This invention relates generally to caskets, and more particularly to structure for attaching ornaments to caskets.
A conventional casket has a casket shell adapted to contain the deceased, and one or two lids or caps pivotally attached to the shell. Each side wall (and sometimes each end wall) of the casket shell has a number of arms attached thereto and spaced along the length thereof, the free ends of which are attached to an elongated handle bar for carrying the casket.
The upper end of each arm is pivotally attached to a clevis, which clevis is attached to the side wall of the casket shell via a fastener such as a bolt and nut. Decorative hardware, often referred to as an “ear” or “escutcheon”, or a “lug” or “plate”, is attached to the casket shell wall to conceal the connection of the arm to the wall. As used herein, the term “ear” shall be deemed to generically embrace “ear”, “escutcheon”, “lug”, and “plate”. Such decorative “hardware” was originally and for many years has been fabricated of metal. With the advent of plastics technology in more recent years, decorative “hardware” may just as likely be fabricated of plastic as metal. As used herein, the term “hardware” shall be deemed to generically embrace the above mentioned decorative structures, whether fabricated of metal or plastic. It is also known to attach decorative ornaments to the corners of the casket shell. As used herein, the term “hardware” shall also be deemed to generically embrace such ornaments, regardless of the material of manufacture.
Various structures have been proposed over the years for quickly and securely attaching ears and corner ornaments to the casket shell walls. Nevertheless, there remains room for improvement.
In one aspect, hardware adapted to be attached to a wall of a casket shell of a casket is provided. The hardware comprises a clevis having a pair of side walls and a back wall adapted to be attached to the casket shell wall, the clevis having a pair of tabs each of which extends laterally outwardly from a respective one of the side walls of the clevis and each of which is spaced forwardly from the rear wall of the clevis, an arm pivoted at an upper end to the clevis, and a decorative ear having a downwardly facing recess in a lower edge thereof and a pair of tapered resilient arms each of which is located on a respective side of the recess, each resilient arm having a laterally inwardly projecting tab on a lower free end thereof, each resilient arm becoming progressively thicker from the free end toward a base thereof as measured in a direction generally normal to the casket shell wall. Initial downward movement of the ear relative to the clevis causes the resilient arms to pass between the clevis tabs and the casket shell wall; further downward movement of the ear relative to the clevis causes a wedging effect of the clevis tabs on the arms to snug the ear generally horizontally rearwardly against the casket shell wall; and yet further downward movement of the ear relative to the clevis causes the tabs on the resilient arms to snap inwardly below respective lower edges of respective ones of the side walls of the clevis to restrain the ear against generally vertical movement relative to the clevis and to locate the ear laterally relative to the clevis.
Each resilient arm can have a recess in a forward surface thereof which receives a respective one of the clevis tabs.
In another aspect, hardware comprises a clevis having a pair of side walls and a back wall adapted to be attached to the casket shell wall, the clevis having a pair of tabs each of which extends laterally outwardly from a respective one of the side walls of the clevis and each of which is spaced forwardly from said rear wall of the clevis, an arm pivoted at an upper end to the clevis, and a decorative ear having a downwardly facing recess in a lower edge thereof and a first and second pairs of resilient tabs, each tab of the first and second pairs of tabs located on a respective side of the recess, the tabs projecting laterally inwardly, the ear having a partial back wall section extending laterally inwardly from each side of the recess, each partial back wall section becoming progressively thinner from a point laterally inward of a respective side of the recess to a free edge thereof as measured in a direction generally normal to the casket shell wall. Initial downward movement of the ear relative to the clevis causes the partial back wall sections to pass between the clevis tabs and the casket shell wall; further downward movement of the ear relative to the clevis causes a wedging effect of the clevis tabs on the partial back wall sections to snug the ear generally horizontally rearwardly against the casket shell wall; yet further downward movement of the ear relative to the clevis causes a lowermost pair of the first and second pairs of tabs to snap inwardly below respective lower edges of respective ones of the side walls of the clevis to restrain the ear against generally vertical movement relative to the clevis, free edges of an uppermost pair of the first and second pairs of tabs abutting respective ones of the side walls to locate the ear laterally relative to the clevis.
The hardware can further comprise a third pair of resilient tabs located between the lowermost pair and the uppermost pair, free edges of which abut respective ones of the side walls of the clevis to locate the ear laterally. Each of the lowermost pair of tabs can be generally planar and have a thickness dimension measured in a vertical direction. Each of the lowermost pair of tabs can be generally planar and have a thickness dimension measured in a direction generally normal to the casket shell wall. Each of the lowermost pair of tabs can be a cantilever beam projecting laterally inwardly and upwardly. Each of the lowermost pair of tabs can be generally planar, having a thickness dimension measured in a vertical direction, and can be bisected by a laterally oriented cylinder, one half of which extends above the tab and the other half of which extends below the tab, and each side wall of the clevis can have a recess extending from a rear side forwardly, whereby the lowermost pair of tabs and cylinders snap forwardly into the recesses of the clevis.
In another aspect, hardware comprises a clevis having a pair of side walls and a back wall adapted to be attached to the casket shell wall, the clevis having a pair of tabs each of which extends laterally outwardly from a respective one of the side walls of the clevis and each of which is spaced forwardly from the rear wall of the clevis, an arm pivoted at an upper end to the clevis, and a decorative ear having a downwardly facing recess in a lower edge thereof and a pair of generally horizontally oriented grooves each of which is located in a respective side of the recess, the ear having a partial back wall section extending laterally inwardly from each side of the recess, each partial back wall section becoming progressively thinner from a point laterally inward of a respective side of the recess to a free edge thereof as measured in a direction generally normal to the casket shell wall, each sidewall of the clevis having a generally horizontally oriented rib extending laterally outwardly from the side wall. Initial downward movement of the ear relative to the clevis causes the partial back wall sections to pass between the clevis tabs and the casket shell wall; further downward movement of the ear relative to the clevis causes a wedging effect of the clevis tabs on the partial back wall sections to snug the ear generally horizontally rearwardly against the casket shell wall; yet further downward movement of the ear relative to the clevis causes the ribs on the clevis to snap into the grooves in the ear to restrain the ear against generally vertical movement relative to the clevis and to locate the ear laterally relative to the clevis.
