US605395A - Marker for graves - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. A. OOPFEY.

MARKER FOR GRAVES, LANDS, 55G. No. 605,395. Patented June 7, 1898.-

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OHN A. corner, or ANAOQNDA, MONTANA.

MARKER FORGRAVES, LANDS, 80c.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 605,395, dated June 7, 1898. f

Application filed November 11, 1897. Serial No. 653,143. (No model-l for Graves, Lands, &c.; and I do hereby dc clare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap pertains to make and use the same, reference.

being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in markers for graves,

, monuments, lands, guide-posts, &c., the bject of my invention being to provide a neat and inexpensive device primarily designed for marking graves, but which may be readily used wherever it is desirable to use a marker for general purposes; and the i11ve11- tion provides a simple, cheap, and effective marker, the covering-plate thereof having signs or m arks,which plate is adapted to form a part of a casing, said casing containing plates which receive cards, pictures, or other matter; and my invention consists in the combination, with a suitable support, of a casing whiclris adapted to be permanently secured thereto and formla receptacle for a series of plates orleaves, together with a removable covering-plate or tablet which is held in movableengagement with the casing,.

as will be hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the: marker carried by a bar, the ends of which may enter the ground to form a support therefor. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of one of the leaves .or tablets, and Fig. 4: is a'vertical section showing the marker applied to a monument. A refers to a suitable support, which may consist of a bar of metal bent upon itself, as

shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, orit maybe a stone, as shown in Fig. 4., and when a stone is used the face to which the marker is applied is recessed, so that the rear face of the marker may lie within the recess and be secured thereto, so as to be maintained in A and the edges of the casing. may have set-screws for holding them in rigid substantially the same position as if it were suspended from a cross-bar and held in engagement with the bar below, as it is when a bent bar as asupporting-frame is used.

13 refers to the rear wall of a casing, which is bent at an obtuse angle near its upper end to provide an inclined portion B, the upper edge of which is bent about, so as'to be permanently attached to a cross-bar b. This cross-bar is of sufficient length to extend beiyond'the casing and engages with the side bars of the su pporting-bar A when such a bar is used; but in case the inclosing frame is otherwise secured in place this bar I) is attachedto the supportin any suitable manner or may be dispensed with,especially when the rear Wall E is fastened by pins or bolts to a stone tablet or othersupport. In conjunction with the supporting-frame A, cross-bar b, and the rear portion of the casingI use sleeves b,

which are positioned upon the cross-bar b, so

as to abut against the side bars of the frame Said sleeves engagement with'the bar upon-which they are mounted. The lower edge of the rear Wall of the casing B is provided with a projecting portion 19 which is centrally positioned and has an aperture therethrough, and adjacent to the lower edge are: keepers or bent plates 11 for holding the rear wall of the casing in engagement with thelower crossbar A. The upper portion of the rear plate has rigidlyattached a keeper of covering-piece for thepurpose of retaining positively in place theouter plate of the casing and at the same time permits .saidouter .plate being'swung upwardly when it is desired to have access to the interior of the casing. The upper portion of the plate B carries hooks 13*, upon which tablets or-leaves are suspended, said tablets or leaves being made up of sheet metal, and to the longitudi nal edges are secured strips cc, which serve to retain in place cards, pictures, mementos, printed directions, or other matter which may be placed under a transparent plate also'held in place by the strips. The upper ends of the plates 0 are provided with loops or eyes 0', which engage with the hook B cl refers to cross-bars which are attached to the rear wall of the casing and have their ends bent at right angles, so as to engage with the side plates D of the casing, said plates being in the form of a parallelogram.

The outer plate E of the casing is bent at its upper portion, so as to embrace the por-v tion of the rear wall which is bent about the rod 1), and upon this outer plate is engraved or marked any suitable inscription, and the same is suitably ornamented. The lower portion of this plate is bent so as to lie over the lower edges of the side walls D, and it has a depending portion 6, the same having an aperture to register with the aperture in the projecting or depending portion of the rear wall, and through said apertures-may pass a hasp of alock or any suitable fastening device. The outer plate is designed to be removably attached to its upper support when the keeper which engages with the outer plate is removed,

one of the objects of such construction being to provide means whereby the inscribed outer plate when designed as a grave-marker may be utilized as a coffin-plate, and when used for such purpose the bent portion may rest upon the molding of the coffin, the other end maintaining the inscribed plate in a horizontal position.

The device hereinbefore described may be used as a land-marker, and the tablets or leaves will then hold the inscriptionsgiving metes and bounds, ownership, &c. It may also be used in connection with guide-posts for roads, and in such an instance the plates will contain directions.

In a device of the character-described it will be noted that the upper portion of the casing inclines, so as to shed water or snow when the same is exposed to the elements, and that the bend which incloses the cross-bar is covered by the upper portion of the face-plate, which is bent to lie over the same, the construction providing a water-tight joint. It will also be noted that the rear wall of the casin g inclines and that the tablets which are suspended from the hooks are maintained in an inclined position, so as to be readily visible when the covering-plate is raised.

The device herein described is cheap and durable, and the casing thoroughly protects the contents from the weather and the light, audit is designed generally as an improvement upon my prior patent, dated April 19, r

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a markerfor the purpose set forth, the combination with a supporting-frame having a cross-bar I) attached thereto, a casing rigidly attached to the bar and frame, the easing consisting of rear, front and side pieces, the rear plate B being bent to present a downward and rearward inclined top and adownward and forward inclined portion below, the side pieces D being attached to the rear plate and a covering-plate E held in swinging engagement with the cross-bar and adapted to lie over the side pieces D carried by the rear plate, hooks B attached to the under side of the upper portion of the rear plate and tablets suspended from the hook said tablets being maintained in an inclined position, substantially as shown.

2. In combination with a casing and suspended covering plate therefor, hooks attached to the inner upper wall of the casing, cross-bars d (1 attached to the side wall of the casing, said cross-bars extending over the inner wall thereof and out of contact therewith,

of tablets having eyes for engagement with the hooks said tablets resting upon the crossbars so as to be maintained in an inclined position out of contact with the wall of the casing, substantially as shown.

3. In a marker for the purpose set forth, the combination with a casing and its support, the casing comprising a rear plate bent so that its upper portion will incline rearward and downward the continuation of the plate extending from the bend down ward and toward the front, means as shown for rigidly attaching the rear plate to the support, lozenge shaped side pieces rigidly attached to the edges of the back plate, a covering-plate in swinging engagementwith the rear plate, the same adapted to swing by gravity downward so as to lie over the front edges of the side pieces, hooks attached to the upper portion'of the rear plate within the casing and tablets which engage with the hooks and depend therefrom in an inclinedposition, substantially as shown.

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

JOHN A. COFFEY.

Witnesses:

A. E. ROWE, WM. E. THOMAS.

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