US1450291A - Burial vault - Google Patents

Description

Apr. 3, 1923. 1,450,291

H. O. HEACOCK BURIAL VAULT Filed July 15, 1922 war] 7 114 gwuwntoz HEP-[EH U-HEEEIBDEK Patented Apr. 3, 1923.

UNITE STATES HARLEY o. HEACOCK, or WInsLoW, INDIANA.

BURIAL VAULT.

Application filed July 15,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARLEY O. HEAoooK,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Winslow, in the county of Pike and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burial Vaults, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. 7

This invention relates to burial vaults and has for its object to provide a vault of this character in which a vacuum may be created to delay decomposition of the body in the vault.

Another object is to provide a vault of this character wherein connecting seamsand like joints are eliminated to prevent leakage.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a vault of this character having a relatively large supporting member adapted to receive the edges of a cover, the cover being secured to the supporting member at spaced intervals.

lVith these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the improved construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more particularly described, fully claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a burial vault constructed in accordance with an em bodiment of the invention, portions of the cover and gasket being removed to show the interior of the vault;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevation and sectional view showing the position of the washer on the stud.

Referring to the drawings, 5 designates a flange including sides 6 and ends 7. Projecting from the upper portion of each of the sides and ends is an enlarged supporting member or flange 8, the supporting mem bers or flanges of the sides and ends merging at the corners of the flange or receptacle, the lower surface of the supporting member inclining from the edge of said supporting member to the edge of the adjacent wall of the flange or receptacle, while the upper surface is disposed in the plane of the upper edge of the flange. By this means, a sup porting member entirely surrounds the upper edge of the flange. The outer edges 9 of the flanges comprising the supporting member are extended upwardly substan- 1922 Serial No. 575,236.

tially at right angles'to the upper face of the supporting member and in parallel relation to the sides and ends of the flange, the edges 9 cooperating substantially to provide a trough through the cooperation of the upper faceof the supporting member. The'upper trough formed by the cooperation of the edges 9 of the supporting member is in tended to receive the flange 13 of the cover. Projecting from the upper face of the supporting member inwardly of the groove 10 is a plurality of spaced threaded studs 15 adapted to extend throughthe openings 1. 1 in the cover. To insure the air tight con nection of the cover to the vault, a gasket 16 is provided, said gasket being made preferably of lead and formed from a single sheet of material. This gasket includes an inner flange 1.7, a curved portion 18 and an outer flange 19. The outer flange 19 is intended to engage the inner face of the edge 9 of the supporting member, while the curved portion 18 is intended to enter the recess 10, the flange 17 being provided with openings for the reception of threaded studs carried by the supporting member. By this means when the cover is'placed on thevault the gasket will be urged into binding engagement with the supporting member and. the cover and compressed by nuts carried by the studs soas to render the vault air tight. I

In order that there may be'no possibility of leakage, washers 20 are provided, each washer having a compressible collar 21 at its inner edge. The collar is urged arounrfi the threads of the bolt when the washer compressed by the nuts of the bolts. To exclude the air that may be within the vault. after the body has been deposited and the cover applied, the cover is-provided with a valve 22, the port 23 being interiorly threaded for the reception of a pump, by means of which the air may be pumped from thevault.

In order to test the vault, the valve may be operated so as to permit air to be pumped in the vault and then a test made to see that no portion of the vault leaks. The pump is then reversed so as to remove the air from the vault, whereupon the valve 22 may be closed, thereby producing a vacuum within the vault which delays or prevents decomposition to a large extent, and maintaining the body in its natural state indefinitely.

V hat is claimed is:--

A burial vault comprising a receptacle having an endless enlarged end portion at its upper edge adapted to form a supporting member, a flange extending upwardly from the outer edge portion of the upper face of the supporting member, said upper faceof the supporting member having a longitudinally extending groove disposed in spaced relation to the flange and the inner edge of the supporting member, an endless compressible gasket engaged with the upper face of. the supporting member, the outer edge of said gasket being extended upwardly at right angles to the major portion of the gasket to provide a flange, and engaged with the inner face 01 the flange of the supporting member, that portion of the gasket disposed between the flange thereof and the inner edge portion of the gasket being substantially crimped longitudinally of the gasket and extended into the groove of the supporting member, and a cover having an enclless rib depending from the lower face thereof and arranged to enter said crimp and firmly engage the gasket, the outer edges of the cover being atflapted to firmly engage the inner face of the flange of the gasket.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ailix my signature.

HARLEY O. HEACUCK

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