US2281680A

US2281680A - Church truck

Info

Publication number: US2281680A
Application number: US370934A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ment Robert R De
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1940-12-20
Filing date: 1940-12-20
Publication date: 1942-05-05
Anticipated expiration: 1959-05-05

Description

May 5, 1942. R. R. D' MENT CHURCH TRUCK Filed Deo. 20, 1940 Patented May 5, 1942 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHURCH TRUCK Robert It. De Merit, Cleveland Heights, Ohio Application December 20, 1940, Serial No. 370,934

7 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of casket trucks for use at funeral ceremonies. I

One object of the present invention is to devise an improved means for extending and collapsing the truck body so that such means will possess a very high degree of strength and rigidity.

Another object is to devise such a mechanism that can be manipulated in a convenient manner and Without any danger of injury to the hands of the operator. i

A further object is to devise such a mechanism that will be located at the lower part of the truck body and hence will be especially adapted to support the load of the truck, and at the same time will permit any desired drape-supporting means to be employed at the upper part of the truck body without any interference by the adjustable mechanism in a truck body of a given height.

A still further object is to devise an adjustable mechanism that is substantially self-locking and can be depended upon to hold the truck body in any degree of extension without requiring any other means for holding the same in such position or condition, thereby avoiding also the necessity of manipulating a separate orv additional means for locking the truck body in either fully or partially extended position.

Other objects will appear from the following description and claims when considered together with the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved device, with the drape partially broken away;

Fig. 2 is a view taken online 2-2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is an enarged detail sectional View corresponding to Fig. 2.

The four upright corner posts I are supported by the bowed form of main lever arms 2 which, with the auxiliary lever arms 3, are adapted to be operated in a manner resembling the raising and lowering operation of the familiar umbrella, i,

as will be more fully explained and as will be more clearly understood from the accompanying drawing, especially the illustration in Fig. 2.

The main lever arms 2 are pivotally connected at their inner ends to the transverse support which has the middle threaded portion 4 engaging the threaded portion 5a of the shaft 5, and which has also the outer sleeve portions 6 slidably mounted upon the telescopic members 1. The members I have telescopic engagement with the parallel rods 8 which are flxedly mounted in the middle block 9. The screw-threaded shaft 5 also extends through the block `9 and is rotatable therein by means of the .crank IIJ at one end thereof, although any other suitable means may be provided for such purpose.

The inner ends of the auxiliary lever arms 3 are pivotally connected to the outer ends of the transverse supporting means II which is xedly mounted upon the parallel telescopic members 1 so as to be movable therewith, the supporting means Il having a middle threaded portion I2 which has operative engagement with the threaded portion 5b of the shaft 5.

The threads of the portion 5a are of a different pitch from that of the threaded portion 5b, the threads 5a. having a pitch that is steeper than that of the threads 5b so that, for a given rate of rotation of the shaft 5, the threaded member 4 will travel at a greater rate of speed than the threaded member I2, as for instance at a ratio of three to one, although the invention is not limited to this specic ratio. Thus there is a differential between the movements of the threaded portions `4 and I2 and hence between the movements of the inner ends of the

lever arms

2 and 3, thereby causing the extensible movements of the corner posts I, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

It might be said that the eect of the operation of the threaded portion 4 is to cause the main lever arms 2 to be adjusted longitudinally, while the effect of the operation of the threaded portion l2 is to cause the lateral adjustment of the lever arms 2 by means of the arms 3. Both of these movements are effected simultaneously and thus there is produced a combined movement or operation of the main and

auxiliary lever arms

2 and 3; with the result that the operation of thev shaft 5'will produce a combined longitudinal and lateral movement of the corner posts, either during the extending or collapsing operation of the truck body. The collapsed condition of the lever mechanism is indicated in dotted lines in Vthe right-hand part of Fig. 2, while the extended condition oi the same is indicated in full lines in the same iigure of the drawing.

When the mechanism is extended to the fullest degree, as indicated by the full lines in Fig. 2, the

lever arms 3 will occupy transverse position and will thus serve to hold the lever arms 2 in such extended position, without requiring the use of any other locking means. Furthermore, by virtue of the screw-threaded engagement between the shaft 5 andthe threaded portions 4 and I2, the engagement between the threads themselves will serve as a means of holding the parts in substantially locked condition for any position to which adjusted, whether the mechanism be adjusted to fully closed or fully open position or to only partially extended position.

The drape I3 may be supported from the upper part of thetruck by means of the old and well-known lazy tongs I4, as taught for instance in the patent to Ort, No. 628,633, July 11, 1899, Vsuch drape-supporting means being provided in the present case at the two ends and the two sides of the truck body.

