Improvements in Monuments.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 10th May, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 10th June, 1887.
Improvements in Monuments.
We, AUSTIN MCCREARY, of Mason, in Warren County, Ohio, United States of
America, farmer, and WILLIAM LEANDER MCCREARY, of Knoxville, in Knox County,
Tennessee, United States of America, Physician, 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 pertains to the construction of sepulchral and memorial monuments,
and the improvements will be readily understood from the following description, taken
in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which :-
Figure 1 is an elevation of a monument illustrating our improved construction,
certain portions being shown in vertical section; and
Fig. 2 a horizontal transverse section of the same upon an enlarged scale.
In the drawings, A represents the base of the monument, the same being formed
of stone or similar material, of a plan adapted for the proper reception and support
of the super-structure.
B, a groove in the upper surface thereof, such groove forming the plan lines of the
dado.
C, vertical slabs of glass, seating in the groove, and joined at their edges so as to
make up a box forming the dado of the monument.
D, a plate grooved upon its under side, and having its edge molding to form the
surbase of the monument, the groove referred to engaging the upper ends of the
slabs C, the surbase-plate being provided also with grooves in its upper surface,
similar to those below.
E, slabs of glass disposed upright with their lower ends in the upper groove of the
surbase-plate, the vertical edges of the slabs being joined to form the hollow sub-shaft
of the monument.
F, a plate, similar to plate D, engaging the upper ends of the slabs E, and provided
upon its upper surface with a groove for the reception of slabs.
G, slabs, similar to the slabs E, but disposed above the plate F and forming the
supershaft of the monument.
:
H, a cap-plate grooved upon its lower side like the platos F and D and engaging
the upper edges of the slabs G.

page_text: J, a rod, preferably of brass, leaded or otherwise secured in the base, and extending
axially upward through the entire column.
K, a nut, of ornamental design, screwed upon the upper end of this rod; and
L, vertical edge joints between the slabs, these joints being formed in radial lines.
The plates. D, F, and H are to be formed, preferably, of metal of non-corrosive
character, such, for instance, as brass or. bronze, and the nut K should be of similar
material. The slabs of which the main portions of the monument are formed are to be of
glass, varying in thickness from a quarter of an inch to an inch, according to the size
of the monument, and their outer faces are to be highly polished, while their inner
faces are to bear any desired character of ornamentation or inscriptive matter
done by painting, enamelling, or by cutting, or by etching, or by means of a sand-
blast.
All the edge joints of the plates should be accurately fitted. The rod, with its nut,
serves to clamp all of the parts together to form a very substantial integral structure,
water-proof, and of great beauty, strength and durability.
The illustration shows the monument as hexagonal, but, obviously, the plan may be
varied as desired.
The joints L are in planes radiating from the centre of the structure. These joint
surfaces are readily produced by well known processes of glass cutting and grinding,
and their form permits the ready assembling of the slabs into the structure, no strains
or warping in the slabs themselves having any effect upon the perfection of these
edge joints. These joints add to the beauty of the monument by producing lines of
translucency when viewed at an angle to the plane of the joints as indicated by the
arrow in Fig. 2. The joints, thus formed, possess a yielding quality as the surfaces
may readily move upon each other in case of flexure of the monument or in case,
during the erection, the nut K is made too tight, thus causing an outward bowing of the
plates. Such outward bowing, while a defect which should be at once remedied, will
not produce fracture of the edge joints. The introduction of the plate F serves in
permitting a high shaft to be built from comparatively short slabs, and, at the same
time, avoids the tendency to outward swelling which would inhere in exceedingly
long slabs of glass.
The employment of the plate F, by dividing the vertical heighth of the slabs
forming the shaft, permits of thicker slabs being used in the sub-shaft, and permits
of ready replacement of a single piece which may happen to be damaged.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In a monument, a base and cap provided with slab-receiving grooves, a central
rod and nut engaging the base and cap, and vertical slabs of glass engaging said
grooves and having their edge joints formed in radial planes, combined and arranged
substantially as set forth.
2. In a monument, a base and cap provided with slab-receiving grooves, a centra
rod and nut engaging the base and cap, a plate F disposed between the base and cal
and provided upon its upper and lower surfaces with slab-receiving grooves, and a
shaft formed in two sections adjoining each other at said plate F and engaging th
grooves of the base and cap such shaft being formed of slabs having their edge joint
formed in radial planes, combined and arranged substantially as set forth.
13+ 1011
CM 1007
ALLISON BROS.
Agents for the Applicants.