Patent ID: 7340811

Claim:
A pivoting casket carrier comprising: a pivoting bed having a predefined length and width, said bed includes a plurality of rollers disposed substantially transverse to the length of said bed for facilitating removal and placement of a casket on said bed; a pivoting mechanism operatively connected to said bed to allow a predetermined degree of rotation of said bed about a central axis of said pivoting mechanism; and a locking system operatively coupled to said pivoting mechanism to enable operation of said pivoting mechanism to allow rotation of said bed when said locking system is in a first disengaged position, and disable operation of said pivoting mechanism to prevent rotation of said bed when said locking system is in a second engaged position, wherein said pivoting mechanism includes a hub connected at a central widthwise location on said bed for allowing rotation of said bed, and wherein said hub includes a rod extending therefrom, said rod being disposed in a plurality of holes in a mounting frame assembly connected to a vehicle including said pivoting casket carrier mounted thereon to enable free rotation of said rod and thereby said hub.