AN IMPROVED FOLDING BIER
Year: 1884

page_text: WILLIAM HENRY JESSOP Carpenter Joiner and Undertaker 26 Cobden Street
Kettering, Northamptonshire do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"AN IMPROVED FOLDING BIER to be as follows:-
A frame constructed with two long wood side rods or beams with a handle at
each of the four ends, These side beams are placed at a certain distance apart and
rest at each end on an iron frame with two feet so constructed as when not in
use the iron frame will fold up underneath and be levil with the side beams and
when out in position are kept secure by folding stays These wood side rods or
beams are also jointed in the centre midway from each end so that they will fold
and when folded occupy half the length the end handles being brought together
cach of these joints are formed with a semicircular sheet or plate of iron fastned
to the sides, in these plates are two short curved slots in the same direction as the
edges of the plates and through each of these slots a strong screw or bolt is fixed
into the wood rods or beams and these screws or bolts move in these slots in such
a manner as not to interfere with the free opening and folding of the frame but
will keep the wood side beams in a perfectly straight and riged position when open.
Across these semicircular plates a leather strap or handle is fixed by the ends theso
straps or handles are not disturbed by the opening and folding of the frame, Tho
sides to a certain distance from each end are morticed or cut through on the bovil
so as to admit of leather straps carried accross the frame from one side beam to tho
other these straps slide along the mortices to admit of any size coffin in length and
on the ends of each strap a square angle boss is fixed so as to keep the straps from
pulling through the mortices again the bosses also slide along the sides upon indian-
rubber so that it does not make any noise and the rubber keeps the bossses from
slipping when the weight is on, Midway where the coffin rests on the straps a
small piece of notched wood is fixed to the straps to prevent the coffin slipping side
ways. the handles are made so that either six, four, or two men can carry it when
open and when folded up one man can carry it with ease.
Daind this 12th day of February 1884.

page_text: I, WILLIAM HENRY JESSOP Carpenter Joiner and Undertaker of 26 Cobden
Street Kettering in the County of Northampton do hereby declare the nature of
my invention for BEARING THE DEAD TO THE GRAVE and in what manner the
sume is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
=
"
A frame constructed with two long wood side rods or beams with a handlo at
cach of the four ends A These sido beams are placed at a certain distance apart
and rest at each end on an Iron frame B with two feet so constructed as when not
in use the iron frame will fold up underneath and be level with the side beams and
when out in position are kept secure by folding stays C these wood side beams are
also jointed midway from each end-so-that-they-will-fold-and-when folded_occupy_
half the length, the end handles being brought together, each of these joints are
formed with a semicircular sheet or plate of iron D and in these plates are two
short curved slots in the same direction as the edges of the plates, and through
each of these slots a strong screw or bolt is fixed into the wood sides or beams and
these screws or bolts move in these slots in such a manner as not to interfere with
the free opening and folding of the frame but will keep the wood side beams in a
perfectly straight and rigid position when open, Across these semicircular plates
a handle E is fixed by the ends, these handles are not disturbed by the opening
Fand folding of the frame. The sides to a certain distance from each end are
morticed or cut through on the bevil so as to admit of leather straps F carried
across the frame from one side to the other, these straps slide along the mortices to
admit of any size coffin in length, and on the ends of each strap a square angle boss
is fixed so as to keep the straps from pulling through the mortices again the bosses
also slide along the sides upon Indian rubber so that it does not make any noiso
and the rubber keeps the bosses from slipping when the weight is on. Midway
where the coffin rests on the straps a small piece of notched wood G is fixed to the
straps to prevent the coffin slipping side ways, the handles are made so that either
six, four, or two men can carry it when open and when folded up one man can
carry it with ease, Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature
of my said Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare
that what 1 claim is"
1) A bier to fold from the centre to be half the length when folded.
2) The centre joints and plates which when the frame is opened out keep it rigid
and secure and do not requiro unfastning when the frame is to be folded up
substantially as described.
--3). The legs or frames falling out in position locked ready for use.
4) The angle boses on the leather strapa sliding along the sides on Indiarubbor
to prevent slipping.
5) The notched pieces of wood fixed to the straps to keep it from slipping side
ways.