Shipping package for casket folders

There is provided a shipping package for casket folders, comprising a pair of casket-base folders each having stocky and stiff edges bordering the inside side of each folder. The casket-base folders are positioned against each other with their inside sides facing each other. The inside sides and the stocky edges of both casket-base folders define a hollow space, in which there are enclosed a pair of casket-cover folders and a pair of pressed casket-interior liner cloths. The casket-interior liner cloths are attached to liner-cloth stretchers which are affixed to one of the casket-base folders. A pair of oblong boxes enclose the ends of the casket-base folders and extend over a portion of the juxtaposed stocky edges. The shipping package is advantageous for affording a firm handling thereof and for its ability to retain the casket-interior liner cloths in a pleated, wrinkle-free condition until the package is opened again at destination.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention relates to packages for shipping cardboard caskets
 and cremation boxes, and more particularly, the present invention pertains
 to a shipping package comprising at least a pair of flat casket kits in
 which the casket-interior liner cloths are maintained in a pleated and
 wrinkle-free condition.
 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 Cardboard caskets and cremation boxes are commonly shipped to funeral
 parlors in flat configurations, to save on transport costs and storage
 space. These caskets and boxes are assembled and formed by the funeral
 director's personnel as needed.
 A number of methods and packages have been used in the past to ship
 cardboard caskets and cremation boxes in a configuration which requires
 minimum space. A common requirement regarding the shipping of caskets and
 cremation boxes in a flat configuration is that the casket components such
 as the handles, corpse supporting and positioning accessories and the
 interior liner cloth should be included within the package, to form a
 complete kit. Also, the shipping of caskets and cremation boxes in a flat
 configuration preferably requires that the package be sturdy enough to
 afford a firm handling without causing the components to becoming loose,
 separated, deteriorated or damaged.
 In regard to prior developments in this field, the following US Patents
 illustrate and describe various cardboard caskets and cremation boxes that
 are shippable in a flat or collapsed configuration. U.S. Pat. No.
 3,574,906 issued to Richard Rittenhouse, on Apr. 13, 1971; U.S. Pat. No.
 3,729,786 issued to Rowland Trevor Walding, on May 1, 1973; U.S. Pat. No.
 4,063,337 issued to Ambrose S. Havey, III, on Dec. 20, 1977; U.S. Pat. No.
 4,151,630 issued to Ambrose S. Havey, on May 1, 1979; U.S. Pat. No.
 4,156,956 issued to Roger J. Partridge et al., on Jun. 5, 1979; U.S. Pat.
 No. 4,176,431 issued to Ambrose S. Havey, III, on Dec. 4, 1979; U.S. Pat.
 No. 4,399,596 issued to Henry W. Parlour et al., on Aug. 23, 1983; U.S.
 Pat. No. 5,035,032 issued to Donald W. Nutting, on Jul. 30, 1991; U.S.
 Pat. No. 5,307,545 issued to Dennis J. Stoltz, on May 3, 1994; U.S. Pat.
 No. 5,353,484 issued to Stephen D. Woedl et al., on Oct. 11, 1994; U.S.
 Pat. No. 5,586,679 issued to Betty M. Thomas, on Dec. 24, 1996; U.S. Pat.
 No. 5,661,879 issued to Dean A. Kelly, on Sep. 2, 1997; U.S. Pat. No.
 5,775,061 issued to John R. Enneking et al., on Jul. 7, 1998; U.S. Pat.
 No. 5,915,680 issued to Izuru Umemura et al., on Jun. 29, 1999.
 Although the shipping methods and packages of the prior art have respective
 advantages and deserve undeniable merits, these packages and methods are
 believed to be inadequate with regards to preserving the product quality
 during transport of the casket or cremation box from the manufacturer's
 plant to the funeral director's establishment. For example, the prior art
 packages are believed to be inadequate for preserving the interior liner
 cloth against shuffling and ruffling during transport and handling
 thereof, especially when the packages are stacked on their edges.
 Also, whether these casket kits are shipped in batches or as a single unit,
 each batch or unit is generally tied with straps. Edge protectors are
 normally used with tie straps. However, it is known that these edge
 protectors often slip off from under the straps during transport and
 handling. Consequently, it is quite common to observe strap marks and
 associated quality defects along the edges of cardboard caskets that are
 shipped by trucks or trains.
 As such, it will be appreciated that there continues to be a need for a
 shipping package for cardboard casket folders and cremation box folders
 whereby the quality of the casket or cremation box and all of its
 components are preserved during transport from the manufacturer's facility
 to the purchaser's funeral parlor.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention provides for a sturdy package for shipping cardboard
 casket kits while preserving the quality of the product and all of its
 components after final inspection and packaging by the manufacturer, and
 until delivery to the purchaser's funeral parlor or warehouse.
 In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
 shipping package for casket folders, comprising a pair of casket-base
 folders each having stocky and stiff edges bordering the inside side of
 each folder. The casket-base folders are positioned against each other
 with their inside sides facing each other and with the edges of one
 casket-base folder being juxtaposed and aligned with the opposite edges of
 the other casket-base folder. The inside sides and the stocky edges of
 both casket-base folders define a hollow space therebetween, in which
 there are enclosed a pair of casket-cover folders and a pair of pleated
 and pressed casket-interior liner cloths. The casket-interior liner cloths
 are attached to liner-cloth stretchers which are affixed to the
 casket-base folders. A pair of oblong boxes enclose the ends of the
 casket-base folders and extend over a portion of the juxtaposed stocky
 edges.
 The shipping package according to this aspect of the present invention is
 advantageous for providing substantial strength in resisting firm handling
 thereof and for its ability to retain the casket-interior liner cloths in
 a pleated and wrinkle-free condition until the package is opened again at
 destination.
 In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the surface of
 the shipping package has semicircular handle openings therein, and each of
 the semicircular handle openings has a straight segment bordering one of
 the stocky edges. The position of these handles is advantageous for
 inciting the handling of the shipping package by one of the stiff and
 stocky edges for preserving the quality of the shipping package and of the
 casket kits contained therein.
 In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, there are
 provided strips of mating and gripping material along the stocky edges for
 retaining the stocky edges together when a pair of casket-base folders are
 laid against each other. This assembly provides for a shipping package
 that has strong laminated-like edges to resist deformation associated with
 repeated rugged manipulations.
 The use of strips of gripping and mating material along the stocky edges,
 for retaining two casket-base folders against each other, is also
 advantageous during the assembly of the shipping package at the
 manufacturing plant. The retention of both casket-base folders together is
 advantageous for affording the turning of the pair of casket kits upside
 down or edge to edge, during the attachment of the oblong boxes thereon
 for example, without causing any ruffling of the casket-interior liner
 cloths contained therein.
 In yet another aspect of the present invention, each casket-base folder has
 a central crease-free portion, and each oblong box has a longitudinal
 dimension relative to the shipping package, which is equal to or smaller
 than the width of the central crease-free portion. Each oblong box is
 thereby usable in a flat form as a casket bottom liner, in order to reduce
 waste associated with this shipping package.
 Furthermore, each liner-cloth stretcher is made of two symmetrical segments
 which are detachably connected to each other. Each segment has slots,
 tabs, and bending lines therein to afford a folding thereof into an
 alternate form which is usable as a casket accessory, in order to also
 reduce waste associated with the shipping package.
 Still another feature of the shipping package of the present invention is
 that it is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to
 materials, equipment and labour, and which accordingly is then susceptible
 of low price of sale to the funeral industry.
 Other advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent
 from the following detailed description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
 While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many various forms,
 there is shown in the drawings and will be described in details herein a
 specific embodiment of a casket shipping package and some preferred
 components thereof, with the understanding that the present disclosure is
 to be considered as an example of the principles of the invention and is
 not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated.
 In order to simplify the text of this specification, the words casket and
 casket kit are used herein to indicate a cardboard casket, a cremation
 box, a casket liner box, a body container or the like container made with
 foldable material and shippable to a purchaser in a flat form.
 Reference is firstly made to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, wherein there is illustrated
 a shipping package 20 according to the preferred embodiment of the present
 invention, comprising a pair of casket kits. Each casket kit includes a
 casket-base folder 22, a casket-cover folder 24, and a casket-interior
 liner cloth 26 which is pleated, pressed, stretched and maintained in a
 wrinkle-free condition by its attachment to a liner-cloth stretcher 28.
