CA2882729A1 - Obelisk columbarium structure - Google Patents

Abstract

An obelisk columbarium structure having two opposing sides with a plurality of removable facing stones disposed over vertically spaced niches disposed within the obelisk structure. Each of the front, rear, left and right sides are angled inwardly from their respective lower ends toward their upper ends, such that the upper end of the obelisk has a periphery that is less than the periphery of the lower end of the obelisk. Alternatively, the obelisk may be placed directly on a concrete slab or floor or other structure, where a base is not desired. It should be appreciated, however, that the obelisk may have any desired configuration of a capstone or any desired base.

Description

OBELISK COLUMBARIUM STRUCTURE
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application no.
13/589,807 filed August 20, 2012 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S.
patent application no.
13/375,803 filed December 2, 2011 which is a national phase entry of PCT
application no.
PCT/U52010/048,481 filed September 10, 2010 which was filed as a continuation-in-part for purposes of the U.S. and which claims priority for purposes of the U.S. to co-pending U.S. patent application no. 12/476,529, filed June 2, 2009.
BACKGROUND

[0002] Typically, a columbarium is constructed in the form of an indoor or outdoor wall of a building or some other large free-standing structure in a cemetery. As cremation is becoming increasingly more common, cemeteries are adding more columbarium structures, and many churches and even some universities are now placing columbarium structures on their grounds.
With this growth of columbaria construction, cemeteries, churches and universities are seeking more uniquely configurations of columbarium structures, rather than the more traditional wall-type columbarium.

[0003] It is generally desired to have the stone facing stones or facing stones which cover the columbarium niche to be secured by mounting hardware which is concealed or hidden from view so as not to detract from the appearance of the stone and the reverent atmosphere of the columbarium. The concealed mounting hardware must resist corrosion and it must securely hold the facing stones in position despite extreme temperature swings and countless freeze-thaw cycles for season-after-season and year-after-year, for decades, if not centuries. In addition, the mounting hardware must permit the facing stones to be relatively easily removed and replaced even after years or decades of being exposed to the elements.

[0004] With the desire for more unique configurations of columbarium structures, there is a need in the industry for a concealed mounting system which is capable of being used with virtually any size or shape of facing stone, which has few pieces, is relatively quick and easy to assemble and install in order to reduce material costs and labor costs, and which permits adjustment of the facing stones to maintain uniformity in spacing between the stones, or to account for inconsistencies in stone thickness, or, if desired, to provide relief patterns in the facings stones, by recessing some stones with respect to other stones.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an obelisk columbarium structure.

[0006] FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the obelisk columbarium structure of FIG. 1. The rear elevation view is the same as the front elevation view.

[0007] FIG. 3 is a left side elevation view of the obelisk columbarium structure of FIG. 1.
The right side elevation view is the same as the left side elevation view.

[0008] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the obelisk columbarium structure of FIG. 1.

[0009] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the obelisk columbarium structure of FIG. 1 with the niche facing stones removed to showing an arrangement of the cinerary urns within the obelisk.

[0010] FIG. 6 is the same front or rear elevation view of the obelisk columbarium structure as in FIG. 2, showing the arrangement of the cinerary urns within the obelisk.

[0011] FIG. 7 is the same left or right side elevation view of the obelisk columbarium structure as in FIG. 3, showing the arrangement of the cinerary urns within the obelisk and showing an embodiment of the concealed mounting system for the facing stones.

[0012] FIG. 8 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the top portion of the obelisk of FIG. 7 showing an embodiment of the internal framework of the obelisk and an embodiment of the concealed mounting system.

[0013] FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the bottom portion of the obelisk of FIG. 7 showing an embodiment of the internal framework of the obelisk and an embodiment of the concealed mounting system.

[0014] FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view of one of the niches of the obelisk of FIG. 1 showing an embodiment of the internal framework and concealed mounting system.

[0015] FIG. 11 is an enlarged view the upper clip and upper lock of the mounting system of FIG. 7.

[0016] FIG. 12 is an enlarged view the bottom hanger and swivel socket of the mounting system of FIG. 7.

[0017] FIG. 13 is a rear perspective view of a facing stone illustrating a portion of an embodiment of the concealed mounting system secured to the back side of the facing stone.

[0018] FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the facing stone facing stone and portion of the concealed mounting system of FIG. 13 and illustrating the slots fabricated into the back side of the facing stone to receive the anchors.

