US1384279A - Burial-vault closure - Google Patents

Description

H. C. SPONHAUER.

BURIAL VAULT CLOSURE.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 2o, |919.

A 11.1111111111;4 We' :III

Patented July 12, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. c.- SPONHAUER.

BURIAL VAULT CLOSURE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20,41919.

Fatemi July 12,' 1921.

2 sums-SHEET 2.

UNi-,TEpA- STATES PATE'NroFFicE.

HENRY c. sPoNHAUER, :oreniiiomoiiio' `1 To all/whom z' mayconcem: ly

Be itknown that I, HENRY'C.- SPONHAUER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galion, in the` county of Crawford and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 4in Burial-Vault Closures, of which the following is a specification. n u

This invention has to dowith burial'cases or what may b e` termed Aportable burial vaults of the class designed especially to receive a coliin so"as\to=;inclose and protect the latter, with the body containedtherein, when the Collin. in the case or vault has been. placed in the grave. j y

Among the particular objects of the 'invention are the provision of a vault "or case of unusually rigid or substantial metal construction, the yformation `ofthe vault so as to render the same practically airtightwlien ther closure kprovided ,therefor is finally placed in position, ancllockeck the a provi-v sion of special locking means fortlie said closure, and the employmentof other detail features ofconstruction and improvement, an understanding which will be readily had on reference to the following description in conjunction with the" annexed which:-

,A n l, i Figure` l is an elevation andsectional view of aburial caseorvault embodying the invention` L t *i x t U c Fig. 2 is a sectional view transversely through the vault and looking toward the inner side of the closure for the open end, the locking means `for the closure being clearly( illustrated. t t t `Fig.` 3 is a sectional yview through the central portion Vof the closure and bringing out more clearly the operating means for the locking bolts, whereby `saidbolts are not only slidably actuatedy but caused to rock for final locking and sealing compression of the closure againstthe open end portion of the vault orcase. i 1 :l t Throughout the followingdescriptioii and in `the drawings similar reference characters refer to similar parts,` As shown most clearly inFig. l of the drawings, the vault or burial case of my invention comprises a body A of metal construction closed atone end and having the other end `opened but adapted to receive a closure when the vault `is'to be `sealed for being placed in the grave. The bodyiA comprises also a suitablebot- `Sp,gcificatioll of Iietterswf'atenn PaJIl drawings, in

Iwith, theinner side ofthe flange y l l tea July 12, i921., g Application med october20,'191a` serial massless: 1

tom, andthe closed end'and thebottom are preferably united vwiththe upper or major portion of the vbody by means of `a double lapseam atfthegjuncture ofthe respectiveedges of vsaid parts. f `In order tolend rigidity to, the vault body, itis notablethat said body is formed With transverse corru` gat-ions,fshown at l, andadditionally itwill be seen that thebodyiscurved at its'uppcr portion to'provide'a sort offarclied forni in cross section. "The corrugated and arched formation justdesc'ribed is of obvious advantage forf the purpose above outlined,k t 'its open end portion,v theA body Afis formed with a flange 2 providing'. a seat against which the closure Bis received and. locked 'after the coflin lias.- been disposed in the vault or case andthe two are ready to be i placed in the grave preliminary to the filling of the latter. The closure B'conforms inits general outline or shape withtliecrossseci tional outline `of/.the ,vault `body A and the locking means for said closure will now be f setforth gv Y y Mounted on'the inner sideof the closure B arevtlie several lockiiig'lbolts 3, havinga sortof radial disposition in respect to the approximate center of the closure. AThe bolts 3 are adaptedattheir outer ends to engage- 2 by the provision on said bolts of locking elements 4.

of the closure B,owing tothe provision of headed guiding, holding studs 5,a V'plurality fof which yproject fromthe 'closure andpass 'through slots inthe bolts.` v

VAttheirinner endsgtlie bolts 3 have racks 6 arranged in spaced relation, and at these ends the bolts 3 areguided in their movementby guide lugs-7, projecting from the turn `withtlie stub shaft 9, journaled on the closure at 'its central portion.y The stub shafthasa central boss l0' between which and;` the pinion A8 is an `actuating disk 1l. The 'disk llis normally disposed in aseatl l2, formed on theinner surface ofthe clowhich directly cooperate with the fiange.` `The bolts `3 areslidable on the inner surface i ico surefB and saiddisk is `adapted to turn with the shaft 9, along lwith the pinion 8.` A`

nut 18 screwed on theinner vendof the shaft' 9A holds the parts 8 antilla-from displaceinentfromsaid 4The shaft 9 `may be vmember 14 integrally or' otherwise` carried.. l

