US2324465A - Grave cribber - Google Patents

Description

Patented July 20, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,324,465 GRAVE URIBEER Gaylord P. Bleakley, Kansas City, Mo. Application May 9, 1941, serial No. 392,692

7 Claims. I (01.61-41) This invention relates to cribbing of the character particularly constructed for use in connection with excavations used for graves, and the primary object is to provide cribbing that will be strong, effective, easy to install and capable of placement without difficulty.

Y :One of the important aims of the instant invention is to provide grave cribbing comprising parts that are relatvelypsimple in construction, compact in nature,` and easily installed and removed from the operative position and which permits fthe, excavation to be of minimum size to eliminatez'the necessity of` forming a relatively I large grave merely :because cribbing is to be 'use de.

Another object of this Ainvention is to provide side plates` formingl a partof'the cribbing that have means for piercing the sides of the excavation, and which hold the plates in position while specially formed braces are operably connected to oppositely disposed plates `for the purpose of imparting outward pressure thereto.

,' ',Thisinvention'has for another aim, the provision of specially formed braces comprising flanged feet that rest upon the aforesaid side plate ,in a manner to prevent dropping while the tightening action of the brace takes place.

"A yet further object of the present invention is to `provide cribbing and parts thereof, that may be easily placed and removed 'fromfposition without ,the"necessity' of the operator entering the excavation and without the employment of tools other than a hooked rod, .by means of which the parts" of Vthecribbing may be lifted from the excavation'.

Minor objects of the invention will appear during the course of the following specification, referringto theaccompanying drawings wherein: f Fig. 1`is a top plan View of cribbing embodyingithis invention, in place Within an excavation. i'Fig 2 is a vertical sectional view through the jcribbing taken on line II`II`of Fig. 1.

' IFig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional View through the' cribbing, taken onl line III-III of Fig. 2.

".Eig. 4 is a detailed sectional view through one 'of the side plates of the4 cribbing, taken on line of Fig. 2.

" Fig. 'is a 'similar view taken on line V-V of Fig. 2; and

Fig; 6 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view taken `on line VI-VI of Fig. 3.

-It -has heretofore beencustomary to provide grave crbbers, constructed of relatively heavy material, necessitating digging the excavation from 4 in. to 8 in. wider than needed merely to provide space for the cribbing parts and yet a1- low the lowering of the vault. This invention .contemplates the employment of materials .for

the production of cribbing parts that will be strong, yet thin in order that `the excavation might remain the same in dimension yet still receive the vault when the cribbing is in place.

In the drawingsl the numeral 8 designates the excavation generally having side walls I0 and a `bottom I2 upon which rests the vault I3, when the latter is lowered. to position.

, .As the excavation 8 increasesin depth, the digger applies oppositely disposed side plates I4, each of which comprises at least two sections I6 and I8 respectively. Section I6 is relatively short and extends longitudinally from one end of section I8 and is slidably supported by .channels 20. Section I8 has a rib 22 secured along the outer face there-of to extend into sides I0 of excavation 8 when` side plate I4 is rst positioned.

Rib 22 extends laterally from the said outer vface of section I8 at substantially right angles thereto and a sufficient distance to support the plate and all of its parts until brace 24 is lbrought into play. Brace 24 lcomprises a pair of arms 26 l and 28 respectively, the former being U-shaped in transverse cross section. `The legs of this U- shaped arm 2G are provided with opposed perfo- `rations 30, whichrreceive pin32 carried by the free end of arm 28. t

Arm` 28 is a single strip of steel or strap metal and enters between the legs of arm 26 when brace 24 is exerting pressure upon side plates I4. Olne end of arm 28 is secured to arm 26 intermediate its ends'as just above set down so that 28 are articulated for easy manipulation;

An `ear 34 secured to one end of U-shaped arm 26 receives the hooked end of a rod 36, which the operator may` use to Vwithdraw all parts of the cribber from excavation.

Each arm 26 and 28 has a foot 38 of identical character, pivotally mounted at the remote ends thereof through the medium of bolts or thelike '40. Each foot 38 has an outwardly extending flange 4 2 at the normallyV upper end thereof for engaging theupper edge of oppositely disposed vside plates I4. Thus, when the brace 24 is lirst moved to'place within the excavation, it may hang on thepreviously positioned side" plates I4 until sufcient downward force is exerted at the Zone of juncture between arms 26 and 28 to move the arms to alignment, as shown in Fig. 3. Each side plate I4 has a hole 44 to receive the hooked end of rod 36.

During the preparation of excavation 8, side plates I4 are applied to sides I8 of the excavation as it is deepened. After the side plates I4 are placed, braces 24 are disposed at each end of excavation 8 to exert outward pressure on the side plates. Ribs Z2 on each section I8 of plates I4 will strengthen the side plate assembly to such an extent that longitudinally arching will not occur and since sections I6 and I8 of plates I4 are made of sheet metal, less than 1X2 in. in thickness, they will not occupy an appreciable amount of the space formed within excavation 8.

