Document 10 is the first page of the last Topf patent, for a single-muffle cremation furnace designed by Martin KLETTNER. The main feature of the invention was the almost complete combustion of the corpse (so that the volume of ashes remaining was rarely enough to fill a normal urn) by a system of hot air recovery. The time taken to cremate a corpse was from 30 to 45 minutes. The guillotine-type closing system for the muffle door was that designed by Prüfer for his 8-muffle furnace. It is not known whether this model, a little marvel of technical design, was ever marketed. It incorporated much of the experience gained by Topf in the concentration camps.
Document 11 is the cross-section of the furnace and 12 the longitudinal section. Both drawings are attached to the patent. |
