US2038300A

US2038300A - Burial vault

Info

Publication number: US2038300A
Application number: US36227A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harold F Kuettner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1935-08-14
Filing date: 1935-08-14
Publication date: 1936-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 1953-04-21

Description

.April 21, 193e. H, F KUETTNER 2,038,300

Filed Aug. 14, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet lv pril 21, 1936.1 H. F. KUETTNER BURIAL VAULT Filed Aug. 14, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Smm lwwww Patented Apr. 21, 1936 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFIQE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved burial vault of the type used in graves to house a coffin, and one object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will be very strong and prevent a coffin from collapsing due to the weight of earth above it.

Another object of the invention is to provide the vault with a hood or upper portion consisting of concrete or an equivalent material disposed about a metallic liner which serves to prevent gases reaching the concrete and seeping through the same.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the liner that it will be firmly anchored to the concrete or cement from which the hood is formed and thus prevent any danger of the liner working loose from the concrete.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved base upon which the hood rests about a platform which directly supports the coflin, the base and hood being so constructed that water will be prevented from moving upwardly into the hood, a sufcient distance to reach the coffin and causing the coflin to rot quickly due to becoming wet by being immersed in water.

Another object of the invention is to provide a comu-supporting platform which is formed in sections capable of being easily set in place, vthe platform sections and the base being of such formation that the platform sections will be firmly held against movement longitudinally or transversely of the base when in place thereon.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved vault with the hood shown in an elevated position above the base.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken longitudinally through the vault.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken horizontally through the vault along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the liner.

This improved vault consists, briefly, of a hood I, a base 2 upon which the hood rests when in place, and a platform consisting of end sections 3 and an intermediate section 4 which rests upon the base between the end sections. The base is set into a grave at the bottom thereof and the platform sections then lowered into the grave and set in place and after the coiiin has been lowered and brought to rest upon the ribs 5 and 6 of the platform sections, the hood may then be lowered and it rests upon the base about margins of the platform. The coffin will thus be enclosed in concrete which will prevent burrowing animals from having access to the coiiin and as air will be confined in the hood, Water which may seep into the vault about margins of the platform sections will cause air coniined in the hood to be compressed and the water will be prevented from rising in the hood a sufficient distance to reach the coffin which rests upon the ribs of the platform.

The base is in the form of an oblong frame having side bars 'l and end bars 8 and referring to Figures 1 and 2 it will be seen that outer side faces of these bars are shaped to define downwardly sloping surfaces 9 and shoulders Il) which project from the sloping faces in spaced relation to each other longitudinally thereof and taper upwardly. The upper ends of the shoulders are rounded and flush with the flat upper faces il of the side and end bars and, therefore, when the hood is set in place with the flat lower edge faces of its side and end walls I2 and I3 resting upon the flat faces II and the rounded upper ends of the shoulders I0, the hood will be firmly supported. The fact that the hood has contacting engagement with the marginal edge faces of the platform sections prevents the hood from shifting longitudinally or transversely of the base, this being due to the fact that the platform sections have thickened portions which eX- tend downwardly between the side and end bars.

of the base for contacting engagement with inner side faces of these bars and with side faces of cross bars I4 extending between the side bars of the base. These cross bars serve to strengthen the base and are so located that the abutting marginal edge portions of the platform sections rest upon their upper faces, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The weight of the platform sections and a coiiin resting thereon will thus be distributed over the side and end bars and cross bars of the base and there will be no danger of the concrete base cracking or breaking under the weight.

The hood is also formed of concrete and while it is important that it have side and end walls formed integral with a top I5 and thus provide a hood having the configuration of a bell, it will be obvious that any desired external configuration and ornamentation may be provided. Eyes It are anchored in the side walls of the hood and carry rings il through which ropes or the like may be passed and permit lowering of the hood which is heavy without danger of breaking it. In order to reinforce the hood and prevent gases and air from escaping through pores of the concrete, there has been provided a liner I8 formed of copper or any other desired metal. This liner conforms to the internal configuration of the hood and as the liner is placed in a mold and the concrete or cement poured into the mold about the liner when making the hood, the liner and concrete of the hood will have close face to face engagement with each other and the concrete adhere to the metal liner. Plates I9 having end portions bent to form diverging wings or arms 2U are soldered or otherwise firmly secured to side and end walls of the liner and also upon the upper face of the upper wall of the liner and the wings 2B project from the walls and top of the liner so that they are embedded in the concrete and firmly anchor the liner to the concrete. It should also be noted that lower marginal portions of the side and end walls are bent outwardly and upwardly to form anges 2| which are embedded in the side and end walls of the hood and reinforce the hood about lower ends of its walls. As por'- tions of the flanges are exposed about inner edges of the lower edge faces of the side and end walls of the hood, these exposed portions of the iianges will make contact with the at faces Il of the side and end walls of the base when the hood is lowered into place and there will be less likelihood of the hood being chipped or broken as it is lowered into place. When this vault; is in use, the base is set in place in a grave and constitutes a strong and solid foundation for a coffin. The platform sections 3 and 4 are lowered and set in their positions upon the base with the section 4 between the cross bars I4 and the sections 3 between the cross bars and the end bars, It should bel noted that the cross bar 6 is formed midway the length of the section 4, whereas the ribs 5 are formed off center and the sections 3 are set in place with the ribs 5 closer to the cross bars I4 than they are to the end bars 2. By this arrangement, the ribs 5 and the rib 6 will be so spaced from each other that when a coffin is lowered in a grave and brought to rest upon the ribs, the rib 6 will be approximately midway the length of the coiiin and the ribs 5 spaced equal distances from ends of the coiiin and the coffin will be very well supported at three points. After the cofiin is in place, the hood is lowered by ropes or the like passed through the rings I1 and brought to rest upon the base with its side and end walls resting upon the side and end walls of the base in close contacting engagement with marginal edges of the platform sections. Any water which may tend to accumulate in the hood during extremely rainy weather will easily drain out during dry weather as side faces of the side and end walls of the base slope downwardly between the shoulders it?. Air which is trapped in the hood will prevent water from rising in the hood to a sulficient depth to cause the coffin to be immersed in water and become wet and rot.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A burial vault comprising a base having side and and bars and cross bars extending between the side bars in spaced relation Ito each other and to end bars, the side and end bars having downwardly sloping outer faces and shoulders projecting from the sloping faces in spaced relation to each other and having their upper ends flush with the plane of the upper faces of the side and end bars and cross bars, platform sections resting upon upper faces of theA side and end bars and cross bars and having portions extending downwardly between the cross bars and side and end bars to contact with inner faces thereof, means projecting upwardly from the platform sections for supporting a coffin in an elevated position, and a hood resting upon upper faces'` of the side and end bars and the upper ends of said shoulders, the hood being closed at its top and open at its bottom whereby air may be trapped in the hood when the hood is lowered into place to rest upon the base about the platform sections and prevent water from rising in the hood to a depth to make contact with a coflin.

2. A burial vault comprising a base consisting of a frame having side and end bars and cross bars extending between the side bars in spaced relation to each other, a platform consisting of Sections resting upon the cross bars and side and end bars and having depending portions contacting with side faces of the cross bars and side and end bars, ribs projecting upwardly from thel platform sections and extending transversely across the same, and a hood closed at its top and having depending side and end walls to rest upon upper faces of the side and end bars of the base with inner faces ofV the walls of the hood contacting with marginal edge faces of the platform sections.

3. A burial vault comprising a base having side and end bars, a platform carried by said base and having means for supporting a cofiin in an elevated position, said platform having portions engaging inner side faces of the side and end bars and having marginal portions resting upon upper faces of the side and end bars and projecting upwardly from the base with its edge faces spaced from outer margins-of the upper face of the side and end bars of the base, and a hood formed of set plastic material and having a metal liner tting snugly about margins of the platform for contact with edge faces thereof when the hood is in place with lower faces of its walls resting upon the projecting portions of the upper faces of the side and end bars of the base.

4.. A burial vault comprising a base, a platform carried by said base, a hood of set plastic material disposed over the base and platform and having a closed top'and depending walls for resting upon the base about the platform, a metal liner having a top and walls in close contacting engagement with inner faces of the top and walls of the hood and having lower marginal portions of its wal-ls bent outwardly and upwardly and embedded in walls of the hood, and anchoring plates carried by the liner and each having its intermediate portion secured to the liner and its end portions extending outwardly therefrom and embedded in the set plastic material of the hood.

5. A burial vault comprising a base consisting of a frame having side and end bars and cross bars extending between the side bars in spaced relation to each other, a platform resting upon the cross bars and side and end bars and having depending portions contacting with side faces of the cross bars and side and end bars to prevent movement of the platform longitudinally and transversely of the base, said platform having its margins spaced' from outer side edges of the side and end bars of the base to provid-e the side and end bars with portions projecting outwardly when the platform is in place, and a hood closed at its top andl having depending side and end walls to rest upon the outwardly projecting portions of the upper faces of the side and end bars of the base with inner faces of the walls of the hood contacting with marginal edge faces of the platform.

HAROLD F. KUETTNER.