COFFINS

Abstract: A coffin has preformed base, lid, and endless side wall parts (11a, 11b, 11c), respectively, each composed of a foldable load-bearing card material. The three said parts are formed, glue jointed as appropriate, from blanks, the base and lid parts (11a, 11b), each to a substantially stable tray-form, the side wall part, from a single card length, the endless form, as stated. The shapes of the three parts whilst being, in shape, identical, differ in plan-form size, corresponding plan-form dimensions of the parts being such that the side wall part (11c) may sit with a snug fit, at one of its two free edge marginal portions, within the peripherally extending flange of the tray form base part (11a), and the at the other free edge marginal portion with a snug fit within the inverted tray form lid part (11b). The base part (11a) has pairs of opposed apertures, (27a, 27b; 29a, 29b), each pair of apertures receiving an individual strap (39, 41) to span the interior surface of the floor portion (17) of the base part and embrace the side wall and lid parts so as to retain the base lid and side wall parts in a stable coffin-shape configuration. The differences in plan-form size between the base and side wall parts enables the coffin components to be provided as a flat pack, the base and lid parts forming a box-form enclosure housing the side wall part reduced to a collapsed form and with the straps threading the apertures of the base part.

Description: Cof f ins This invention relates to coffins. According to the invention, a kit of parts for use in the construction of a coffin comprises: a unitary first body composed of a load-bearing foldable laminar material, being a coffin tray-form base part having a floor portion and, folded outstanding from said floor portion at the boundary thereof, an endless peripherally extending flange, and having, at locations spaced apart along the junctures between said floor portion and laterally disposed segments of said endless flange, a multiplicity of transversely aligned pairs of apertures; a unitary second body composed of a load-bearing foldable material, being a coffin tray-form lid part having a roof portion and outstanding from said roof portion at the boundary thereof, an endless peripherally extending flange; and, a unitary third body composed of a load-bearing foldable laminar material, being a coffin endless side wall part; and in which: the several aforesaid load-bearing laminar parts are constructed, arranged, and adapted such that, at assembly of thereof to a coffin configuration, said endless side wall part shall have a snug fit within said endless flange of said base part along a peripherally extending marginal portion adjacent one edge thereof and a snug fit within said flange of said lid part along a peripherally extending marginal portion adjacent the other edge thereof . The kit may, additionally, include a multiplicity of strap members which are adapted to be received by the base part such as to extend transversely of the base part through respective ones of the pairs of correspondingly located said apertures, said strap members being each of a length such as to be capable of embracing the side wall and lid parts, thereby collectively to serve as means for retaining said base part, said lid part, and said side wall part, in a coffin-forming stable configuration. According to the invention, also, a coffin comprises: a unitary first body composed of a load-bearing foldable laminar material, being a coffin tray-form base part having a floor portion and, folded outstanding from said floor portion at the boundary thereof, an endless peripherally extending flange, and having, at locations spaced apart along the junctures between said floor portion and laterally disposed segments of said endless flange, a multiplicity of transversely aligned pairs of apertures; a unitary second body composed of a load-bearing foldable material, being a coffin lid part having a roof portion and, outstanding from said roof portion at the boundary thereof, an endless peripherally extending flange; and, between said base and lid parts, a unitary third body composed of a load-bearing foldable material, being an endless side wall part; and, a multiplicity of strap members which extend transversely of the base part through respective ones of the pairs of correspondingly located said apertures; and in which: said endless side wall part has a snug fit within said peripheral flange of said base part along a peripherally extending marginal portion adjacent to one edge thereof, and has a snug fit within said peripheral flange of said lid part along a peripherally extending marginal portion adjacent to the other edge thereof; and, said strap members strap members are each of a length such as to embrace the side wall and lid parts, thereby collectively to serve as means for retaining said base part, said lid part, and said side wall part, in a coffin-forming stable configuration. The load-bearing laminar material may be of a biodegradable composition, such, for example, as a heavy duty cardboard. A coffin in accordance with the invention, is hereinafter described with respect to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figs. la, lb, and lc, are pictorial representations of the base part, the side wall part, and the lid part, respectively, of the kit of parts from which the coffin is to be erected; Fig.2 shows, diagrammatically, the side wall part of Fig. lb in a folded state; Fig.3 shows, diagrammatically, the blank from which the base part of Fig. la is to be constructed; Fig.4 is a pictorial representation of a flat pack including the three parts represented in Figs. la to lc; and, Fig.5 is a pictorial representation of a coffin erected using the flat pack of Fig.4. The drawings are largely self-explanatory. In the example, the coffin comprises unitary first, second and third