(Mo Model.) A, PEARNAUGHT, GRAVE SIGNAL. No. 260,379. Patented July 4, 1882, WITNESSES. INVENTOR Chabolenard. Wa PEL aaa cyUnrreD STATES PATENT OFFICE. ALBERT FEARNAUGHT, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA. GRAVE-SIGNAL. SPECIFICATION forming. part of Letters Patent No. 260,879, dated July 4, 1882. Alia led Mare 90182, (oso ‘Fo all whom it may concern: ‘Boit known that I, ALBERT Feannavarr, of the city of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and Stato of Indiana, have invented certain 4 new and useful Improvements in Grave Sig. nals, of which the following is a specification. ‘My said invention consists in providing a sig- 2 nal whereby persons who have been buried un- der the mistaken impression that death had ‘occurred ean, upon returning to consciousness, inform the person in charge of the cemetery of that fact, so that they may be disinterred, and. at the same time obtain a supply of air. Te further consists of some details of co struction and arrangements of parts, all as will horeinafter be more particulatly deseribed. Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are a part hereof, and on which similar Jetters of referenes indicate similar parts, Fig. ure 1 is a eentral vertical section of a casket and ease with my invention applied as it ap. pears when in use; Fig. 2, a side elovation of the casket aud invention, the case being in section; Fig.3,a section, similar to that shown, in Fig. 1, of the prineipal working parts of the device and the parts immediately surrounding them, on an enlarged scale; Fig. 4,2 view sim} lar t6 the bottom portion of Mig. 3, but the spring released, as when the signal is up; Vig. 5, aview from the opposite side of the paris shown in the upper end of Fig.2; Fig. 6, a vertical seotion on the dotted line 2 x, Fig. 3; aud Fig, 7 @ horizontal section, looking up- ward from the dotted line » # in Fig. 4. Tn said drawings, the portions marked A represent the case ordinarily used to inclose a, ‘collin or easket before burial; B, said casket for coffins ©, a tube in the form of an elbow, Yeading from the end of the easket to the top fof the ease; D,a stopper in the horizontal part of said tube; E, a spring in the vertical part thereof; IY, a tube sot over the mouth of the tube O, and extending to or above the top of the ground; G, a flag or other signaling de- ‘Vigo located inside of said tube; H, a rod on which said Zag is mounted T, 2 cap on said yod; J, a tube alongside the tabe ¥, leading ‘0 an orifice in the case A; K, Fig. 1, a stop. per whieh fills an orifice in the opposite end of 50 the easket from the tabe O; L,acord attached thereto; M, Fig. 1, an eye or pulley through, 45 35 3° 35 40 45 hich said cord passes, and N a cord attached to the stopper D, ‘The operation of my said invention is as fol- lows: Before the caskotis put in use the tube Os attached, the spring H is pressed down, and the stopper D is iuserted, the stem d of ‘the latter passing through the bearing ¢ aud entering the stem ¢ of said spring, as shown most plainly in Fig. 3, Said spring is sup- ported and said stem gaided by the eross-bear- Inge’, ‘The cord N is connected to the stopper ‘Dand tothe wristof the supposed corpse. ‘The stopper Kis inserted in the orifice iu the otber end of the casket, aud the cord L is passed ‘through theeye or pulley M, and also connect- ed to the wrist of the supposed corpse. ‘The casket being closed ap and placed in the grave, the tubes I and J (whick should. be fastened together) are then set in position, the one cov- ering the upper open end of the tube C and the other the bole a in the case A. When in this position the signal G and its rod Hare foreetd down into the position shown by Figs. 1 and 3, the lower end of the rod resting on the eap ef of on the upper end of the stem e, ‘The grave is then filled in the usual manner. ‘Should it prove that the supposed death was only ease of suspended animation, the buried person would, upon returning to cousciousness, bya slight movement of the hand (whether voluntary of involuntary) pull out both the Stoppers D and K, thas releasing the spring aud throwing up the signal into the position shown by Figs.2 and 4, and at the same time establishing a eireuit through which cold air will freely eixeulate from the outside, thas ven- ting the casket and permitting respiration until the grave ean be opened. ‘The tube J and the opening wherein the stopper Kis sorted are for this last-weutioned pnrpose, as Single opening is not sufilcient to establish a circulation of air. When the signal is thrown, up itimmediately attracts the attention of any person in sight of the grave,as it is or should 95 deconstructed ofa red or other equally bright- colored fabric, ‘The fabrie is secured to the anus g g, whieh are pivoted to the rod H, and. ‘said aris are operated to spread apart by the springs h hi also secured to said rod, and thas 100 display the signal to the fullest extent. ‘Tn order to Secure the advantages of this in- 55 60 65 8545 25 30 vention, it is of course necessary that some person Should visit the vieinity of the grave 260,379 whereof are a tube leading to the coflin or ens- 35 ket, a siguallug therein, a spring by which frequently during the period of uncertainty as | said signal-lag may be foreed. vertically 1p- to the fate of the buried person, in order that | ward above the top af said tube, aid means for the work of disinterving the body anay at ones | releasing said spring whieh may be operated be proceeded with should the signal be raised. | from the inside of the coflin, substantially as 40 While of course this signal ean be mischiey: | set fort. ously raised from the outside, such raising | 2 The combination, in a grave-sigual ap- need not deceive any person, as, anless the | paratus, with the signal, of the spring 1 aud spring 1 has been released, the sigual ean be | the stopper D, the stew of the latter. being readily put back in place, While if it has been | adapted to engage with thestem of the former, 45 the sigual eannot be foréed into the tube 80 | and to be disengaged by acord attached there. that if will remain. As is readily apparent, the spring canuot be released except from the inside, and therefore it ean at once be certainly ascertaiued whether or not the signal las been properly displayed. After the body has been buried so long as to render it impossible that life showld remain, the tubes Fand J, together with the signal | and other parts connected. thereto, ean be re- | moved, the hole which they ocenpied filled up, and the grave will then present the ordinary appearance. ‘That portion of the apparatus | which is removed is eapable of repeated use, ‘The cap I covers the two tubes extending above the ground after the mauuer of a roof, shown, to keep rain from entering said tubes, aswell when the signal ishoisted as whea itis lowered, ‘Having thus fally deseribed my said inven: tion, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is— 1. A grave-signal the essential featares | | to and extending inside the cof, substar tially as set forth, . The combination of the tube F, the rod Hi, the fabric G, the arms g g,and the springs 50 ‘ih, forming a grave-sigual, substantially 4s shown and specified, 4. ‘The combination, with the signal G and rod IT, of the tube O, baving bearings ¢ and c, the spring B, having stem «, the stopper D, 35 having stem J, and the cord N, substantially a8 set forth. 5. The combination of the two tubes, the two stoppers, the signal, and means, substan tially as described, for operating the same, all substantially as set forth, In witness whereof I have hereunto set my ind and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this, th day of March, A.D. 1882, ALBERT FEARNAUGHT, [t. 5] Tn presence of— C. BRanrorp, Chas. L, Toker, 60