GB2238062A - Commemorative device - Google Patents

Abstract

A 'Garden of Remembrance' in a crematorium or other public place includes a plurality of elements, such as kerb stones (1) or building blocks, which have cavities (3) for receiving human or animal ashes eg in urns (4). Alternatively, the blocks may be moulded from a mixture of the ashes and a cementitious or plastics material. The stones act as focal points for remembrance and commemoration and may be provided with suitable plaques (10). <IMAGE>

Description

COMMEMORATIVE DEVICE This invention relates to a commemorative device, and in partIcular it relates to a device suitable for providing a 'focal point' for commemorating the life of a deceased person.

Upon death, a body is generally interred by either burial or by cremation. If a person is buried, then a headstone is often erected upon the burial site, which headstone can act as a focal point for future remembrance and commemoration. However, if a body is cremated the ashes are usually scattered and thus there is conventionally no focal point for persons to celebrate acts of remembrance or commemoration for the decease.

According to the present invention there is provIded a commemorative article comprising a shaped body in the for of a border stone cr building block and containing cremated 'rzzan or animal ashes.

Preferably, the body is in the form of a border stone having at least one cavity for receiving a con'a ne- which contains the ashes and means for sealing the opening of the cavity after Insertion of the contaIner. The bod may be of cementitious or plastics material. Alternatively, the block may be a shaped formed body made of a mixture of a cementitious or plastics material and the ashes.

When the body is of the type containing a cavIty for receiving a container, such as an urn, it may be elongate and contain a plurality of cavities spaced along its length.

According to the invention there is further provided a 'Garden of Rememberance' comprising one or more border stones, the or each stone having at least one cavity for receiving a contaIner containing cremated human or animal ashes, and means for sealing the opening of the cavity after insertion of the container. The sealing means may be unsealable once sealed or, alternatively, they may be removable by the provision of a locking mechanism or by a key which cooperates with a lock on the seal.

The border stones may be, for example, paving stones of stones marking the border between a pathway and a lawn, between a lawn and a flower bed or any other suitable border. Bodies according to the invention may also be used as building blocks in building, for instance, walls.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows border stones according to te p-ec I iei;; FIgre 2 shows a cross-section through part of one border stone; Figure 3 shows a lid; and F ~e 4 shows three embodiments of border stones In sits.

Referring to Figure 1(a) a border stone such as a kerb stone comprises an elongate stone 1 having a generally rectangular cross-section. A plurality of cavities are provided spaced, through the stones, and each having an opening at the top surface. The opening is sealed by a lid and preferably by a plaque 2 which may have suitable wording and other designs inscribed or printed on it.

Figure 1(b) shows an alternative embodiment in which the stones are again an elongate shape but having one corner cut off so as to form the shape having a five sided coss-section shown in Figure l(b). Each cavity extends vertically downwards but its opening is angled with respect to the horizontal and is again covered by a plaque 2. The embodiment of Figure l(b) enables a commemorative plaque to be viewed more easily for a person walking alongside the stone.

Figure 2 shows a cross-section through a typical kerb stone and shows one cavity 3 disposed within stone 1. The cavity is of a suitable size to receive an urn 4 which contains the cremated ashes of a human or other animal. The cavity 3 has an elongate cylindrical base section of height suitable to receive the urn 4. Above this, the cavity widens at a shoulder portion 5 and is further widened above this by a second shoulder portion 6. A rigid ring member 7, typically made of a metal or a rigid plastics material, is securely mounted within the portion defined by shoulder 5 and may be bonded thereto. It is preferably mounted such tt it cannot be removed other than by breaking the entire stone and is provided with an internal screwthread.

A lid, in the form of a disc 8 of a rigid material and of a similar thickness to ring 7 has an external screwthread for cooperating wit the internal screwtnread of ring 7 to secure the lid in place after an urn has been inserted into cavity 3. It is desirable that a locking mechanism is provided on lid 8 to prevent unwanted removal of the lid. This may be achieved by providing the lid with a plurality of indents 9 along its top surface towards its periphery, as shown in Figure 7. A tocl (not shown) having a similar plurality of members, at similar angles and spacing to the indents, is required to remove the lid, or to tighten it after it has been hand thightened. Similar mechanism are used, for instance, on drain covers. Any other appropriate locking mechanism may be used.

A plaque 10 is subsequently mounted above lid 8 and supported by shoulder 6. The plaque is preferably of such a height that it lies level, in use, with the top surface 11 of the stone to provide a smooth appearance. The p'aq -ae may be mounted by means of two or more screws 12 screwed into the stone.

Figure 4 shows typical positions in which border stones according to the present invention can be provided. A cemetary or crematorium will generally have one or more paths and gardens, and indeed it is common for there to be a facility for the bereaved to purchase rose bushes or other plants for planting in a commemorative rose or plant bed.

The border stones according to the present invent Ion can therefore be used as a border between a path and a lawn, as shown at (a), c between, for instance, a lawn and a rose bed as shown at (c). Figure 4(b) shows a border stone of the second embodiment shown in Figure l(b) used for defining a border between a path and a lawn. The stones can be of any desired length and may each include just one cavity or a plurality of cavities. The cavities can be purchased" or rented and used to store an urn, with ashes enclosed, for a chosen period of time or indefinitely. A plaque pertinent to the deceased is mounted to the appropriate stone, which plaque may be removed at suitable intervals for cleaning or for further inscriptions to be applied, for example. It is also possible to remove both plaque 10 and lid 8 to gain access to the urn 4 within the cavity, for instance to add the ashes of a second person to that of the first as is often the testamentary or other wish of a wife/husband or other relative or close friend of the person who has died.

Instead of providing a cavity within a stone for receiving an urn, the stone itself may be formed with the cremated ashes already within it, perhaps by beIng mixed with cementitious or plastics material before moulding or other forming of the border stone. In this case, a plaque can either be mounted to the side of the stone or may itself be moulded or otherwise formed with the stone.

Claims (12)

1. A commemorative article comprising a body in the form of a border stone or a building block and containing cremated human or animal ashes.

2. An article as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the body comprises a border stone having at least one cavity for receiving, through an opening, a container which holds the ashes, and means for closing the opening after insertion of the container.

3. An article as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the body is elongate and contains a plurality of cavities spaced along its length.

4. An article as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3 including a commemorative plaque associated with the or each cavity.

5. An article as claimed In any of Claims 2 to 4 including a boring mechanism associated w-th the closure means.

6. An article as claimed in any of Claims 2 to 5 wherein the body is made from a cementitlous or plastics material.

7. An article as claimed in Claim 1 formed of a mixture of a cementitious or plastics material and the ashes.

8. An article as claimed in Claim 7 further including a commemorative plaque embedded in the body during manufacture.

9. A 'Garden of Remembrance' comprising one or more commemorative articles as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8.

10. A border stone having a cavitylfor usein a commemorative article as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 8.

11. A border stone having at least one cavity for receiving, through an opening, a container, and means for closing the opening after insertion of the container.

12. A commemorative article substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.