Flag holder

The flag holder includes a plate surrounded by an edge flange. Raised letters and symbols are integral with a plate face side. Letters, symbols and edge flange have flat surfaces in a front plane. The plate has a rear side and three mounting bosses with rear surfaces and threaded bores. Surfaces of the edge flange and the bosses are in a rear plane parallel to the front plane and the plate front side. Two vertically spaced tongue members extend from an outside surface of the edge flange. A U-shaped flag pole recess in each tongue has an open end that faces rearward. Three threaded pins are received in the threaded bores. Epoxy holds the pins in gravestone bores. Flag pole recesses are closed by the gravestone. A pole support surface is on the edge flange.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The flag holder attaches to a military veteran's gravestone and holds a small American flag on a small flag pole generally formed by a wood dowel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

American Legion Posts, in many parts of the United States, place American flags on the graves of veterans. These flags are often placed in cemeteries before Memorial Day in May. In some locations they remain until after Veteran's Day on November 11th. It is also common to place flags on graves shortly before Veteran's Day in cemeteries when flags are removed after Memorial Day.

The current flag holders include a metal body portion, and a metal stake. The body portion includes a vertical bore that receives a flag pole and a threaded bore. The threaded bore receives a threaded upper end of the stake. The stake is forced into the ground near a gravestone. These flag holders present a number of problems in cemeteries. Some cemeteries will not permit their employment. Grass cutting machines frequently hit the body portion, damage the body portion and bend the stake. Occasionally the flag holder is destroyed. Other times the flag holder can be repaired. Wind blows the flag against the gravestone, damages the flag, and shortens the flag's useful life. Vibrations caused by the wind blowing the flags over a period of years can destroy the threaded bore in the metal body. The stake portion may corrode or oxidize. Removal of the flag holders may be required to facilitate cemetery maintenance. Occasionally a flag holder is moved to the grave of a non-veteran. Some flag holders are also removed from cemeteries without approval to do so.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The flag holder includes a plate portion with a face side, a rear side. A plate portion edge is surrounded by an edge flange that extends to the front of the front side and that extends to the rear of the rear side. A series of raised letters and at least one symbol are integral with the face side of the plate portion and extend away from the face side. A front flat surface on the edge flange is in a vertical front plane that is parallel to the plate portion and spaced from the face side of the plate portion. A letter flat surface on each of the series of raised letters is in the vertical front plane. A symbol flat surface is also in the vertical front plane.

A rear flat surface on the edge flange is in a rear plane that is parallel to the vertical front plane and spaced to the rear of the rear side of the plate portion. At least three mounting bosses are integral with the plate portion. These mounting bosses extend to the rear of the rear side of the plate portion to a mounting boss rear surface, on each of the at least three mounting bosses, that is in the rear plane. A threaded bore in each of the at least three mounting bosses is in the rear plane. The threaded bore in each of the at least three mounting bosses is surrounded by the mounting boss rear surface and normal to the rear plane.

An upper tongue is integral with the edge flange and extends away from the edge flange and the plate portion. An upper U-shaped flag pole passage passes vertically through the upper tongue. An upper tongue rear edge surface extends to each side of an open top of the upper U-shaped flag pole passage. The upper tongue rear edge surface is in the rear plane.

A lower tongue is integral with the edge flange and extends away from the edge flange and the plate portion. A lower U-shaped flag pole passage passes vertically through the lower tongue. A lower tongue rear edge surface extends to each side of an open top of the lower U-shaped flag pole passage that is in the rear plane. The lower U-shaped flag pole passage is in vertical alignment with and spaced from the upper U-shaped flag pole passage.

Each, of at least three threaded mounting pins, is screwed into one of the threaded bores and extends rearward from the rear plane. A flag pole support surface on the edge flange is in vertical alignment with the upper U-shaped flag pole passage and the lower U-shaped flag pole passage and below the lower tongue.

Each of the threaded mounting pins has a shoulder that engages a mounting boss rear surface of the mounting boss and thread bore that receives the threaded mounting pin.

The flag holder includes a powder coat coating that provides corrosion protection.

The plate portion of the flag holder includes a horizontal bar member that extends laterally outward to outward to a least two outboard edges of the plate portion. The edge flange also surrounds the horizontal bar member. The flag pole support surface is on the edge flange directly above the horizontal bar member of the plate portion.

The flag holder is powder coated with a powder coat that includes a pigment. The powder coat is removed from surfaces in the front plane to expose bright metal. The flag holder is then powder coated with a transparent coat to retain the brightness of the bright metal.

The at least three threaded mounting pins are received in bores in a gravestone and retained by an epoxy adhesive. The open top of the upper U-shaped flag pole passage and the open top of the lower U-shaped flag pole passage are both closed by a gravestone flat surface.

