US1472091A - Casket cover and grave liner - Google Patents

Description

n l J. D. REED CASKETCOVER AND GRAVE LINER Filed ug. 14 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 s t l l n I l l 1| cit. 3U, H923.

J. D. REED GASKET COVER AND GRAVE LINER Filed Aug. 14, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet @et 30 H923.

J. D. REED GASKET COVER AND GRAVE LINER Fiied Aug. 14

1920 s sheets-shim 5 y .L, i l

Patented @et 303, 1923.

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GASKET COVER AND GRAVE LINER.

Application led August 14, 1920.

To all 107mm it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOSHUA D. linnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Union Township, in the county of Clermont and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Casket Covers and Grave Liners, of which the following is a Speciiication.

My invention relates to metalA grave liner, casket receptacle and casket lowering and protecting means. One of its objects is to provide means adapted to be conveniently transported in knock-down condition, to receive and hold the casket during the services at the cemetery and to be lowered with and aii'ord a protection for the casket in the grave. Another object is to aiiord a more sightly means to receive and support the casket through the services at the cemetery and constitute a combined casket cover and grave liner. Another object is toprovide an improved casket cover to support the casket out or" any water which may find its way into the grave and to constitute a cover which is capable of preventing subsequent sinking' in of the soil after the grave has been filled up. Another object is to provide an improved casket cover in which the top is applied from above and secured after the casket has been placed in position. Another object is tol provide a casket cover in which the casket is only partially lowered into the cover until after the ceremony at the cemetery is completed, and is later further lowered into the cover and the top of the cover applied. Another object is to provide improved means to lower the casket into the cover and to lower the casket and cover into the grave. My invention also comprises certain details of form combination and arrangement, all of which will be fully set forth in the description oit the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1, is a transverse section through a grave with my improved casket cover and a casket in the initial position, ready for the ceremony at the grave to take place.

Fig. 2, is a similar section through the grave showing the final position of the casket and cover at the bottom of the grave.

Fig. 3, is a perspective view ot a link serial No. 403,563.

mechanism employed to temporarily snpport the casket in the upper portion of thc casket cover at the entrance to the grave.

Fig. 4, is a side elevation of one oi the link members. Fig. 3 is a link member in position to receive or lower a casket into its casket cover.

Fig. 5, is a perspective view of a casket cover closed and ready to be lowered into the grave.

Fig. 6, is a horizontal section through the casket cover on line 6-6 of Fig. 5,

Fig. 7, is a vertical section view on line 7 7 of Fig. 5, 65

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional detail taken horizontally through one corner ot' the casket cover in line with one of the clamping members 36 of Figs. 5 and 7 Fig. 9, is a view on line 7 7 of Fig. 5, but with the lid sections of the casket cover removed.

Fig. 10, is a central vertical section through the casket cover with the lid removed and on line 10-10 of Fig. 6, w

Fig. 1l, is a transverse section through a grave and illustrating the means employed to lower t-he casket and casket cover into the grave.

Fig. 12, is a perspective view of one of the detachable cross braces and lid supports at the top of the casket cover.

13 is a perspective view of one of the casket supporting cross bars atthe bottom of the casket cover. 4

The 'accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred embodiment of my invention in which 14 represent the end sections and 15 the side sections, of a sheet metal casket cover, said sections being provided with interlocking seam or joint members, 16 and 17 at opposite ends to enable said sections 14; and 15 to be transported in knock-down condition and readily assembled at the place where required for use by uniting the joint members substantially as illustrated in Figures 6 and 8. The respective-side sections 15 are provided with straps 18 near their lower edges to receive the downwardly turned ends 19 of the cross bars 20. These cross bars 20 are inserted immediately after the sides and ends are assembled and serve to tie the sides and ends into a strong rigid structure, and also ultimately serve as a platform or support tor the casket 21, and to hold the casket some distance above the bottom ot the grave. rlllie end sections 14 have their lower ends 22 turned inwardly to serve as feet or supports Yfor the casket cover at the bottom of the grave.

The casket cover with its lid ott is assembled at the grave and is designed initially to occupy a position partly above the entrance to the grave, substantially as shown in Fig.v 1, and with two or more link members 24 in position across the upper portion ot the casket cover with a. metal plate 29 resting` thereon to receive the casket into its initial position shown in Fig. 1. rllhe link members 24 each comprise a. central link member 25, two links ,26 attached thereto at opposite ends and provided with hooks 27 and with short links or eyes 28 through which straps may be passed, to lower the caskettrom its initial position shown in Fig. 1, toits position resting upon the cross bars 20. `When thecasket cover, the links 25, 2G and 28, and the plate 29 are in the position Fig. 1, and before the casket is placed in position upon the plate 29, the said parts constitute, in addition to the casket cover, a grave liner to take the place of separate grave liners heretofore employed. It is designed to coat the upper portion of the' inside and outside of the casket cover, said links 25, 2G, and 28, and plate 29, which are exposed to view, with white or other enamel, so that the casket cov-er and grave liner will practically close and conceal the grave, and present as favorable an appearance as the conditions will admit.

r`With the casket and cover in the position Fig. 1, the usual ceremonies at the grave proceed and when completed the casket and plate 29 are lowered by means oi the link members 24 to a position upon the cross bars 20, whereupon the mourners depart. Later 'the' links 24 may be removed upwardly at one side of the casket.

