Article Category: Funereal Friday

Corpse Lifter

Posted Friday, Jul 03

Patented July 27, 1880 by Edward B. Carter of Huntsville, Alabama

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD B. CARTER, of Huntsville, in the county of Madison and State of Alabama, have invented a new and Improved Corpse-Lifter, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a convenient device for lifting dead bodies and placing them in the coffin.

The invention consists of two standards having vertically-adjustable rods that support a horizontal beam, from which depend straps that may be looped about the body, so that the body may be lifted and moved by persons taking hold of the ends of the beam and raisin g said beam from off the vertical rods.

Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing the device applied to a corpse. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of a standard supporting a vertical rod. Fig. 3 is an elevation of a book used with the device.

By this device corpses can be lifted and moved with much greater case than by hand, and coffins can be lowered into graves by the same device.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-
1. A corpse-lifter constructed substantially as herein shown and described, consisting of the socketed standards A A, provided with notched rods B B, dogs 0 (J, and cross-beam E and straps F F, as set forth.
2. In a corpse-lifter, the combination, with the vertically-adjustable rods B B, of the crossbeam E and straps F F, substantially as herein shown and described.
3. In a corpse-lifter, the combination, with the rods B B and standards A A, of the springdogs 0, substantially as shown and described.


EDWARD BRUCE CARTER.

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