[0019] FIG. 15 is an alternative embodiment of an obelisk columbarium structure.

[0020] FIG. 16 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the top portion of the obelisk of FIG. 15 showing another embodiment of the internal framework of the obelisk and another embodiment of the concealed mounting system.
DESCRIPTION

[0021] Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a columbarium structure 10 in the form of an obelisk. The obelisk structure 10 has a front side 12, a rear side 14, a left side 16, a right side 18. Each of the front, rear, left and right sides are angled inwardly from their respective lower ends toward their upper ends, such that the upper end of the obelisk has a periphery that is less than the periphery of the lower end of the obelisk. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the obelisk structure 10 is shown having a pyramidal shaped capstone 20 and a stepped base 22. It should be appreciated, however, that the obelisk 10 may have any desired configuration of a capstone 20 or any desired base 22. Alternatively, the obelisk 10 may be placed directly on a concrete slab or floor or other structure, where a base is not desired.

[0022] The front and rear sides 12, 14 of the obelisk 10 includes a plurality of niche facing stones 24 which are removable for accessing the niches 26 in which cinerary urns or urn boxes 28 (FIG. 5) may be placed. Because each of the sides of the obelisk structure 10 are angled inwardly, the niche facing stones 24 are trapezoidal in shape. The left and right sides 16, 18 are enclosed by left and right side panels 30, 32. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the left and right side panels 30, 32 are shown as being comprised of a single panel. However, depending on the size of the obelisk structure, the side panels 30, 32 may be constructed of multiple panels. The facing stones 24, side panels 30, 32, capstone 20 and base 22, may be made of any desired material, but typically would be made of stone, such as honed or polished granite or marble, for example.
FIG. 2 is a front side elevation of the obelisk structure 10 of FIG. 1. The rear side elevation is the same as the front side elevation view. FIG. 3 is a left side elevation view of the obelisk structure 10 of FIG. 1. The right side elevation view is the same as left side elevation view.
FIG. 4 is atop plan view of the obelisk structure 10 of FIG. 1.

[0023] It should be appreciated that the obelisk structure 10 may vary in height, length and width as desired for aesthetic reasons and for accommodating different numbers or sizes of urns 28. Various configurations of obelisk columbarium structures are shown in Applicant's co-pending design patent application no. 29/449,155 filed March 14, 2013 which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. FIG. 5 shows the obelisk 10 of FIG. 1 with the niche facing stones 24 removed to better illustrate the arrangement of the urns 28 within the obelisk. In this embodiment, the obelisk is shown as having eight rows of niches 26 on both its front and rear sides 12, 14 which can accommodate a total of 38 urn boxes 28 having typical length, width and height dimensions of 5.5 x 5.5 x 7 inches. FIG. 6 is the same front or rear elevation view of the obelisk columbarium structure as in FIG. 2, illustrating the arrangement of the cinerary urns within the obelisk. FIG. 7 is the same left or right side elevation view of the obelisk columbarium structure as in FIG. 3, showing the arrangement of the cinerary urns within the obelisk and showing an embodiment of the concealed mounting system for the facing stones (discussed later).

[0024] As best viewed in FIGs. 8 and 9, which are enlarged partial cross-sectional views along lines 8-8 and 9-9 of FIG. 5, respectively, the obelisk structure 10 includes an internal framework 40 of vertically spaced, horizontal shelves 42 and opposing vertical backwalls 44, 46 which define the individual niches 26 accessible from the front and rear sides of the obelisk structure upon removal of the facing stones 24. The horizontal shelves 42 are supported by L-shaped brackets 48, such as extruded or rolled angles. One leg of the L-shaped brackets are secured to the opposing inner faces of the end panels 30, 32 by threaded connectors or anchors retained by a nut. The inward projecting leg of the L-shaped bracket serves as a support for the ends of the horizontal shelves 42. The brackets 48 are positioned so that the shelves 42 align with the top and bottom of the facing stones 24 of the respective niches 26.
In the embodiment shown, the horizontal shelves 42 and the backwalls 44, 46 are constructed of cement board, but other suitably rigid, durable and weather resistant material may also be used including, for example, fiber reinforced polymer, aluminum, stainless steel and plastic.

