IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LOWERING COFFINS INTO GRAVES OR TOMBS
Year: 1884

page_text: I HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents 6 Breams Buildings
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex Civil Engineer do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LOWERING COFFINS
INTO GRAVES OR TOMBS to be as follows:-
The apparatus forming the object of the present invention is so constructed that
when the coffin has been placed upon the same and a locking device has been
disengaged the coffin will sink automatically by its own weight into the grave or
tomb.
In order to diminish the speed of sinking a fan brake is provided and in order
to obtain an equal speed of the downward movement notwithstanding the varying
weight of different coffins an adjustable governor is employed.
The apparatus consists of a suitable tube placed over the grave and provided
with handles by which it may be carried.
On opposite sides of this frame is arranged a shaft upon which a drum for the
lowering ropes are keyed. Each of these drums is provided with a ratchet wheel
and pawl.
The automatic disengaging device for the lowering ropes consists of interlocking
hooks and of the disengaging lever which operates when its lower end strikes
against the ground at the bottom of the grave or tomb. A pair of brake jaws act
on the shaft of the wire rope drum with which is connected a toothed wheel which
drives the fan of the brake by means of a train of wheels, suitable disengaging
mechanism for the fan being provided.
To adapt the apparatus for different weights of coffins an adjustable governor is
employed. This governor consists of a crank, adjustable screws, levers and a
brake band. By suitably turning the crank the brake band will be more or less
tightened. The crank is provided with an index hand for indicating on an index
the weight for which the brake has been adjusted. The side shafts are rotated by
Pin G21

page_text: the weight of the coffin and they carry pulleys which transmit motion by means
of the wire ropes to the drum, its shaft and toothed wheel which through the
gearing before mentioned sets in action the fan brake.
Suitable means are provided for hauling up the lowering ropes and disengaging
levers after the coffin has reached the bottom of the grave, and also for tightening
up the brake as required.
A removable frame to be put on or taken off and which holds the drapery for
covering the whole apparatus is also provided. This frame may consist of a
rectangular wooden frame from which the drapery hangs and carrying a dome or
other shaped cover..
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
The apparatus is placed over the grave or tomb and the coffin is placed upon
the interlocked hooks attached to the lowering ropes. As soon as the coffin has
to be lowered into the grave a brake screw is loosened and the fan is disengaged.
The coffin will then sink automatically into the grave. The governor is previously
adjusted according to the weight of the coffin. As soon as the end of the dis-
engaging lever touches the bottom the hooks will by its action become disengaged
and will be drawn up together with the ropes.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
a
Improvements in Apparatus for Lowering Coffins into Graves
or Tombs.
I HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex Civil Engineer do hereby declare the
nature of the invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LOWERING COFFINS
INTO GRAVES OR TOMBS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The apparatus forming the subject of the present invention is so constructed that
when the coffin has been placed upon it and after a locking device hereinafter
described has been disengaged the coffin will sink automatically and steadily by its
own weight into the grave or tomb.
In order to diminish the speed of sinking I provide a flyer and in order to obtain
an equal speed of the downward movement notwithstanding the varying weight of
different coffins I provide an adjustable governor.
Referring to the accompanying drawings in which similar letters denote similar
parts, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the entire apparatus mounted over a grave
and carrying the coffin ready to be lowered into the grave; Fig. 2 is a side view
Fig. 3 a plan; Fig. 4 an end view of the apparatus Fig. 5 is an end view partly
in section and Figs. 6 to 25 are views of details of the apparatus, Figs. 10 to 25
being drawn to a larger scale.
u is the frame, a¹ are the feet thereof, a² and a³ are handles the former being
pivotted to the frame and the latter being arranged so that the can be drawn out
from the frame, bb are two shafts upon which the drums C C for the ropes ss are
keyed. On each of these drums a ratchet wheel C" with pawl C² is provided (see
Figs. 14 & 15).
d is the automatic disengaging device for the lowering ropes s. It consists of
the interlocking hooks d d and of the disengaging lever d³ which operates when
its lower end strikes against the ground at the bottom of the grave or tomb (see
Figs. 17, 18 & 19).
The disengaging jaws d' of this lever then bear against the rollers d' and
disengago the hooks d', d. The bottom of the coffin rests upon the centre
rollers do.
ff are the brake jaws and g is the brake screw. On turning the screw back
the brake jaws ff will be loosened. is tho shaft of the wire rope drum i and j
is the toothed wheel connected thereto which drives the flyer m by means of a
train of wheels k, m¹ m² m³ is a disengaging mechanism for the flyer m (see
Fig. 10).
p is the adjustable governor to adapt the apparatus for different weights of
coffins. It consists of the crank p' of the adjustable screws p³, the levers p³, and
of the brake band p₁. By suitably turning the crank the brake band p will be
inore or less tightened. The crank is provided with an index hand for indicating
on an index the weight for which the brake has been adjusted. The pulleys are
keyed upon the shafts 6 which are revolved by the weight of the coffin together

page_text: "
with the pulleys which transmit their rotation by means of the ropes r to the
drum its shaft h and toothed wheel j which through the pinions & sets in action
the flyer m.
ttt is the mechanism for winding up the ropes 88 and disengaging levers d
(see Figs. 22, 23 and 24) after the coffin has reached the bottom of the grave.
The ratchet and pawl ts prevent a rotation in the wrong direction. // is a
ratchet and pawl to prevent the train of wheels k from running during the winding
up of the ropes 8. By tightening the screws holding the piece u¹ to the disc u the
braking action may be increased.
x is a frame to be put on or taken off and which holds the drapery for covering
the whole apparatus.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
By means of the handles a² a³ the apparatus is placed onto the grave or tomb.
The handles a² are then turned down and the handles a³ pushed back out of the
way and the frame x carrying the drapery is placed upon the apparatus. The
coffin is placed upon the interlocked hooks d¹ d² attached to the wound up ropes 8 8.
As soon as the coffin is ready to be lowered into the grave the brake screw g is
loosened and the flyer m is also disengaged. The coffin will then sink auto-
matically and steadily into the grave. The governor p is previously adjusted
according to the weight of the coffin. As soon as the end of the lever d³ touches
the bottom, the hooks d¹ d' will by its action become disengaged and may finally
be wound up together with the ropes s.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention 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. The automatic apparatus for lowering coffins consisting in the combination
of the shafts b wire rope pulleys l, and drum toothed wheel j, pinions k and
flyer m substantially as described.
2. The governor 2 for adjusting the action of the apparatus to different weights
of coffins.
3. The automatic device for disengaging the hooks d¹ d².
4. The frame for carrying the drapery and arranged to be put on or taken
off when desired.
1