US2205295A

US2205295A - Collapsible catafalque

Info

Publication number: US2205295A
Application number: US275413A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lange Morris
Original assignee: Superior Funeral Supply Corp
Current assignee: Superior Funeral Supply Corp
Priority date: 1939-05-24
Filing date: 1939-05-24
Publication date: 1940-06-18
Anticipated expiration: 1957-06-18

Description

June 18, 1

M. LANGE COLLAPSIBLE GATAFALQUE Filed May 24, 1939 AWE/V705: MORRIS LANGE 5 /%1Z% Patented June-1 8, 1940, 2 g

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE CATAFALQUE Morris Lange, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignor to Superior Funeral Supply Corp. 7

" ApplicationxMayild,1939, Serial No. 275,413 12 Claims. (cl. 27-1) This invention relates to biers or catafalques horizontal platform 20 which is of a size slightly and particularly to the portable folding type used smaller than the bottom of the case Ill. Aflixed 'in churches, funeral parlors or private homes to the under side of the platform 20, running and especially for funerals of smaller persons. lengthwise of the platform and adjacent to its The primary object of the invention is to profour corners, thereare two pairs of aligned rails 5 vide a'catafalque that may be quickly andeasily 2i which are directly over the tracks li.- The folded. top ends of the crossed legs l5 are provided with Another object of the invention is to provide small rollers or pins 22 which engage the rails *a device of this type that is,"when collapsed, self- 2i in exactly the same manner as the pins .I8' contained and tansportable as a single, compa'ct engage the tracks H. The rear of the platform 10 and lightweight .nit. 20 is provided with a. vertical back-stop 23 which A further object of the invention is to use the serves as a stop or guide for the casket to be carrying case as a base. placed on the platform and also as a brace to These and other objects and features ofthe strengthen the platform. I y invention will become apparent from a study of The, secondary support member also referred 15 the following description and. claims together to herein as the folding standard consists of awith the accompanying drawing, in which like series of crossed levers 25 assembled in the man-. parts-are designated by like reference characters er of lazy-tongs so that they may be collapsed and wherein: or extended as desired. The lower pair of crossed Figure 1 is a front. view of the collapsible levers a are a little longer than the others go catafalque with parts of the curtain cut away connected thereto and their lower arms are pivotto show the folding framework; ally connected to the pins 22 and are actuated Figure 2 is a side elevation of the' folding by the legs l5. framework; a The upper pair of crossed levers 251) are a little 25 Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the shorter than the other levers 25 connected there- 25 automatic tilting bracket'which supports the top to. Their short ends are pivotally connected to horizontal arms; the short arms 26 so as to form a folding parallel- Flgure 4 is a front elevation of part of the ogram in which two obliquely opposite or cross tilting bracket which view is taken along the lines corners are in horizontal and perpendicular posi- 30 l--l of the Figure 3; and tions respectively. The pivot pins 2'la'and 2lb' Figure 5 is a front view of the framework which are in perpendicular alignment are a little folded inside of the carrying case base or support. longer than the other pivot pins 21, in order to The collapsible catafalque of this invention accommodate the bracket member hereinafter consists broadly of a base, primary support memdescribed.

her, a secondarysupport member, horizontal arm The horizontal folding arm member consists 35 membersflanda drapedc'urtain supported by the of a central rod 30 to which there is hingedly aforementioned 'niembers.{ attached two side arms 3|. The central rod 30 The base member,sometimes referred to herein' and the side arms 3| are bent or shaped as as the case-base is simply arectangular trunkdesired to form the top outline of the draped like box. i0 provided with a cover [0a. The inside catafalque, somewhat like the design shown in 9 bottom of the case III has two pairs of aligned the Figure 1. 3, The central rod 30 is about as 40 tracks ll running lengthwise of the case and long as the box memberill and fits therein. The near to the ends thereof. arms 3i fold-inward and also fit into the case The primary support member consists of two when so folded. Conventional wing nuts 32 on pairs of crossed legs l5 pivotally' attached tothe hinges, when tightened-keep the rod 30 and 4 gether at their centers with the'pins l6. Each the arms 3| in a substantially rigid condition.

" pair .of aligned legs are connected together and Because of the fact that the horizontal. arm spaced with therods ll, Na and ,ilb. There member configuration is normally in a vertical being two 'such'rods i1 below the pivot plus it position it is desirable in order to' save packing and the'two rods Ho and Nb above the pivot space to fold the arm members flatly or horipin IG. The bottom ends of the legs-i5 are prozontaliy in the case"). For this purpose the 50 'vided with-small rollers or pins l8 which move special tilting bracket illustrated in the Figures along the tracks Ii. The connection between the '3 and 4 is provided. Furthermore, as it is also tracks II and the pins l8 being such that they desirable to hang the draped curtains 45 a slight cannotb'e readily separated. I distance in front of the folding standard so that Supportedby the crossed legs I! there is a whenpacking and collapsing the device the curfor a short distance.

min 45 is not pinched or cut by the crossed levers 25.2511 and 25b, the special bracket heretofore referred to serves a dual purpose; in that, it also supports the arm member slightly forward of the pivot pin 21a, there is a folding link or yokemember herein referred to as a trus 4|. The top end of the truss 4| is hingedly connected to the end 39 of the horizontal leg 38; the bottom end of the truss 4| is hingedly connected to the pivot pin 21a; and the mid-section of the truss 4| folds on the pin 42, so'that when the pin 21a is slid upward in the slot 31, the pin 42 will project forward and' the upper end of the truss 4| will tilt from a substantially vertical position to a horizontal position.

