US2753613A

US2753613A - Casket closure and sealing means

Info

Publication number: US2753613A
Application number: US502275A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Harold W Baker
Original assignee: CONNERSVILLE CASKET Co IN
Current assignee: CONNERSVILLE CASKET Co IN; CONNERSVILLE CASKET COMPANY Inc
Priority date: 1955-04-19
Filing date: 1955-04-19
Publication date: 1956-07-10
Anticipated expiration: 1973-07-10

Description

July 10, 1956 H. w. BAKER, JR z'mfm GASKET CLOSURE AND SEALING MEANS Filed April 19, 1955 4 Shee'Ls-Sheef 1.

.IN V EN TOR.

0 mom w. BAKER, JR.

ATTORNEYS Emmy Mm 1956 H. w. BAKER, JR 2,753,513

GASKET CLOSURE AND SEALING MEANS 4 Sheets-Shee 2 Filed April 19, 1955 E; h F. 6 lg.

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INVENTOR. HAROLD w. BAKE;R,JR.

BY @WM -fvuzr ATTORNEYS July 10, 1956 H. w. BAKER, JR

GASKET CLOSUREAND SEALING MEANS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 19, 1955 INVENTOR. HAROLD w. BAKER,JR.

ATTORNEYS July l0, 1956 H. w. BAKER, JR 2,753,6113

GASKET CLOSURE AND SEALING MEANS Filed April 19, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN TOR. 84 HAROLD W. BAKER,JR.

BY [Ewa-MVM ATTORNEYS United States Patent CASKET CLOSURE AND SEALING MEANS Harold W. Baker, Jr., Bryn Mawr, Pa., assigner to Connersville Casket Company, Inc., Cennersville, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application April 19, 1955, Serial No. 502,275

Claims. (Cl. 27-17) This invention relates to means for closing and sealing a casket and, more particularly, relates to such means in combination with a so called half couch casket, that is, a casket having separate head and foot lids.

lt is an object of this invention to provide half couch casket closure and sealing means whereby the casket can be closed and sealed through the operation of mechanism at but a single point. t

lt is a further object of this invention to provide means for closing and sealing a half couch casket which is provided with reliable sealing means which can be readily installed with the minimum of modification in a half couch casket.

lt is a still further object of this invention to provide a half couch type casket having means for closing and sealing a casket which is positive in action.

ln accordance with this invention, a particularly positive and satisfactory seal is achieved at the junction of the lid sections in a novel manner, namely, by advancing one of the lid sections towards the other lid section. This unique structure eliminates 'the complexities of gasket structures which have heretofore been found in half couch caskets and effects a highly superior seal.

The objects and nature of the invention will be further clarified on reading the following description in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a half couch casket in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the casket of Figure 1 with both lids closed.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the plane indi-` cated by the line 3-3 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical section, partially broken away, taken on the plane indicated by the line 4 4 in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a perspective View, partially broken away, of a portion of the gasket on the head and foot sections in the area shown by the phantom circle labeled figure 5 in Figure 2, this view showing the foot lid raised slightly above the body portion of the casket.

Figure 6 is a vertical section taken on the plane indicated by the line 6-6 in Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a vertical section, partially broken away, taken on the plane indicated by the line 7-7 in Figure 2.

Figure 8 is a plan View of the structure of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a section, partially broken away, taken on the plane indicated by the line 9 9 in Figure 1.

Figure l0 is a front elevation, partially broken away, taken on the plane indicated by the line 10^-10 in Figure 2.

Figure ll is a front elevation, partially broken away, oi' the structure of Figure 10 with the head lid slightly elevated above its respective gasket.

Figure l2 is a top perspective view of the gasket shown within the phantom circled marked ligure 12 in Figure 2.

Figure i3 is a side perspective View of a head lid hinge. Figure 14 is a vertical section, partially broken away, taken on the plane indicated by the line 14-14 in Figure rice 2, and showing the lids after they have been lowered onto the body of the casket.

Figure 15 is a vertical section showing the mechanism of Figure 14 shortly after the action of the closure mechanism has been initiated.