 The casket-base folders 22 are placed with their inside surfaces against
 each other, and enclose both casket-cover folders 24 and both
 casket-interior liner cloths 26. The shipping package 20 according to the
 preferred embodiment also comprises a pair of oblong boxes 30 enclosing
 both ends of the casket kits.
 Each casket-base folder 22 has relatively stocky longitudinal edges as will
 be described later. Therefore, when both casket-base folders 22 are placed
 against each other, a hollow space 25 is defined therebetween. This hollow
 space 25 has sufficient thickness for fixedly enclosing the casket-cover
 folders 24, the casket-interior liner cloths 26 and other casket
 components which will be described later, and which are required for
 mounting a complete casket.
 The liner-cloth stretchers 28 are attached by staples, clips or otherwise
 to the edge of one of the casket-base folders 22, in order to prevent
 relative movement of the liner cloths 26 within the shipping package
 during transport and handling of the shipping package. The use of these
 liner-cloth stretchers 28 is advantageous for ensuring that the interior
 liner cloths 26 are delivered to a funeral parlor in a wrinkle-free,
 out-of-the-laundry-room condition.
 The oblong boxes 30 are secured to the casket-base folders 22 by strap
 members 32 which are respectively threaded through a first set of holes 34
 through each oblong box 30, and through a second set of holes 36 through
 each casket-base folder 22.
 The inside dimensions of the oblong boxes 30 are preferably selected such
 as to provide a precise fit over the casket-base folders 22. When the
 strap members 32 are installed and tightened in place, the casket-base
 folders 22 are securely held against each other for firmly clamping the
 casket-cover folders 24 and the casket-interior liner cloths 26
 therebetween.
 As will be appreciated, each of the casket-base folders 22 is foldable to
 form a casket base. Each of the casket-cover folders 24 is foldable to
 form a casket cover. Further details as to the folding of these folders 22
 and 24 are not provided herein for being known to those skilled in the art
 of foldable cardboard casket kits.
 As mentioned before, the shipping package 20 according to the preferred
 embodiment has stocky edges 38, the structure of which will be described
 later when making reference to FIG. 6, for resisting substantial bending
 stresses and affording a firm handling thereof. The shipping package 20
 according to the preferred embodiment also has several handle openings 40
 therein which are conveniently located along the stocky edges 38 for
 affording an easy manipulation of the shipping package by hand.
 Although the illustrations in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show components for making
 one pair of caskets. It will be appreciated that a similar shipping
 package can be built for shipping components for making a larger quantity
 of caskets. Preferably, the shipping package includes folders for making
 two to six caskets such that it is still manipulable by hand.
 Referring now to FIGS. 4 to 6, the preferred casket-base folder 22 included
 in the shipping package 20 according to the preferred embodiment will be
 described in details. The preferred casket-base folder 22 has reinforced
 side edges 38' and semicircular handle openings 40 therein. Each
 reinforced edge 38' has a longitudinal portion 42 that is bent over the
 side section 44 and encloses a wood strip 46. The longitudinal portion 42
 is glued to the side section 44.
 The casket-base folder 22 is preferably made of two-ply corrugated board
 material having a thickness of about 5/16 inch (8 mm). The wood strip 46
 has preferred dimensions of 1/4 inch thick by one inch wide (6 mm
 .times.25 mm) and extends the full effective length of the casket base to
 be formed. The resulting thickness `A` of the reinforced stocky edge 38'
 is about 7/8 inch (22 mm) to provide substantial strength and stiffness to
 the casket-base folder 22 when the casket-base folder is assembled in the
 shipping package 20, and when it is folded up in its usable form.
 Upon working of the casket kits into formed caskets, each oblong box 30 is
 preferably flattened and used as a reinforcing pad along the bottom
 surface of one of the formed caskets, in a manner which is known in the
 art. For this purpose, the longitudinal dimension `B` of each oblong box
 30 relative to the length of the shipping package 20 is preferably equal
 to or shorter than the inside width of a formed casket, that is, as the
 width `C` of the central crease-free portion of the casket-base folder 22.
