US509585A

US509585A - Burial apparatus

Info

Publication number: US509585A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1893-11-28
Anticipated expiration: 1910-11-28

Description

F. C.`ROGKWELL. BURIAL APPARATUS.

No. 509,585. l Patented Nov. 28, 1893.

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AQ Illa! UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK C. ROCKWVELL, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

BURIAL APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 509,585, dated November 28, 1893.

Application filed August 7, 1893.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known/'that I, FREDERICK C. ROCK- WELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford,in the county of Hartford and State of C0nnecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burial Aptparatus, of which the following is a specificaion.

The invention relates to the class of portable apparatus designed to be placed at the opening of a grave or vault for receiving and mechanically lowering a coffin or casket, the ebject being to provide a simple, cheap and inconspicuous machine which being light in weight can be conveniently moved and placed at thebpening of any grave or vault, and which 1s so constructed that a casket which is placed upon it above a grave can be lowered at any seemly and desired rate of sneed, in a dignified and impressive manner, by a single person,who, by frictional devices has absolute control of the lowering without any danger of accidental starting, stoppin g, or too rapid lowering of the casket.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a plan ef the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a detail enlarged sectional view of the frictional controlling-device. Fig. 3 is a detail side view of an adjustable frictional drag or balancing friction that may be used with the machine, and Fig. 4 is a detail view of the operating disk that is borne on the shank of the foot-lever.

In the views, l indicates the frame which is shown as a rectangular box of wood with an opening in the center of approximately the size of the opening of the grave. On each side this frame in suitable bearings supports a rotary shaft, 2, fast to which are drums, 3, upon which are wound the straps or cords, 4, the free ends of which are provided with hooks or clasps, 5, that when fastened together may be uncou pled by pulling the releasing cords, 6. At one end the shafts, 2, bear bevel gears, 7, that mesh with bevel gears, 8, on'a transverse shaft, 9, so that the shafts all rotate in unison. Splined on this shaft, 9, are one or more cones, 10, which are pressed by means of a heavy spring, 11, into conical shells, 1.2, that are secured to the frame of the machine. Levers, 13, are pivoted to the frame or to lugs Serial No. 482,499. (No model covered with leather, can be reciprocated into or out of the shells. The ends of theselevers are connected by links, 14, with an eccentric or crank disk, 15, that is mounted on the axle, 16, of a foot pad, 17, so that when the pad is rocked by the foot of any person the disk is rotated and the levers pushed or pulled by the links so as to reciprocate the cones on the shaft with which they rotate. It is preferred that on each of the longitudinal shafts, 2, a clamp or drag, 18, with an adjustable screw, 19, be placed tot provide a supplemental friction which is tightened before the machine is used to almost balance the load which is to be lowered into the grave. With the arrangement described the two cones on the transverse shaft that has gears meshing with gears on the longitudinal shafts are forced by the heavy spring into the conical recesses in the shells with suicient friction to prevent any movement of the shafts under the pull of any weight placed on the supporting straps. When all is ready a person by the foot may oscillate the foot pad and rock its axle or shaft so as to very slightly rotate the disk and through the links and levers draw the cones `against the spring from the shells so as to relieve the friction sufficient to allow the shafts to rotate and lower the casket into the grave. The rapidity of lowering is regulated by the amount of friction between the cones and the shells which is governed by the foot of the operator working against the spring, and should the foot from any cause be removed from the foot-pad the spring will force the cones back into the shells and gradually bring the device to rest. If, however, the body to be lowered is very heavy the additional or su pplementarybalancing friction can be tightened by means of a key or wrenchbefore the machine is placed in position so that there will be no undue load placed on the friction cones and shells, whereas if a light body is to be lowered these drags may be loosened up before starting. Should the heavy spring be- IOO ' come disarranged or inoperative the cones can be iirmiy driven into the shells by the foot of the operator who simply oscillates the footpad in a direction oppositev to that for releas- -ing the cones, as the levers will force the cones into the shells as well as draw them out. Thus any accident due to a disarrangernent of the spring can be prevented. The straps, of course, may be Wound up by any common and convenient mechanism, and if it is preferred the conical shells can be moved onto the cones instead of reciprocating the cones on the shaft, to regulate the friction and determine the speed ofv lowering.

I claim as my invention- 1. A burial apparatus consisting of a frame bearing rotary shafts With casket supporting straps,a friction cone borne by one of said shafts, a conical shell for receiving the cone, and a lever for engaging the cone and the shell, to regulate the friction between them,A substantially as specified.

2. A burial apparatus consisting of aframe bearing rotary shafts Withcasket supporting straps, a friction cone borne by one of saidy shafts, a conical shell for receiving the cone,

a spring for engaging, and a lever for disengaging the cone and the shell, substantially as specified.

3. A burial apparatus consisting of a frame bearing rotary shafts with casket supporting straps, a friction device borne by one of said shafts, a lever connected with the friction device on the inside and extending to the outside of the frame whereby the friction between the parts can be regulated, and an adjustable supplementary friction in the interior of the frame for balancing the load, substantially as specified.

4. A burial apparatus consisting of a frame bearing rotary shafts with casket supporting straps, a pair of friction cones splined to one of said shafts, two conical shells forreceiving said cones supported by the `frame, a spring for thrusting the cones :into the shells,and a lever and connections for drawing the cones from the shells, substantially as specified.

FREDERICK C. ROCK WELL.

Witnesses:

HARRY R. WILLIAMS, C. E. BUCKLAND.