US1031725A - Burial-vault. - Google Patents

Description

J. H. MILLIGAN.

BURIAL VAULT.

APPLICATION FILED 001210, 1911.

Patented July 9 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

an uento'c QX) itmeooeo J. H. MILLIGAN.

BURIAL VAULT.

APPLICATION FILED 0021.10, 1911.

mm. 0am B 73 9H UH u m dB 63 m2 .w a P JAMES H. MILLIGAIN', 0F LAWRENCEVILTJE, ILLINOIS.

IBURIAL-VAULT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. MILLIGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lawrenceville', in the county of Lawrence and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burial- Vaults; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to burial vaults and has for its object to provide a vault to receive a casket, coflin or the like prior to in terment, and to maintain the contents of the vault in an absolutely air-tight condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vault of the character described which is constructed of material which will not become disintegrated by chemical action and which will repel moisture and water to such an extent that the contents of'the vault will at all times remain in a perfectly dry condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide a'novel construction for sealing and locking the vault in such manner that after the same has been sealed and looked that the vault cannot be reopened and the contents thereof removed or tampered with.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction of'the vault and in the novel construction for sealing and locking the same. i

The invention also-consists in certain other features of construction and in combinations of parts, all of which will be first fully described and afterward specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the top member of a vault constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the bottom member of the vault. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the vault. Fig. 1 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view illustrating Specification-of Letters Patent.

Application filed. October 10, 1911.

Patented July 9, 1912.

Serial No. 653,888.

the sealing and locking construction of the vault Fi 5 is an enlarged side elevation of the mec ianical locking member, and Fig. 6 is a-front elevation of the same.

Like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout the severalfigures in which;

1 indicates the vault which comprises the upper vault section 2 and .-the lower or bottom vault section 3. As will appear from Figs. 3 and 4 the lowerbottom section 3 is provided with side walls 1 which extend to the point 5. Formed on the walls 4 and ends 6 is a trough 7 which entirely surrounds the vault, a wall 8 being provided to form the trough 7, said wall 8 terminating at 9 which is preferably at a point slightly below the upper edge of the wall 4. Formed on the inner face of the wall 8 and near the top thereof is a continuous projecting bead 10. The top vault section 2 comprises the ver tical sides 11 and ends 12, and formed on said sides and ends is a continuous projecting flange 13 having an inclined upper surface 14; while on the outer face of the sides 11 and ends 12 is a'continuous projecting bead 15, said bead 15 being provided with a continuous depression 16 1n the upper portion thereof.

As will appear fromthe drawings the trough 7 in the lower section 3 receives the lower portion of the sides 11 and ends 12 of the upper vault section 2; while the projecting flange 13 on the said upper section projects to the outer edge of the wall 8 of the lower vault section 3, thus forming a closurefor the trough 7 as is clearly apparent from the drawings.

17 indicates the mechanical locking'memher which as shown in Fig. 5 tapers ou-tward] from its bottom to its top and is provi ed with a rounded bottom 18 to conform to the depression 16in the continuous bead 15, and as will appear from Fig. 6 said member 17 is provided with an elongated base 19 to form a long base of support for her, are provided on the upper surface of the top member 2 for the purpose of transporting the vault, while a plurality of trans.

verse ribs 23, preferably three in number, are formed on the bottom of the lower section 3 in order to support the same and to allow for ready withdrawal of the straps usually employed for lowering the vault into the grave.

Having thus'described the several parts of this invention its operation is as follows: In the construction of the vault it is preferable to employ vitrified tile or some other suitable damp. resisting and absolutely water-proof material which can be molded and which is not subject to disintegration and the chemical action of the soil and contents of the vault, and the two sections being molded as described and shown in the drawings the same are placed in position together to inclose the casket or cofi'in in a manner as shown and described. In order, however, to effect a hermetical sealing of the vault we prefer to employ an asphaltum which is a by-product of petroleum and which experience has shown will not disintegrate'and crack and which is absolutely damp-proof and water resisting. Before the upper section 2 is placed in position on the lower section 3 a quantity of asphaltum or some other equally suitable material is poured into the trough 7 and the mechanical locking members 17 are placed in positionon the continuous beads 15 of the upper section. Ihe said upper sedtion and mechanical locking members 17 are then placed in position as shown in Figs. 3 and a which obviously forces the asphaltum or other sealing material to the top of the trough 7 as shown in saidFigs. 8 and 4. Said asphaltum being in liquid form the mechanical locking members 17 by reason of their shape and form drop into position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the upper end 20 of the members falling under the inclined surface 21 of the continuous projecting bead 10 on the lower vault section 3, thus mechanically locking the two vault sections together in suchmanner that they can never be taken apart. The asphaltum or other suitable sealing material becomes set shortly after the sections are placed in position and as said material becomes set around the mechanical locking members 17 it absolutely holds said mechanical locking members in their proper locked position as illustrated in Fig. 4 in such manner that it is absolutely impossible to disengage said locking members in order to open the vault. However, as the asphaltum or other suitable sealing material becomes set around the continuous projecting beads 10 and 15 a thorough locking action is effected by means of the said asphaltum or sealing mawhich is not subject to the chemical action of the soil and which is damp repelling and water resisting, for the reason that unless the vault is entirely and absolutely air-tight and water-tight the objects of'the invention are in a large measure defeated. It will further be noted that by reason of the novel construction antl arrangement of the sealing material and mechanical locking elements that the said sealing material not only holds the said locking elements permanently in their locking position but at the same time entirely protects and covers the same, thus eflectively guarding against corrosion or disintegration of the said mechanical locking elements.

It will thus be seen fromthe foregoing that a vault constructed in accordance with this invention and of proper materials will be absolutely air-tight, damp resisting and Water-proof to such anextent that the contents of the vault will at all times remain in a dry condition and'in a state of preservation.

While it is apparent that a number of slight changes can be made in the construc tion and arrangement of the parts I consider myself entirely entitled to all such changes and modificationsas fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1.' A vault comprising an upper member, a lower member, said lowermember being provided with a trough to receive said up-- per member, a continuous projecting bead on said lower member, a continuous projecting bead on said upper member, said beads extending into said trough, a suitable sealing material in said trough and in contact with the adjacent surfaces of the said upper and lower members and the said continuous projecting beads thereon, a mechanical locking element in said trough having one end thereof in engagement with the continuous projecting bead on the said upper member and the other end thereof inengagement with the continuous projecting bead on the said lower member, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

2. A vault of the character described projecting into said trough to key the same comprising two members, a trough formed vault elements together, substantially as dein one of s'aid members to receive the other scribed and for the purposes set forth; 10 member, suitable sealing material insaid In testimony whereof I afiix my signatrough, continuous beadson said members ture, in-presence of two witnesses.

1 JAMES H. MILLIGAN. in said sealing material; and'a mechanical Witpesses: locking element in said trough and in en- G. MsFoRRns'r, gagement with said beads to lock the said Ep RYAN.

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