Abstract:
A combination of a casket and reattachably removable hardware for lifting the casket, including an aperture formed through a casket sidewall, a generally circular plate defined between a first radius and a second radius, an elongated lifting member having a first end, an internally threaded cavity formed in the first end, and an externally threaded connecting member. The plate is positioned adjacent the aperture and when the externally threaded connecting member extends through the aperture, the first end of said elongated lifting member rotatably removably engages the connecting member to detachably connect the elongated lifting member to the casket.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In response to a growing demand, there is a trend in the funeral industry to provide increasingly customized caskets. Although somewhat limited by the functionality of the casket design, the aesthetic appearance of a casket may be effected significantly by the choice of materials, lid and wall contour, escutcheon plate selection, interior lid artwork and the like. The appearance of the casket goes beyond its mere aesthetic value to become the basis for the final memories the funeral party may have of the departed. Further, since funerals are typically costly events that occur during times of financial upheaval, customization of the casket should be done as efficiently as possible. 
     On a more personal level, for the pallbearer, carrying the casket is the final service to be performed on behalf of the departed. Known casket designs include either fixed or pivoting side handrails that are gripped by the pallbearers when the casket is carried. These handrails extend along the length of either side of the casket and contribute additional weight to the casket. Since pallbearing is often a very emotional task, it is desirable to make the burden of carrying the casket as easy as possible, both physically and emotionally. 
     Moreover, the final disposition of most caskets is either burial or cremation. When a casket is cremated, most of the metal pieces, such as the decorative trim and handrails, are first removed so as to avoid searing bone fragments and the like to the heated metal. It is customary for the casket, once scaled, to remain closed; thus, removal of the hand rails and other metal pieces is usually accomplished through the use of a saw or torch, effectively destroying the removed metal pieces. Likewise, when a casket is buried, the decorative metal trim and handrails are buried along with it and are thus effectively lost or destroyed. In either case, the aesthetic and sentimental value of the casket is forever lost. 
     There thus remains a need for efficient and cost-effective casket customization. Additionally, there remains a need for reducing the mass of metallic trim remaining on the casket, both for carrying by the pallbearers and for final disposition. Further, there remains a need to reduce the emotional strain on the pallbearers. The present invention addresses such needs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a casket-lifting assembly removably attachable to a casket sidewall and externally removable at a gravesite without requiring the opening of the casket. The casket-lifting assembly includes an aperture formed through the casket sidewall, an elongated member having a threaded end, and a threaded connector rotatably matable to the threaded end and positioned adjacent the aperture. When the threaded end is passed through the aperture the threaded connector rotatably engages the threaded end to couple the elongated member to the casket. Once coupled to the casket, the elongated member may be rotatably decoupled from the casket without opening the casket. 
     One object of the present invention is to provide an improved casket-lifting assembly. Related objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a casket equipped with a first embodiment of the casket-lifting assembly of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the casket-lifting assembly of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3A is a partial exterior view of the casket assembly of FIG. 1 showing showing a threaded connecting member protruding from the casket sidewall; 
     FIG. 3B is a partial exterior view of the casket assembly of FIG. 1 showing a connected handle in a first position; 
     FIG. 3C is a partial exterior view of the casket assembly of FIG. 1 showing a connected handle in a second position; and 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded isolated view of an alternate embodiment connector portion and reinforcing plate of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention and presenting its currently understood best mode of operation, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, with such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 relate to a first embodiment of the present invention, an externally removable lifting assembly  10  for attachment to a casket  15  through the casket sidewall  20 . The assembly  10  includes a handle member  22 , an escutcheon or trim plate  24 , an aperture  26  formed in the casket sidewall  20  and a first connecting member  28 . The handle member  22  is preferably a substantially linear elongated member. More preferably, handle member  22  is a motorcycle part, and still more preferably the handle member  22  is a motorcycle foot peg assembly. 
     The trim plate  24  preferably has an opening or aperture  30  formed therethrough, and more preferably the trim plate aperture  30  is about the same size as the casket sidewall aperture  26 . The trim plate  24  may alternatively be generally donut shaped, i.e. being defined between a first and second radius, where the second radius exceeds the first radius in length. The assembly may further include reinforcing plates  32  for positioning on either side of the sidewall aperture  26  and a spacer  34 . 
     As seen in FIGS.  2  and  3 A- 3 C, the handle member  22  further includes a connector portion  36  and a second handgrip portion  38 . Preferably, connector portion  36  and handgrip portion  38  are pivotally joined at a joint  40 . More preferably, the handgrip  38  portion is adapted to pivot between a first position substantially collinear with connector portion  36  and a second position substantially perpendicular to connector portion  36 . The handle assembly is installed such that it folds downwardly to the second vertical portion when not in use. When in use, the handgrip portion  38  is pulled upwardly to its first horizontal position as shown in phantom in FIG. 2 to enable the casket to be carried. To that end, handgrip portion  38  should not pivot upwardly past its horizontal casket-carrying position. 