[0025] To provide lateral rigidity to the backwalls 44, 46 vertically spaced lateral supports 50, such as extruded or roll formed channels may be attached to the backwalls by threaded connectors or rivets. Because the horizontal shelves are primarily supported only at their ends by the inwardly projecting leg of the L-shaped brackets 48, it should be appreciated that depending on the horizontal span between the end panels, the inner side of the horizontal shelves (i.e. the end nearest the backwall) may be need to be supported to prevent to shelves from bowing downwardly over time or due to the weight of the urns. Accordingly, the lateral supports 50 may include outwardly projecting flanges 52 to frictionally receive an inner side of the horizontal shelves 42. If the horizontal span of the shelves is short, it may be unnecessary to support the inner side of every shelf and therefore the lateral supports may be vertically spaced every other shelf or more depending on the height of the obelisk and the horizontal span of the shelves.

[0026] The outer side of the horizontal shelves 42 (i.e., the side nearest the facing stones) supports a front rail 60 which cooperates with a concealed mounting system 100 (described later) to adjustably support the facing stones 24. In one embodiment the front rail 60 is fabricated from extruded aluminum, but may be fabricated from any other suitably rigid, weather resistant, and dimensionally stable, extrudable or pultrudable materials such as fiber reinforced polymer, stainless steel and plastic. As best shown in FIGs. 10-13, the front rail 60 may have an inwardly projecting flange 62 which may be attached to the horizontal shelf 42 by rivets or threaded connectors. Alternatively, the front rail 60 may include inwardly projecting flanges for frictionally receiving the outer side of the horizontal shelves 42 as disclosed in Applicant's U.S.
Patent No. 8,122,650, incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. In yet another alternative embodiment, the front rail 60 and horizontal shelf 42 may be integrally formed as an extrusion creating a single horizontal member as disclosed in Applicant's co-pending application 13/375,803 (publication no. US2012/0167488), incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
In yet another alternative embodiment, the front rail 60 may be fabricated from an extrusion and attached to a shelf fabricated from bent plate or, alternatively, the front rail 60 may be fabricated from angle stock or bent plate or the front rail 60 may be roll formed, all of which embodiments are disclosed in Applicant's co-pending application no. 13/589,807 filed August 20, 2012, incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

[0027] In each of the above embodiments, the front rail 60 includes an outwardly projecting flange 64 and a downwardly projecting flange 66. A top channel 68 and a top slot 70 are formed along the length of the forwardly projecting flange 64. Referring to FIGs. 8-10, the top slot 70 of the lower niche and the downwardly projecting flange 66 of the upper niche cooperate to receive and retain an inner closure panel 72. A turn tab 74 is pivotally secured to the downwardly projecting flange by a threaded connector or rivet 76 to hold the top end of the inner closure panel 72 in position, while the bottom end of the inner closure panel 72 is received in the top slot 70. To remove the inner closure panel 72, the turn tab 74 is rotated up to free the top end of the inner closure panel, allowing the top end to be tilted outwardly so it can be grasped and lifted from the top slot 70 of the lower front rail 60.

[0028] Referring to FIGs. 8-14, one embodiment of the concealed mounting system 100 includes an upper clip 102 and at least one, preferably two, lower support hangers 104 secured to the back side of the facing stone 24. The upper clip 102 includes an upwardly curving hook 106 that receives and is engaged by the upper lock 150 (described in greater detail later). The lower support hangers 104 comprise an L-shaped bracket 108 with threaded studs 110 threadably received through threaded apertures 112 in the rearwardly projecting leg 114 of the L-shaped bracket 108. The upper clip 102 and hangers 104 may be fabricated from extruded aluminum or other suitably rigid, weather resistant and dimensionally stable, extrudable or pultrudable material.

[0029] In the embodiment as best illustrated in FIGs. 11-14, the clip 102 and hangers 104 are secured with threaded anchors 120. The heads 122 of the threaded anchors are received within inverted T-shaped slots 124 cut into the back side of the facing stone 24 such as disclosed in US
Patent No. 4,020,610, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. The threaded shaft 126 of the anchors 120 project from the back face of the facing stone 24 and are received through apertures 128 in the clips 102 and hangers 104. A nut 130 is threaded onto the projecting threaded shaft 126 and is tightened to securely attach the clips 102 and hangers 104 in place and to prevent their rotation.

