US2050675A

US2050675A - Burial casket

Info

Publication number: US2050675A
Application number: US742926A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arthur M Tanner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1934-09-06
Filing date: 1934-09-06
Publication date: 1936-08-11
Anticipated expiration: 1953-08-11

Description

A` M. TANNR BURIAL GASKET Filed Sept. 6, 1934 Aug. 11, 1936.

Patented Aug. 1.1, 1,936

s'rrss PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

My invention relates to burial caskets and more particularly to such Gaskets as are known as davenport caskets and which are arranged to present the appearance of a davenport before the 5 casket is closed for burial.

Caskets of this general type have been designed but their resemblance to a davenport has been remote and their construction and arrangement of parts are such that the caskets have been clumsy,

l heavy and expensive.

Therefore one of the objects which I have in View is the provision of a davenpo-rt casket which vwhen opened up will present the appearance of a conventional davenport.

l Another object in View is the provision of removable back and end members which may be temporarily applied toa casket to give it the appearance of a davenport, and which are dis` mounted from the casket before the latter is closed for burial.

repeatedly and the cost for individual burials is not materially enhanced.

Other objects will appear from the following description.

Generally speaking the basis of my improved davenport casket is a casket having sockets or slots in the top edges of its back'and ends in which are stepped dowels depending from the back and end members which complete the davenport lappearance, the end members having depending facings which conceal the corners of the casket.

The back and end members are covered with cloth of the desired color or shade, which cloth in the case of the end members is selected to match the lining of the casket. The covering for the back members may be part of the lining of the casket, and when the back members are removed such covering may be folded forward over the body vas a blanket.

I use a casket having a drop front provided with a valance which depends and thus conceals the front of the casket.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein I have illustrated a practical embodiment of the principles of my invention, Fig. 1 is a perspective View showing my casket set up as a davenport.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the back and end members removed.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the casket closed.

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective showing one of the end members.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section showing one of the 55 back members mounted on the casket.

Thus such members may be used' Fig. 6 is a perspective of one of the back members.

Fig. 7 is a rear view of the same on slightly reduced scale.

Referring to the drawing, I represents the 5 casket having permanent end walls 2, back Wall 3 and lower front wall 4. The upper front wall 5 is hinged to drop forwardly. The top surfaces of the end and back walls are provided with the sockets or slots 6. These sockets may be formed l0 by using a notched insert 6', Fig. 5. y

1 represents the lid of the casket which is preferably wholly removable instead of permanently hinged and is laid aside until the casket is closed for burial. 15

8 represents cushions or pillows which form :the surface upon which the body rests, said cushio-ns being of suicient thickness or depth to extend to the top edge of the permanent front Wall 4. 20

. When the casket is to be given the appearance of a davenport, the lid 1 is removed, exposing thesockets 6 and the front 5 is dropped forwardly and concealed by a valance 9 which is secured to the front interior of the casket. 25

Back members I0 are then mounted on the back wall 3 of the casket, their lower edges resting thereon and being held firmly in position by the dowels II depending from the said members and engaged in the sockets 6. 30

, The members I0 are formed of suitable frames such as of wood and are overstuffed as is usual in davenport backs. When in place they t together end to end to complete the davenport back. 35

I2 represents a cloth like that with which the casket is finished whose lower end is attached to the lower back wall 3 in the interior of the casket. This cloth is drawn up over the back members I0 and stretched in position by means of 40 clips I3 on the ends of helical springs I4 attached to the back centers of the members I0. The cloth I2 is provided with division tapes I5 which correspond to and are drawn by the springs I4 into the lines between adjacent ends 45 of the members I D. When the davenport features are to be removed and the casket prepared for closure and burial, the cloth I2 is released and drawn over the body as a blanket.

The end members I6 are also formed of over- 50 stuffed framing and are preferably curved upwardly and outwardly as shown in Fig. 1 to closely resemble the ends of a conventional davenport. These end members are covered with material like that of the nish of the casket, and

which of course requires changing when required. The end members are stepped on the top of the end walls of the casket and held in place by dowels H engaged in the sockets 6.

The end members I6 are provided at the front with depending facings or skirts l1 which with the valance 9 conceals the ornamental end portions |8 of the casket.

From the foregoing it is obvious that a burial casket, which when closed has the appearance of an ordinary casket, may be arranged to give the appearance of an ordinary davenport upon which the body rests, extra cushions I9 being preferably provided to enhance this resemblance.

My invention when applied to a casket adds but little to the expense, as the changes in the structure of the casket itself are slight and inexpensive, and the back and end members may be used repeatedly.

If desired a continuous back member may be used, but by using a plurality of the same they may be applied to diierent lengths of caskets without inconvenience.

My invention may be applied to Gaskets made of any material such as wood, metal, etc.

I claim:-

1. In a davenport burial casket, the combination with a casket having a xed back, xed end Walls and arranged to receive a removable lid,

of back members arranged to be superimposed on the back wall of the casket, end members arranged to besuperimposed on the end walls of the casket, .depending extensions on the end members arranged to conceal the front corners of the casket, and means for detachably holding said back and end members in position.

2. In a davenport burial casket, the combination with a casket having a xed back Wall, xed end Walls, xed front wall and arranged to re- -ceive a removable lid, the top portion of the front wall being hinged to swing outwardly and downwardly, of end members arranged to be superimposed on the end walls of the casket, means for detachably holding the end Vmembers in place,

and depending extensions `on the end members arranged to conceal the front corners of the casket.

3. In means for arranging an open casket to simulate-la davenport, the combination of overstuffed back and end members arranged to be detachablyvmounted in xed position on the top edge of the casket, and a cloth permanently attached to the interior of the casket and arranged to be drawn over the back member.

4. In means for arranging an open casket to simulate a davenport, the combination of overstuffed back and end members arranged to be detachably mounted in xed position on the top edge of the casket, a cloth permanently attached to the interior of the casket and arranged to be drawn over the back member, and tension means carried by the back member to stretch the cloth on the latter.

5. In means for arranging an open casket to simulate a davenport, the combination of a plurality of back members having indented lines of juncture therebetween and arranged to be detachably mounted in fixed position on the top edge of the casket, a cloth permanently attached to the interior of the casket and arranged to be drawn over said back members, and vertically disposed vseams in said cloth which engage said indented lines when the cloth is stretched over the back members.

6. In means for arranging an open casket yto simulate a davenport, the combination of a plurality of back members having indented lines of juncture therebetween and arranged to bedetachably mounted in xed position on the top edge of :the casket, a cloth permanently attached to the interior of the casket and arranged to be drawn over said back members, vertically disposed seams in said cloth which engage said indented lines when the cloth is stretched over the back members, and tension means carried by the back members to tautly stretch the cloth on the latter.

'7. Meansfor converting a casket including'side and end walls normally in predetermined xed relation, comprising separate attachable members, means for detachably connecting said members to said side and end walls to form extensions thereof, said members and Walls providing substantially continuous side and end walls simulating a couch in assembled relation, and facing means associated with the assembled structure providing a harmonious exterior land normally excluding or concealing `from View sufcient of the lines of the casket to portray va