US2130056A - Burial apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 13, i938. B. F. AUSTIN BURIAL APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 26, 1957' Sept. 13, 1938. B, F. AUSTIN BURIAL APPARATUS Filed Feb. 26, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /lllllllllw I l l l I I III.

Patented Sept. 13, 1938 UNITE STTS ATENT @Fili kl. Claim.

This invention relates to a burial apparatus for use in lowering caskets into a grave and more especially to one which comprises a carriage so constructed that itA will travel upon a suitable trackway arranged near the grave.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an apparatus of the class described which may be used for lowering the casket into the grave in a dignified and solemn manner in keeping with the nature of the ceremony, without the necessity of the pall'bearers approaching too close to the edge of the grave and running the risk of the edge thereof caving in. In order to eliminate this danger it is necessary to provide a trackway leading up to the grave and a carriage for travelling on said trackway which can be used for placing the casket thereon. Of course the casket will be placed upon the carriage when the carriage is positioned on the trackway at a point removed from the lowering position. This will eliminate the necessity of the pall bearers approaching the edges of the grave. Also by providing a carriage for transporting or conveying the casket over the grave, it will prevent the walking on the artificial grass which is usually placed around the grave as an ornament. Furthermore it will make it unnecessary for any one to pass between the bereaved family and the casket prior to the lowering of the casket into the grave. K

It is a further object of this invention to provide a burial apparatus comprising a trackway extending longitudinally on each side of the grave and for some distance from one end of the grave and a carriage for travelling on the trackway said carriage having its wheels encircled in a suitable housing, the lower end of which projects down past each side of the tracks and to a point below the lower edge of the wheels, thereby concealing the wheels from view and at the same time providing suitable safety guides which will prevent the wheels from leaving the tracks. By providing housings with wheels therein beneath the carriage with the lower surfaces thereof disposed below the lowermost edges of the wheels, it is possible to use the lowering device in the conventional stationary manner and eliminate the trackway should the conditions be such as to demand it.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a burial apparatus comprising a trackway for carrying a casket carriage, said trackway comprising a pair of rails which are adjustably mounted relative to each other on suitable cross ties in order to make the same conform to different carriage gauges and diiferent widths of graves.

It is a still further objectof this invention to provide a burial apparatus comprising a trackway having a casket carriage mounted thereon, with means disposed on said trackway for stopping said carriage in a position where the casket is adapted to be lowerd into the grave and a second means, manually operated, for securing the carriage in this lowering posititon to prevent any rearward or forward movement thereof during the lowering operation.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an isometric view of a burial apparatusset up near a grave;

Figure 2 is an elevation looking at the near side of Figure 1 but showing the grave and surrounding earth in section and also showing the carriage in the lowering position;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is asectional plan view taken along the line 4--4 in Figure 3 showing the central portion of the trackway and also showing the latching means for holding the carriage in position when it has been moved to lowering position;

Figure 5 is a sectional detail view taken along the line 5-5 in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a sectional View taken along the line 6 6 in Figure 4;

Figure 7 is an isometric view of one of the .adjustable rail shoes which is slidably mounted in suitable cross ties and supports rails which are placed thereon;

Figure 8 is a sectional view through the grave showing the lowering device in use where it is impossible to use the trackway.

Referring more specifically to the drawings the numeral I6 denotes a suitable pit into which the burial casket is lowered, said pit having placed at each end thereof suitable ties I I for supporting rails I2 and i3. Each of the ties II are U-shaped in cross section and have their upper ends partially enclosed by inturned flanges Ila and IIb. Suitable shoes I5 are slidably mounted in these cross ties, said shoes having longitudinal grooves I7 and I8 in the side portions thereof into which the inturned portions I Ia and I Ih` respectively are adapted to t. A set screw I9 is threadably secured in the upper side of the shoe I5, the lower end of said screw being adapted to engage the top side of flange I Ih when it is desired to iix the shoe in position. This shoe has a transverse slot 20 therein into which tracks I2 or I3 are adapted to t.