[0030] One embodiment of the concealed mounting system 100 includes at least one hanger support 132, preferably two, for cooperatively receiving and supporting the threaded stud 110.
The hanger support 132 comprises a swivel socket with an elongated body 134 having an aperture 136 near one end and a socket or indentation 138 at an opposite end.
The swivel socket 132 is slidably positioned along the front rail 60 by a threaded lug 140 having a head 142 received within the top channel 68 of the front rail 60. The shaft 144 of the lug 140 extends through the top channel 68 and into the aperture 146 of the swivel socket 132 and is secured by a nut 148. By loosening and tightening the nut 148, the swivel socket 132 can pivot or swivel about the lug 140 and can be slidably, adjustably, fixably positioned anywhere along the length of the top channel 68 in order to align the socket 138 to receive the downwardly extending threaded stud 110. By turning the threaded stud 110 clockwise or counterclockwise it will cause the facing stone 24 to raise or lower, respectively, relative to the swivel socket 132 and front rail 60 thereby providing vertical adjustment of the facing stone 24. Likewise, by loosening and tightening the nut 148 on the lug 140, the swivel socket 132 can pivot inwardly or outwardly relative to the front rail 60 thereby providing in-and-out or fore-and-aft adjustment at the bottom of the facing stone 24.

[0031] One embodiment of the concealed mounting system 100 also includes an upper lock 150. The upper lock 150 includes a rearwardly projecting flange 152 having an elongated slot 154. Similar to the swivel sockets 132, the upper lock 150 is slidably positioned along the front rail 60 by a threaded lug 156 having a head 158 received within the top channel 68 of the front rail 60. The shaft 144 of the lug 140 extends through the top channel 68 and into the elongated slot 154 of the rearwardly projecting flange 152. By loosening and tightening the nut 148 threaded over the shaft 144 of the lug 140, the upper lock 150 can be positioned inwardly or outwardly relative to the front rail 60 thereby providing in-and-out or fore-and-aft adjustment at the top of the facing stone 24. Furthermore, by loosening and tightening the nut 148 on the lug 140 the upper lock 150 can be slidably, adjustably, fixably positioned at the desired location along the top channel 68.

[0032] One embodiment of the upper lock 150 includes a forwardly extending channel 156, and a downwardly extending channel 158. Apertures 160, 162 extend through the forwardly extending channel 156 and downwardly extending channel 158, respectively. A
locking screw 164 passes through both apertures 160, 162. The locking screw 164 includes a threaded upper shaft 166 and a rectangular lower shaft 168. The threaded upper shaft 166 is threadably received by a nut 170 disposed within the forwardly extending channel 156. The nut 170 is larger than the diameter of the apertures 160, 162 such that the locking screw 164 is vertically supported within the forwardly extending channel 156 by the nut 170. The width of the rectangular lower shaft 168 of the locking screw is preferably only slightly less than the width between the legs of the downwardly extending channel 158 such that the rectangular lower shaft 168 prevents the locking screw 164 from rotating within the channel 158.

[0033] As best illustrated in FIG. 10, the nut 170 is accessible for rotation by an open end wrench 172 (FIG. 10) inserted in the gap 174 between vertically adjacent facing stones 24. It should be appreciated that because the cooperation of the rectangular lower shaft 168 within the downwardly extending channel 158 prevents the locking screw 164 from rotating, upon turning the nut 170 clockwise using the wrench 172, the locking screw 164 is caused to move downwardly allowing the end of the rectangular lower shaft 168 to engage the upwardly curving hook 106 of the upper clip 102. Likewise, by rotating the nut 170 counter-clockwise using the wrench 172, the locking screw 164 is caused to move upwardly thereby disengaging the end of the rectangular lower shaft 168 from the upward hook 106 of the clip 102 and allowing the facing stone 24 to be easily removed for access to the niche 26. The end of the rectangular lower shaft 168 is preferably beveled to better mate with the upwardly curving hook 106.

