US2179409A

US2179409A - Casket illuminating apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2179409A
Application number: US121627A
Authority: US
Inventors: Dexter D Hulsart
Original assignee: COLUMBUS COFFIN Co
Current assignee: COLUMBUS COFFIN Co
Priority date: 1937-01-21
Filing date: 1937-01-21
Publication date: 1939-11-07
Anticipated expiration: 1956-11-07

Description

D. D. Hummm i'f* GASKET ILLUMINATING APPARATUS Fild Jan. 21, 193V nmmmmm )L 5mg Jz W/ f if M 7W v v w v "nn n n d L t D A1 /Z i Patented Nov. 7, 1939 garanti" T GASKET ILLUMINATING APPARAJJTVJS Dexter D. Hulsart, Columbus, Ohio, assigner to The Columbus Coffin Company,

Columbus,

Ohio, 3 lporation of Ohio i i T T Application January 21, 1937, Serial No. llz? `1 claim.

This invention relates to illuminating apparatus and has particular reference to the employment of concealed lighting means in conjunction with the lid or coverof a burial casket, the

primary object of the invention being to provide improved means for electing such illumination in an adequate and esthetic manner in order to illuminate the interior of the casket when the lid or cover is in an elevated position to permit a l0 body contained Within the base of the casket to be more advantageously viewed than is possible with extraneous systems of illumination.

` 'I'he illumination of the casket containing a body has heretofore constituted a problem of considerable magnitude to morticians. Reliance is usually placed on the general lighting afforded by the fixtures of a room in which a casket is positioned. Often these Xtures are totally inadequate and producelights and shadows wholly 20 undesiredby those dealing with matters of this kind. Realizing these conditions, the present in vention provides concealed illuminating means carried by the interior ofthe lid or cover of a casket and so disposed as to direct or reflect light 25 on the fabric lining of a casket lid and to utilize the light so distributed to effect the general il lumination of the entire` casket and the contents thereof.

It is another object of the invention to effect 30 the illumination of a casket through the employment of gas illed tubes energized and rendered luminous by the passage therethrough of high voltage currents.

Another object of the invention resides in 35 mounting the luminous tubes so that they will extend longitudinally along a casket lid contiguous to the outer or free edge thereof, and to shield said tubes from external view by a reflector or guard so that light issuing `from the tubes will 40 be directed downwardly and inwardly upon the ornamental fabric lining `arranged Within the lid connes. T

A still further object resides in the provision of means for adjusting the luminous light emitting tubes relative to a light `emitting aperture formed between the reflector shield and the inner lining of the casket lid.

For a further understanding of `the-invention, 50 reference is to be had to the following description and the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a casket having the lid thereof provided with the illuminating .means comprising the present invention;

55 Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional View on (ci. 24o- 2) an enlarged scale taken through the, lid and the illuminating means therefor;

Fig. 3 is a detail plan View of one of the supports for the luminous tube;

liig.` 4 isa vertical transverse sectional view 5 taken through a casket and disclosing `means for supplying current to the luminous tube or tubes of the lid.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral i designates a casket which is formed to include the usual base or body section 2 and a lid or cover 3, the latter being hinged as at l to the upper edge of one of the sides of the base or body vsection 2.

The lid or cover is of the usual convex type and is provided with-the customary inner panel 5 to which is secured a tufted fabric lining 6 of an ornamental, iinish-producing appearance. The inner edges of the cover Il are each provided with an arcuate metallic molding strip l, to the external surface of which is secured an ornamental fabric covering designed to match the lining 6. The lower portion of the strip which is secured to the outer or free edge of the lid is spaced from the lining li to provide a slot il extending substantially the full length of the lid.

Formed with the lid is a wooden or other suitable strip il which carries adjacent its inner face a gas iilled glass tube It. The tube Iii `is supported in connection with the strip d by means of a group of inverted T-shaped, glass insulators Il, the tube being fastened to the cross bars of the insulators by wire loops i2. A metallic bracket I3 is clamped adjacent the end of the stem of each of the insulators and a tack or other securing device passes through a slotted hole it in the base of the bracket to secure it to the strip ll. This mounting is so arranged as to position the tube ill adjacent the longitudinal slot d and to the rear of the metallic strip 1. The 40 amount of light passing from the tube through the slot may be controlled by changing the position of the brackets on the strip 9 to locate the tube closer to or farther away from the slot.

The ends of the tube lil are closed and a lead wire' l5 extends from each end of the tube along the end and back edges of the cover and down into the body section of the casket to an electric connector ill secured to the inner side of the bottom wall. An opening il is provided in the bottom wall in registration with the connector l5 to receive a plug it which is in turn connected by wires lil with the secondary terminal of a voltage increasing transformer Ell. `Con- T .ductors 2l connect the primary side of theftrans- 55 former with the usual building current supply lines 22.

When the circuit is completed, the tube Will become luminous and rays of light issuing therefrom will be directed through the slot between the strip l and the lid lining. The inner surface of the metallic strip reilects the light emanating from the tube and due to the fact that the tube as Well as the slot extends substantially the full length of the lid, a uniform distribution of light is acquired which materially improves the appearance o the casket.

Since the gas lled tubes operate on an eX- tremely low amperage, the lights may be kept energized for long periods of time without danger of overheating and creating a re hazard.

Although the tube has been shown applied to only one edge of the cover section, it is Within the invention to provide it on as many edges as may be found desirable.

What is claimed is:

In a casket of the type provided with a hinged cover section lined With fabric and having arcuate fabric covered molding strips. secured on the inner side adjacent to the edges thereof, a source of light carried by said cover section in back of at least one of said molding strips, the inner edge of the strip in front of said light source being slightly spaced from the lining of said cover to provide a narrow slot through which light rays will be directed onto the lining of the cover only.

DEXTER D. HULSART.