US706960A - Burial-casket. - Google Patents

Description

No. 706,960. Patented Aug. l2, I902.

J. KOEGEL.

BURIAL CASKET.

(Application filed Dec. 16. 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet].

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Patented Aug. I2, I902. J! KUEGEL.

BURIAL GASKET. (Applicatifm filed. Dec. B -190]).

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(No Model.)

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JULIUS KOEGEL, or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

BURIAL CASKETQ SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 6,960, dated August 12, 1902. Application filed December 16,1901. Serial No. 86,067. (No model.)

To all whom zit may concern.-

Be it known that I, JULIUS KOEGEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burial-Caskets or Goffins; and I do hereby declare 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 appertains 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. i

This invention relates to coilins or caskets for burial purposes; and the objects of the in vention are to provide a fastening or locking means for the casket which can be operated from the interior as well as from the exterior; to provide windows or light-openings in the sides of the casket to facilitate the operation of the interior handle; to furnish springs which will throw open the casket-cover as soon as it is unlocked, and thus to enable a supposed deadperson who revives at the last moment before burial to escape from his imprisonment with a minimum efiort; to thus decrease the danger of burying people alive, and to secure other advantages and results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter in connection with the description of the working parts.

Theinvention consistsin the improved burial-casket or coflin and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several views, Figure l is a perspective view of the exterior of my improved casket closed. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same with the cover thrown open. Fig. 3 is aplan of the casket closed. Figsil and 5 are vertical cross-sections, as on lines a; and 3 Fig. 3, respectively. Fig. 6 isa detail section taken longitudinally through the handles or locking means. Fig. 7

is a detail section taken transversely through said handles or locking means, as on line a, Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective View of of said body portion is closed by two similar covers I) I), each hinged at its outer edge to the side walls of the casket and the two heingadapted to meet at their inner edges when closed. Upon one of said covers, as 1), near its free edge, so as to be adapted to engage the edge of the other, is a handle 0, pivoted upon a bolt d, which extends through the said cover and carries atits inner end. a handle 0', similar to the handle 0 and adapted to always lie in the same position. The bolt cl, upon which said handles are mounted, comprises a cylindrical middle portion 61', which is seated in an aperture of the casket-cover and adapted to turn therein. At each end of saidcylindrical portion d is a squared extension adapted to receive one of the said handles, and the end of said extension (1 is screw-threaded, as at (i to receive a nut 0Z which serves to hold thehandle in place upon the bolt. Said bolt thus turns with the handles, and said handles may be swung into longitudinal position with respect to the casket to permit the lids or covers to be opened, as shown-in Fig. 2, or else turned to lie transversely of the casket, as in Fig. 1, where the parallel projecting ends of the handles beyond the cover or lid on which they are mounted clasp between themselves the other lid or cover, as clearly shown in Figs. 4: and 6.

To prevent the covers 5 b from drawing apart even when the handles are in locked position, I provide upon the cover I), not having handles, a retaining-catch f. Said catch is sunken at one end into the cover 1) and projects at its free end upwardly away from the edge of the cover and is adapted to enter a recess g, formed in the lower side of the exterior locking-handle. By this construction when the cover I), having no handles, is grasped between the handles 0 c it cannot be withdrawn therefrom to permit an opening of the lids while the handle is yet in transverse position.

To steady the exterior handle a in its transverse position, I prefer to provide upon the cover I) a longitudinal strip h, of spring metal, bent upward at its opposite ends 71 to engage the opposite sides of the locking-handle 0 when it lies in transverse position.

It will be understood that a slight eifort suffices to turn the handles over said u pturn ed ends of the clasp h, and that when the handles are to be turned into locking position said ends must first be pressed down with the finger.

The handles 0 c are preferably located at a point on the length of the casket, so that they lie above the breast of the person within, so that the interior handle can be readily grasped in case of an awakening.

To further facilitate the opening of the cover or lids of the casket and to insure a prompt supply of air to the reviving occupant, I place upon the interior side walls of the coffin or casket springs i 7 secured to the body portion a and adapted to press their u pper portion against the covers to throw them open. When said covers are closed, the springs remain in flexed position, as shown in Fig. 5, exerting their strain to open the lids as soon as the handles are turned. These springs are preferably secured to the body portion by a single screw, as at c", so as to be turned down into folded position, as shown in Fig. 2, when desired, as during the funeral.

Preferably glass windows j are formed in the sides of the casket to admit sufficient light to locate the handle a from the interior. Shutters k are provided for these windows, which can be closed at the last moment before the casket is covered with earth. Staypieces Z may be provided at the ends of the casket to hold the covers I) b against displacement. Furthermore, it should be noted that the springs 2' described may be applied to only one lid of the casket and the other lid be fastened shut by a catch '07,, if preferred.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is- 1. A coffin or casket comprising a box-like body portion, covers hinged to the opposite side walls of said body portion at their outer edges and adapted to meet at their inner edges along a longitudinal line of the casket, and

. outer and inner handles pivoted on one cover the other cover.

2. A coffin having a body portion a, covers hinged to the opposite side walls of said body portion at their outer edges and adapted to meet at their inner edges, outer and inner locking-handles pivoted on one cover to operate in unison to engage the other cover, and springs arranged within the coflin on the body portion and adapted to engage said covers to throw them open.

3. A coffin having a body portion, a cover hinged thereto at one edge, and a leaf-spring secured at its lower end to the side wall of the body portion and extending vertically upward and adapted to be bent into flexed position by closing the cover, and made to exert strain to open said cover, said spring being atits said lower end secured to the side wall of the coffin-body by a single pivotal screw or bolt and being adapted to be turned on said screw or bolt in a plane parallel to the wall on which it is mounted and brought to lie wholly within the coffin-body out of any possible operative engagement with the cover.

4. In a coffin having a body portion a, and covers hinged thereto at their outer edges and adapted to meet at their inner edges, a bolt d,'having a cylindrical middle portion passing through one of said covers and squared extensions projecting at both sides and handles secured on said extensions and adapted to cooperate to engage the other cover.

5. The combination witha coffin having oppositely-opening hinged covers adapted to meet at their free edges, of a handle pivoted on one cover and adapted to be turned to overreach the other cover, said handle having on its face next the covers a notch or recess, and a projecting spur or catch on the cover not having the handle pivoted thereon and adapted to enter said notch or recess in the handle.

6. The combination with a coffin having oppositely-opening covers hinged at their outer edges and adapted to meet at theirinner edges when closed, of a handle recessed on its inner face and pivoted on one cover and adapted to be turned into transverse position to overlie the other cover, a projecting catch on said other cover to enter said recess of the handle, and a retaining-clasp h, longitudinally disposed upon said other cover and adapted to receive the handle when in looking position and engage the opposite sides of the same.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of December, 1901.

JULIUS KOEGEL.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, O. B. PITNEY.

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