US204320A - Improvement in burial-caskets - Google Patents

Description

W. HAMILTON. Burial-Casket.

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' WILLIAM HAMILTON, 0F ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

. IMPROVEMENT lN QBURI'AL-CASKETS.

Specification forming of Letters Patent 0'. 204,320, dated May 28, 1878'; application filed To all whom it may concern! v Be it known that I, WILLIAM Emma-of Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania,'have invented anew and useful Improvement in Burial Oaskets;

and .I do hereby declare the following to" be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming partof this specification, in Which- Figure 1 is an elevation of a casket embodying my invention, with cover and lid partially withdrawn, showing the construction of the parts. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line a: m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 y, showing the manner of securing the lid and cover. Fig. 4 is a view of the under side of lid and cover. Fig. 5 is a top view of the body of the casket.

Like letters refer to like parts wherever they occur.

My invention relates to the construction of burial-caskets and consists in providing caskets with a sliding lid or sliding cover, either or both, as preferred, whereby the multiplicity of fastenings is avoided. A neat and uniform finish may be given to the casket; and the lid or cover, as the case may be, can be readily and noiselessly adjusted to close the casket, when desired.

The lids and covers of caskets, as ordinarily constructed, are made detachable, and are secured usually by screws, or like devices, which interfere with the finish of the casket, occupy time, and make more or less noise in attaching or detaching the parts.

Many devices and constructions have heretofore been applied for the purpose of overcoming the objections specified; but they have in general been such as materially increased the cost of manufacturing, and all were more or less complicated in character.

My invention has for its object to simplify and oheapen the construction of caskets, as well as to obviate the objections set forth.

I will now proceed to describe my invention, so that others skilled in the art to which it pertains may apply the same.

A indicates the body of a casket, B the lid thereof, and O the cover. In the upper edge of the sides of the body A, I form parallel grooves a a, either T-shaped, dovetailed, or

other appropriate form, and to the under side of the 'lid B I secure correspondingly-shaped {tongues b, adapted to slide in the grooves a 10f the body. The lid should be so constructed that it can be withdrawn entirely, preferably from the head of the casket, (as indicated by {the arrow, Fig. 1;) but in order that the cover {0 may be dispensed with, if desired, and the lid partially withdrawn toward the foot of the casket, to disclose the face of the occupant, I form a stop or stops on the under side of lid B, preferably widening out the tongues b, as at b, and the slots or T grooves a, for a portion of their length, say, from the head of the casket, one-third its length, or the point indicated by a. The lid B can be secured,when the casket is to be closed, by means of a spring catch or lock, 11*.

When the cover 0 is intended to slide to disclose the interior of the casket, it may be constructed as follows: On the under side thereof for about half its length are formed parallel tongues c, with laterally-projecting bits or lugs, either fixed or detachable, and within the lid near its upper edge are formed grooves d, for the reception of the lugs or bits on tongues c of cover 0. In order to brace the cover 0 when closed, and to prevent the foot portion from lifting up, a T-shaped stop, 0, is provided, which enters a groove on the top of the lid, or, instead thereof, a longitudinal central dovetailed tongue and groove on the lid and cover may beemployed.

This construction will permit the cover 0 to slide back or be withdrawn a limited distance, but will prevent its entire removal.

In order to secure the cover when the casket is closed, a spring-latch or equivalent device, 6, may be added.

The devices are employed as follows: When the lid is to be put on the casket, the ends of the tongues 12, at the foot of the cover, are in serted in the ends of the grooves a, at the head of the body A, and the lid then pushed down over the casket.

If the sliding cover has been omitted, the interior of the casket can be exposed by pushing the head of the lid past the head of body A; but if the sliding cover 0 is employed the lid may be locked by catch b and the cover withdrawn to expose the interior of the casket, the catch e having been first withdrawn.

If desired, the lid alone may be constructed to slide, the cover being made fast thereto, or, if preferred, the lid may be secured to the body A by means of screws, in the usual or any approved manner, the cover alone being made to slide.

I do not desire nor intend to limit myself to the special construction shown, for it is evident a skilled mechanic can vary the same greatly, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Among the advantages of my invention are, first, that the face of the corpse can be read- 11y exposed to view at any time, without the removal of screws or detaching the cover, by simply sliding the cover back; and if neces sary the head of the corpse can be rearranged 1f it has become displaced from any cause.

The limitation of the motion of the lid is of special advantage with such caskets as are only expensively upholstered at the head of the casket.

I am aware that the face-glass of a coffin has been arranged to slide, and adapted to turn back, by hinging or pivoting the same to the cofiin-lid, so that access could be had to the head of the cofiin by first removing the cover which protected the glass, and do not herein claim such subject-matter.

Having thus set forth the nature and advantages of my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination, with the casket-body, of either a lid or cover provided with longitudinal sliding connections for substantially the whole length thereof, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with the casket, of either a lid or cover, the parts being tongued and grooved, and provided with stops, so that the cover or lid will be limited in its movement on the casket, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I, the said WILLIAM HAMILTON, have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM HAMILTON.

Witnesses:

F. W. BITTER, Jr., JAMES I. KAY.

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