US419846A - Coffin-fastener - Google Patents

Description

N. K. GAM

Gom-1N FAST Patnted Jan. 21, 1890,-

WIT Si INVENTR WMMW i AWM-3M ATTQHNEYS- lUNiTsn Srarn's NATHANIEL K. GMBLE, OF IYINFIELD, QUEENS COUNTY, NEWT YORK.

COFFlN-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 419,84C6, dated Januaryl, 1890.

Application filed October l2, 1889.

T0 all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHANIEL K. GAM- BLE, of lYiniield, in the county of Queens, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Lid-Fasteners for Burial-Caskets, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying draw ings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to the class of lidfasteners in which a catch enters a slotted catch-plate and interlocks therewith.

My present invention consists in the combination, with the casket and its lid vand a catch and catch-plate attached to said parts, of a peculiarly constructed and arranged latch, which is secured to the part carrying the catch-plate, and is adapted to automatically engage and maintain the catch in its interlocked position in the catch-plate, and a manipulative key is adapted to throw the latch out of engagement with the catch, all as hereinafter more fully described, and set forth in the claim.

In the annexed drawings, Figure l is avertical longitudinal section of my improved lidfastener and the portions of theburia-Lcasket to which said fastener is attached. Fig. 2 is atop plan view of a portion of one of the sides of the casket to which the catchnplate is attached, and Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of that portion of the lid to which the catch is attached.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents Va portion of the side of a burial-casket, and B the portion of the lid directly over the former.

P denotes the catch-plate of my improved lid-fastener. Said plate is counters unk in the top edge of the side of the casket and rigidly secured thereto by screws c', passing through the plate and into the side of the casket. This catchplate is formed with a longitudinal slot e and with a longitudinal surfacegroove c, extending from one end of the slot, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Underneath said catclnplate is a latch cl, preferably of the form of a spring-plate, secured at one end to the casket under the end of the plate P, which is provided with the groove e', the free end of said spring-plate extending part way the length of the slot c. The at- Serial No. 326,847. (No model.)

tachment. of the spring-plate I preferably effect by passing the attaching-screw t at the aforesaid end of the catch-plate through the springnplate, and thereby clamping the latter between the catch-plate and subjacent portion of the casket.

7L represents the catch, which is preferably of the form of a hook, adapted to enter the slot c of the catch-plate P and engage the under side of said plate at the end of the slot farthest from the latch or spring-plate h, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The said catch is formed on a plate P which is countersunk in the under side of the marginal portion of the lid B and firmly secured in its position by screws Z l, passing up through the plate and into the lid. v

The catch h is provided with a shoulder c at its back and in such a position that when v the catch is fully engaged with the catchplate the free end of the latch or spring-plate d abuts against said shoulder, and thus prevents the catch 7L from being withdrawn from its aforesaid engagement. For releasing the catch from the springplate I employ a suitable key, preferably of the form of a pushpin h, sliding in a vertical channel a, extending through the catch back of the shoulder c and through its sup porting-plate P and niarginal portion of the lid. The said push-pin rests with its lower end on the free end of the spring-plate CZ, and is supported thereby. The upper end of the push-pin is provided with a suitable head 7L', the top of which is nearly or quite flush with the top of the marginal portion of the lid, the upper end of the channel a being enlarged to accommodate the head b' and allow the same to be pushed down.

Only two of the described lid-fasteners are required on a casket, one on each side.. Other ordinary catches-such as shown at C,or of any other suitable and well-known forln--are em ployed at intervals of the length of the aforesaid parts of the casket and lid.

In applying the lid to the casket the lid is placed with its catches 7L h resting in the grooves c of the catch-plates. Then by sliding the lid endwise toward the slots c the catches enter said slots and pass with their hooks under the catch-plates at the ends of the slots, and when this is effected the latches or springplates (Z automatically fall with their free ends into engagement with the shoulders c Of the catches, and thereby lock the latter in their position.

To remove the lid from the casket, the pushpins b are to be pushed down. The springplates d, being thereby depressed and thrown out Of engagement with the shoulders c, allow the lid to be drawn back out of the slots of the catch-plates.

Having described myinventiOn,WhatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv In combination with the casket and its lid, a longitudinally-slotted catch-plate attached to the top of the side Walls Of the casket, a catch attached to the under side Of the lid and adapted to enter the slot of said plate and engage the under side thereof and provided with a rearward shoulder, a latch secured to the casket and adapted tO engage the shoulder Of the aforesaid catch when interlocked with the catch-plate, and a key passing through the lid and engaging the aforesaid latch, substantially as described and shown.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 4th day of October, 1889.

NATHANIEL K. GAMRLE. [L s] Vitnesses:

ANDREW MANGER, GEORGE COOKE.

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