Improvements in or connection wil 900.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 14th Apr., 1884
Improvements in or connection wil 900.
A communication to me by GEORGE FREDERICK BAIRD, of Austin, in the County
of Mower and State of Minnesota, United States of America, Furniture
Dealer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to casket holding attachments for hearses, its object being
to provide adjustable means for securing a casket or coffin of any size, in place in
the hearse, so as to prevent its movement therein while being transported.
To this end the invention consists in arranging a converging series of slots. in the
bed or bottom of the hearse body, and in arranging in said slots stops which, when
slipped along the slots, may be closed and bear against the opposite sides of the
casket, so as to hold it firmly in place. These stops are operated by two pairs of
pivotted arms, each pair of arms being attached to a block threaded upon a reverse
screw shaft or rod, so that the blocks are caused to approach each other when the
shaft is turned in one direction, and are separated by its reverse movement. Means
are also provided for adjusting the position of the screw shaft so as to relatively
shift the position of the stops, to adapt them to the shape of a coffin as well as a
casket.
Other features of the invention will appear in the following description and
claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is an inverted plan view of the bottom of the hearse body showing the
expanding pivotted arms and the actuating screw shaft ;
Figure 2 is a side view of the same;
Figure 3 is a plan view of the bottom of the hearse body showing the converging
slots and the stops adjustable along the same; and
Figure 4 is a partial bottom plan view showing means for adjusting the position
of the screw shaft so as to adapt the stops to the shape of a coffin instead of a
casket.
In the drawings,
2 represents the bottom or bed of the hearse body fitted with casters 3 to carry
a casket in the ordinary manner. The plates 4, having the longitudinal slots 5
converging from each corner towards the centre, are arranged in the bed. Under-
neath the bed is arranged the reverse screw shaft 6 mounted in bearings 7, 8 and 9,
having a right hand thread on one side of the bearing 8 and a left hand thread on
the other side of the bearing. Fitted to this shaft on each side of the bearing 8,
are blocks 10 and 11. To the block 10 is pivotted the pair of arms 12 and 13, the
other ends of which are connected to the stops 14 and 15, which run in the slots 5
of the plates 4 at the corresponding end of the bed. Similarly to the block 11 are
pivotted the arms 16 and 17, in like manner connected to the stops 18 and 19, fitted
to the slots at the other end of the bed.
It will thus be seen that as the shaft 6 is turned in one direction, the. blocks 10
and 11 are both carried toward the centre bearing 8, thus thrusting the stops
outward along the slots, but with the reverse movement of the shaft the blocks are

page_text: separated and the stops drawn down toward the centre line of the bed so as to
clamp upon the casket placed between them. Each pair of arms is connected
preferably to the block threaded on the shaft at the opposite end of the platform,
so that the angular movement is very much less abrupt than if they were connected
to the blocks adjacent to the slots in which the stops carried by them werk. The
arms are therefore crossed over each other as shown, and the blocks threaded upon
the shaft are separated, when the stops are drawn together, and approach each
other to force the stops outward. In order to operate the shaft 6, an extension 20,
fitted with a crank 21 at the rear end of the vehicle, is provided. This shaft 20
has a sliding coupling 22 with the shaft 6, so that when not in use the crank may
be thrust inward beneath the bottom of the body and out of sight, where it is
prevented from turning by the body. In some cases means for adjusting the
longitudinal position of the shaft 6 are necessary in order to adjust the stops to the
tapering form of a coffin. For this purpose, the bearings for the shaft are mounted
upon a plate 23 which is held upon the bottom of the body by means of the
bolts 24 passing through the slots 25 which permit a slight longitudinal movement
of the plate. At the rear end of the body a rack 26, fixed to this plate, is
provided, with which engages a segmental gear 27 pivoted to the body and
provided with a handle 28 by means of which it may be turned so as to move the
rack, and with it the plate 23. If the plate is moved toward the rear of the body
it carries with it the pivoted arms and consequently draws the stops 14 and 15
inward while carrying the stops 18 and 19 outward, or increasing the space between
them. This adjustment is made to compensate for the difference in width between
the ends of the coffin.
In use,
the shaft 6 being turned to force the stops outward along their slots a
sufficient distance, the casket is run in over the supporting casters. The shaft then
being turned in the opposite direction, the stops are drawn inward until they bear
with any desired pressure against the sides of the casket and hold it firmly in place.
The handle 21 being slipped inward and underneath the body, is kept from turning
and the clamp devices are therefore firmly held against the casket.
In case a coffin is to be used, the handle 28 of the segmental gear 27 is turned
to carry the plate 23 with its attachments toward the rear of the vehicle, and thus
adjust the forward stops nearer together than the others. The coffin then being
placed in the vehicle and the handle 21 turned, the stops are carried inward into
contact with the coffin and firmly secure it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is-
1. In a hearse, the combination with the bottom thereof, having slots converging
from each corner toward the centre line, of the stops working in said slots, the
reverse screw shaft arranged longitudinally of the body intermediate of said stops,
the blocks threaded upon said shaft, and the pair of arms connecting each of
said blocks with the stops at the opposite end of the body, substantially as
described.
2. In a hearse, the combination with the bottom of the body thereof. baving slots
converging from the corners toward the centre line, of the reverse screw shaft
arranged on said centre line, the journals for said shaft, the common supports for
said journals arranged to slide in line with said shaft, the blocks threaded upon
said shaft, the stops working in said slots, and the arins connecting said blocks
with said stops, substantially as described.
3. The combination with the hearse having slots converging from the corners
toward the centre line of the bottom of the body, of the reverse screw shaft
mounted underneath said body along said centre line, the longitudinally slidable
journals for said shaft, the blocks threaded upon said shaft, stops working in said
slots, and the arms connecting said blocks with the stops at the opposite end of the
hearse, substantially as described.

page_text: 4. In a hearse, the combination with the stops slidable toward and from the corners
of the bottom of the body and the middle line thereof, of the reverse screw shaft
arranged upon said middle line, the blocks threaded upon said shaft, the arms
connecting said blocks with said stops, the journal support for said shaft slidable
longitudinally thereof, the rack connected to said support and the gear meshing
with said rack, and adapted to adjust the position of said journal support and screw
shaft, substantially as described.
Dated this 12th day of March 1894.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.