l squared end for the application thereto of a said to be a tvvo part shaft in that it-'come prises the section designated 9 and the section 9ZL at` the outer portion of the section 9. The section 91Ihas an enlargement 9b Which receives in a threaded socket thereinV the threadedfouter terminal 9c ofthe shaft section'9. Theparts 9b, 9c, and 10 are largely s ,received andr operateb in a casing or hollow by the Vcentral portion of the closure Band projecting. outwardly`V from the latter. The outer end of the casing or memberlfl has an opening therein through which the outer 'end of the shaft section 91 protrudes, said shaft section being formed at, this portion With a Wrench ori some suitable turning tool. By reason ofthe connection between the shaft sections 9a and 9 relative movement of these sections is enforceable under certain conditions. i v f f Y W'Viththe understanding that the mounting of `the locking bolts 3 relative to the studs 5 is suficiently looseto permit of slight rocking of the bolts on said studs, whereby the bolts .may act after vthe manner of levers to impinge theouter ends thereof-against the flange 2, .the operation of the locking wmechanism thus far presentedlmay be set .the turning action of the part 9fcauses-,turn

ing of the sha-ft sectionf9, the pinion 8 and disk 11.' The movement of the pinion 8, owing to its engagement with the racks 6,

forces Vthe 'bolts 3 outvvard until they lapv over and engage theflange 2 on the inner side ofV the latter, the closure itself fitting i against theVv outer side of the `flange. The

bolts have novv preliminarily locked the clo- Vsurel against displacement and in order to give a final sealing compression actionto the closureBto press 1t firmly againstsuitable packing V15 interposed `between it and y the flangethe Wrench or tool engaged Ivvitl'r y thelshaft section 9EL is reversed in its movement. Thisaction results in unscrewing of @the portion 9c from the `portion 9b of the respective shaft sections'9 and 9a. VvBythe above operation the shaft section 9 is causedy to xnoveinwa'rd'` carrying with i'tfthe disk 11 and pinion-8 and causing Vtheouter portion of theA diskbearing against Athe inner endsv of thefracks u6 -to force said racks inward away from the closure thus rocking/them and causing the rocking bolts toact as levers for clampingthe closure B firmly against theflange. f v

j Since it is designed that once the closure B isinallysealed, the vault shall be locked against tampering as Well as for rendering thesame airtight, I provide an auxiliary lockforthe bolts 3 in the form 'of an auto-V mati'cally locking dog 16 pivotedto theinner side of the closure B at 17. This dog operates in an opening inl one of the bolts 3, being actuated by a spring 18 'which normally tends to 'throw the dog into engagement with an inclined rack 19 at one side of the opening of the boltV ljust above mentioned. To maintain the dog 16 inactive during transportation and handling of the vault `preliminary to its sealing, any suitable means may be employed, that'shovvn being ascrew 20 on thefdog 16 adapted to be imping'ed against the inner side of the closure B and unscrevvedto release the dog when theclosure B is ready to `finally' seal andclosethe' open end of the vvault bodyA; Ubviously, when the closure B is finally placed into position with the dog 16V released, `the spring'lS is free to engage the dogwith the rack'19 vvhen ,theV bolts 3 are `projected"toengage the flange 2. blo means being provided by vwhich to unlock the "dog 16 fromA the ex-` terior, opening of the vault after its lineal sealing `is elfectivelyprevented.V

If 'desired the outer end of the shaft part 9a, may projectthrough a packingb'ox of any suitable type carriedby the outer end portion Aof the casing 14. This istosubserve the airtight action ofthe closure B.

Having thus described my invention lwhat I yclaim as` new is Y 1. In a burial vault, the combination of a vaultbody, la closure therefor, a locking lmeans for the closure consisting of 'a series of locking bolts, andl means to operatey said bolts comprising a two part shaft on the closure,la pinion connected vvith one part of `said shaft and engaging the locking bolts to operate the latter in one direction and a disk canried-by said part of the shaft adapted to engage the bolts and move them in another direction, the other partof the shaft being'mov'able With the first named part to canse the pinion to Vactuate the bolts, and being` movable relatively independently of to cause sliding ,movementV of the bolts and ,said first named part tocause the disk to 1 Aactuate the bolts, the'pinion being: arranged the disk being arranged tofcause a lever-like movement of the bolts.

2. In a burial vault, the combination ',of'a vault body, a closure therefor, a flocking means for the closure consisting of a series of locking bolts, and means to operate'said bolts ycomprising a tWoxpart shaft on the closure, a Apinion. connected with V.one part ofsaid` shaft and engaging the locking bolts i fio to operate the latter in one direction and a disk carried by said part of the shaft adapt ed to engage the bolts and move them in another direction7 the other part of the shaft being movable with the first named part to Cause the pinion to aetuate the bolts,v and being movable relatively independently of said first named part to cause the disk to aetuate the bolts, the pinion being arranged to canse sliding movement of the bolts and the disk being arranged to cause a lever-like movement of the bolts, the two parts of the Shaft having a screw connection with one shaft being assembled so that movement or the second mentioned part causes abutment and simultaneous movement of the first inentioned part, while a diiierent movement of 4 the second mentioned part Causes separation action ofthe two parts of the'shaft.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

HENRY C. SPONHAUER.

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