bodies 11, 13, and 15, respectively, being, each, composed of a load-bearing foldable laminar material. The first body 11 constituting the coffin base part is, in the example, composed of a 200gm Kraft and Test card. The base part 11 is of tray form, having a floor portion 17 and, folded outstanding from the floor portion 17 at its boundary 19 an endless peripherally extending double-fold flange 21. The base part 11 has, at locations, spaced apart along the junctures, 23, 25, between laterally disposed segments of the endless flange 21 and the floor portion 17, a multiplicity, two in the example, of transversely aligned pairs of apertures, as 27a, 27b; 29a. 29b. The unitary second body 13 which, also, is composed of a 200gm Kraft card constitutes the coffin lid part 13. It, too, is of tray form, having a roof portion 31 and, outstanding from the roof portion, at its boundary 33, an endless peripherally extending flange 35. The unitary third body 15, which is between the base and lid parts 11, 13, is composed of 900gm Kraft card material. The body 15 constitutes the coffin endless side wall part. The side wall part 15 has a fold line defining a lipped edge portion 37 which is folded back such as to lie against the main body of the side wall. The last of the essential parts of the coffin construction comprises a multiplicity of strap members, two 39, 41, respectively, in the example, these extending transversely of the base part 11 through respective ones of said pairs of correspondingly located apertures 27a, 27b; 29a, 29b. It is to be seen that the strap members 39, 41, are looped at their ends. The plan-form dimensions of the base part 11 are somewhat greater than corresponding ones of the endless side wall part 15 at one of the ends thereof, and the plan-form dimensions of the lid part 13 are somewhat greater than corresponding dimensions of the side wall part 15, at the other end thereof. The endless side wall part 15 has a snug fit within the peripheral flange 21 of the base part 11 along a peripherally extending marginal portion 43 of the side wall part 15 adjacent to one edge thereof, and has a snug fit within the peripheral flange 35 of the lid part 13 along a peripherally extending marginal portion 45 adjacent to the other edge of the side wall part 15. The strap members 39, 41, extend through respective ones of each of the pairs of apertures 27a, 27b; 29a, 29b, to span the inner surface of the base part floor portion 17, and are each of a length such as to embrace the side wall and lid parts 11, 13, the strap members 39, 41, serving, collectively, as means for retaining said base part 11, the lid part 13, and the side wall part 15, in a coffin-forming stable configuration. The looped ends of the strap members serve as handle portions facilitating the transport and the raising and lowering of the coffin. The several parts of the coffin may, as represented in Fig.4, be accommodated in a flat pack. It is primarily for this reason that the plan-form dimensions of the base and lid parts 11, 13, are chosen, respectively, such, that whilst, in assembly of the coffin, side wall part 15 is adapted to be received at top and bottom margins thereof with a snug it within the confines of the endless flanges 21, 35, of the base and lid parts 11, 13, respectively, the base part 11 serves as a receptacle for the lid part and within the box-form enclosure so provided, the side wall part 15, folded flat, is housed, pending erection of the coffin from the several fiat pack parts. The flat pack is completed by the presence of the strap members 39, 41, which may be supplied, as shown in Fig.4, threaded through respective ones of the aperture pairs 27a, 27b; 29a, 29b, and by the provision within the box-form enclosure, together with the collapsed side wall part 15, of a floor overlay part 47 composed of a load-bearing card, 200gm Kraft card, say, having a shape and size conforming substantially to that of the floor portion 17. At least the upper surface of the overlay member 47 has a wax coating such as to prevent penetration of the latter part by body emenating fluids. The overlay member serves not only as a protective sheet against damage to the base part 11 by body-emanating fluids as mentioned above, it provides additional strength at the base part 11 and to cover the portions of the strap members which span the base part floor portion 35. The base part 11 is formed to a sub-unit, as depicted at Fig. la, from the blank illustrated in Fig.3. The blank has inner and outer fold lines 49, 51, respectively, which extend around the blank in the vicinity of its free edges. The inner fold line 49 defines the boundary of the base part floor portion 17 and is the fold line from which the flange 21 is to outstand from the floor part. The outer fold line 51 defines the upper edge of the flange 21 and is the fold line at which card material at the edges of the blank is to be folded back to contact with the card material between the two fold lines, thereby to add strength to the base part and, also, when folded to the condition shown in Fig. la, to provide a snug fit with the side wall part 15. Tab portions 53 constitute means whereby the blank may, following folding at the fold lines 49, 51, be rendered to an erect form using at the tabs a strong bonding adhesive. The blank (not shown) for the lid part 13 whilst being identical in shape to the base part 11 differs, it differs from that blank in that, for reasons adverted to previously, is to a somewhat reduced scale. The lid part blank is, moreover, devoid of aperture pairs such as are provided in the base part blank in order to provide, in the base part 11, for the reception of strap members. As for the endless side wall part 15, this is formed from one straight length of card, the card being folded as indicated at appropriate positions and glue jointed where the ends of the blank.