[0034] The in-and-out adjustment capability at the top of the facing stone 24 when combined with the in-and-out adjustment capability at the bottom of the facing stone 24, allows for easier and faster installation of facing stones and better accommodates different facing stone thicknesses, whether due to thickness tolerances or inconsistencies in the stone or whether different stone thicknesses are being used to create a relief pattern in the face of the obelisk.
Furthermore, it should be appreciated that once the nut 148 is tightened down, the swivel sockets 132 and the upper lock 150 are prevented from pivoting or sliding horizontally within the top channel 68. Thus, if the facing stone 24 is ever removed, when it comes time to replace the facing stone, the threaded studs 110 will be guided to seat in the bottom of the sockets 138 of the swivel socket 132 and the upper lock 150 will cooperate to ensure that the facing stone is returned to the exact same position before it was removed,thereby avoiding the tedious task of having to readjust the facing stone to ensure a uniform gap with the adjacent facing stones.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 10, it should also be appreciated that through the pivotable movement of the swivel sockets 132, and with the centrally positioned upper lock 150, the facing stone is capable of pivoting about a vertical Y axis as indicated by arrow 180. Furthermore, with threaded studs 110 received within the swivel sockets 132, and with the curvature of the upper clip cooperating with the upper lock 150, the facing stone is also able to pivot about a horizontal X axis as indicated by arrow 182. Also, with the independent vertical adjustability of the threaded studs 110 cooperating with the swivel sockets, the facing stone is also able to pivot about the Z axis as indicated by arrow 184. Thus, the facing stone 24 is capable of being adjustable in three dimensions or about three axes of rotation, thereby enabling infinite adjustment of the facing stones 24 to ensure uniform gaps are maintained between adjacent facing stones for a more pleasing aesthetic appearance and to ensure the front of adjacent facing stones are flush if desired, or as illustrated in FIG. 8, to allow adjacent facing stones to be moved in or out to create a relief pattern if desired.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 8, it should also be appreciated that the concealed mounting system 100 allows more versatility than current facing stone mounting systems by allowing the upper clips 102 and hangers 104 on the back of the facing stones 24 to have varying positions between adjacent facing stones and it allows for the facing stones 24 to be placed anywhere along the front rail 60. This versatility permits different sized facing stones to be used in the event it is desired to have multiple or different sized facing stones over the obelisk niches 26.

[0037] The foregoing hardware and components comprising the concealed mounting system 100 are preferably made of corrosion resistant material such as stainless steel, brass or aluminum or are plated or treated with a corrosion resistant finish. Alternatively the hardware and components may be produced using a sintering process. The components are also preferably galvanically compatible with the other components to which they come into contact to minimize oxidation or corrosion so they remain capable of supporting the loads anticipated for the structure and so they can withstand the extreme environmental conditions to which they may be subject.

[0038] FIGs. 15 and 16 illustrate an alternative embodiment of an obelisk structure 10'. As in the previously described embodiment, the obelisk structure 10' has a front side 12, a rear side 14, a left side 16, a right side 18. In the embodiment of FIG. 15, the obelisk structure 10 is shown having a pyramidal shaped capstone 20 and a stepped base 22. As with the previously described embodiment, it should be appreciated, however, that the obelisk 10' may have any desired configuration of a capstone 20 or any desired base 22. Alternatively, the obelisk 10' may be placed directly on a concrete slab or floor or other structure, where a base is not desired.

[0039] As in the previous embodiment, the front and rear sides 12, 14 of the obelisk 10' includes a plurality of niche facing stones 24 which are removable for accessing the niches 26 in which cinerary urns or urn boxes 28 may be placed. The left and right sides 16, 18 are enclosed by left and right side panels 30, 32. In the embodiment of FIG. 15, the left and right side panels 30, 32 are shown as being comprised of a single panel. However, depending on the size of the obelisk structure, the side panels 30, 32 may be constructed of multiple panels. The facing stones 24, side panels 30, 32, capstone 20 and base 22, may be made of any desired material, but typically would be made of stone, such as honed or polished granite or marble, for example.

[0040] As with the previous embodiment, it should also be appreciated that the obelisk structure 10' may vary in height, length and width as desired for aesthetic reasons and for accommodating different numbers or sizes of urns 28. Various configurations of obelisk columbarium structures are shown in Applicant's co-pending design patent application no.
29/449,155 filed March 14, 2013 previously incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

