US36765A - Improvement - Google Patents

Description

L. D. BUNN.

Corpse Cooler.V

No.36,765. i I Patented Oct. 281. 1862.

Inventor,

AM- P HUTD-LITND. C0. N.Y. [USBORN ES FRQCESS.)

NITED STATES LEVIS D. BUNN, OF MORRIS-TOWN, NEWT-JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT iN CORPSE-PRESERVERS. l

Specification forming` part of Letters Patent No. 36,765, dated October 2S, 1862.

To @ZZ whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, Lnwrs D. BUNN, of Morristown, in the county of Morris and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Corpse-Preserver; and I do hereby de-V clare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same.

Similar letters 0f reference in both views indi'eate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to arrest or check the decomposition of a body for several days from time of death, and to present the features in a perfectly-natural state as to expression, color, &c., on the day of funeral,

and also keep the body free from smell.

The invention consists in the arrangement of a movable cooling-board, iitted into the body-chamber with an air-tightjoint, in combination with an ice-box and cold-'air chamber, forming'the top or cover of said bodychamber, in such a manner that a body or corpse laid upon the cooling-board and introduced into the body-chamber is exposed to the cooling influence of the ice, Without coming in contact with the moisture or water formed by the melting ice, and at the same time convenient access may be had to the corpse, if it is desired to look at the features of the deceased from time to time, or the corpse may be closed up air-tight, if that course is rendered advisable.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation with reference to the drawings.

A represents a box, made of Wood or any other suitable material, and lined with sheetzinc, if desired, and supported with legs B, which may be firmly inserted or arranged so that they can easily and quickly be removed whenever it may be desired. This box forms the body-chamber, and it may be constructed withdouble Walls, the space between which forms an airAchannel, whereby the interior of the body-chamber is excluded as much as` pos sible from the influence of the external atmosphere. This airvchannel may, however, be dispensed with; but at all events it is desirable to construct the bodychamber of a good non-conductor of heat. The chamber is open at one end to receive the cooling-board C. On this board the corpse is laid out afterit has been washed and dressed, and the headpiece a of said board is provided with suitto fasten the chin of the corpse. The edges of the head-piece a are cut off in an inclined direction, to correspond to the shape of the opening in the end of the chamber A, and when the cooling-board is in its place the joint between the head-piece and end of the chama ber is rendered airtight by strips of felt, cloth, india-rubber, or other suitable substance interposed between the edges of said headpiece and those of the opening inthe-end of the chamber A. The head-piece a may be made hollow, or with double walls lled in with coal-dust or some other non-conductor of heat, so that the corpse, when placed on the coolingboard and introduced into the chamber A, is perfectly secluded from the influence of the ex- A is covered by the ice-boxD and air-chamwith a bottom of thin sheet metal, and the icebox is situated over the chest and bowels of the body stretched on the cooling-board, so that the cooling inliuence of the ice is exerted principally on those parts of the body which are particularly liable to decomposition. The water formed by the melting ice is carried off through two pipes, b', which extend through the air-chamber E, and from which flexible tubes c lead to a pail or other suitable receptacle.

The ice-box and the air-chamber may be surrounded by double walls, and the airspace formed between these double walls may be made to communicate by suitable channels ber A, so that a continuous current oi' cold air passes around the whole device. The body or corpse to be preserved is thus perfectly prowater formed by the melting ice, and if the cooling-board is kept closed a comparatively small quantityof ice is sufficient to freeze the body and to preserve itl from decomposition for several days. c

If desired, the apparatus may be made in several sections, so that it can be carried from able staples, b, to retain a band, c, that serves ternal atmosphere. The top of the chamber ber E. This box and chamber is constructed with the air-space surrounding the bodycham tected against the influence of the moisture or i with head-piece a, in combination with the body-chamber A, ice-box D, and air-chamber E, al1 constructed and operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose' shown and described.

LEWIS D. BUNN. Wtn esses:

JESSE SMITH, WM. C. CAsKnY.

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