The various structure for snugging the ear generally horizontally rearwardly against the casket shell wall, for restraining the ear against generally vertical movement relative to the clevis, and for locating the ear laterally relative to the clevis can be fabricated integrally with the ear as a unitary one-piece part. For example, the structure and ear can be fabricated of plastic. The various structure for snugging the ear generally horizontally rearwardly against the casket shell wall, for restraining the ear against generally vertical movement relative to the clevis, and for locating the ear laterally relative to the clevis can be fabricated separately from the ear as an insert for the ear, the ear having a recess for receiving the insert. For example, the ear can be fabricated of wood and the insert can be fabricated of plastic.
In another aspect, hardware comprises a clevis having a pair of side walls and a back wall, the back wall adapted to be attached to the casket shell wall, a decorative ornament, means for snugging the ornament generally horizontally rearwardly against the casket shell wall, means for restraining the ornament against generally vertical movement relative to the clevis, and means for locating the ornament laterally relative to the clevis.
The ornament can be an ear or a corner ornament.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the summary of the invention given above, and the detailed description of the drawings given below, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.
Referring to
Clevis 34 has a back wall 40, a pair of side walls 42, 42, and a pair of tabs 44, 44 which extend laterally outwardly from the side walls 42, 42. The rear sides of the clevis tabs 44, 44 are spaced forwardly from the rear side of the back wall 40 of the clevis 34.
Ear 38 is preferably fabricated of a material having some resilience to it, e.g. plastic, and has a downwardly facing recess 50 in a lower edge thereof. Each of a pair of tapered resilient arms 52, 52 is located on a respective side 54 of the recess 50. Each resilient arm 52 has a laterally inwardly projecting tab 56 on a lower free end 58 thereof. Each resilient arm 52 becomes progressively thicker from its free end 58 toward its base 60, as measured in a direction generally normal to the shell wall.
To attach the ear 38 to the casket shell 12, the recess 50 is centered over the clevis 34, with the ear 38 against the shell wall. The ear 38 is then moved downwardly such that the resilient arms 52, 52 pass between the clevis tabs 44, 44 and the shell wall. Further downward movement of the ear 38 relative to the clevis 34 causes a wedging effect of the clevis tabs 44, 44 on the resilient arms 52, 52 due to the increasing thickness of the arms 52, 52, thereby snugging the ear 38 generally horizontally rearwardly and against the shell wall. Still further downward movement of the ear 38 relative to the clevis 34 causes the tabs 56, 56 to snap inwardly below the lower edges of the side walls 42, 42 of the clevis 34 thereby restraining the ear 38 against generally vertical movement relative to the clevis 34 and also locating the ear 38 laterally relative to the clevis 34. Referring to
Referring to
To attach the ear 70 to the casket shell 12, the recess 72 is centered over the clevis 34, with the ear 70 against the shell wall. The ear 70 is then moved downwardly such that the partial back wall sections 82, 82 pass between the clevis tabs 44, 44 and the shell wall. Further downward movement of the ear 70 relative to the clevis 34 causes a wedging effect of the clevis tabs 44, 44 on the free edges 86, 86 of the partial back wall sections 82, 82 thereby snugging the ear 70 generally horizontally rearwardly against the shell wall. Still further downward movement of the ear 70 relative to the clevis 34 causes the lowermost pair of tabs 74, 74 to snap inwardly below the lower edges of the side walls 42, 42 of the clevis 34 thereby restraining the ear 70 against generally vertical movement relative to the clevis 34. The free edges of the upper two pairs of tabs 76, 76 and 78, 78 abut the side walls 42, 42 of the clevis 34 thereby locating the ear laterally relative to the clevis.
As shown in
As shown in
Also as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Referring now to 9-12, and with like numbers indicating like elements, a casket 130 has wooden ears 132, and a separately fabricated insert 134 of, e.g. plastic, is received in recess 136 in ear 132 for mounting ear 132 on clevis 34. Note that while the insert 134 includes the structure for snugging the ear 132 generally horizontally rearwardly against the casket shell wall, for restraining the ear 132 against generally vertical movement relative to the clevis 34, and for locating the ear 132 laterally relative to the clevis 34 as is shown in
Referring now to
The various embodiments of the invention shown and described are merely for illustrative purposes only, as the drawings and the description are not intended to restrict or limit in any way the scope of the claims. Those skilled in the art will appreciate various changes, modifications, and improvements which can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details and representative apparatus and methods shown and described. Departures may therefore be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept. The invention resides in each individual feature described herein, alone, and in all combinations of any and all of those features. Accordingly, the scope of the invention shall be limited only by the following claims and their equivalents.
This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/594,484 filed Oct. 7, 2019, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/383,997 filed Dec. 12, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,434,026 issued Oct. 8, 2019, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/453,132 filed Aug. 6, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,522,093 issued Dec. 20, 2016, which claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/863,713 filed Aug. 8, 2013, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein as if fully set forth in their entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20210338512 A1 | Nov 2021 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61863713 | Aug 2013 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 16594484 | Oct 2019 | US |
Child | 17374375 | US | |
Parent | 15383997 | Dec 2016 | US |
Child | 16594484 | US | |
Parent | 14453132 | Aug 2014 | US |
Child | 15383997 | US |