In order to hold the rails in position after they have been inserted into the slots and also to prevent any relative movement longitudinally of the trackway between the rails and the shoe, a suitable pin 22 has been inserted in the shoes I5 at a point slightly above bottom of slot 20. 'Ihe tracks I2 and I3 have notches in their lower sides which are adapted to t over the pins 22 (Figure 6) to hold the parts in position. It is also necessary to prevent the rails I2 and I3 from becoming separated; therefore the ends of these rails have been notched thereby forming interlocking notched portions I 2a and I 3b on rails I2 and I3 respectively.

When the rails are mounted in its desired position a suitable carriage 25 is placed thereon. This carriage is adjustable both as to width and as to length in order to accommodate different sizes of graves, and it comprises adjustable side members 26 and adjustable end members 21 which members are joined together by corner posts 28. Secured to the lower surface of each corner post 28 by any suitable means such as screws or bolts 29 is a housing 3D, said housing having rotatably mounted therein flanged wheels 3I which are adapted to travel upon tracks I2 and I3. It will be noted that the lower surface of each housing 3U is flat and extends down a substantial distance below the lower edge of pulley 3 I. In order to allow the pulley to properly engage the tracks a suitable slot 33 has been cut in opposed sides of the housing 30 and these slots fall astride of the track and form additional guiding means for preventing the carriage from running off of the track. This method of construction also provides a housing which conceals the wheels from view and thereby radds to the smoothness and general appearance of the ceremony.

A casket 34 is placed upon the usual lowering straps 35 when the carriage is in the position shown in Figure 1. Thereafter the carriage is moved longitudinally of the trackways to the position shown in Figure 2. after which it is lowered into the grave pit IU.

In order to insure that the carriage will be stopped at the proper position for lowering, suitable stops 36 have been adjustably secured to the rails I2 by any suitable means such as set screws 31. These stops are adjusted in position prior to the ceremony- When the housings 30 engage these stops, then the Vcasket 34 will be in the proper position for lowering. It is desirable then to secure the carriage against any backward movement during the lowering operation; therefore a latch 38 has been provided which comprises a bracket 39 adjustably secured to rail I2 by any suitable means such as set screw 40. The bracket 39 has pivotally secured in one end thereof a pin 4I, the ends of said pin having prongs 42 and 43 secured thereon. The prongs 42 and 43 are normally in the position shown in Figures l, 4 and 5, but when the carriage has moved to a position where the foremost housings 30 engage the stops 36, then the trailing housings 30 will be disposed on the trackway I2 with their center line midway between the prongs 42 and 43. At this time the latch 38 is tripped to the dotted line position as shown in Figure which will prevent the housing from moving in either direction upon the trackway.

The prongs 42 and 43 of the latch 38 are actuated by a suitable spring 44 which spring has one end thereof secured to the bracket 39 and the other end to prongs 42. When the prongs are in the bold line position as shown in Figure 5, the line of force exerted by said spring falls below the pivot 4I and therefore holds the latch against the lower side of the stop 39a, which is integral with bracket 31.

When the latch 38 is pulled upwardly by the undertakers foot during the burial ceremony to a point where the line of force falls above the pin 4I, then the prongs 42 and 43 will be drawn to the dotted line position in Figure 5 where the prongs will be disposed on opposed sides of housing 3U to lock the carriage in position. It is therefore seen that this latch may be easily operated without the necessity of the director stooping to operate the same. In order to enable the latch members 42 and 43 to be removed from the path of the wheels without the attendant stooping over, a projection 43a is provided which may be pressed by the foot of the attendant.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

An attachment for the legs of a burial apparatus lowering mechanism wherein the lowering mechanism comprises a carriage having four legs, the lower ends of which are provided with grooved rollers for engagement with a trackway, said attachment comprising a base member having an enlarged upper surface serving to contact and support the lower ends of the legs of a burial apparatus, said attachment also having a broad lower ilat surface provided with a groove bisecting said lower surface, a grooved roller mounted in said groove, the lowerrnost portion of the roller being disposed above the plane defined by the lower surface of said attachment, whereby the groove in said lower surface will act as a guide for the roller when the lowering mechanism is disposed on a trackway, and the broad lower surface will hold the roller out of contact with the ground when the lowering mechanism is not disposed on a trackway.

BENJAMIN F. AUSTIN.

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