     Connector portion  36  preferably includes an interlocking portion  44  adapted to matingly or lockingly engage the first connecting member  28 . Preferably, the first connecting member  28  includes external or male threads  42  and the interlocking portion  44  is defined by a threaded female cavity adapted to removably threadingly or matingly engage the first connecting member  28 . In other words, the first connecting member  28  preferably screws into and unscrews out of the interlocking portion  44  of connector portion  36 . Alternately, first connecting member  28  may be female-threaded and the interlocking portion  44  may be male-threaded. Likewise, the first and second connectors  28 ,  44  may be chosen as any convenient connector pairs known in the art. 
     During assembly, connecting member  28  and first reinforcing plate  32  are positioned within the casket sidewall  20  such that member  28  extends through the aperture  32   a  of first reinforcing plate  32  and aperture  26  of the casket sidewall (see FIG.  2 ). Portion  42  of connecting member  28  is sized smaller than apertures  26  and  32 A so as to be able to pass therethrough while portion  28 ′ of member  28  is larger than aperture  26  so as to be unable to pass therethrough. Prior to completing the assembly of this invention by affixing handle member  22 , connecting member  28  must somehow be fixed to avoid rotating so as to be capable of threadably receiving handle portion  22 . Were member  28  not fixed but allowed to rotate, it would spin freely when the user attempts to threadably disengage (unscrew) the handle portion  22  from the exterior of the casket. Member  28  can be fixed in position by a variety of conventional means. 
     In a currently preferred embodiment of the invention, the first reinforcing plate  32  is connected to the interior side of the casket wall  20  by mechanical connector  50 . Mechanical connector  50  is illustrated as a machine screw-hex nut combination with the machine screw extending through reinforcing plate  32  and casket side wall  26  and held fast in place by a hex nut. In alternate embodiments, mechanical connector  50  could be any convenient mechanical connection device. Member  28  is affixed to reinforcement plate  32  via a spot weld. Alternately, metal epoxy may simply be applied at points c and d of the first reinforcing plate  32  to affix plate  32  to the interior side of the casket wall  20 , and at points e and f on member  28  to affix member  28  to reinforcement plate  32  (see FIG.  5 ). Care must be taken to apply sufficient glue to adhere the pieces together. 
     Once connecting member  28  is affixed in place with threaded portion  42  extending through apertures  32 A and  26 , second reinforcement plate  33  and spacer  34  receive threaded portion  42  through openings  33 A and  34 A, respectively. In a preferred embodiment, trim plate  24  may be placed coaxially over spacer  34  as the outer diameter of spacer  34  is smaller than the interior diameter of aperture  30  of the trim plate. Once the trim plate  24  is in a place, handle assembly  22  may be threadably attached, via its connector portion  44 , to connector member  28  at threaded portion  42 . When fully assembled, spacer  34  is preferably snug at one end adjacent the exterior surface of the second or exterior reinforcement plate  33  and snug at its other end adjacent interlocking portion  44  of handle assembly  22 . The length of spacer  34  is preferably chosen such that interlocking portion  44  of handle  22  is also flush against the outside of the trim plate  24 . Preferably, interlocking portion  44  is slightly radiused, such that the end  36   a  of the handle is flush against the outside surface of spacer  34  and slightly below the outer surface of the trim plate  24 . Radiusing the handle  22  thus reduces stress on the trim plate  24  during lifting of the casket  20  while adding to its aesthetic value. 
     The connecting member  28  lockingly receives the second connector portion  44  of the casket-penetrating portion  36  to secure the handle member  22  to the casket sidewall  20 . In the preferred embodiment, this is done by rotating the handle member  22  such that the external male threads  42  of the first connecting member  28  interlockingly or threadedly engage the female threaded cavity  44  of the connecting portion  36 . Likewise, handle member  22  may be disengaged from the casket  15  by counter-rotating the handle member  22  to disengage the connecting portion  36  from the first connecting member  28 . 
     Once the casket is moved to its final location at the grave site, the handle assembly  22  may be threadably removed from the casket whereby the pall bearers or others may take the handle portion  22  home as keepsakes from the funeral. Trim plate or insert  24 , which may bear indicia or an inscription remembering the departed if desired, may also be taken home as a keepsake. 
     While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character. It is understood that the embodiments have been shown and described in the foregoing specification in satisfaction of the best mode and enablement requirements. It is understood that one of ordinary skill in the art could readily make a nearly infinite number of insubstantial changes and modifications to the above-described embodiments and that it would be impractical to attempt to describe all such embodiment variations in the present specification. Accordingly, it is understood that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected.