopold Eichelberg of Heidelberg both in the
Empire of Germany) and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
The invention relates to air tight coffins which are constructed with a view to
rendering them impermeable to air and moisture.
The invention consists in a coffin the frame work of the body and cover of
which is constructed of an angle iron or flanged metal rim and an attached basket
like structure of interlaced or woven wires, the interstices between which are
closed by interlaced strips of paper, the whole being rendered water tight and air
tight by means of a water-proof material or composition applied in a liquid state,
as hereinafter described.
In order to enable the invention to be fully understood I will describe the same
by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1 is a transverse
vertical sectional view of a coffin constructed according to this invention, a part of
the lining being broken away to illustrate the construction of the framework of
the coffin.
Figure 2 is a sectional view representing a part of figure 1 on a larger scale.
Figure 3 is a sectional view illustrating a modification of the part of the
invention illustrated in figure 2.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
In carrying out the invention the upper edge of the body of the coffin (shown
in figures 1 and 2) consists of angle iron, D, extending around the whole of the
upper edge of the body of the coffin. The vertical flange of this angle iron is
provided with a series of holes, a³, extending entirely around the coffin at suitable
distances apart. The frame work of the body of the coffin consists of the said
angle iron and of the wires a, b interlacing each other, so as to form a net work
or basket like structure. The ends of the wires a, are secured in the holes a³ of
the angle iron D, as illustrated at a¹ a³ of figure 2. Between the meshes of this
wire net work or basket are interlaced a series of strips of tarred paper c,
(illustrated at G of figure 1) and so closely woven that grains of coarse sand will
not pass through the meshes of the fabric. This basket like structure may be
made of any desired and suitable form, both in longitudinal and cross section, and
of any size suitable for the reception of a corpse. The inside of this structure is
painted with a water proof material or composition, which may consist of a
mixture of coal tar, pitch, and asphaltum, which is laid on in a hot state. Before
the said composition hardens, and while it is still adhesive, a layer or covering of
strong paper, d, is laid on it. This paper must exactly conform to the shape of
the interior of the coffin, so that all parts of it will adhere firmly to the water
proof coating. Upon this layer of paper 'is laid another coating of water proof
material and another layer of paper, g, and so on until a sufficient thickness is

page_text: obtained. The paper covering extends over and around the edge of the angle iron,
as illustrated in figures 2 and 3. The outside of the structure is then covered in
a similar manner to that herein before described with water proof coatings and
paper,g, until a sufficient thickness is obtained. The cover of the coffin is
constructed in a similar manner, to the body, taking care to adapt the angle iron
forming the edge of the cover so that its horizontal face will conform to and lie
closely upon the horizontal face of the angle iron forming the edge of the body.
As a rule the cover need not be so strong nor have so many layers of paper and
water proof material as the body.
The cover and the body of the coffin may be secured together in any suitable
manner, care being taken that the two horizontal faces of the angle iron shall
coincide all round. Holes are provided in the horizontal flanges of the cover and
of the body for receiving bolts F. Other holes may be provided in the flange of
the body to allow the handles to be fixed thereto. In the better class of coffins
the angle iron and the wire may be coated with zine or copper, and the coffin may
be provided with handles and other ornamental fittings. In the commoner and
aper class of coffins the angle iron and the wire netting or guaze are only
ected by a coating of the hereinbefore described water proof composition. As
yers of paper are passed over the adjacent horizontal faces of the angle iron,
fford the means of making a perfectly air tight joint when the two parts of
tho
n are bolted together. The size of the wire to be used in the construction
of th. coflin will depend upon the size of the coffin and on the amount of pressure
to which it will be subjected in the grave. As the wire is permanently covered by
and securely-held between the layers of paper and the coatings of water proof
inaterial, nothing further is necessary to protect it from oxidation.
the
Figure 3 illustrates a modification of the invention in which a band, D¹, of bar
iron, is securely fastened with rivets, to the vertical inner face of the angle iron D,
and the ends of the interlacing wires a, instead of passing through holes in the
angle iron D, are secured by being bent partly between the angle iron D and the
band D', and partly over the band D', as illustrated at a', a² at figure 3. Other-
wise the construction is the same as that herein before described.
The advantages possessed by this coffin over wooden coffins as at present in use
are that it is almost indestructible when in the earth, that it can be closed air tight
so as to prevent the escape of offensive odour from the corpse, and that, moisture
is prevented from entering the coffin or leaking out of the same, the poisoning of
the soil in which the coffin is deposited being thereby prevented-Further it is
much cheaper and lighter than the air tight metallic coffins now in use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The combination of angle iron D, interlaced or woven wires a, b, interlaced
paper strips c, paper covering d, e, f, g and interposed water proof material
substantially as herein before described and shown in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the Ath day of Nawal 100K