Claims: Claims 1. A kit of parts for use in the construction of a coffin, being a kit characterized by: a unitary first body composed of a load-bearing foldable laminar material, being a coffin tray-form base part having a floor portion and, folded outstanding from said floor portion at the boundary thereof, an endless peripherally extending flange, and having also, at locations spaced apart along the junctures between laterally disposed portions of said flange and said floor portion, a multiplicity of transversely aligned pairs of apertures; a unitary second body composed of a load-bearing foldable material, being a coffin tray-form lid part having a roof portion and outstanding from said roof portion at the boundary thereof, an endless peripherally extending flange; and, a unitary third body composed of a load-bearing foldable laminar material, being a coffin endless side wall part; and in which: the several aforesaid load-bearing laminar parts are constructed, arranged, and adapted such that, at assembly of thereof to a coffin configuration, said endless side wall part shall have a snug fit within said endless flange of said base part along a peripherally extending marginal portion of the side wall part adjacent to one edge thereof, and a snug fit within said flange of said lid part along a peripherally extending marginal portion of the side wall part adjacent to the other edge thereof. 2. A kit as claimed in any of claim 1 and which is further characterized by: a multiplicity of strap members which are adapted to be received by the base part such as to extend transversely of the base part through respective ones of said pairs of correspondingly located said apertures, said strap members being each of a length such as to be capable of embracing the side wall and lid parts, thereby being able, collectively, to serve as means for retaining said base part, said lid part, and said side wall part, in a coffin-forming stable configuration. 3. A kit as claimed in claim 2 characterized in that said strap members have looped ends of a size such as to be capable of receiving a human hand. 4. A kit as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 and which is further characterized in having a load-bearing laminar member of shape and size substantially identical to that of the floor portion of said base part. 5. A kit as claimed in claim 4 characterized in that said laminar member has been treated such as to render the same substantially impermeable to body-emanating fluids. 6. A kit as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that said load-bearing laminar material of which the several said parts are each of a biodegradable composition. 7. A kit as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6 characterized in that the plan-form dimensions of said base part are somewhat greater than corresponding ones of said endless side wall part, and the plan-form dimensions of said endless side wall part are somewhat greater than corresponding ones of said lid part, the several said plan-form dimensions being such that the lid part may be received at least partially within said base part with said roof floor portions of said lid and base parts being then respectively held spaced apart parallel to one another by contact between at least one of said endless flanges with said roof or, as the case may be, said floor portion to constitute a box-form enclosure. 8. A kit as claimed in claim 7 characterized in that said base and lid parts form said box-form enclosure; said endless side wall part, folded to a flattened form, is within said box-form enclosure; and, said multiplicity of strap members extend transversely of said base part through respective ones of said pairs of correspondingly located said apertures, the whole forming a flat pack of part-assembled parts. 9. A coffin which is characterized in having: a unitary first body composed of a load-bearing foldable laminar material, being a coffin tray-form base part having a floor portion and, folded outstanding from said floor portion at the boundary thereof, an endless peripherally extending flange, and having, also, at locations spaced apart along the junctures between said floor portion and laterally disposed segments of said endless flange, a multiplicity of transversely aligned pairs of apertures; a unitary second body composed of a load-bearing foldable material, being a coffin tray-form lid part having a roof portion and, outstanding from said roof portion at the boundary thereof, an endless peripherally extending flange; and, between said base and lid parts, a unitary third body composed of a load-bearing foldable material, being an.endless side wall part; and, a multiplicity of strap members which extend transversely of the base part through respective ones of the pairs of correspondingly located said apertures; and which is further characterized in that: said endless side wall part has a snug fit within said peripheral flange of said base part along a peripherally extending marginal portion of the side wall part adjacent to one edge thereof, and has a snug fit within said peripheral flange of said lid part along a peripherally extending marginal portion of the side wall part, adjacent to the other edge thereof; and, said strap members are each of a length such as to embrace the side wall and lid parts, thereby collectively to serve as means for retaining said base part, said lid part, and said side wall part, in a coffin-forming stable configuration. 10. A coffin as claimed in claim 9 characterized in that said strap members a have looped ends of a size such as to constitute coffin handles. 11. A coffin as claimed in claim 8, 9 or 10 characterized in that, within the coffin, overlaying said floor portion of said base part, there is a load-bearing laminar member of shape and size substantially identical to that of the floor portion of said base part. overlay member has been treated such as to render the same substantially impermeable to body-emanating fluids. 13. A coffin as claimed in any of claims 9 to 12 characterized in that load-bearing laminar material of said lid, side wall, base parts, and said floor portion overlay member, are each of a biodegradable composition. 14. A set of blanks composed of a load-bearing foldable laminar material, each of a shape and size such as severally to be bendable to base, lid, and side wall part forms such as to constitute a kit as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8.

Inventors: BROWN SIMON BERNARD, BROWN, SIMON, BERNARD
Applicants: BROWN SIMON BERNARD, BROWN, SIMON, BERNARD
Application year: 2001
Main classification: A61G17
IPC codes: A61G17