The central rod 30 of the horizontal arm member is rigidly mounted on the upper portion of the truss 4i quite close to the forward end 39 of the horizontal leg 38. The Figure 4 clearly shows the alternate positions of the truss 4i and the central rod 30 in broken lines and thus indicates the relative positions of the parts when the device is folded and packed. The movement of the truss 4| and the arm 30 is automatic and depends upon the extension of the support members. Collapsing the supports completely will automatically bring the arm member 30 in a lateral horizontal position while extending the supports it and 26 to their limit, will automatically bring the arm member III to its vertical .po+ sition.

The drape or curtain 45 is made of any suitable material which will not crush or wrinkle when creased or folded. The top portion may be shirred and is provided with a means suitable for attachment to the central rod 30 and to the folding arms ll attached thereto. When mounted on the opened device the curtain hangs a little forward of the secondary support member I! and completely conceals from front view the top portion of the folding metal framework.

A similar drape or curtain 48 is mounted on the long forward edge and two short sides of the platform Ill so that thefront and sides of the primary support member I! and the case-base It are completely concealed from view.

An automatic locking device is provided which retains the metal frame in the open or extended .position. This consists of a simple catch element or hooked rod .41 hingedlymounted on the top space rod I'Ia. This hooked rod 41 has an inverted U-shape'd crook 44 at the point where it could engage\,the-adjacent space rod "b. The rod 41 extends outward almost to the edge of the platform 20 and its extreme end 49 serves .as aconvenient handle for releasing thecrook 44 when it is desired in order to fold the device.-

When opening the device the crook 4! automatically engages the rod l1 and snaps into engagement therewith.

The advantages of this device over prior art devices may be briefly pointed out in that the device is almost completely automatic in its erection. By simply. removing the cover Ila of the case, lifting the arm member 34 until the catch rod 41 snaps into place-and then setting the folding arms M with the wing nuts 32, the catafalque is ready for use.- By utilizing the individual special carrying case as the base of the structure it may be easily packed and conveniently trans: ported with all of the necessary parts always properly packed so as to' eliminate unnecessary wear and tear. I

. It will now be clear that there is provided by this invention a collapsible catafalque which'accomplishes the objects of the invention. While the invention has been described in a special form and while certain general terms and special language have beenused, it is to be understood that the embodiment of the invention as described is suggestive only and is not to be considered in a limiting sense. It is to be further understood that there may be other forms or e adaptations of the invention and those modifications are also considered to be within the broad scope of the invention as no limitatiors upon it vare intended other than those imposed thereon by the scope'of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A collapsible catafalque comprising in combination, a base member, a primary support member having an extension means thereon receivable by the base member, -a secondary support member having an extension means thereon receivable by the base member and connected to the primary member, and curtains mounted on the support members and receivable by the base member, the said support members and curtains being extendable from the said base member. a

2. A collapsible catafalque, comprising in combination, a hollow base member, support members having curtains thereon mounted, in and 4. In a catafalque, a collapsible frame, com I prising in combination, a base member, a primary support member receivable by the base member, a secondary support member actuated by the primary support member, and a folding means on the support members and means in the base member providing for compacting all of the members together.

5. In a catafalque, a collapsible frame, comprising in combination, a case-base member, a

platform-member, a. collapsible stand supporting the platform member on the case-base member, folding arm members, a collapsible standard supporting the folding arm members on the said platform member, the said standard being connected to and actuated by the said stand, and a means on the said supporting mem rs for. retaining them in an uncollapsed posi ion.

6. In a catafalque, a collapsible frame, comprising in combination, a case-base member, a stand member mountedon the case-base member and having a platform thereon, a standard member mounted on the stand member and having arms together.

8. In a catafalque, a collapsible frame, com- I prising in combination, a case-base member, a primary support member mounted in the casebase member, a standard member mounted on the primary support member, an automatically tilting bracket member mounted on the standard member and actuated thereby,. and horizontal arms members mounted on the said bracket member.

9. In a catafalque, a collapsible frame, comprising in combination, a case-base member having tracks therein, a stand member having a casket receiving platform thereon, means on the stand member for engaging the said tracks, and

a secondary support member mounted on the saidst'and member, the said stand member and the said support member being simultaneously ,collapsible into the case-base member.

10. In a catafalque, a collapsible frame, comprising in combination, a base member, a col- ,tical to a horizontal position.

lapsible primary support member mounted on the base member, a standard member mounted on and engaged with the support member, a collapsible and turnable bracket member mounted on and engaged with the standard member, means. for simultaneously collapsing the standard member and turning the bracket member, and a cross arm having foldable ends mounted on the bracket member and horizontally turnable upon the collapsing of the support and 7 standard members.j

11. A collapsible catafalque, comprising in combination, a base member, a folding primary support member receivable by the base member and connected thereto, the. said primary support member having a platform thereon suitable for retaining a casket when in an expanded formation, a folding secondary support member connected to the primary support member and foldable on the said platform when in a contracted formation, and curtains mounted on and concealing the said support members and the base member.

12. In a catafalque of the type having a collapsible standard'and. curtain supporting arms, a tilting bracket comprising, a rod member attached tothe said standard, and a yoke member pivoted on the rod member, attached to the sup-. porting arms, and linked to the saidstandard in a manner whereby the collapsing of the standard turn the said supporting arms from a ver- MoaRIs LANGE.