Casket canopy

A casket canopy assembly for use in providing a backdrop and display assembly for use with a casket is disclosed. A pair of end wing units having tiered shelves cooperate with a top unit, which may be separable from or secured to the wing units, to provide an assembly having a top and sides within which a casket may be placed either during a funeral or for display purposes. A suitable drape or curtain may be suspended from the assembly and a light fixture may be positioned on the wing units with the shelves providing suitable supports for floral displays and the like.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is directed to a display canopy or enclosure for use 
with a generally elongated object such as a casket. More particularly, the 
present invention is directed to such a display canopy which is portable 
from one area to another. Even more particularly, the present invention is 
directed to a casket canopy which is capable of being disassembled into 
several component parts for ease in transport and storage. Most 
specifically, the present invention is directed to a casket canopy 
assembly having opposed wing units each of which is provided with tiered 
shelves and which either each carry a portion of a top or which together 
support a separate top. 
The casket canopy in accordance with the present invention includes two end 
wing units which are provided with tiered shelves and which are supported 
by suitable casters or the like so that these units can be moved from 
place to place. Each wing unit may have secured thereto one half of a top 
portion or both wings may cooperate to support a removable top unit. The 
casket canopy assembly may include suitable drapes and is intended to 
provide a backdrop and side assembly within which a casket can be 
positioned. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
It has long been recognized in the art that it is desirable to provide a 
canopy or display assembly for use with a casket. This type of structure 
may be used either during funerals themselves or may be used by a funeral 
home operator or casket manufacturer to display caskets. These display 
fixtures usually surround the casket to a greater or lesser extent and are 
intended to soften the visual impact of the casket. One example of the 
prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 1,662,522 to Laube in which there is shown a 
portable funeral canopy and stand which is adapted to surround and display 
a casket. While this patent shows the general concept of a portable 
display device for use with a casket, it is not as well suited for its 
task as is the apparatus of the subject invention. 
A funeral home may have various rooms in which funerals are conducted and 
it is desirable that the canopy not only be portable but also be capable 
of being disassembled for ease in transport from room to room and also 
from the funeral home to, for example, a church. While the prior art 
casket canopy assemblies are portable, they are not easily and quickly 
disassembled. 
Floral displays are quite often utilized in funeral services and it is 
often desired to place such displays about the casket in an attractive and 
tasteful manner. While there are any number of stands and racks in the 
prior art which will support baskets or vases of flowers, there are none 
known to applicant which are structured as a portion of a casket canopy 
assembly. This lack of such a structure makes the task of arranging floral 
displays about a casket more difficult. 
It is also known in the art to provide illuminating devices for use with 
caskets. This may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 1,871,611 to Headland. It is 
further known to provide drape supporting devices for caskets, such as 
seen in U.S. Pat. No. 2,303,725 to DeMent. Further, a combination drape 
and light assembly for use in funeral decoration is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 
567,405 to Garland. However, these prior art patents are somewhat 
cumbersome affairs and further are not capable of providing a support 
means for floral displays and the like. In addition, these several prior 
art devices are not particularly stable and could possibly collapse or 
come apart during use. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a casket 
canopy assembly which is portable and easily disassembled. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a casket canopy 
which includes shelves for use in supporting floral arrangements and the 
like. 
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a casket canopy 
which is a stable structure and which includes a light assembly and means 
for supporting a suitable drape or curtain. 
The casket canopy or display assembly in accordance with the present 
invention includes two end wing units which are mirror images of each 
other and which both carry a tiered array of shelves. A separate top is 
securable to an upper portion of the two end wings and is supported 
thereby. In an alternate arrangement, the top is formed in two sections 
with one section being affixed to each end wing unit. This canopy assembly 
is thus not only portable, since each wing is supplied with caster wheels 
or the like, but further is capable of being quickly disassembled and 
transported from one room to another or from one building to another. 
The two end wing units are each generally in the shape of a right triangle 
with the shelves extending up the hypotense and with the top being secured 
at the point of the triangle. This arrangement provides a stable structure 
for the support of the various floral displays, drapes, curtains, light 
fixtures and the like which may be utilized either during a funeral or in 
displaying a casket to a prospective purchaser. The present invention thus 
provides a casket canopy assembly which is much more secure and stable 
than the prior art devices. 
The casket canopy device of the present invention also includes a light 
means and a means to support a drape or curtains, if desired. As discussed 
above, these features are known generally in the art but in the past such 
devices were often either attached directly to the casket itself or were 
somewhat makeshift arrangements. In the present invention, the light 
means, drape or curtain support, top portion and tiered, shelved, end 
wings are all easily assembled into a stable, complete unit which does not 
run the risk of collapse at an inopportune moment. In addition, as has 
been discussed above, this entire assembly can be easily transported from 
place to place and provides a much superior casket canopy assembly over 
those shown in the prior art.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Turning now to FIG. 1, there may be seen generally at 10, a preferred 
embodiment of a casket canopy or display assembly in accordance with the 
present invention. This casket canopy or display assembly is comprised 
generally of left and right end wing sections 12 and 14 respectively, and 
a removable top or cover assembly 16. In the preferred embodiment the wing 
sections 12 and 14 and the top 16 are made primarily of wood which may be 
of any desired type and may be stained, painted or otherwise covered as 
desired. It will, of course, be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the 
art that other materials such as metal or plastic could be utilized in the 
construction of the assembly 10. As may be seen in FIG. 1, the end wing 
sections 12 and 14 and the top 16 combine to form a canopy for a casket 18 
shown generally in phantom. 
