GB2306525A

GB2306525A - Bearer assembly for a headstone

Info

Publication number: GB2306525A
Application number: GB9521989A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ronald Edgar Allen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-10-27
Filing date: 1995-10-27
Publication date: 1997-05-07
Also published as: GB9521989D0

Abstract

A bearer assembly for supporting a headstone (1) of a grave comprising a horizontal bearer (3) in contact with the ground (5) and having a slotted portion (17) defining a vertically extending tapered aperture. A wedge-shaped anchor member (4) locates in the aperture to project downwardly into the ground and has a head portion (9) co-operable with the slotted portion to lock the anchor member relative to the bearer. The head portion is provided with holes (14) receiving steel dowels (10) connecting with and supporting the headstone. The bearer assembly provides improved stability and resistance to accidental or deliberate damage.

Description

A Bearer Assemblv for a Headstone This invention relates to a bearer assembly for supporting a headstone of a grave. It is known to provide headstones which project vertically upwardly from a decorative plinth supported on a bearer to which the headstone is anchored by means of connecting members in the form of steel dowels.

The bearer is typically a concrete slab which is firmly embedded in the ground so as to provide a stable support for the headstone.

Such headstones may be of sufficient size to cause serious damage or injury in the event of the headstone being caused to topple due to accidental or deliberate damage. The present invention therefore seeks to provide an improved bearer assembly which will resist any tendency for the headstone to topple and which provides increased resistance to accidental or deliberate damage.

According to the present invention there is disclosed a bearer assembly for supporting a headstone of a grave, the bearer assembly comprising a bearer formed as a slab disposed horizontally in use in contact with the ground and having a slotted portion defining an aperture which in the use position extends substantially vertically through the bearer, and an anchor member locatable in the aperture so as to project downwardly in use from the bearer, the anchor member having a head portion cooperable with the slotted portion to lock the anchor member relative to the bearer in the use position, and the head portion comprising connecting means for connection in use to an upwardly extending headstone.

An advantage of such a bearer assembly is to provide a projecting anchor member penetrating the ground vertically in use so as to provide resistance to tilting of the bearer and hence to provide stability of the assembled headstone assembly. By forming the bearer and anchor member separately and locking them together, preferably by wedge action, the need to mould a complex concrete structure is thereby avoided and each of the components can be formed in a simple moulding operation.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a method of forming a bearer assembly for supporting a headstone of a grave, comprising the steps of; (a) moulding a concrete bearer in the form of a slab having a slotted portion defining an aperture with ramped sidewalls; (b) moulding a concrete anchor member in the form of a wedge shaped slab and having a head portion with side faces substantially conforming in profile to the ramped sidewalls, and providing the head portion with connecting means for connection to a headstone; (c) inserting the anchor member into the aperture to a position in which the head portion is locked by wedge action to the slotted portion and the anchor member projects from the bearer.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings of which; Figure 1 is a schematic sectional elevation of a headstone assembly including a bearer assembly in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a bearer and anchor member of the bearer assembly of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of the anchor member of preceding Figures; Figure 4 is a side elevation of the anchor member of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a sectioned front elevation of the anchor member of Figures 3 and 4 showing stakes extending through the anchor member; and Figure 6 is an underneath plan view of the anchor member of preceding Figures.

In Figure 1 a headstone 1 is shown supported so as to extend vertically upwardly from a horizontal plinth 2 which in turn is supported on a horizontally extending bearer 3. The headstone 1 and the plinth 2 are formed of decorative stone such as marble whereas the bearer 3 is in the form of a concrete casting.

The bearer 3 is assembled with an anchor member 4 which projects downwardly from the horizontal slab constituting the bearer, the bearer 3 being embedded in the ground 5 and the anchor member thereby providing additional ground penetration to increase stability against toppling.

A pair of stakes 6 extend vertically through the anchor member 4 and project downwardly therefrom into the ground 5, the stakes being formed of steel rod with enlarged heads 7 which retain the stakes in respective bores 8 defined in the anchor member.

The headstone 1 is connected to a head portion 9 of the anchor member 4 by means of steel dowels 10 which project through apertures 11 defined in the plinth 2, an upper end 12 of each dowel being cemented in a cylindrical recess of the headstone and a lower end 13 of each dowel being cemented in a respective cylindrical recess 14 defined in the head portion 9.