A stainless steel plate is clamped to the surfaces in the rear plane by a shoulder on the threaded mounting pins when the flag holder is mounted on a rough or non-vertical surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The flag holder10is a cast bronze armorial ensign and emblem. The flag holder10includes a plate portion11with face side12of the flag holder having raised letters14and symbols16and18. The symbols and letters are surrounded by an edge flange20. The edge flange20, the symbols16and18and the letters14have face surfaces that are in a front vertical plane26. A recessed surface22is inside the edge flange20, behind the letters and behind the symbols16and18. The symbols16are olive branches. Olive branches16are symbols of peace. The star symbol18is a badge of honor. The large letters “U”19and “S”21are abbreviations for the United States of America. The raised letters14on the horizontal bar28at the bottom of the flag holder are the word “VETERAN” and indicate that the deceased person served in the armed forces of the United States. The flag holder10could be made from other metals. The flag holder10can also be made from non metallic materials.

The backside58of the flag holder includes a recessed surface30surrounded by an edge flange24. The edge flanges20and24are two portions of one flange. The flange20and24is integral with the edge25of the plate portion11. The gravestone engaging surface32is in a rear vertical plane34. The front vertical plane26and the rear vertical plane34are parallel to each other and spaced apart.

Three mounting bosses36,38and40extend rearward from the recessed surface30. The rear surfaces42,44and46of the mounting bosses36,38and40are in the rear vertical plane34. Each of the mounting bosses36,38and40has a threaded bore48,50and52. The threaded bores48,50and52do not extend through the flag holder10. Threaded mounting pins54screw into the threaded bores48,50and52. Each mounting pin54has a shoulder56that engages the rear surfaces42,44or46of the mounting boss36,38or40to which it is attached. A threaded portion57of each mounting pin54is received in one of the threaded bores48,50or52. The portions of each of the mounting pins54that extend out of the bosses36,38and40have ridges90and valleys92. These ridges and valleys can be threads or other retaining shapes.

Two vertically spaced apart tongues60and62extend horizontally outward from left side of the edge flanges20and24. A generally U-shaped flag pole passage64is provided in the tongue60. A generally U-shaped flag pole passage66is provided in the tongue62. The ends of the passages64and66facing rearward away from the face side12are open. The two passages64and66are in vertical alignment with each other. The passages64and66are also in vertical alignment with a flagpole support86on the edge flange24of the horizontal bar28. The sides of the U-shaped flag pole passages64and66have a draft for casting that results in an increase distance between the passage side walls at the open end. The rear edge surfaces68and70of the tongues60and62, adjacent to open ends of the U-shaped flag pole passages64and66, are in the rear vertical plane34. The front edge surface72and74of the tongues60and62are spaced away from the front vertical plane26and toward the rear vertical plane34.

The flag holder10is mounted on a generally flat vertical surface76of a gravestone78. Three bores80,82and84drilled into the gravestone78. A template is employed to insure that the three bores80,82and84are properly spaced and oriented. An epoxy resin88or other suitable adhesive is inserted into each of the bores80,82and84.

Threaded mounting pins54are screwed into each of the threaded bores48,50and52and tightened. The three threaded mounting pins54are inserted into the respective bores80,82and84with the epoxy. The flag holder10is then clamped against a flat vertical surface76of the gravestone78with flag holder gravestone engaging surfaces32in the rear vertical plane34in engagement with the gravestone78. The flag holder10is held in place while the epoxy cures. After the epoxy cures, the clamp is removed. The flag pole is inserted through the U-shaped flag pole passages64and66and into engagement with the flag pole support86on the edge flange24. The vertical surface76of the gravestone78closes the open ends of the U-shaped flag pole passages64and66. The tongues60and62cooperate with the gravestone78to hold a flag pole generally vertical and in engagement with the flag pole support86.

The flag holder10is cast from molten bronze or another copper alloy poured into a mold. If desired other metals or non metallic materials can be used. After cleaning, the casting may be coated with a powder including a pigment and then heated to form a powder coat that will prevent corrosion. The powder coat forms a protective coating94. The mounting bosses36,38and40are drilled and tapped to form threaded bores48,50and52. The face side12of the flag holder is machined to expose the metal faces surfaces of the edge flange20, the raised letters14, the large letters19and21, the symbols16and the symbol18. These machined surfaces are all in the front vertical plane26. The gravestone engaging surfaces32, the rear surfaces42,44and46on the mounting bosses36,38and40, and the rear surfaces68and70of the upper tongue60and the lower tongue62are also machined. These surfaces32,42,44and46are in the rear vertical plane34. The surfaces in rear vertical plane34the flag holder10contact the flat vertical surface76of the gravestone78. A clear powder coat is applied to the machined surfaces and the non-machined surfaces of the flag holder10to provide a clear corrosion protection coating96. The machined surfaces retain the color of the bronze, copper alloy, or other metal. Powder coating96is employed because it is long lasting.

