US2185326A - Latch for metallic grave vaults - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 2, 1940. BECK 2,185,326

. LATCH FOR METALLIC GRAVE VAULTS Filed Dec. 10, 1937 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Ema/rm AZZcvz F3560]:

Patented Jan. 2, 1940 UITED STATS "Aren't oFFic Allen F. Beck,

Columbus, Ohio Application December 10, 1937, Serial No. 179,165

6 Claims.

Ihis invention relates to improvements in metallic burial vaults of the type utilizing an inverted pan-shaped base and a separable openbottomed dome or hood member, the latter being provided around its lower marginal edges with flanges adapted for seating engagement with complemental flanges formed in connection with the marginal edges of the base member. In vaults of this type, it is customary also to provide releasable latching mechanism carried in connection with the under or inner part of the base member for uniting the separable hood or dome member with the base member whenever desired.

When a relatively heavy metallic burial vault and the contents thereof are placed on the bottom of a grave with only the limited area of the marginal edges of the vault base in contact with the soil, under certain circumstances it may happen that the combined weight of the vault, its contents and the superposed soil pressing on the dome or hood of the vault, may cause the base tosink into the soil or become out of level, so that moisture, or sub-surface waters, may find entrance to the interior of the vault to an undesirable extent.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an inverted pan-type vault base, below its elevated casket-receiving platform, with transversely extending soil-engaging plates, the latter being disposed at each end of the base and extending transversely thereof, the said plates being so disposed as to engage with the soil and to increase the contact area of the vault base with the soil, to the end of overcoming any tendency on the part of the base to sink or settle into the soil to an undesirable degree.

It is another object of the invention to form and position the soil-engaging bottom plates of the vault base so that said plates will be rigid, strong and substantial and augment the mechanical strength of the vault base itself.

Another object of the invention resides in providing the vault base at each end thereof with L) a pair of pivotally movable latching members by which the hood or dome of the vault is secured to the base together with improved means, manually operable from the end of the vault, for efiecting the simultaneous actuation of a pair of said pivoted latch members, the latch operating means being carried in connection with the casket-receiving platform of the base immediately above but spaced from the soil engaging plates of the base, so that said latch members and their operating means will not have their operation interfered with as the result of denting or other injury to the soil-engaging plates.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of openings formed in the ends of the soil-engaging plates in registration with the pivoted latching members, the said openings providing for facility and convenience in the matter of uniting said latch members with their common operating means.

The present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of my prior application, Serial No. 152,9'18, filed July 10, 1937, which is directed to the arrangement of the said engaging plates above mentioned with respect to longitudinally extending runner ribs provided on the flanges of the base section of the vault, the latching means forming the subject matter of this invention being also shown.

For a further understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly in vertical section, looking upwardly toward the bottom of one end of a metallic grave vault base formed in accordance with the present invention, the soil-engaging plate having been omitted in order to more clearly disclose internal structure;

Fig. 2 is a plan view looking toward the bottom of one end of the vault base, and disclosing more particularly the latch operating mechanism, the soil-engaging plate having been omitted from this figure;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken through the vault base and adjoining lower portions of the hood or dome, and disclosing one of the pivoted latching members for holding the base and hood together, the plane of the figure being indicated by the line IIl--III of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through one end of the vault base and contiguous lower portions of the dome or hood, the plane of the figure being indicated by the line IV-IV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the base member of the vault, disclosing the soil-engaging plates;

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective View of one of the pivoted latching members;

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the latch operating lever;

8 is a similar view of one of the latch actuating springs.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral i designates the base section of a 55 metallic grave vault. In this instance, the base section is of the inverted pan-type and comprises a relatively elevated casket-receiving platform 2 and downwardly projecting side and end walls 3, the latter terminating at their lower edges in outwardly and horizontally directed seating flanges 4 which, in turn, terminate in substantially V-shaped reenforcing runner ribs 5. Cooperative with the base section I is an open-bottomed hood or dome section 6 which, like the base section I, is formed from pressed steel plate. The hood section includes depending vertical side and end walls I which are adapted to fit over and around the corresponding walls of the base section I, the lower edge portions of the walls 1 being terminated in inwardly and horizontally extending flanges 8 which seat upon the flanges 4 of the base section, and terminate in short upwardly directed reeinforcing flanges 9, which are disposed immediately contiguous to the lower portions of the side and end walls 3.