Figure 16 is a vertical section showing the mechanism of Figure 14 after the closure mechanism has acted to pull the head lid towards the foot lid.

Figure 17 is a vertical section showing the mechanism of Figure 14 with the closure mechanism in the fully closed position.

As shown in Figure 1, a half couch casket 2, in accordance with this invention, has a body 4. A head lid 6 is secured to body 4 by hinges 8 and a foot lid 10 is secured to body 4 by hinges 12.

Casket 2 is provided with sealing gaskets. A substantially U-shaped (in plan) gasket 14 of, for example, rubber, rests on flange 15 of body 4 and has an inner raised seal edge 16, Gasket 14 lies below head lid 6 when the latter is lowered with the exception that the substantially vertical front and rear end faces 16, 18 of gasket 14 terminate short of the inner end of head lid 6.

Adjacent both front and rear end faces 18, 18, gasket 14 is provided with a metal insert 20 and has a pair of openings 22 which register with openings 24 in insert 20. Head lid 6 is provided with a pair of pins: 26 for engagement in the openings 24 of each of the inserts 20.

Gasket 14 may be secured to flange 15 by an adhesive indicated at 28 in which event the end portions of gasket 14, adjacent to front and rear faces 18, are left free for a distance back to a point indicated at 30 as shown in Figure l1 in order to permit the horizontal advancement of the end faces of gasket 14 towards the corresponding gasket on the foot lid. This arrangement takes care of the contingency that the end faces of the foot and head gaskets do not abut each other as will be made clear in the following description.

Foot lid 10 is provided with a gasket 34 which may be, for example, rubber. As best seen in Figure 5, gasket 34 has a substantially U-shaped portion 36 with a downwardly extending inner edge portion 38. The front and rear substantially vertical end faces 40, 40 extend beyond the inner faces of foot lid 10 and under head lid 6 (see Figure 11) to a point adjacent the

faces

18, 18 of gasket 14. Gasket 34 is also provided with a transverse portion 42 which is engaged in a transverse slot 44 in foot lid 1U. As shown in Figure 4, gasket 42 has a substantially vertical outer face 43 which is adapted to engage the substantially vertical face 45 of head lid 6. Gasket 34 may be secured to foot lid 10 by an adhesive as shown at 46 (see Figure 5).

Casket 2 is provided with a closing mechanism 50 as shown in Figure 9. Referring now to Figure 14, closing mechanism 50 is adapted to engage hooks 52 secured to head lid 6 and foot lid 10 respectively. Hooks 52 in head lid 6 pass through openings 54 in gasket 14 and openings 6i) in body ange 15. The hooks 52 in foot lid 10 pass through openings S6 in gasket 34 and openings 60 in flange 15.

Closing mechanism 50 has a longitudinal bar 64 which has a flange 66 secured to liange 15 of body 4. Bar 64 isladapted to cooperate with a plurality of pull down units 70, each of which coacts with a hook 52. For each pull down unit 70, bar 64 has a slot 72 having a generally arcuate initial portion '74 and a substantially vertical terminal portion 76. Each pull down unit 70 has a pull down lever 78 which carries a fixed pin 80 near its upper end, the pin 8) extending on either side of lever 78. On its inner side, pin 80 acts as a slot follower passing through slot 72 and, on its outer side, intersects the vertical plane in which hook 52 lies when the respective casket lid is closed.

At its lower end, lever 73 is pivotally connected, as shown at 84, to the lower end of a supporting lever 86. Lever 86 lies in a vertical plane inside bar 64 'and is pivotally connected to bar 64 as shown at 88. Lever 78 is pivotally connected to an operating lever 90 as shown at l92. Operating lever 90 is pivotally connected to a lever 94, as shown at 96, and lever 94 is in turn pivotally connected at 100 to a nut 98, threadably secured to bolt 102.

Bolt 102 has a threaded hollow head 104 in which is threadably secured bolt 106 which is tixedly held by pin 107 and which, in turn, has a hollow head 108 in the form of a hexagon for the reception of an operating crank 109 which is shown in Figure l. Head 108' abuts against a flange 110 which is secured 'to bushing 114 which is secured to casket body l4 by threaded angle member 116 which is welded to body 4. Head 108 also bears against packing 112.

As shown in Figure 14, the pull down units 70 which are associated with the hooks S2 secured to foo't lid 10 are spacedso as lto place their respective pins 80 further away from their respective hooks 52` at the beginning of the closing operation than 'the pins 80 associated with hooks 52 secured `to head lid 6 are distant from these lat-ter hooks. This arrangement permits the pull down units associated with the head lid to force the head lid towards Vthe lfoot lid in order tobring the respective "gaskets into tight contact before the pull down units associated with Ithe foot lid are brought into operation to pull the foot lid downwardly concurrently with the downward movement of the head lid. A plate 119 welded to body 4 (Figure 6) seals the securing mechanism from the interior of the casket.

Although not necessary to the satisfactory operation of the invention, it `is preferred, particularly where the head lid is formed of light gauge metal, to employ means in the vicinity ofthe lrear of the casket to advance the head lid towards the foot lid. Thus, as best seen in Figure 4, the foot lid may be provided with a cam 120 having a 'sloping face 122 which is adapted to engage a cam follower 124 secured to head lid 6 when the latter is lowered and, just after pins 26 engage the 'openings in inserts 20, the cam -120 and the cam follower 124 acting to advance head lid 6 and, particularly, the rear portion thereof towards 'foot lid 10 and also acting to advance rear end face 18 of gasket 14 into contact with gasket 34.

The hinges 8, associated with head lid '6, 'each have a lower blade 128 and an upper blade 130. The pin receiving bosses Y132 lon upper blade 130 are spaced vfrom the pin receiving bosses 134 on blade 128 to permit the lateral movement of blade 130 on Vhinge pin 136, the hinge `pin 1-36 being secured in bosses 13'4 by a tight pressed tit.

' Operation 'In ythe closing and sealing of the casket 2, foot lid 10 is lirstl'lowe'red onto body 4 with gasket 34 restingv on flange 1S. The head lid -is then lowered onto gasket 14 causing pins 26 to enter the openings in front and rear inserts 20. Gasket faces 18 and 40 will now be abutting or slightly apart `as shown in an exaggerated manner in Figures 14 and l5 depending on the accuracy of 'construction.

Crank 109 is then inserted into head 108 and is rotated 'in `a clock-wise direction which, in turn, results in the clock-wise rotation of bolt 102. This action draws nut 98, lever 94 and operating lever 90 to the right -as viewed in Figure 7.

The movement of lever 90 pivots lever 7S/on lever- 86, which remains substantially stationary. This moves pins 80 'through portions 74 of slots 72, the arcs of which have as a `center the pivotal connections 84, between

levers

78 and 86 respectively. The pins 80, :in: associa'- tion with head lid 6, now engage their respective hooks 52 exerting a force which causes the movement of head lid 6 on hinges 8 towards foot lid 10. This causes the tight engagement of vertical face 45 with transverse gasket 42. At the same time, pins 26, which entered openings 24 in inserts 20, advance the end faces 18, 18 of gasket 14 into tight contact with gasket 34.

At the end of the lateral movement of head lid 6, and all of vthe pull down units 70 are brought to the position where the pins are moved downwardly in portion 76 of slot-s 72, the pins 80 associated with the foot section are positioned so as to engage 'their respective hooks 52 with a downward pull. The further operation of the closure mechanism causes all of the pins 80 to pull all of the hooks 52 downwardly, thus forming a tight hermetic seal between

lids

6 and 10 and ange 1S. During this latter movement, lever 86 moves to the right as viewed in Figure 17 and pins 80 pivot in their respective slots 72, as well as moving downwardly.

