US404872A

US404872A - Coffin-fastener

Info

Publication number: US404872A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1889-06-11
Anticipated expiration: 1906-06-11

Description

(No Model) S. COFIELD.

- 00 PASTBNBR. No. 404,872. Patented June 11, 18889..a

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SILAS A. SCOFIELD, OF MORENCI, MICHIGAN.

COFFIN-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,872, dated June 11, 1889.

Application filed March l, 1889. Serial No. 301,713. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known thatI, SILAs A. SCOFIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Morenci, in the county of Lenawee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Casket-Lid Fastenings; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specifica-tion.

This invention relates to the manner of securing the lid to the top of burial-caskets;

and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts whereby the lid may be readily and firmly secured to the top of the casket without the use of nails orl screws, making a. cheap and serviceable fastening, and one that greatly facilitates the placing or removing of casket-lids, all of which will be fully hereinafter set forth, and the essential features of my device pointed out particularly in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, Figure l is a perspective of a casket and lid, (thebottom of the casket being broken away,) the lid of the casket being removed and inverted, showing the fastenings on the under face of the lid, as they correspond with the engaging plates on the top of the casket. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of one of the footfend fastenings drawn apart, the edge of the lid being broken away, showing the shape and manner of securing the tongue-plate to the lid. This view shows the parts in their relative positions as they are about to engage in the act of securing thelid to the casket. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of saine, showing position of parts when the lid is secured to the top of the casket. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail showing the head-end fastening drawn apart in position before engagement. Fig. 5 is a llongitudinal section in detail showing the position of the head-end, fastening when the lid is locked to the top of the casket. Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 are details to be referred to.

As indicated in the drawings, B represents of the lid, and so as to correspond with the plates C C on the top of the casket are the ton gu e-plates G G and the right and left hand spring-plates H H, (see Fig. 1,) the plates G G having the side wings 2 2, through which the screws pass when securing said plates to the under face of the casket-lid, (see Figs. l and 2,) the plates G G also having the wedgeshaped tongue a', adapted to engage under the plates C when fastening the lid A to the top of the casket B. (See Fig.

The spring-plates H H are provided with the wedge-shaped tongue a and extended spring end 4, having the projecting lip s and depending nose c. Said plates are so shaped that when secured to the under face of the lid A (by means of screws passing through the wings 3 3, see Figs. l and 4) the spring end of said plates will hang down or stand away from the under face of the lid, as shown in Figs. 1 and 9. The recess O (see Fig. 8) is cut in the under face of the lid immediately over the spring ends 4 of the plates H H, for purposes hereinafter described. A

The operation is as follows: The lid and top'of the casket being provided with the fastenings and plates, respectively, as shown in Fig. 1, the lid is thenplaced on the casket, so that the tongues d and o. of the fasteningplates G and H, secured to said lid, will register with and lie in the groove-cavities D D. in the top of the casket. (See Figs. 2 and 4.) In this position the depending nose c of the spring end 4 ofthe plate H will rest on' the plate C of the casket-top, whereby the spring end of the plate H will be forced back or up into the recesses O in the under face of the lid. The lid is then slid rearward, which causes the forward ends of the tongues a of the plates G to engage under the plates C. Said tongues being wedge-shaped, as they pass rearward under said v plate C the lid is IOO drawn tightly down to the top of the Casket, as shown iu Fig. 3. At the saine time the tongues d of the springplates Il engage under the plates C, the nose or catch c sliding 0n top of said plate. These parts are so arranged that (in sliding' the lid back in the act of securing it to the top of the casket) when the base of the tongue a comes in contact with the front end of the plate C the nose or catch c will have just passed the rear end of said plate, when the propensity of the end a to spring down will cause the nose or catch o to snap over the rear end of the plate C, (see Fig. 5,) thus firmly locking the lid to the casket.

To remove the lid, the depending lip of the spring-plato H, which hangs slightly be low the under face of the lid on `either side and extends beyond the edge of the casket, (see Fig. 7,) (by the ingerof the operator) is pressed into the recess O in the under face of the lid, (see dotted lines, Fig. (5,) whereby the nose o is disengaged from the end of the plate C, when the lid may be drawn forward and removed from the casket.

This improved fastening may be made of any material suitable for the purpose, springbrass, however, being preferred.

It will be observed that the herein-described fastening is simple, durable, and cheap, and that it will readily and iirmly :fasten the lid to the top of caskets,obviating the use of nails or screws.

Ilaving thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A spring locking-plate Il, secured to the under face of the easket-lid, said plate having a wedge-shaped protruding tongue a and extended spring end 4, having the lip s and depending nose c, all of said parts being formed integral, in. combination with the groove-eavity D in the top of the casket, and the plate (l located over said cavity, the tongue a and nose e of the spring lockingplate adapted to engage with the plate C on the top of the casket and lock the lid to the top of the casket, as specified.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SlLAS A. SCOFIELD.

lVitnesses:

EDGAR S. WHEELER, WALTER BARLow,