GB1570998A - Burial casket - Google Patents

Description

(54) BIJRIAL CASKET (71) I, BRUCE WILLIAM SHAW, an Australian Citizen, of 40 Marshall Street, Goondiwndi, Queensland, 4390, Australia, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the foliowing statement: This invention relates to burial caskets. Such caskets have previously been constructed of wood. Such caskets involve very considerable labour costs and material costs as good quality woods are difficult to obtain.

It is clearly desirable that caskets be formed of plastics materials which can provide an excellent appearance and are lighter as well as very much reducing labour costs.

However, it has been considered impossible to make a satisfactory light-weight plastics casket for three reasons; the casket has not sufficient strength, it is difficult to seal effectively, and attachment of the necessary handles and plaques has been ineffective.

The invention in one aspect comprises a burial casket of plastics material comprising a lid and a casket body, wherein said casket body has a bottom; a pair of side walls; a pair of end walls; reinforcing sheet material embedded in said bottom and said pair of side walls, and inset blocks of material to which handles or ornaments can be secured, the inset blocks of material being embedded in said pair of side walls and fixed to said reinforcing sheet material.

The reinforcing sheet material is preferably a plurality of longitudinally spaced tensile straps. Preferably the straps are produced from high-density polyethylene.

Alternatively, the reinforcing material may be in the form of a trough-shaped member of aluminium sheet material.

The inset blocks of material to which handles, plaques or other external features may be secured, may be of a material such as high density polyethylene, wood or metal.

The casket lid may be slidable on the casket body and may also be strengthened by an internal plate of more rigid material.

In order that the invention may be better understood, preferred embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 shows in transverse section the casket body; FIG. 2 shows in enlarged section part of the body and of the lid secured thereto; and FIG. 3 shows in enlarged section part of the body and of a sliding lid.

The casket body 10 is moulded from a plastics material, such as high-density polystyrene, the surface being smooth-finished and appropriately coloured or decorated. Moulded within the plastics of the body walls and bottom is a series of longitudinally spaced reinforcing strips 11 of high-doensity polyethylene tensile strap. The reinforcing strips can of course be of other materials, e.g. of sheet metal or other natural or synthetic materials having a high tensile strength.

The lid may also be strengthened by an internal sheet 13 (FIG. 3). Body 10 has inserts 14 at appropriate positions secured to the strips 11 within the plastics. These are to take the fastening screws for handles and will be formed of wood or tough plastics, e.g. high density polyethylene for wood screws, or of metal, to be drilled and tapped for machine screws. Similar inserts in lid 12 are placed for fastening of plaques and the cross.

In the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 & 2, a plurality of high density polyethylene wedges 15 are moulded into the upper edges of the body walls. Corresponding plastics collars 16 are moulded into the peripheral flange 17 of the lid 12. Die-cast fixing screws 18, preferably having ornamental heads, pass through the collars 16 and are screwed into the wedges 15 to secure the lid 12 to the casket body.

In an alternative preferred embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the wedges 15 are replaced by longitudinal inserts 20 each having a central groove 21. The edges of the lid 12 each has an insert 22 with a projecting central piece 23 to engage the groove 21. Inserts 20, 22 are made of somewhat deformable material such as nylon, so that piece 23 may be pushed past lips 24 of groove 21 into the groove.

For clarity in FIG. 3, some clearance is shown between piece 23 and groove 21, but in practice they will fit closely so as to give a good seal. Lid 12 is therefore longitudinally slidable. The ends of the lid 21 (not shown) can be provided with the same seals so that the ends of the lid may be "snapped down" to seal with the casket body when the lid is closed. The lid may be held in the closed position by a hinged hasp screwed down to the end of body 10, or by the using one of the screws as illustrated in FIG. 2.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made to the arrangements described without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A burial casket of plastics material comprising a lid and a casket body, wherein said casket body has a bottom; a pair of side walls; a pair of end walls; reinforcing sheet material embedded in said bottom and said pair of side walls, and inset blocks of material to which handles or ornaments can be secured, the inset blocks of material being embedded in said pair of side walls and fixed to said reinforcing sheet material.

2. A burial casket as claimed in claim 1 wherein said reinforcing sheet material is embedded in said pair of end walls.

3. A burial casket according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the reinforcing sheet material comprises a plurality of longitudinally spaced tensile straps.

4. A burial casket according to claim 3 wherein the straps are of high density polyethylene.

5. A burial casket according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the reinforcing sheet material is a trough-shaped member of aluminium sheet material.

6. A burial casket according to any preceding claim wherein said lid is securable to the casket body by a plurality of screws engaging insert wedges on upper edges of the side walls.

7. A burial casket according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said lid is slidable on, and securable to, longitudinal inserts of deformable material on upper edges of the side walls of the casket body.

8. A burial casket according to claim 7 comprising longitudinal inserts on the lid, said longitudinal inserts of the lid being of deformable material and being slidable received in, and sealably engaged with, grooves in the longitudinal inserts on the upper edges of the side walls.

9. A burial casket substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A burial casket substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (10)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. For clarity in FIG. 3, some clearance is shown between piece 23 and groove 21, but in practice they will fit closely so as to give a good seal. Lid 12 is therefore longitudinally slidable. The ends of the lid 21 (not shown) can be provided with the same seals so that the ends of the lid may be "snapped down" to seal with the casket body when the lid is closed. The lid may be held in the closed position by a hinged hasp screwed down to the end of body 10, or by the using one of the screws as illustrated in FIG. 2. It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made to the arrangements described without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A burial casket of plastics material comprising a lid and a casket body, wherein said casket body has a bottom; a pair of side walls; a pair of end walls; reinforcing sheet material embedded in said bottom and said pair of side walls, and inset blocks of material to which handles or ornaments can be secured, the inset blocks of material being embedded in said pair of side walls and fixed to said reinforcing sheet material.

2. A burial casket as claimed in claim 1 wherein said reinforcing sheet material is embedded in said pair of end walls.

3. A burial casket according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the reinforcing sheet material comprises a plurality of longitudinally spaced tensile straps.

4. A burial casket according to claim 3 wherein the straps are of high density polyethylene.

5. A burial casket according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the reinforcing sheet material is a trough-shaped member of aluminium sheet material.

6. A burial casket according to any preceding claim wherein said lid is securable to the casket body by a plurality of screws engaging insert wedges on upper edges of the side walls.

7. A burial casket according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said lid is slidable on, and securable to, longitudinal inserts of deformable material on upper edges of the side walls of the casket body.

8. A burial casket according to claim 7 comprising longitudinal inserts on the lid, said longitudinal inserts of the lid being of deformable material and being slidable received in, and sealably engaged with, grooves in the longitudinal inserts on the upper edges of the side walls.

9. A burial casket substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A burial casket substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.