In order to hold the base and hood sections in their assembled relationship, the vault is provided with latching mechanism comprising, in this instance, a plurality of pressed steel pivoted latch members l0, which are shown more particularly in Figs. 3 and 6 of the drawings. Each of these latch members includes at its upper end an inwardly bent fulcrum forming lip l I, a body portion l2 and a pair of inwardly extending side Wings 23. The lip H of each latch member is received within a horizontal slot l4 formed in one of the side walls 3, while the wings 13 are likewise received within spaced parallel vertical slots I 5, also formed in the side walls 3. A coiled wire spring I6 is interposed between the body portion of the latch member and the adjoining side wall 3 and normally the spring serves to maintain the latch member in the extended latching position, disclosed in Fig. 3, so that the curved lower edges ll of the wings l3 will be disposed immediately over the upper edges of the flanges 9.

In order to retract the latch members to provide for the removal of the hood or dome section from the base section, I provide a latch operated mechanism which includes a pivoted operating lever l8, one of these levers being provided at each end of the base section for operating a pair of latch members. The lever is is pivotally mounted on the rounded portion I 9 of a headed stud 20. This stud includes a squared portion 2! which is receivable within a correspondingly shaped opening formed in a boss 22 integrally struck in a downwardly direction from the platform 2 of the base section. The threaded portion of said stud receives a removable securing nut 23, the latter being arranged generally below the plane defining the upper surface of the platform by reason of the inwardly struck formation of the boss 22.

The lever l8 includes a downwardly and angularly extending portion 24, which terminates at its lower end in an outwardly directed manipulating extremity 25. This extremity is arranged in resilient engagement with the lower edge of one of the end walls 3, the said edge being notched as at 26 so that when the lever i8 is rocked, the manipulating extremity 25 thereof will engage with the shoulder of the notch 26 in order to retain the latch members in their retracted positions against the influence of their actuating springs l6. Each of the levers 18, on opposite sides of its pivotal mounting, is provided with a pair of shouldered lugs 2'! with which are engaged the inner ends of a pair of twisted wire links 28, the outer portions of the latter being spaced to provide parallel legs 29, which terminate in outwardly directed portions 33, the latter being received within openings 3|, formed in the side wings l3 of the latch members Hi. By this construction, a single lever l8, manipulated from the end of the vault, may be utilized for controlling the operation of an adjoining pair of latch members.

To strengthen the base of the vault and to increase its ground engaging area, the base section l is provided at each end thereof, as shown particularly in Fig. 5, with a pair of groundengaging plates 32. These plates extend transversely of the base section of the vault at each end thereof, and terminate in upwardly and outwardly directed flanges 33, which are welded, or otherwise permanently secured, to the under surfaces of the flanges 4 of the base section. The lower surfaces of the plates 32 are disposed so that they will be slightly above the horizontal plane determined by the lower surfaces of the runner ribs 5. This enables the vault to be readily moved over hard unyielding floor surfaces, since the area of contact of the vault on such surfaces will be limited to the width of the floor-engaging surfaces of the ribs 5. However, when the vault is placed on a smooth yielding surface, such as when positioned in the bottom of a grave, the plates 32 then become effective in sustaining the weight of the vault and preventing any possibility of undesired settling thereof in such a yielding supporting bed. Preferably, the ends of the plates 32 are formed with openings 3 which render the latch members and the outer ends of the links 28 accessible for the purpose of facilitating the insertion of the leg extensions 30 into the openings 3| of the latch members. Also, the plates 32 are provided at intervals with parallel reenforcing ribs 35 to increase their mechanical strength.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention provides a vault base of the inverted pan-type with improved means for effec ing the fastening thereof to the hood or dome section of the vault and, also, improved means in the form of the plates 32, for preventing undesired settling of the base section in soft soils. The latch operating mechanism is carried by and beneath the platform 2 of said base section so that it will be protected by the plates 32 against injury during shipment or otherwise, but will at all times be readily accessible by reason of the inclusion of the openings 34 in said plates and by the fact that the latches and their operating mechanism'may be also readily reached through or over the inner edges 36 of said plates. Hitherto, it has been customary to mount these latching devices and their operating appliances in closed box-like housings or casings, which have rendered the said latching devices and their operating means relatively inaccessible for repair or adjustment purposes. In the present invention, these latching devices and/or operating means are open, unhoused and readily accessible from the bottom of the base section. Also, by mounting the latch operating appliances on the platform 2 of the base section, the said appliances are protected and prevented from being injured during shipment or use. Thus in my prior application, above referred to, the actuating levers for the latches are disclosed as being pivotally carried by the soil-engaging plates. It

