US401663A

US401663A - William a

Info

Publication number: US401663A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1889-04-16
Anticipated expiration: 1906-04-16

Description

W; A. SPARKS. GOFFIN FASTENER.

Patented Apr. 16,, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. SPARKS, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORIQASSIG NOR TO THE STEIN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

COFFlN-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 401,663, dated April 16, 1889.

Application filed November 4, 1886. Serial No. 217,935- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LWILLIAM A. SPARKS, of the city of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvementin Fastenings for Burial-0ases, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improved fast ening for the lids of coffins and burial-caskets, and is fully described in the following specification, and the novel features thereof specified in the claims annexed to the said specification.

My improved fastening for burial-cases is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which n V Figure 1 is a longitudinal section on a plane passing vertically through the cover or lid and one of the sides of a burial-case containing my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of a portion of aburial-case having my improved fastening applied thereto. Fig. 3 is an inverted View of a portion of the cover, showing the spring and hook. Fig. 4 is a top view of one of the sides, showing the recessed plate which receives the hook and the lug for the spring. Fig. 5 is a section on the line a: at, Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a section on the line y y, Fig. 2.

In the accompanying drawings, A is the side of the body of a burial-case, and B the lid, which is provided with hooks a a, engaging with the corresponding openings in the recessed plates 17 I), attached to the sides of the body of the casket. The lid is attached to the casket-body by four hooks, a a, two being employed on the opposite sides near the head and two near the foot. At one end of the casket I provide, in addition to the hooks a a, the sprin g-catch d, a slot, h, in which engages with the lug e on the top of the side of the burialcase, preventing longitudinal motion of the lid. A thumb-piece on the catch d projects outside, as shown at f, Figs. 2 and 5, to enable the spring-catch to be disengaged by pressing it upward off the lug 6, when the lid may be slid lengthwise to the right in the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2, until the hooks a a are free from the openings 0 in plates 11, after which the lid can be removed from the casket. The

plates Z) are hollowed or grooved on the upper surface, as indicated at Fig. 4, to insure the hooks a a entering the openings 0. This groove may also extend along the side of the casket beyond the end of the plate b, if desired. A recess is formed in the side of the casket below the plate I) to allow the hook to enter. The form of the hooks a a will be readily understood from an examination of the sectional view, Fig. 1, and the inverted view, Fig. 3. The hook itself is attached to the lower side of the lid B by the flange or plate j,which fits a recess formed for its reception in the lid, its surface being flush with that of the'lid. The lid is also recessed to allow the spring d to be 6 raised off the lug e, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 5. The lug e is secured to the casket by a screw, the tongue g, Fig. 1, entering the wood and preventing movement after it is secured in place. The eye of the lug e 70 is let into a recess in the side. It is designed to cover all the parts so far as possible with cloth. As shown in the drawings, the hooks a a are inclined at an angle with the lower surface of the lid, so that their points engage underneath the edge of the openings 0 in the plate I) b, so as to secure the lid in place. The end of the spring-catch (1 may be secured between the base-plate of hook at and the wood of the coffin-lid, or it may attached independ- 8o ently.

The spring-catch may be struck up from sheet metal, and the lug 6, plates b, and hooks a are each formed of a single casting, the screw-holes being cast in them, so as to secure cheapness of manufacture.

It will be observed that the length of the spring d and the position of the lug e is such that when the lid is placed on the casket the lug e enters the slot h in the spring at the time when the hook at is fully engaged with the opening 0 in the plate b, any endwise motion in the lid being thereafter prevented in one direction by the hook and in the other direction by the spring and lug. In practice I prefer to use springs and lugs on both sides of the casket, the thumb-pieces f projecting outward in opposite directions, and being partially concealed from view by the edges of the lid. When the casket is to be closed, the lid IOO is applied thereto with the points of the hooks a in the recesses in the plates by which the hooks are guided, while the lid is slid along lengthwise on the casket until they enter the openings 0 in the plates 5, allowing thelid to settle down until it rests on the casket, at which time the spring or springs (l engage with the lug or lugs 6, thereby securing the lid in place on thecasket.

It will be observed that the lug e is beveled downward on the side next the hook, so that the spring (Z will rise up over the lug as the lid is slid along the casket in the direction to engage the hooks with the plates. The inclined backs of the hooks a cause the lid to descend gradually into contact with the casket as the lid is moved along until the points or inner edges of the hooks engage under the edges of the openings in the plates, while the lugs 6 pass into the slots in the springs d, therebysecuring the lid against movement in either direction.

I claiml. The combination, with the interlocking members of a concealed lid-fastener for burialcaskets, of a locking-spring for automatically securing the aforesaid interlocking members in their locked position, the said spring having a finger-piece projecting underneath the overlapping edge of the lid, whereby the lid may be released from the casket, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination,with the inclined interlocking hook of a concealed COfllll-lld fastener, of a flat locking-spring secured to the lid, having a recess back of its free end and a laterally projecting finger piece extending outward near the marginal edge of the under side of the lid, a plate secured to the casket-body provided with a slot or recess for engaging the inclined interlocking hook, and a locking device consisting of apin or lug secured to the upper edge of the casket to engage the spring, allsubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

WILLIAM A. SPARKS.

Witnesses:

GEORGE PORTER HEss, GEORGE W. LOGAN.