[0041] Unlike the previously described embodiment of the obelisk structure 10, the horizontal shelves 42 of the alternative embodiment of the obelisk 10' project outwardly and are substantially flush with the edges of the end panels 30, 32. Thus, in this embodiment, the horizontal shelves 42 are preferably fabricated from the same stone or a complimentary stone or material as the facing stones 24 and end panels 30, 32 and are honed or polished to the same or a complimentary finish. Also, unlike the previous embodiment, the facing stones 24 may be recessed inwardly from the edges of the horizontal shelves 24 and the edges of the end panels 30, 32. In one embodiment, the facing stones 24 may be received in a groove 25 formed in the upper surface of the shelf 42 to receive the lower end of the facing stone 24. The upper end of the facing stone 24 may be secured using a soffit lock 200 as disclosed in Applicant's U.S. patent no.
5,802,781 ("the '781 patent"), incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, but rather than the socket locks 200 being secured to the stones 24 as shown the '781 patent, the soffit locks 200 may be secured to the back sides of the stones 24 using the T-shaped slots 124 and anchors 120 as previously described in connection with FIGs. 13 and 14. The horizontal shelve 42 may be supported by L-shaped brackets 48 secured to the end panels 30, 32 as previously described.
Also, as with the previous embodiment a backwall 44 or opposing backwalls may be provided to separate the niches on the front side 12 and rear side 14 of the obelisk 10'.
The backwall 44 may be secured within the obelisk 10' by the same or similar L-shaped brackets 48 as used for supporting the horizontal shelves 42 [0042] The foregoing description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention and is provided in the context of a patent application and its requirements. Various modifications to the embodiments and the general principles and features described herein will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art. Thus, the present invention is not to be limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawing figures, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims (44)

1. An obelisk columbarium, comprising:
an obelisk structure having a front side, a rear side, a left side and a right side, each of said sides being angled inwardly from a lower end of said obelisk structure to an upper end of said obelisk structure, such that said upper end of said obelisk structure has a periphery less than said lower end of said obelisk structure, said left side and said right side enclosed by left and right end panels;
a plurality of vertically spaced niches disposed within said obelisk structure between said left side and said right side;
a plurality of removable facing stones disposed over said vertically spaced niches on said front side and said rear side.

2. The obelisk columbarium of claim 1 wherein each of said vertically spaced niches is defined by said left and right end panels, substantially horizontally oriented shelves and one of said plurality of a removable facing stones.

3. The obelisk columbarium of claim 2 wherein each of said vertically spaced niches is further defined by a back wall separating said niches between said front side and said rear side.

4. The obelisk columbarium of claim 2 wherein said shelves are selected from a group comprising, stone, cement board, fiber reinforced polymer, aluminum, stainless steel and plastic.

5. The obelisk columbarium of claim 3 wherein said back wall is selected from a group comprising, stone, cement board, fiber reinforced polymer, aluminum, stainless steel and plastic.

6. The obelisk columbarium of claim 1 wherein said facing stones are substantially flush with front and rear edges of said left and right side panels.

7. The obelisk columbarium of claim 1 wherein said facing stones are recessed inward from front and rear edges left and right side panels.

8. The obelisk columbarium of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of substantially horizontally oriented shelves vertically separating said plurality of vertically spaced niches.

9. The obelisk columbarium of claim 8 wherein outward ends of said shelves are substantially flush with front and rear edges of said left and right side panels.

10. The obelisk columbarium of claim 9 wherein said facing stones are recessed inward from said front and rear edges of said left and right side panels.

11. The obelisk columbarium of claim 10 wherein a top surface of said shelves include a groove for receiving a lower end of one of said plurality of facing stones.

12. The obelisk columbarium of claim 8 wherein each of said plurality of shelves includes a front rail.

13. The obelisk columbarium of claim 12 further comprising a concealed mounting system for removably mounting each of said plurality of plurality of facing stones to said obelisk structure, said concealed mounting system for each of said plurality of facing stones comprising an upper clip, an upper lock, at least one bottom hanger and at least one bottom hanger support, said upper clip and said at least one bottom hanger secured to a back face of said facing stones, said upper lock supported by an upper one of said front rails, said at least one bottom hanger support supported by a lower one of said front rails;
whereby said upper clip cooperates with said upper lock and said at least one bottom hanger support cooperates with said at least one bottom hanger such that each of said plurality of facing stones is capable of being movable about three axes of rotation as well as vertically and horizontally with respect to said front rails.

14. The obelisk columbarium of claim 13 wherein said front rail includes a top channel extending along a length of said front rail and wherein said upper lock is slidably, adjustably, fixable along said top channel.

15. The obelisk columbarium of claim 14 wherein said upper lock is adjustably, fixable in a direction transverse to said top channel.

16. The obelisk columbarium of claim 15 wherein said at least one bottom hanger support is slidably, adjustably, fixable along said top channel.

