US1818485A - Means eob - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 11, 1931. B. E. LAMBERT 1,818,485

MENS FOR SEALING BURIAL CASES Filed Dec. 2o. 192e woantoz Patented Aug. 11, 1931 PATENT OFFICE BBBNICBB. LAMBERT, on COLUMBUS, omo

' f MEANS FOB sBALI-NG BURIAL cAsBs Application flied December 2o, 1828. serial No. 327,455.

This invention relates broadly to improve- I ments in'sealing `means and is particularlyy l adapted to burial cases, caskets. or vaults, although the scope `and application of the 1n- .ivention arev not, of course,y limited to this specificffieldfof employment, as the principles of the invention are applicable to receptacles embodying two separable sections employed for many other widely diiferentuses and pur-y 'One of the'l outstanding .features of the present invcntion'liesin Jthe provision of a seal in theform of a compound which isA care ried by the upper edge of the casket or receptacle and whichv at the time of sealing can be put into a flowing state so as to automaticallyflock and `hermetically seal the closure of the structure to be sealed.

Another important obj unit inthe form of an*y electric resistance Vwire embedded in the sealing compound carried by thelreceptacle, andk which heating unit may bev energized by an outside source ofelectric c urrent thereby heating` and placing the com# pound'in a owing or softened stateso thatl the depending locking web'carried'bythe lower edge'of the coversection ofthe receptacle maybe embedded'in the compound.

Upon the subsequent'V cooling and hardening of the sealing compound, a secure union` willeXist-'between the sections ofthe recep- `tacle.4 By theprovision of this embedded heating unit theA sealing compound' may be vention, a portion thereof being broken laway to `disclosek underlying structures,

ectis to provide the 20 receptacle with a permanently carried sealingl FigureQ is an enlarged vertical sectional view takenon the line 2-2 of` Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a similar view showing a portion of the casket and its Cover in position to be applied thereto,

'Figure 41 is a'vertical sectional View takenk on the line 1C-1 of Figure 2, f Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view disclosing more particularly the electrical heating unit used in connection with the present invention,

`Figure 6 represents a slightly modified-` form of sealing'means,

Figure 7 isla sectional view `taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6.

VReferring more `particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a receptacle constructed in accordancel with the features 'a ofthe present invention. vIn the present 'instance the receptacle hasbeen shown in the form of a burial case or casket, but, of course,

I do not limit myself to this particular a'dapr tion of the invention as the same may be apy plicable to other iieldsfof employment. The

caseor receptaclejis` comprised broadly lof a base section 2 and a separable cover section 3. The base section comprises the usual bottom, vertically upstanding side and end walls 5 and 6 a-nd an open top. In this instance the upper edges of the walls 5 and 6 are welded, braced or otherwise secured to an outwardly vcurving trim section 7, which extends around all'four walls of the base section. The upper "Y edge of the trim section includes an inwardly extending, substantially flat horizontal flange 8, which forms the seat -for the cover section of the casket;y Formed in the flanges 8 of the section 7 is a continuous groove or channel 9, extending aroundV the sides and end of the body portion of the casket. The groove 9 possesses in cross-section, a substantially keystone form, having a relatively restricted entrance slot 10 and a widenedlower portion I lThe' cover section 12 of the receptacle 1s provided with a continuous depending web 13, which is adapted to be receivedwithin the `groove or channel 9 and has its eXtreme lower Aend provided with a relatively widened head 14, when embedded in the sealing compound,

indicated'at 15, will serve to'lock the cover ,upperedgeof said spacers.

section in secured relation and in a relative position with the base section 2.

The sealing compound is inserted in the groove 9, prior to the positioning of the cover into which compound the web 18 is securely embedded. In order to omit the handling of the sealing compound, which is preferably of a bituminous material, and rtofacilitate` the sealing of the casket by the person attending this operation, the compound is poured into the groove and allowed to coolandharden be.- fore the casket or receptacle is shipped to the person who finally seals the same. Durinfr this shipment the coversection is supported in an elevated position as indicated in Figure 3 of .thedraavings Witlrtheiveb 13 outof engagement Witlr the compound 115. To effect thesoftening, ofthe compound into a semiplastijcstate so that the' cover section may be put on the casket for they sealing thereof, there is embeddedin thecoinpound a Wirevor resistance element 16 `Which is supported and spaced .l fromhthe. sidesr and bottom ofthe groove 9rby,lmeans of .spacers 17.formed from lcardboard liber or other nonconducting ma- The spacers 17 are shaped to conform.v