These lazy tongs may be mounted upon the corner posts in any suitable manner, as for instance by means of the rings I5 which are clamped upon therposts I. As also taught by the Ort patent, supra, there may be provided eyelets at the upper joints I6 of the lazy tong members for the purpose of receiving hooks provided upon the upper edge of the drape so as to permit the drape to be removably supported thereupon and to be readily removed when it is desired to change the drape or to clean the same. The drapes, when mounted upon :the lazy tong supporting means, may bevextended and folded as part of the same operation that is employed for adjusting the truck bodyitself.

It is understood, of course, that the casketis adapted to be supported upon the upper ends of 'the posts I, and any suitable means may be provided uponthe `upper ends of the posts I for engaging the same.

Thus I havedevised'an `adjustable mechanism for the truck body that canbe operatedr in a convenient manner, as well as in any effective manner, and can be depended upon to maintain Aits position, whether fully or partially extended,

without requiring any additional locking means. Also, thisvparticular form of adjustable mechanism contributes to the strength and rigidity of the truck body, this mechanism being especially sturdy and dependable when in fully extended position and also peculiarly well adapted to withstand any of the stresses and strains to which such a device is subjected during normal use.

Furthermore, this mechanism may be operat- Yed without any danger *of the operator having his hands or lingers caught in any part thereof during its manipulation.

By virtue of `the location of the adjustable mechanism in the llov/er part .of the truck body, it is especially AWell adapted to carry the load `for which intended; and also there is afforded .ample space at the upper part thereof for attachment of the drape supporting means without requiring .any additional height of the truck lbody for this. purpose.

r'bodily adjustable longitudinally of the truck body, andscrew means with threads of different pitch for effecting such bodily adjustment of said lever members and for'operating said lever mechanism, respectively, thereby eiecting both longitudinal and lateral adjustment of said posts.

2. In a church truck, the combination of up- 'right corner posts, 'collapsible means connecting said posts, said collapsible means including main lever arms carrying said posts, auxiliary lever yarms for extending said main lever arms laterally ,fof the truck body, said main and auxiliary lever arms being capable of relative bodily movement --longitudinally of the truck body during opera- `tion thereof, and vmeans for eiecting such relative bodily movement and for operating said auxiliary lever arms so as to simultaneously eiect longitudinal and lateral movement of said posts.

3. In a church truck, the combination oi upright corner posts, collapsible means connecting said posts, said collapsible means including main lever arms carrying said posts, said main lever arms being movable bodily for extension of said posts longitudinally 4of the truck body, auxiliary lever arms for extending said main lever arms .laterally of the ,truck,body, land means for operating said main and auxiliary lever means simultaneously.

, l, 4. In a church truck, the combination of up- Aright corner posts, collapsible means connecting l0,-

said posts, said collapsible means including main leverarms carrying said posts, said main lever armsbeing movable bodily for extension of said posts *lengthwise of the truck body, auxiliary lever .arms for extending said main lever arms laterally of the truck body, said auxiliary lever Iarms being movable bodily lengthwise of the truck bodyand means for operating said main and'auxiliary leverarms simultaneously with a `diiiierential in their respective movements so as to effect extension of the posts both longitudinally and laterally at the same time.

5, In a church truck, the-combination of upright corner posts, collapsible means connecting saidposts, said collapsible means including main lever arms carrying said posts,.said main lever .arms being movable bodily for extension of said posts llengthwise of the truck body, auxiliary lever :arms for extending said. vmain lever arms laterally of the truck-body, said auxiliary lever arms beingr movable bodily lengthwise of the truck body, and screw means with threads of ndiiferentipitcl'i for operating said main and auxiliary lever' arms, respectively, at the same time so as to produce a differential between the bodily movements thereof and thereby effect extension of 'the posts both longitudinally and laterally at `the Sametime.

6. Ina church truck, the combination of upright corner posts,` collapsible means connecting `sai'diposts, said collapsible means including main lever arms carrying'said posts, said main lever arms being movable Jbodily for extension of said iposts lengthwise of the truck body, auxiliary vlever arms for extending said main lever arms laterally of the truck body, said auxiliary lever .arms being movable bodily lengthwise of the truck body,v'screw means for operating said main ylever arms longitudinally of the truckbody, and screw means with threads of substantially less pitch for operating said auxiliary lever arms so as to thereby eiect lateral adjustment of said main lever arms, and means for operating said iscrew means simultaneously.

'7. In a church truck, the combination of longitudinally extensible telescoping body members,

upright corner posts, main lever arms upon which said posts are carried, means for mounting A'said mainlever arms for longitudinal movement upon rsaid lbody members, auxiliary lever arms for exitending said main 'lever arms laterally of the vtruck body, means for mounting said auxiliary vleverarms upon onev of said body members so as 'of `the posts both longitudinally and laterally at the same time.

ROBERT R. vDE MENT.