17. The obelisk columbarium of claim 16 wherein said at least one bottom hanger includes a threadably adjustable stud and wherein said at least one bottom hanger support is a swivel socket having a socket at one end to receive said threadably adjustable stud.

18. The obelisk columbarium of claim 12 wherein said front rail is extruded.

19. The obelisk columbarium of claim 18 wherein said front rail is selected from a group comprising, aluminum, stainless steel, fiber reinforced polymer, and plastic.

20. The obelisk columbarium of claim 12 wherein said shelves are formed integral with said front rail.

21. An obelisk columbarium, comprising:
an obelisk structure having front and rear opposing sides with a plurality of removable facing stones disposed over vertically spaced niches disposed within said obelisk structure.

22. The obelisk columbarium of claim 21 wherein said vertically spaced niches are defined by opposing left and right side panels, substantially horizontally oriented shelves and one of said plurality of a removable facing stones.

23. The obelisk columbarium of claim 22 wherein each of said vertically spaced niches is further defined by a back wall separating said niches between said front and rear opposing sides.

24. The obelisk columbarium of claim 22 wherein said shelves are selected from a group comprising, stone, cement board, fiber reinforced polymer, aluminum, stainless steel and plastic.

25. The obelisk columbarium of claim 23 wherein said back wall is selected from a group comprising, stone, cement board, fiber reinforced polymer, aluminum, stainless steel and plastic.

26. The obelisk columbarium of claim 22 wherein said facing stones are substantially flush with edges of said opposing left and right side panels.

27. The obelisk columbarium of claim 22 wherein said facing stones are recessed inward from edges of said opposing left and right side panels.

28. The obelisk columbarium of claim 21 further comprising a plurality of substantially horizontally oriented shelves vertically separating said plurality of vertically spaced niches.

29. The obelisk columbarium of claim 28 wherein said obelisk structure further comprises opposing left and right side panels;

30. The obelisk columbarium of claim 29 wherein said plurality of facing stones are substantially flush with front and rear edges of said opposing left and right side panels;

31. The obelisk columbarium of claim 29 wherein outward ends of said shelves are substantially flush with front and rear edges of said opposing left and right side panels.

32. The obelisk columbarium of claim 31 wherein said facing stones are recessed inward from said edges of said opposing end panels.

33. The obelisk columbarium of claim 32 wherein a top surface of said shelves include a groove for receiving a lower end of one of said plurality of facing stones.

34. The obelisk columbarium of claim 28 wherein each of said plurality of shelves includes a front rail.

35. The obelisk columbarium of claim 34 further comprising a concealed mounting system for removably mounting each of said plurality of plurality of facing stones to said obelisk structure, said concealed mounting system for each of said plurality of facing stones comprising an upper clip, an upper lock, at least one bottom hanger and at least one bottom hanger support, said upper clip and said at least one bottom hanger secured to a back face of said facing stones, said upper lock supported by an upper one of said front rails, said at least one bottom hanger support supported by a lower one of said front rails;

whereby said upper clip cooperates with said upper lock and said at least one bottom hanger support cooperates with said at least one bottom hanger such that each of said plurality of facing stones is capable of being movable about three axes of rotation as well as vertically and horizontally with respect to said front rails.

36. The obelisk columbarium of claim 35 wherein said front rail includes a top channel extending along a length of said front rail and wherein said upper lock is slidably, adjustably, fixable along said top channel.

37. The obelisk columbarium of claim 36 wherein said upper lock is adjustably, fixable in a direction transverse to said top channel.

38. The obelisk columbarium of claim 37 wherein said at least one bottom hanger support is slidably, adjustably, fixable along said top channel.

39. The obelisk columbarium of claim 38 wherein said at least one bottom hanger includes a threadably adjustable stud and wherein said at least one bottom hanger support is a swivel socket having a socket at one end to receive said threadably adjustable stud.

40. The obelisk columbarium of claim 34 wherein said front rail is extruded.

41. The obelisk columbarium of claim 34 wherein said horizontal member is selected from a group comprising, aluminum, stainless steel, fiber reinforced polymer, and plastic.

42. The obelisk columbarium of claim 34 wherein said shelves are formed integral with said front rail.

43. The obelisk columbarium of claim 1 wherein said facing stones are trapezoidal.

44. The obelisk columbarium of claim 21 wherein said facing stones are trapezoidal.