terial. Witlrthe, sides 4of the. groove 9 and are; frictionally held in an uprightposition therein engaging thesides of the .groove thus .formmg arigid support for the resistance elementl... The elementl, Whichlies within the groovef) is positioned Withinf openings 18 provided .therefouintlie spacer elements 17 and .is ,inserted ,through slots provided inthe Thisedge is also cut awayas at 19 toaccommodate the dependingi web, .13` ,of .the cover section. To convey electricmirrent into theresistanceelement 16 thereis provided inthesidewall of the casket a plug QOfof 1the prong and socket construction with y.Whiclrthe ends 21 ofthe Wire 1G are connected and may be supplied With current from a convenient house circuit or from a storagebattery and led through -a conveying cable Q2. Beforev shipping or handling the casket the exposed surface of thesealing com-k pound may be painted or a stripof paper-may` be pasted.overtheentranceto the groove to prevent thesealing compound from running loveitlae edge of. the groove should the compound .become soft during shipment ofthe casket and beforethe cover section thereof isV put ,in place..` The,.paper strip could be finished or formed of a material having the color harmonizing Withthefinish of the casket thus addingto.the.appearance and concealing. the compound fronr view. Asthe paper is eas-, ily,punctured.,fby` the: locking AWeb 13, there is `no, need of removingthe same before seal# ,ingthe casket..

In operation it .will beunderstood that the coversection-.isplaced ,oni the base section with theWeb-l?) resting on top ofthe hardened sealing vcompound which has been pres Niously inserted into the groove 9. rihen by.

applying electric current to the heating element the compound becomes softened and the cover section, due to its weight, will Travitate until the same is resting upon the `flange 8 of the body section, thus embedding the web 13 into the compound 15. The current is then shut ofi' by disconnecting the plug 2O from .thecable 22. The compoundis then allowed to cool and harden, whereby, due to the peculiar formation of the groove 9 and theweb 13, a locking. condition is established preventing undue separation of the two sections of the receptacle. Moreover, due to the presence of the sealing compound, the interior of the receptacle Will be, in effect, hermetically. sealed, the elementsI excluded and thecontents of theV receptacle indefinitely preserved. If for any reason it is desired t0 open the receptacle after theA same has been l sealed, it is only necessary to apply electric current so as to heat or .softeny the compound,y thereby breaking the locking. hold of the seal.

In the modified .form `of .the invention; disclosed in Figures 6. and 7, thecompound 15a. With the heating element 16a, embedded therein, may bemolded into. .separable sec.- tions .Which may be united and laid into the. groove.9 of the casket and assembled therein.I As the compound is in more or less of a semi. plastic state, the same may be. bent, to ,fit around n the corners of` the .groove 9.. The,y heating. element 16a` of each section is aligned to interfit with one another through the slip. joint connection 23, formedv at each end of the sections.

It isobvious thatother modifications may be employed Without departing from the principles of the invention as above set forth, and I therefore do notlimitinyself to such structural details, except. as they may be specifically included in the following claims.

That is .claimed is:

1. In a receptaclev of the class described, a. base, having a continuous groove in its up-. per surface, acover provided with a continu,-

, ons ,depending webl adaptedto enter said..

groove, asealing, compound in the` groove arlength,l and an electric heating element supported by said spacers.

2. In a receptacle of the.classdescribed, a. base section having a continuous groove in its upper surface, a cover section provided with a continuous depending web on its under surface adapted to enter said groove, a sealing compound in the groove arranged to embed said Web, spacers positioned Within saidjl groove and formed from insulating material, said spacers are shaped to conform With the formation of said groove and are frictionally held in an `upright position, and an electric resistance. element carried by said spacers and rigidlyL held Within a recess formed therein, the ends ofthe resistanceelement lli).

has an electric connection With the exterior of the receptacle.

3. In 2L receptacle of theclass described, a base having a continuous groove in its upper surface, a cover provided Ywith a continuous dependingweh adapted to enter said groove, a sealing compound in the groove arranged to embed said Web, an electric heating element positioned in said groove and embedded Within said compound, and means for insulatively supporting said element from the Walls of said groove.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

BERNICE E. LAMBERT.

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