US634876A - Burial-casket-lowering device. - Google Patents

Description

No. 634,876. Patented Oct. l7, I899.

M. .1. CAMERON. BUBIAL CASKET LOWERING DEVICE.

(Application filed Feb. 8, 1899.)

(No Model.)

r I I 1 I I l I l NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

MITCHELL .I. CAMERON, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK.

BU RlAL-CASKET-LOWERING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,876, dated October 17, 1899.

Application filed February 8, 1899. Serial No. 704,947. (No model.)

To (til whom, it TIM/ 7 concern.-

Be it known that I, MITCHELL J. CAMERON, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Auburn, county of Cayuga, State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Burial-Casket-Lowering Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings on one sheet, making part of the same.

My invention relates to improvements in burial-casket-l0wering devices in which a pair of straps or cords is used near either end of said burial-casket for the purpose of lowering the same into an inclosing outer case and for lowering the same either together or singly into the ground.

In some instances annoyance has not infrequently been caused by a non-uniform action of the connecting devices attached on the ends of the lowering straps or cords which serve to support the burial-casket while it is being lowered to place, and an undesirable clicking or noise (many times multiplied by the cavernous environment) has at times been noticed when the releasement or disconnection of the same was effected so that the straps or cords might be withdrawn after the burialcasket had been lowered to its resting-place. Besides, in other cases an arrangement of connecting parts whereby one or more of the same has been left in the grave with the casket after the straps or cords have been disconnected, thus necessitating a renewal of the same for each act of lowering, has been found on some occasions the cause not only of inconvenience but at times of embarrassment when other of the said parts were not ready at hand.

It is the object of my improvement to meet the aforesaid objections,'besides to afford for the desired purpose an arrangement of parts that shall be not only positive and unfailing in their action, but noiseless as well. I attain these ends by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional view of a grave show ing a box with a burial-basket inclosed therein and in the position of being lowered to the bottom of the grave by means of the straps or cords having my improvement attached thereon. In the same figure the dotted lines show the position of the box when lowered to place and beneath it the straps or cords detached or released and ready for withdrawal. Fig. 2 is a full-sized working, plan view show- 'ing one pair of straps of webbing having my improvement attached on the lowering ends thereof and hooked together. Fig. 3 is an edge view of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an edge view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the action of my improvenent in the release or disconnection of the straps at the moment the casket has reached the bottom of the grave; and Fig. 5 is a detached view of the hinged hook in side elevation, which is a part of my improvement.

It may be necessary to say in this connection that the straps or cords are delivered during the lowering process and afterward withdrawn by a mechanism peculiarly adapted to and constructedfor the purpose, but which it is unnecessary todescribe.

Similar figures of reference in the drawings refer to similar parts throughout.

In Fig. 2, 12 representa pair of the lowering straps or cords used for lowering one end of the burial-casket, and as a similar pair similarly equipped are used at the other end it will only be necessary to describe the pair in question. The lowering-strap l. is provided with a plate 3, which is bent upon itself on a shaft 4:, and isprovided with the recess 5. Before the said plate 3 is attached to the end of the lowering-strap 1 a weight 6 (see Fig. 3) is passed between one side of the lowering-strap 1 and one of the leaves of the plate 3, as shown, and the whole firmly secured in desired position on the lowering end of said lowering-strap 1 by the rivets 7 '7 7, the shaft 4: being at the same time fixed in its position. Again, referring to Fig. 3, the lowering-strap 2 is also provided with the plate 8, which is bent upon itself on a shaft 9 and is provided with a recess 10. A weight 11 is also provided to be placed between one side of the lowering strap 2 and one of the leaves of the plate 8. Before theseveral parts named are secured in place the shaft 9 is passed through a hole 12, provided near the end of a hook 13, Fig. 5, thus hinging the said hook 13 on said shaft 9 in the recess 10 of the plate 8, and thus arranged the whole is secured on the lowering end of the lowering-strap 2 by the rivets 14 14 14. It will be noticed that I have shown the weights 6 and 11 adjusted on the under sides of the lowering- straps 1 and 2, respectively. This is done so that no possible obstruction may result in the withdrawal of the straps against the cornersof the box or casket.