As may be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, each of the end wing units 12 and 14 is 
generally triangular in the preferred embodiment and has a generally 
horizontal base 20, a generally vertical inner wall 22, and an outer 
tiered wall 24. Outer tiered wall 24 is, in the preferred embodiment, 
divided into three tiers or shelves 26, 28 and 30 with these shelves being 
generally horizontal and each of the same general size. In addition, each 
end wing may also have one or more pull out shelves such as is shown at 32 
in FIG. 1. The location and number of the pull out shelves may vary as 
desired. Each end unit 12 and 14 is supported by at least three spaced 
caster wheels 34, 36, 38 with, as may be seen in FIG. 2, there being 
provided two casters 34 and 36 spaced at the corners of the intersection 
of the base 20 and the inner wall 22 and with the third caster 38 located 
at the opposite end of base 22 and at the midpoint of that end. In this 
way the three casters provide triangular support for each end wing unit 12 
and 14 while allowing maneuverability of these units. Should it be desired 
or necessary to increase the number or size of the caster units, this can 
easily be accomplished. 
Top or cover 16 is, as may be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, a generally elongated 
rectangular member having a front vertical face 40, a smaller rear 
vertical face 42, and generally horizontal web 44 therebetween. As may be 
seen in FIG. 1, front vertical face 40 may be generally pyramid shaped or 
may be arched and may carry suitable decorative inscriptions, carvings, 
scroll work or the like as may be desired. The horizontal web is, as may 
be seen in FIG. 2, as wide as the inner wall 22 of the wing units and the 
vertical faces 40 and 42 cooperate with the web 44 to prevent the end wing 
units from shifting transversely. Top or cover 16 is also provided at its 
ends with suitable means to engage the upper ends of the inner walls 22 of 
the wing units 12 and 14 to prevent movement of these end units toward or 
away for each other. One means for accomplishing this is through the use 
of suitable inverted U shaped channels 46 secured to either end of web 44. 
These inverted channels engage the upper ends of the inner wall 22 of wing 
units 12 and 14 and thus secure cover 16 in place. It will be obvious that 
any number of alternative fastening or supporting systems could be 
utilized so long as they are capable of securely yet releasably joining 
the top 16 and end units 12 and 14 together. 
It is often desirable to provide a curtain or drape to act as a backdrop 
for the casket and accordingly, the casket canopy of the present invention 
may include a removable drape rod 50 upon which may be supported a drape 
51. Drape rod 50 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as being supported by rod 
brackets 52 which are attached to the back of inner walls 22 of the end 
wing units 12 and 14. This means for attaching drape 51 is exemplary of a 
number of similar means for accomplishing this result. For example, hooks 
could be attached to the rear vertical face 42 of top 16 or, as another 
alternative, a rod could be secured to either the rear face 42 or to the 
web 44. Again, any suitable means could be used so long as it does not 
interfere with the portability and ease of disassembly of the casket 
canopy 10. Similarly, a light fixture or fixtures of known configuration 
can be attached to the top and/or wing units so long as these do not 
hinder the assembly and disassembly of the casket canopy. 
In use, the two end wing units 12 and 14 are wheeled into place at either 
end of a casket and the top 16 is then set into place with its channels 46 
engaging the upper ends of inner walls 22 of the wing units. A suitable 
drape 51 is then put in place and, if desired, a cloth or similar cover is 
placed over the wing units. Floral displays and the like can be positioned 
on the shelves 26, 28, 30 and 32 and the light means (not shown) actuated. 
When it is necessary to move the assembly, the cover and drape are 
removed, top 16 is disengaged from end wing units 12 and 14, and they are 
now free to be wheeled wherever needed. They can, if necessary, be stored 
such as by inverting one unit and placing it on the other so that the top 
shelf 30 of the inverted unit rests on the bottom shelf 26 of the 
remaining unit. Top 16 can easily be carried from place to place. In the 
preferred embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, each end wing is approximately 5 
feet, 8 inches high and 2 feet deep with each shelf having a length of 16 
inches for a total length of each wing unit of 4 feet. The top is 8 feet 
in length and 2 feet wide so that it and the end wing units, when 
assembled, form a structure 16 feet in length and 2 feet wide. 
Turning now to FIG. 3, there may be seen generally at 60 an alternate 
embodiment of a casket canopy in accordance with the present invention. At 
this embodiment in which similar numbers designate portions corresponding 
to the first embodiment 10, the end wing units 12 and 14 are virtually 
identical to those in the first embodiment 10 so that they need not be 
discussed further. The top 16 of the casket canopy assembly 60 of FIG. 3 
is somewhat different in that it is comprised of two halves 62 and 64 
which are each rigidly affixed to end units 12 and 14 respectively. If 
desired, corner brace 66 can be utilized at the juncture of the top halves 
62 and 64 with the inner walls 22 of end units 12 and 14 to provide added 
support. The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is preferred where it is desired 
to be able to adjust the spacing between the end units since the two top 
halves do not necessarily have to abut each other. It may also be 
desirable to place the canopy assembly in such a manner that the end units 
are either offset or angled slightly from each other. Again, the 
embodiment of FIG. 3 provides for this. It will be understood that the 
casket canopy assembly 60 may be provided with similar drape affixing 
means, lighting fixtures and the like as is assembly 10 with the 
difference between canopy units 10 and 60 residing in the structure of the 
top 16 and the attachment to end wing units 12 and 14 there being shown a 
one piece removable top in FIG. 1 and a two piece fixedly secured top in 
FIG. 3. 
While preferred embodiments of a casket canopy assembly in accordance with 
the present invention have been set forth hereinabove fully and 
completely, it will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that a 
number of changes in, for example, the dimensions of the units, the number 
of tiers of shelves, the positioning of the pull out shelves, the type of 
material used and the like may be made without departing from the true 
spirit of the invention and that therefore the scope of the invention is 
to be limited only by the following claims.