As shown in Figure 2, the bearer 3 has a slotted portion 16 defining a rectangular slot 15 into which the anchor member 4 is received. The slotted portion 16, as shown in Figure 1, has side walls 1 7 and 1 8 which are ramped so as to taper the slot so as to progressively decrease in width in the downwardly direction, thereby locking by wedge action the head portion 9 of the anchor member 4 which has a correspondingly wedge shaped profile.

As seen in Figures 1 and 2, the side faces 19 and 20 of the wedge shaped anchor member 4 co-operate with the side walls 17 and 18 to prevent downward motion of the anchor member relative to the bearer 3, the anchor member being locked in position such that an upper surface 21 of the anchor member is flush with an upper surface 22 of the bearer 3.

The upper surface 21 of the anchor member 4 as shown in Figure 5 has a central recessed portion 23 thereby defining a recess 24 which is overlaid by the plinth 2 in the completed headstone assembly of Figure 1.

Figure 5 shows also the cylindrical recesses 14 in the head portion for receiving the steel dowels 10 shown in Figure 1. The bores 8 are shown extending generally downwardly from the recess 24 and through a lower face 27 of the anchor member. Steel stakes 6 are received in the bores 8 so as to project downwardly from beneath the lower face 27 into the ground 5 in order to provide improved anchoring and stability.

Each of the stakes 6 has a respective enlarged head 7, located in the recess 24 so that the stakes are captively retained against downward movement through the bore. It will also be apparent that access to the recess 24 can be obtained by removing the plinth 2 so that, if it becomes necessary to dismantle the assembly, the stakes can be withdrawn by gripping the heads 7 and pulling the stakes from the ground.

As shown in Figure 2, the bearer 3 also defines a trough 32 recessed in the upper surface 22. As shown in Figure 1, the plinth 2 is provided with an opening 42 into which an ornamental flower vase may be inserted, the provision of the trough 32 allowing additional depth for insertion of the vase.

The trough 32 may additionally be provided with a drainage hole (not shown) extending downwardly through the bearer 3.

Claims

1. A bearer assembly for supporting a headstone of a grave, the bearer assembly comprising a bearer formed as a slab disposed horizontally in use in contact with the ground and having a slotted portion defining an aperture which in the use position extends substantially vertically through the bearer, and an anchor member locatable in the aperture so as to project downwardly in use from the bearer, the anchor member having a head portion co-operable with the slotted portion to lock the anchor member relative to the bearer in the use position, and the head portion comprising connecting means for connection in use to an upwardly extending headstone.

2. A bearer assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the head portion and the slotted portion have co-operating ramped surfaces whereby the head portion is lockable in use to the slotted portion by wedge action.

3. A bearer assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein the anchor member is wedge shaped.

4. A bearer assembly as claimed in any of claims 2 and 3 wherein the connecting means comprise one or more dowel receiving holes defined in an upper surface of the head portion.

5. A bearer assembly as claimed in any preceding claim comprising at least one stake received in a respective bore extending through the anchor member and projecting therefrom in the use position so as to project downwardly into the ground.

6. A bearer assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein the upper surface of the head portion includes a recessed portion via which each bore is accessible whereby in use the head of each stake is accommodated in a recess defined by the recess portion.

7. A bearer assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the bearer and or the anchor member are formed of concrete.

8. A headstone assembly comprising a bearing assembly as claimed in any preceding claim and a headstone connected to the anchor member.

9. A headstone assembly as claimed in claim 8 further comprising a plinth overlaying the bearer such that the plinth extends between the headstone and the anchor member, the plinth defining at least one aperture accommodating a connecting member operable to connect the headstone to the anchor member.

10. A headstone assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein the connecting member comprises a steel dowel.

11. A method of forming a bearer assembly for supporting a headstone of a grave, comprising the steps of; (a) moulding a concrete bearer in the form of a slab having a slotted portion defining an aperture with ramped sidewalls; (b) moulding a concrete anchor member in the form of a wedge shaped slab and having a head portion with side faces substantially conforming in profile to the ramped sidewalls, and providing the head portion with connecting means for connection to a headstone; (c) inserting the anchor member into the aperture to a position in which the head portion is locked by wedge action to the slotted portion and the anchor member projects from the bearer.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the connecting means comprise dowel receiving holes moulded in the head portion.

13. A method as claimed in any of claims 11 and 12 including the step of moulding at least one bore in the anchor member to receive a respective stake.

14. A bearer assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

15. A method of forming a bearer assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.