The hinged hook 13, arranged as aforementioned, is caused to engage or hook onto the shaft 4 in the recess 5 of the plate 3 of the lowering-strap 1 when it is desired to connect the ends of the lowering-straps 1 2 beneath and near theend of the burial-casket for the purpose of lowering the same to its desired place. It will also be observed that the hinged hook 13 is provided with a downward extension 16 between its hook end and its hinge-point 12, the purpose of which will presently be seen.

p the same.

When it is desired to lower a bu rial-casket into the grave prepared for it, the loweringstraps are hooked together (a pair at each end of the burial-casket) by catching the hook end 15 of the hinged hook 13 of the lowering-strap 2 upon the shaft 4 of the lowering-strap 1, and the burial-casket is placed thereon. Prior to this, however, it is customary to place strips of wood 1717, Fig. 1, or other material of proper thickness near either end of the inclosing case or of the grave, as the case may be, forthe ends of the casket to rest upon, so that its bottom side may not come in contact with the ground. Space is thus also afforded between the bottom of the casket and the ground in which the lowering straps or cords may be withdrawn and in which their unhooking or releasement from each other may be effected. As the weight of the burial-casket is brought to bear on the lowering straps or cords their connection with each other through the means already described'becomes more assured and firm, and the lowering-straps tautened, as is seen in Fig. 1, while the safety of the burial-casket from-accident is at the same time provided for. When the burial-casket has been low ered to the sticks 17 17 and its ends rest upon them, the lowering-straps very naturally become relaxed through being released of their burden, and as the ends of the lowering-straps touch the ground their disconnection or releasement is automatically and silently effected in the following manner: The weighted end of the relaxed lowering-strap 1 causes the shaft 4 to be drawn downward and out of the hook end 15 of the hinged book 13, while at the same time the said hook end 15 is upwardly thrown through the impact brought to bear between its downward extension 16 and the earth, which is assured by the weighted matter on the end of the lowering-strap 2, (see Figs. 1 and 4,) and a disconnection between the said lowering-straps noiselessly results, and they are then withdrawn from beneath the burial-casket.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my improvement, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a burial-casket-lowering device, the lowering ends of the lowering straps or cords provided with weights and recessed keeperplates carrying shafts, and an interlocking hook having a downward extension midway thereof hinged on one of said shafts substantially constructed in the manner and for the purpose herein shown anddescribed.

2. In a burial-casket-lowering device the lowering strap or cord 1, having fastened to its lowering end the plate 3, having the recess 5', combined with and carrying the weight 6, and the shaft 4 adapted to be engaged by an interlocking hook, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein described and shown.

3. In a burial-casket-lowering device the lowering strap or cord 2, having fastened to its lowering end the plate 8, having the re- I cess 10, and carrying the weight 11, and the shaft 6, combined with the hinged hook 13, adapted to engage a keeper-plate having the downward extension 16,'and hinged on said shaft 6, in said recess 10, substantially in the manner herein shown and described.

4. In a burial-casket-lowering device the lowering strap or cord 2, having fastened to its lowering end the plate 8, provided with the recess 10, and carrying the weight 11, and the shaft 9, on which said shaft is carried the hinged hook 13, having the downward extension 16, in said recess 10; combined with the lowering strap or cord 1, also having fastened to its lowering end the plate 3, provided with a recess 5, and carrying the weight 6, and the shaft 4, on which the hinged hook 13, hooks with its hooked end 15, in the said recess 5, and is unhooked therefrom through the ground impact of its downward extension 16, substantially constructed in the mannerand for the purpose herein described and shown.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at the city of Auburn,- county of Cayuga, State of New York, this 7th day of ,February, A. D. 1899.

MITCHELL J. CAMERON.

Witnesses:

HOWARD N. CAMERON, ALBERT I-I. WILLIAMs.

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