US453527A - Coffin-handle - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

L. E. WOODARD.

GOFFIN HANDLE.

No. 453,527. Patented June 2,1891.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR w. 46 W. 5W

V a ij B A TTOHNE Y8 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LYMAN E. \VOODARD, OF O\VOSSO, MICHIGAN.

COFFIN-HANDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,527, dated June 2, 1891.

Application filed March 2, 1891. Serial No. 383.506. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYMAN E. WooDARD, of Owosso, in the county of Shiawassee and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Colin-Handles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip tion.

The objects of this invention are to provide a coffin-handle, preferably made of wood, which will be strong, light, and shapely, and which may be conveniently covered with fabric of the same quality and color as that used to face the exterior of the coffin or casket.

A further object is to furnish hinge-joints for a preferably wooden and cloth-covered handle-bar, which are adapted for adjustment to suit dilferent diameters of cylindrical handle-bars, and afford means for the stable connection of the handle-bar to the side of a casket or coffin.

To these ends my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a front side view of the improved device in position on a coffin-side broken. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the handle-bar, one of the rocking arms of the handle partly broken away, an ornamental abutment-disk for the rocking arm, and a portion of the coffin-side whereon the device is secured, the section being taken on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detached view of one rocking arm of the device, showing the surface that is opposite the arrow 3 in Fig. 2.

The handle-bar A may be made of any suitable material, wood being preferred for its construction. Itis elongated and cylindrical, mainly, having its end portions a ornamentally shaped in any preferred design. An exterior envelope of fibrous material-such as black cloth-is applied to the handle-bar A and thereon secured, thus aifording an appropriate finish to the same At equal distances from the ends a of the handle-bar A the similar rocking arms B are secured. The arms 13 may be formed of wood or other material in any preferred shape suitable for their service, and as a preferred means to connect the arms with the handlebar A at on end and provide a hinge-joint connection between their opposite ends and the side of a coifin the strap hinge C shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is utilized. The arms B are scalloped inwardly at their ends I) to afford a conforming surface between said ends and the exterior of the handle-bar A, whereon they bear.

A longitudinal channel 1) is cut centrally in the lower surface of each rocking arm B to permit the embedment of the strap-pieces c of the hinges C therein below the edges 0 of the arms. The strap-pieces 0 each consists of a strip of sheet metal, which is bent into loop form, so as to encircle the handle-bar A, the end portions being lapped, and, as shown in Fig. 3, the exterior lapped piece 0 (shown broken away) is perforated to receive a screw d, which is inserted through the slot (1' in the other end portion 0', and into the arms 13, thus holding the arms clamped upon the handlebar at any desired point, as the provision of the slots in the strap-pieces enables an adjustment to be effected, so as to clamp upon bars having slightly-different diameters, and thus compensate for a variation in thickness of the coveringcloth.

There are two ornamental disks 6 provided for each handlebar A, which are attached at a proper distance from each end of the coffin directly upon the sides D, and are designed to aiford an ornamental finish to the surface and cover the joints of the arms B with said sides. Each disk 6 has a slot out in it from a point near the center through the edge, as at e, these slots in the rosettes being parallel and separated such a proportionate distance that they will.receive the arms B and permit the latter to vibrate freely when loosely secured, as will be explained.

The end portions 0 of the strap-pieces C are each folded over the center bar of a staple-bolt g and loosely secured to the same by a screw it, thus permitting the arm to flex upon the bolt.

A cloth covering is secured upon the arms B and abutm ent-disks e, which latter are given any preferred form on their edges. The handles are affixed at any proper point on the coffin or casket sides oppositely, any suitable number being provided for the portage of the cofiin. The supporting-arms B of the handlebars A are attached directly upon the sides of the coffiu by the staple-bolts g, the limbs of which are inserted through perforations in a coffin-side wall D, as shown in Fig. 2, and therein secured by the nuts and washers g, the limbs of the staple-bolts first passing through holes in the abutment-disks e, which align with the perforations mentioned, so that there is no draft-strain upon the abutmentdisks, the weight being transferred from the bolts g to the arms B and handle-bars A.

Upon the edges of the arms B, at properpoints i, a shoulder is produced on each arm, which shoulders engage with the exterior surface of the abutment-disks by overlapping the same, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, so that the arms B and attached handlebars A will project and afiord convenient grippieces when grasped and elevated for service.

It will be observed that the method of attaching the handle-bars A to the coffin-sides avoids all contingency of accident. Furthermore, the peculiar construction of the adj ustable strap a for the hinge-joints permits a reliable connection tobe produced between the arms B, handle-bars A, and coffin-sides D, so that an inexpensive, neat, and substantial coffin-handle is thus produced.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A coffin-handle consisting of an elongated bar having each end portion hinged to a handle-arm by longitudinally-adj ustable enveloping-straps that also lap upon the cross-bars of staple-bolts, substantially as described.

2. In a coffin-handle, a handle-bar clasped by sheet-metal strips that are adjustable in their looped portions, which clasp the bar and are lap-jointed upon the cross-bars of staplebolts, substantially as set forth.

3. In a coffin-handle, the combination, with two slotted disks or ornamental projections that are affixed to the side of a coffin, of a handle-bar and an arm loosely clasped to each end portion of said handle-bar, which arms impinge on the disks, work in their slots and are held by the bar-clasps to staple-bolts,

- substantially as described.

4. In a coffin-handle, the combination, with a handle-bar, of two arms that are each grooved on one side to receive a sheet-metal strappiece, and scalloped inwardly at one end to fit on the handle-bar of a sheet-metal strap piece for each arm, which strap-pieces are.

bent to encirclethe handle-bar and have their lapped portions secured adjustably upon the arms in their grooves, one end of each strappiece having a lapped connection with the cross-bar of a staple-bolt, substantially as described. v 1

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