 The longitudinal dimension of each oblong box 30 is also determined as to
 enclose a portion `D` of at least one inch (25 mm) of the reinforced edge
 38' on each end of a casket-base folder 22, such that the shipping package
 20 is sturdy and can be manipulated by supporting it at any location along
 the perimeter thereof.
 Each semicircular handle opening 40 is positioned with the straight edge
 thereof aligned along and bordering the longitudinal folded portion 42 of
 the reinforced edge 38'. The cut-out flap 48 of each handle opening 40 is
 foldable over the longitudinal portion 42 such that a manipulation of the
 casket-base folder 22 or of the shipping package 20 by these handle
 openings 40, provides a strong hold to prevent damage to the folders 22 or
 to the shipping package 20. It will be appreciated that the position of
 these semicircular handle openings 40 is also advantageous for handling
 the casket in use.
 The preferred width `E` of the reinforced edge 38' is between about 4-5
 inches (102-127 mm). This dimension provides appropriate strength to the
 shipping package 20 and to the casket in use.
 The preferred casket-base folder 22 has a plastic sheet or liner 50
 attached to the interior surface thereof. This plastic sheet 50 is known
 in the field as a liquid retainer, and is only partly illustrated in FIG.
 4 for maintaining the clarity of the drawing. The plastic liner 50 is
 preferably attached to the inside surface of the casket-base folder 22 by
 means of adhesive strips 52 applied on the inside surface and along the
 reinforced edges 38' of the casket-base folder 22.
 Each end flap 54 also preferably has an adhesive strip 56 such that an
 assembly of the casket base is easily effected by folding the end flap 54
 over the end segments 58 and 60 in a known manner for securing the end
 members 62 to the end segments. The adhesive strips 52 and 56 are
 preferably of the type having a protective peel-off tape thereon wherein
 the adhesive surface is exposed by removing the tape.
 The strapping holes 36 form a set with handle holes 64 through the end
 member 62 for receiving cord-type handles. Other pairs of handle holes 66
 through the end segments 58 and 60 are positioned to coincide with the
 holes 36 and 64 through the end member 62 when the casket is formed.
 A pair of cord pieces 68 are preferably taped to the inside surface of each
 end member 62. Upon forming and assembly of a casket, these cord pieces 68
 are conveniently inserted in the superimposed holes 64, 36 and 66 from the
 exterior of the formed casket. Knots are formed on each cord pieces 68
 inside the formed casket to define a pair of handles (not shown) through
 each end wall of the formed casket. For increased strength, each pair of
 holes 66 is preferably lined with a stiff holed plate 70 which is glued to
 the inside surface of each of the end segments 58 and 60.
 It will be appreciated that while only one end of the preferred casket-base
 folder 22 has been described hereinabove, both ends are symmetrical and
 similarly structured.
 As mentioned before, the interior liner cloth 26 for one casket is pleated,
 stretched and retained to a liner-cloth stretcher 28, such that it remains
 in a wrinkle-free condition during the transport of the shipping package
 20 from the manufacturing plant to the purchaser's establishment. The
 preferred cloth-liner stretcher 28 is stapled or similarly tied to the
 reinforced stocky edge 38'. The interior liner cloth for the other casket
 in the pair of casket kits contained in the shipping package 20 is
 preferably tied to the reinforced edge 38' on the opposite side of the
 same casket-base folder 22. The interior liner cloth for the other casket
 is preferably tied to the opposite edge 38', in a mirrored position
 relative to the position of the first liner cloth 26, and relative to the
 longitudinal and transversal axes (not shown) of the casket-base folder
 22, as illustrated in dashed lines 26' in FIG. 4. The attachment of both
 casket-interior cloths 26, 26' to the same casket-base folder is
 advantageous for affording an attachment of these casket-interior cloths
 when the casket-base folder is in a flat position. As will be appreciated,
 this attachment is advantageous for obviating the need for turning one of
 the liner cloths upside down during the assembling of the shipping package
 20 according to the preferred embodiment, to prevent ruffling of the
 cloths during the final assembly of the shipping package 20.
 Each casket-base folder 22 has strips of Velcro.TM. fasteners 72 and 74
 which are provided along the inside surfaces of the reinforced stocky
 edges 38'. During the forming of a delivered casket, the interior liner
 cloth 26 is preferably unfolded and attached to these strip fasteners 72,
 74 in a known manner.