When cam is employed, pins 26 engage the openings 22 in inserts 20 as lid 6 is lowered and, as the lid is lowered still further, face 122 of cam 120 engages cam follower 124 and vlid 6 is advanced towards foot lid 10. This, in turn, acts lto advance faces I8 of gasket A14, and particularly rear 'face 18, into contact with gasket 34. The remainder of the operation is then as described above.

'It is no't 'desired to be limited except as set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A 'casket comprising: a body, a head lid, a foot lid, gasket means adapted to form a seal between the foot lid and the body and between the head lid and the body, a transverse gasket secured tothe end of the foot lid adjacent the head lid, means to advance the head lid laterally into contact with said Ytransverse gasket 'and to secure the head and foot lids down on said gasket means to hermetically seal the casket, said last mentioned means comprising pull down members 'secured to the head lid and foot lid respectively, pull down levers mounted in the casket body and adaptedy to-'engage said pull down members, means to move the pull downl leverslaterally towards the pull down members in the Ihead lid to exert a lateral force onsaid pull down 'members inthe head lid `towards the foot lid and 'to subsequently move the pull down levers downwardly to exert a downward force on the pull down members.

2. A casket comprising: ab'ody, a head lid, a foot lid, agasket secured to the underside of the foot lid and having a transverse portion secured to the face of the yfootlid adjacent tov the head lid, a substantially 'U-shaped gasket secured to the body under the head lid, engaging means secured lto the head 'lid and ladapted to engage openings in said U-shaped gasket, means to advance the head'ld in't'o contact fwith said transverse portion, to advance -said engaging means towards said rst mentioned gasket and to secure the head and foot lids in the `closed position toY hermetically seal the casket.

3A casket comprising: a body, a head lid, a foot lid, afg'aske'tsecured tothe underside of `the'footlid and 'having a transverse portion secured to the face ofthe foot lid adjacentit'o ithe head lid, a substantially 'U-shap'ed vgasket se-l cnre'd'to fthe body Iunder the head lid, pin vmeans secured to the'head lid and adapted to vengage openings in-sa'id U-shap'ed gasket, `means to advance the head lid into "contact with saidtransverse portion, to advance sai'clpinmean's towards fsaid'rs't mentioned Vgasket land 'to secure the head and `foot lids -inV the closed position to hermeti'cally seal the casket.

4. A'casket comprising: a body, 'a-head lid, afoo't lid, gasket means adapted to form a Ase'al between the foot lid and the body and between Vthe head -lid andthe body, la transverse.gasket-Isecured'to tb'efend of the foot lid adjacent tle head lid, cam means to advance the head lid laterally' towards said transverse gasket, `closing 'means 'to advance the-head? lid laterally towards said transverse gasket y"and" to secure theh'ead and -footlid's down on saidgasketmeans to hermetically seal the casket, said closing means comprising pull down members secured to the head lid and foot lid respectively, pull down levers mounted in the casket body and adapted to engage said pull down members, means to move the pull down levers laterally towards the pull down members in the head lid to exert a lateral force on said pull down members in the head lid towards the foot lid and to subsequently move the pull down levers downwardly to exert a downward force on Athe pull down members.

5. A casket comprising: a body, a head lid, a foot lid, a gasket secured to the underside of the foot lid, a transverse gasket secured to the end of the foot lid adjacent the head lid, a substantially U-shaped gasket secured to the body under the head lid, said U-shaped gasket having open- 15 2,284,921

ings adjacent its ends, engaging means secured to the head lid and adapted to engage said openings, closing means to advance the head lid laterally toward said transverse gasket and to secure the head and foot lids down on said gasket means to hermetically seal the casket, said closing means comprising pull down members secured to the head lid and foot lid respectively, pull down levers mounted in the casket body and adapted t'o engage said pull down members, means to move the pull down levers laterally towards the pull down members in the head lid to exert a lateral force on said pull down members in the head lid towards the foot lid and to subsequently move the pull down levers downwardly to exert a downward force on the pull down members.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Purkiss June 2, 1942 2,533,827 McEwan Dec. 12, 1950 2,533,828 McEwan Dec. 12, 1950 2,582,841 McEwan lan. 15, 1952