Patent ID: 7243406

Claim:
A casket comprising: a casket shell having a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls, and a bottom wall, a casket lid pivoted to said casket shell for movement to an open position and to a closed position, and a combination hinge, brace, and lock mechanism connecting said lid to said shell, said mechanism comprising: a first hinge plate secured to said shell, a second hinge plate secured to said lid, said first and second hinge plates pivoted to one another, and a latch bar moveably mounted to at least one of said first and second hinge plates for movement to first, second, and third positions, said latch bar and hinge plates configured such that when said latch bar is in said first position said latch bar fixes said hinge plates relative to one another such that said lid is fixed in the closed position, when said latch bar is in said second position said hinge plates are free to pivot relative to one another such that said lid is free to pivot relative to said shell, and when said latch bar is in said third position said latch bar fixes said hinge plates relative to one another such that said lid is fixed in the open position.