 The strip fasteners 72 on one side of the casket-base folder 22 are
 preferably of a gripping type, and the strip fasteners 74 on the other
 side of the casket-base folder 22 are preferably of a mating type, or
 vice-versa. Therefore, when the two casket-base folders 22 are placed
 against each other, with their inside surfaces facing each other, the
 mating strips 72 on one casket-base folder mates with the gripping strips
 74 on the other folder to retain both casket-base folders against each
 other. It will be appreciated that the complete shipping package 20 formed
 thereby has stiff laminated-like edges 38 for providing substantial
 strength and support surface to resist a firm handling thereof.
 The strip fasteners 72, 74 are also advantageous for retaining a pair of
 casket-base folders 22 together during an intermediate packaging process,
 wherein the casket-cover folders 24 and the liner cloths 26 are retained
 therebetween in a fixed manner. The pair of casket-base folders 22 are
 thereby easily manipulable during the assembling of the shipping package
 20, for installing and securing the oblong boxes 30 thereon for example.
 Referring now to FIGS. 7 to 9, there will be described an important feature
 of the preferred liner-cloth stretcher 28. As it was mentioned before, the
 interior liner cloth 26 is retained to a liner-cloth stretcher 28 such
 that it is kept in a wrinkle-free condition until the casket kit is
 delivered to the purchaser. The liner cloth 26 is preferably retained to
 the liner-cloth stretcher 28 by means of threads, pins or plastic ties 76
 such as those used in garment packaging for example.
 The preferred liner-cloth stretcher 28 is made of single-ply corrugated
 board. The preferred liner-cloth stretcher 28 is made of two symmetrical
 halves or T-like segments 80, 82, which are joined at their bases in a
 separable manner along a perforated line 84. Each T-segment, 80 for
 example, is foldable along several dotted lines 86 to form a corpse
 positioning and supporting member 88 which is conveniently usable for
 supporting the elbow or the head of an exposed corpse. Each liner-cloth
 stretcher 28 is thereby usable for making a pair of corpse positioning and
 supporting members 88, as those are generally needed in pairs in each
 casket.
 Tabs and slots are preferably provided on each of the T-segments 80, 82 for
 securing each T-segment in a folded block-like form without adhesive. For
 example, tab 90 is preferably adapted for engagement with slot 92, and the
 tabs 94 and 96 are preferably adapted for engagement into the slots 98 and
 100 respectively.
 The preferred dimensions for each liner-cloth stretcher 28 are selected to
 form a multi-dimensional corpse supporting and positioning member 88 which
 can be used in different orientations for supporting a corpse portion at
 different levels. Examples of preferred dimensions for the corpse
 supporting and positioning member 88 are: a height `F` of about 3-4 inches
 (7.6-10 cm), a width `G` of about 4-5 inches (10-12 cm), and a length `H`
 of about 5-6 inches (12-15 cm). These dimensions have been found to be
 convenient for the intended purpose of the article. This liner-cloth
 stretcher 28 is also made with combustible material and is usable in the
 final product in order to reduce waste associated with the use of the
 preferred shipping package 20.
 As will be appreciated from the above, the casket-base folder 22, the
 casket-cover folder 24, the plastic liner 50, the cord pieces 68, the
 liner cloth 26 and the liner-cloth stretcher 28 cooperatively form a
 selfcontained casket kit which is easily assembled without any additional
 material, tool or jig. The forming of a casket with the casket kit
 described herein requires minimal instructions and does not generate any
 waste other than a pair of strapping members 32.
 As to other manners of usage and operation of the shipping package 20
 according to the present invention or to other manners of assembling the
 preferred casket folders 22 or corpse supporting and positioning members
 88 contained in the shipping package 20, the same should be apparent from
 the above description and accompanying drawings, and accordingly, further
 discussion relative to these aspects would be considered redundant and is
 not provided.
 While one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated in the
 accompanying drawings and described hereinabove, it will be appreciated by
 those skilled in the art that various modifications, alternate
 constructions and equivalents may be employed without departing from the
 true spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the above description
 and the illustrations should not be construed as limiting the scope of the
 invention which is defined by the appended claims.