has been found that during shipment or in the handling of the vaults, if these plates should become bent, distorted or dented, difficulty was experienced in effecting proper actuation of the latch mechanism. These objections, however, are overcome with the use of the present construction and a more secure mounting, generally, is provided for the latch operating means.

What is claimed is:

1. A base for metallic grave vaults comprising an inverted pan-shaped body formed to include an elevated horizontally extending platform and depending side and end walls, movable latch members projecting through the side walls of said base, a depressed boss extension formed in said platform, a one-piece latch operating lever directly secured for pivotal movement on the under side of said boss, said lever including an operating extremity projecting beyond. one of said end walls, and a pair of oppositely extending link members having their inner ends connected with said lever on opposite sides of its pivotal mounting, the outer ends of said link members being directly connected with said latch members.

2. A base section for grave vaults comprising an inverted pan-shaped body formed to include a horizontally extending platform, depending side and end walls and outwardly directed base flanges, a pair of movable latch members carried in connection with the side walls of said base, an integral one-piece latch operating lever pivotally secured directly to the under side of said platform, said lever having an actuating extremity projecting beyond one end wall of the base and a pair of downwardly directed lugs disposed on opposite sides of the pivot for said lever, and link devices directly connected at their ends with said latch members and said lugs.

3. A base section for grave vaults comprising an inverted pan-shaped body formed to include a horizontally extending platform, depending side and end walls and outwardly directed base flanges, a pair of movable latch members carried in connection with the side walls of said base, a latch operating lever having its end portions disposed in relatively offset parallel planes, the first of said end portions being pivotally secured directly to the under side of said platform, the other end portion being disposed for movement below the lower edge of an end wall of said base, a pair of downwardly directed lugs provided on the first of said end portions, and a pair of links directly connected at their ends with said latch members and said lugs.

4. In a grave vault of the type having separable base and cover sections, said base having a horizontally disposed platform and depending side and end walls, means for locking said cover on said base comprising a plurality of latch members supported by the side walls of said base for swinging movement about horizontally disposed axes, a pivot stud having a vertically extending axis directly carried by the platform of said base, a one-piece lever supported with one end adjacent the under side of said platform for movement about the axis of said stud, the other end of said lever being disposed for movement in a plane below the first end and projecting beyond the end wall of said base to form an actuating handle, lug means provided on the first-mentioned end of said lever on opposite sides of the pivotal mounting therefor, and link members directly connected with said lugs and latch members.

5. In a grave vault of the type having separable base and cover sections, said base having a horizontally disposed platform and depending side and end walls, means for locking said cover on said base comprising a plurality of latch members supported by the side walls of said base for swinging movement about horizontally disposed axes, a one-piece lever supported with one end adjacent the under side of said platform for movement about a vertically disposed axis, the other end of said lever being disposed for movement in a plane below the first end and projecting beyond the end wall of said base to form an actuating handle, lug means provided on the first-mentioned end of said lever on opposite sides of the pivotal mounting therefor, and link members directly connected with said lugs and latch members.

6. In a grave vault of the type having separable base and cover sections, said base having a horizontally disposed platform and depending side and end walls, means for locking said cover on said base comprising a plurality of latch members supported by the side Walls of said base for swinging movement about horizontally disposed axes, a pivot stud having a vertically extending axis directly carried by the platform of said base, a one-piece lever supported with one end adjacent the under side of said platform for movement about the axis of said stud, the other end of said lever being disposed for movement in a plane below the first end and projecting beyond the end wall of said base to form an actuating handle, the lower edge of said end wall being provided at one extremity of movement of said handle with a notch for the reception of said handle to temporarily restrain it against movement, lug means provided on the first-mentioned end of said lever on opposite sides of the pivotal mounting therefor, and link members directly connected with said lugs and latch members.

ALLEN F. BECK.

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