The flag holder10as described above is mounted on a generally flat vertical surface76of a gravestone78shown inFIG. 6. The flat vertical surface76cooperates with the rear edge surfaces68and70of the tongues60and62to retain a flag pole in the generally U-shaped flag pole passages64and66. Some gravestones78do not have a flat vertical surface with sufficient size and without gravestone epitaph or other inscription for mounting the flag holder10. This problem is overcome by clamping a flat plate100with three apertures between the rear surfaces42,44, and46of the mounting bosses36,38and40and the shoulder56of the threaded mounting pins54. The flat plate100also engages all the surfaces in the rear vertical plane34and covers the recessed surface30. The flat plate also100engages the rear edge surfaces68and70of the tongues60and62and retains a flag pole in the generally U-shaped flag pole passages64and66. Bores80,82and84are parallel to each other and horizontal and intersect a surface of a gravestone78that is not flat or that is not vertical. The threaded mounting pins54are secured in the bores80,82and84as described above with the front vertical plane26of the flag holder10vertical. This may result in a gap between the flat plate100and the gravestone78. The gap exposes at least a portion of the mounting pins54. The mounting pins54may therefore be made from a material that resists corrosion. Stainless steel could, for example, be employed to make the flat plate and the mounting pins54.

The pins54of a flag holder10are completely encased, when the flag holder is mounted on a flat vertical surface76of a gravestone78, and protected from corrosion.

The flat plate100may be modified, to mount the flag holder10on a horizontal surface of a gravestone78. The modified flat plate100, as shown inFIG. 7, includes an integral flange102. This flange102extends to the rear of the flag holder10. As shown the integral flange102is perpendicular to the vertical flat plate portion100. The vertical flat plate100, as shown inFIG. 7, is clamped to the flag holder10by three threaded fasteners104. The vertical plate100engages and covers all of the surfaces of the flag holder that are in the rear vertical plane34including the rear edge surface68and70of the tongues60and62. The threaded fasteners104can be provided with fastener heads that permit them to be tightened but not removed. Three parallel threaded mounting pins54screw into the flange102as shown inFIG. 7. The three mounting pins54are secured in three bores80,82and84as described above.

The flange102as described above is for attaching a flat plate100and an attached flag holder10to a horizontal surface on a gravestone78. The integral bottom flange102can extend from the flat plate100at an angle other than ninety degrees for attachment to non-horizontal surfaces on gravestones. The integral flange102could also be integral with a portion of the flat plate100other than the bottom edge for attachment to gravestones78that can not accommodate direct attachment of the flag holder.

The flags110held by the flag holder10are usually eight inches high by twelve inches long or twelve inches high by eighteen inches long. The flag pole112used is usually a round wood dowel with a five sixteenths of an inch diameter. The flags110can be somewhat smaller or somewhat larger. The production flag holder can receive a flag pole with a diameter of three eights of an inch. The flag holder10can however be reduced or enlarged in size.

The flag holder10is preferably cast from molten bronze. The flag holder10casting is cleaned. The cleaned casting is powder coated, to prevent corrosion, employing powder coating material with a pigment. Various colors of pigment can be used. The surfaces in the front vertical plane26are machined to remove the powder coat and expose shiny metal. The surfaces in the rear vertical plane34are machined to insure that the surfaces in the rear vertical plane are flat and will engage the flat vertical surface76of a gravestone78or of a flat plate100. The flag holder10is then powder coated a second time to encase the flag holder in a substantially transparent clear coat to protect the machined surfaces in the front vertical plane26and the machined surfaces in the rear vertical plane34from corrosion and oxidation. Threaded mounting pins54are screwed into each of the threaded bores48,50and52. An epoxy adhesive is inserted into bores80,82and84in a gravestone78. The threaded mounting pins54are then inserted into the bores80,82and84. The machined surface in the rear vertical plane are held in engagement with the flat vertical surface76of the gravestone78while the epoxy adhesive cures. The flat vertical surface76closes the U-shaped flag pole passages64and66to retain a flag pole112. In installations in which a stainless steel flat plate100is required, the flat plat closes the U-shaped flag pole passages64and66.

The disclosed embodiments are representative of presently preferred forms of the invention, but are intended to be illustrative rather than definitive thereof. The invention is defined in the claims.