After the vault I3 is lowered to position, hooked rod 38 is used to remove all parts of the cribbing. The operator need not enter the excavation t manipulate tools or the like, to disassemble the parts. An upward pull on ears 34 of braces 24Y breaks the rigid condition existing because of the strain, after which the oppositely disposed side plates I4 may be withdrawn from excavation 8 by engaging holes 44. Obviously, the distance between the inner faces of side plates I4 should be very slightly less than the distance between the outer faces of feet 38, with arms 26 and 28 in alignment, before the brace 24 is forced to place. Thus, a sufllcient amount of pressure is exerted to hold braces 24 against side plates I4 and prevent accidental displacement as the depth of excavation 8 increases.

In most instances, it is desirable to slot sides I0 of the excavation with a shovel or the like, so that ribs 22 may be received and serve as hangers for the side plates prior to the application of braces 24.

I-Iaving thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. In cribbing of the character described, a series of oppositely disposed side plates; braces extending between the side plates; and flanged feet pivotally secured to the braces formed to hang on the plates with the faces thereof in abutting relation therewith throughout their lengths as the braces are swung about the pivots to and from the operative position.

2. In cribbing of the character described, a series of oppositely disposed side plates; and braces extending between the side plates, each side plate having a horizontal, laterally projecting, rib along the outer face thereof between the Vlongitudinal edges thereof to extend into the sides of the excavation to suspend the plate in operative position, said side braces each having a pair of articulated arms, a foot pivotally secured tothe free ends of said arms respectively, and a flange on each foot for engaging the upper edges of the adjacent plates.

3. In cribbing of the character described, a series of oppositely disposed side plates; and braces extending between the side plates, each side plate having a horizontal, laterally projecting, rib along the outer face thereof to extend into the sides of the excavation to suspend the plate in operative position, said braces each having a pair of articulated arms, a foot at the free ends of said arms respectively, and a flange on each foot for engaging the upper edges of the adjacent plates, one of said arms being U-shaped in cross section and provided with perforations in the legs thereof, the other of said arms being embraced by the U-shaped arm and having a pin thereon extending outwardly through opposed perforations, said feet being pivotally secured to their respective arms the point of connection between the feet and said braces being in the same horizontal plane as the ribs on the plates when the flanges of the feet are in engagement with the upper edges of the plates.

4. In cribbing of the character described, a series of oppositely disposed side plates; braces extending between the side plates; and flanged feet on the braces formed to hang on the plates when in the operative position, said flanges engaging the upper edges of the plates, the said feet being pivotally secured to their respective arms the pivotal connection between said feet and the braces being adapted to allow the entire faces of the feet to lie flat against the plates as the brace is moved to and from a position to exert force thereagainst.

5. In cribbing of the character described, a

pair of oppositely disposed side plates adapted for placement against the Vertical faces of a grave; and braces extending across the grave between said side plates at each end' respectively thereof, each of said side plates comprising'at least two slidably engaged planar sections, one 0f the sections of each plate having a' longitudinal'L- shaped rib secured thereto and extending substantially the full length thereof, one leg ofthe L-shaped rib being perpendicular to oneface of the sectionV to` enter the earth and serve as a support and stiffener for the section, theother section of each plate being smooth on both faces thereof for free movement longitudinally along the outer face of the first mentioned section, said braces each comprising a pair of overlapping arms, a pivot pin extending through the arms, and a foot on the free end of each arm respe'c# tively, said feet having flanges at the upper ends thereof to rest upon the upper edges of the respective sections of the side plates, said feet'being pivotally joined to the respective arms and having smooth outer sides to lie flat'against the sections of the side plates before the `arms are moved to parallel relation with veach other to exert outward force against the said sections.` 6. In cribbing of the vcharacter described,r a Vseries of oppositely disposed side plates; braces ,between said plates, each comprising a. pair of arms', one of said arms having one end pivotally connected to said other arm intermediatethe ends of the latter; vand a foot pivotally mountedon the free end of each arm, said foot having a flange on its upper edge for resting on the upperzedgeof one of said plates. Y. i 7. In cribbing lof the ycharacter described, a series of oppositely,V disposed side plates;`. braces between said plates, each comprising` a pair of arms, one of said Varmsbeing U-shaped in Across section for embracing theA other arm, said othi arm having vone end pivotally connected to the arm of U-shaped cross section intermediate fits ends whereby movement of the arms to a horizontal position is limited 4an aligned relation of one arm to the other; a foot pivotally mount-ved on the free end of each arm ,for engaging a side plate; and a loop on the oppositeendpf lthe arm of U-shaped cross section for the ,lntroc'iucf tion of a hook tor break the aligned. relation of saidarms. Y .ff

GAYLORD P. BLEAKLEY.

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