US110337A - Improvement in corpse-preserving coffins - Google Patents

Description

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Letters Patent No. 110,337, dated December 20, 1870.

.IMPROVEMENT IN CORPSE-PRESERVING COFFINS.

The Schedule' referred to in these Letters Patentan. making part of the same.

To dll l'tv lwm it may concern :g

Be Yit 'known that IVJAMES Y.BLAGK, of Cleveland, incounty of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio,

have invented a certain new and improved Godin for I Preserving Dead Bodies; and `IA do hereby 'declarc that the following is a full, clear, and complete deseription of the same, reference being had .to the acf companying drawing making part of this specification,

in which.-

Figure -1 is a perspective vie'w of the coffin orcase.

Figure 2 is an' inside view from the top. -Figure is an under-side view' of the cover.

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section in direction of the line zw.

FigureA is a transverse sectiouin direction of the line'zw'.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the severalviews.

The nature of this invention relates to a device for the preservation of human bodies for a time previous to their final interment, the object thereof being to keep said bodies in such condition that they may be sent from a distance for burial, or he continued unburied until lthe arrival of distantfriends of the de ceased; and

It consists in forming an ice-chamber around the v body-receptacle, which chamber is open at both sidesV at the top, and covered with a rubber. gasket attached to the edge of the cover, the latter having a space for antiseptics, and a lining of' some fibrous mategv The device above referred to isfconstructed in the following manner:

In lig.1- Y v j A represents an oblong square case, somewhat exneeding in length the stature of ahuman being, with a depth and width proportionate thereto.

Said case is constructed of wood and lined with' sheet metal, B, fig. 5, between which and the sides of the case isa space, D; -so also between the lining of the ends and `the ends of the case is a js'pace, D; and so also between the bottom of the lining and case,

f thereby forming au air-space or chamber around between Y the entire inside of the ease and lining, as shown in ligs. 4 and 5.

Within "said case is arranged a casket, E, iig.' 2, in which the body is placed for preservation.

It will be observed that said casket is so construct'ed vand arranged within thev'case that it does not tonchthe sides and bottom thereof, but that there is a wide space, F, between them, as shown in iig. 5, the purpose of which will presently he shown.

G, fig. 1, is the cover ot the case, which is also lined, not with sheet`meta'l, but with some textilefab-- ric, H, iig. 4, Vbetween which and the top of the cover is a space, I, communicating with the outside by means of apertures J.

The practical operation of this device is as follows:

As aforesaid, the body is laid inthe casket E. This being done, the space F immediately surrounding the ycasketis then filled with a freezing mixture of ice and salt, or with ice only, as the temperature of the weather' I may determine.

The cold air from the ice-chamber is -prevented from coming in contact with the corpse by the casket being air-tight where it comes against the ice-chamber.

The space l of the cover, on beingiilled with some antisepticagent, thetop plate of which may be taken voft' for that purpose, is now secured tothe case. A gasket, K,'is placed between it and the edge ofthe case, thereby making an air-tight joint.

The body thus incased and surrounded by the freez- ,ing mixture is soon frozen solid, thereby arresting its further decompositiomand which can be preserved in this condition as long as may be nccessary'for the purpose required.

The water from the ice, as it may melt away, iows from thecase" through the c duction-ppe L, and all moisture willbecarried oli through the vents J, or

'absorbedbytheli'ni-ng H, or the contents of the' cover. n

In thiscondition of the body it can be transported vwith'safety'rom and ,to any distant place for inteiruent,and,shou1d the freezing mixture become wasted While"in"'tta tnsit, it can easily and conveniently be rev"placed by 'alti-csh supply, and thus continue the preservation of the body so long as may be desired, `which is then removed from the case for its final interment.

Claim.

What I claim as myimprovement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

'lhe case "A, containing the air-chamber D, icc-

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