Then the cross braces 30 are adjusted into positions across the upper edges ot the side sections 15 which are preferably provided with notches 31 to receive the same. The cross braces ()V serve to stiften the structure particularly to prevent bulging of the side sections due to weight from above, and to support the lid sections 32 and 33, which are in turn subject to relatively heavy pressure from above. The lid sections, 32 and 33 overlap the edges ot the side sections and overlap at the top so as to Vshed water 'from above'and are held in'place by means ot strap members 34 which are bolted together at the top or ridge by bolts 35, and are secured to the sections 14 and 15 at the corners by means ot bolts 36 having heads 37, which bolts engage nuts: 3S, inside the casket teriorly of the casket cover wit-li eyes 41, and

internally engaged by nuts 42. The bolts 37 and 40 pass through the joint members 16 and 17 and serve to lock the sections 14 and 15 together. lVindlass trame members 44 are temporarily mounted upon the ground at opposite ends et the grave, being each provided with a rotatable shaft 45 provided with two spools or cable drums 46 and 47, a ratchet wheel 48 engaged by a pawl 49 and a crank arm 50. Cables 51 and 52 are separately wound upon the drums 46 and 47 and through pulleys 53, which are adjustable to and from each other to' adjust them to the width of the grave and with the ends of the cables connected to the eyes 41, thereby supporting the casket cover at its initial position shown in Fig. 1 until' it is desired to low-er the casket when the pawls 49 aie disengaged trom the wheels 48 and the crankA arms 50 employed to lower the casket and casket cover to the bottom of the grave, when the-cables 51 and 52 are cast loose from the eyes 41 and the windlass members Y removed and the grave filled in.

The casket rests somedistance above the bottom of the grave upon the cross bars 20, and any water which may enter the grave troni the top finds its way down through the bottom ot the grave without. reaching the casket. The sheet metal casket cover sustains the weight of the `ground above it and hence the grave does not sink in, and require to be lilled in.

The casket cover being` composed .of flat sheetmetal sections, and minor parts, is readily transported, as tor instance to funerals in rural sections ot the country, in the saine vehicle with the casket, and without being in evidence until required, and without requiring ya separate. vehicle for its transportation over considerable distances. v

The casket cover is also readily assembled where required toruse, and when assembled is strong and rigid, and lends itself to being initially placed as desired and herein specified, and the later lowering ot the casket therein, and the casket and cover .into the grave. l

The apparatus herein illustrated and described is capable ot considerable modification without departing troni the principles ot my invention.

What I claim is: Y

`1. A. casket cover to be lowered into a grave with a casket comprising sheet metal end sections and side sections detachably'k united at their meeting edges by slip joints to form a rectangular receptacle open at the top and bottom, cross bars detachably connected near the bottom to retain said side sections and end sections in relative position and to support a casket, cross bars detachably connected near the top to support a lid, a sheet metal lid, and means to retain the lid in position relative to said side sections and end sections.

2. A casket cover to be lowered into a grave with a casket comprising sheet metal end sections having Atheir upper edges inclined trom the center toward opposite edges, side sections detachab-ly connected to the side edges of the end sect-ions by slip joints to form a rectangular casket receptacle open at the top and bottom, cross bars detachably connected near the bottom to retain said side sections and end sections in relative position and to support a casket, and detachably secured lid sections to form a lid after the casket has been placed within the casket cover.

3. combined grave liner and casket cover comprising end sections and side sections detachably united at their meeting edges by joints to form a casket receptacle open at top and bottom, cross bars detachably connected near the bottom to ultimately support a casket, means to support said receptacle at the entrance to a grave, and means detachably mounted upon said receptacle to initially support a casket at the entrance to said receptacle and adapted to later lower the casket into said receptacle.

a. A combined grave liner and casket cover adapted to be assembled where required or use comprising end sections having their upper edges inclined from the center toward opposite sides, side sections detachably connected to said end sections to form a casket receptacle open at the top, means to support said receptacle at the entrance to a grave, means to support a casket initially at the entrance to said receptacle and to later lower the casket into said receptacle, and means to ultimately support the casket within said receptacle.

5. A sectional casket cover adapted to be assembled at the place where it is required for use and to be lowered into a grave with a casket comprising sheet metal end sections, and sheet metal side sections provided at their meeting edges with interengagin joint members, and adapted when assembled to form a receptacle for a casket open at the top and bottom, detachable cross bars near the bottom ot said receptacle to retain said side sections and end sections in relative position and to form a support for the casket, a detachable lid member, and means to attach said sections, side sections and lid together.

6. A sectional combined grave liner and casket cover adapted to be assembled where required for use, comprising end sections and side sections detachably connected together' to form a. casket receptacle open at the top, means near the bottom of said receptacle to ultimately support the casket, means mounted upon said receptacle to initially support the casket at the entrance to said receptacle and to later lower the casket into said receptacle, and a lid to be applied after the casket has been lowered into said receptacle.

7. A combined casket cover and grave liner comprising a casket receptacle adapted to be supported partly within a grave entrance and open at the top, a horizontally disposed plate suspended between the top and bottom of said receptacle, closing the entrance to the grave, and adapted to receive and support a casket during the services at the cemetery, and means to lower said plate with the casket thereon into said receptacle after the services are completed.

8. A combined casket cover and grave liner comprising al casket receptacle adapted to be supported partly within a grave entrance and open at the top, a horizontally disposed plate initially suspended between the top and bottom of said receptacle closing the entrance to the grave and adapted to receive and support a casket during the services at the cemetery, means to lower said plate and casket into said receptacle after the services are completed, and means near the bottom of said receptacle to permanentu ly support said plate and casket relative to said receptacle.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

JOSHUA D. REED.

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