Abstract:
A saddle mounting assembly for a grave marker allows a person to attach a headstone saddle to a grave marker without causing damage to the grave marker. The assembly includes a mounting member configured for attaching to a grave marker. The mounting member includes an upper section and a lower section. An outer surface of the lower section is grooved. A coupler is attached to the upper section. The coupler is configured to releasably couple the mounting member to a grave marker saddle to attach the grave marker saddle to a top surface of the grave marker.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Field of the Disclosure 
     The disclosure relates to mounting devices and more particularly pertains to a new mounting device for allowing a person to attach a headstone saddle to a grave marker without causing damage to the grave marker. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a mounting member configured for attaching to a grave marker. The mounting member includes an upper section and a lower section. An outer surface of the lower section is grooved. A coupler is attached to the upper section. The coupler is configured to releasably couple the mounting member to a grave marker saddle to attach the grave marker saddle to a top surface of the grave marker. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a top front side perspective view of a saddle mounting assembly for a grave marker according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a front partial cutaway view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a detailed view of an embodiment of the disclosure in use. 
         FIG. 5  is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 5  thereof, a new mounting device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 5 , the saddle mounting assembly for a grave marker  10  generally comprises a mounting member  12  configured for attaching to a grave marker  14 . The mounting member  12  has an uppermost surface  16  and a lowermost surface  18 . The mounting member includes an upper section  20 , a lower section  22  and an intermediate section  24  coupled to and extending between the upper section  20  and the lower section  22 . An outwardly projecting lip  26  is coupled to the intermediate section  24 . The lip  26  may extend a full length around an outer surface  28  of the intermediate section  24 . The lip  26  is integrally coupled to the intermediate section  24 . A longitudinal axis extends through the mounting member  12  between the uppermost surface  16  and the lowermost surface  18 . The upper section  20  includes the uppermost surface  16 . The lower section  22  includes the lowermost surface  18 . The upper section  20  may have an annular perimeter edge  30 . The upper section  20  has a greater width than the intermediate section  24 . The mounting member  12  is constructed from a durable material, such as stainless steel or the like. 
     An outer surface  32  of the lower section  22  is grooved wherein the lower section  22  defines a plurality of frustoconical portions  34 . Each of the frustoconical portions  34  is coupled to an adjacently positioned one of the frustoconical portions  34 . Each of the frustoconical portions  34  is collinear with respect to each other and aligned along the longitudinal axis of the mounting member  12 . Each of the frustoconical portions  34  has a top edge  36 , a bottom edge  38  and an angled peripheral edge  40  extending between the top edge  36  and the bottom edge  38 . Each of the top edges  36  is positioned transverse relative to the longitudinal axis of the mounting member  12 . Each of the angled peripheral edges  40  extends downwardly and inwardly from the associated top edge  36 . 
     A coupler  42  is attached to the mounting member  12  at the uppermost surface  16 . In particular, the coupler  42  comprises a ring. The coupler  42  is pivotable relative to the uppermost surface  16  wherein the coupler  42  is positionable in an extended position  44  and a retracted position  46 . The coupler  42  extends outwardly from the uppermost surface  16  when the coupler  42  is in the extended position  44 . A depression  48  extends into the uppermost surface  16 . The coupler  42  is positionable within the depression  48  when the coupler  42  is in the retracted position  46 . A connector  50 , such as a conventional cable tie or the like, is couplable to the mounting member  12 . The connector  50  is extendable around the coupler  42  and configured to releasably couple the mounting member  12  to a grave marker saddle  52  to attach the grave marker saddle  52  to a top surface  54  of the grave marker  14 . The grave marker saddle  52  is generally conventional and is used to hold flowers  56  on the top surface  54  of the grave marker  14 . 
     The mounting member  12  may have a length between approximately 4.0 centimeters and 14.0 centimeters and a diameter between approximately 2.0 centimeters and 6.5 centimeters. Each of the frustoconical portions  34  may have a width between approximately 1.2 centimeters and 4.2 centimeters. 
     In use, as stated above and shown in the Figures, a hole is drilled into a perimeter wall  60  of the grave marker  14  near the top surface  54  of the grave marker  14 . An adhesive  58 , such as epoxy, is positioned within the hole. The grooved nature of the outer surface  32  of the lower section  22  helps to ensure that the mounting member  12  and the adhesive  58  form a tight seal. The lowermost surface  18  of the mounting member  12  is then pushed into the hole against the adhesive  58  to secure the mounting member  12  to the adhesive  58 . The coupler  42  extends outwardly of the perimeter wall  60  of the grave marker  14 . The grave marker saddle  52  is positioned on the top surface  54  of the grave marker  14  and flowers  56  are placed therein. The connector  50  is attached to each of the coupler  42  and the grave marker saddle  52 . For a secure attachment, a plurality of mounting members  12  and a plurality of couplers  42  is provided. In particular, two of the mounting members  12  may be attached to a front surface  62  of the grave marker  14 , while two of the mounting members  12  may be attached to a back surface  64  of the grave marker  14  in the manner described above. Thus, each mounting member  12  is inserted into an associated hole and each is attached to the grave marker saddle  52  using an associated coupler  42 . 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.