Undertaking – Coffins – Foldable sections
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-14
2001-03-20
Melius, Terry Lee (Department: 3628)
Undertaking
Coffins
Foldable sections
C027S001000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202270
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to caskets, and more particularly to that type of casket known as a cremation container.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Caskets have traditionally been employed for burial of the dead, both for in-ground burial and above-ground interment. Caskets are normally fabricated from fine furniture-grade wood or from highly polished/finished sheet metal for aesthetic reasons. So-called cremation containers, on the other hand, may be fabricated of cardboard, hardboard or plywood, and as such are usually much less ornate than wood or metal caskets and therefore much less expensive, and have been employed as containers for the dead for which the family has chosen cremation as the means for ultimate disposition of the body. Both caskets and cremation containers traditionally include a lower shell or body portion and an upper cap or lid portion closeable on the lower portion. Due to their size and shape neither caskets nor cremation containers are cost-effectively shipped.
Efforts at increasing the cost-effectiveness of shipping caskets and cremation containers have been directed toward the design and development of so-called “knock-down” or “ready-to-assemble” caskets, that is to say, caskets which are shipped in a non-erected, compact package which are then erected at the shipping destination. A major goal of designers of such knock-down caskets has been to produce designs which are relatively quickly and simply erected with few or no tools being required. Success in this area has been more readily achieved in the case of cremation containers rather than in caskets, as cremation containers are by their very nature much less expensive than caskets and as such the fabrication techniques employed in knock-down designs detract from their appearance to a much lesser degree than do they from caskets.
One example of a knock-down casket is disclosed in the assignee's U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,016, hereby incorporated by reference herein as if fully set forth in its entirety. It is desirable to improve upon the design of the casket in the assignee's '016 patent, as particularly relates to cremation containers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a cremation container is provided which is foldable into a compact configuration for shipping purposes which is then unfolded and erected at its destination. The cremation container comprises a bottom, a pair of side walls pivotally connected to the bottom, a pair of end walls pivotally connected to the bottom, and a cover removably positionable atop the pair of side walls and the pair of end walls. One pair of the pair of side walls and pair of end walls is foldable onto the bottom, and the other pair of the pair of side walls and pair of end walls is foldable onto the one pair of the pair of side walls and the pair of end walls, to thereby compactly configure the container for shipping.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pair of side walls are foldable onto the bottom and the pair of end walls are foldable onto the pair of side walls. The lid comprises a pair of equal length lids positionable on the pair of side walls when the pair of side walls are folded onto the bottom and positionable between free edges of the pair of end walls when the pair of end walls are folded onto the pair of side walls.
The bottom comprises a rectangular frame and a panel secured to the frame. The frame is fabricated of cotton wood and the panel is fabricated of oriented strand board. The oriented strand board panel is secured to the rectangular cotton wood frame with wood glue. The rectangular frame comprises a pair of side frame members and a pair of end frame members, and each of the pair of end frame members includes a cut-out therein extending upwardly from a lower edge thereof which serves as a hand hold.
Each of the pair of end walls comprises a panel, a pair of lateral edge frame members one of which is secured to each lateral edge of the panel and a top edge frame member secured to a top edge of the panel. The frame members are fabricated of cotton wood and the panel is fabricated of luan plywood. The luan plywood panel is secured to the cotton wood frame members with wood glue.
Each of the pair of side wall comprises a panel and a top edge frame member secured to a top edge of the panel. The frame member is fabricated of cotton wood and the panel is fabricated of luan plywood. The luan plywood panel is secured to the cotton wood frame member with wood glue. Each end edge of each side wall panel abuts an inwardly facing surface of a respective end wall lateral edge frame member when assembled. A fastener fastens each end edge of the side wall panel to the respective end wall lateral edge member. The fastener is a plastic Christmas tree fastener, the end edge of the side wall panel including a through hole therethrough and the respective end wall lateral edge frame member including a blind hole therein, the Christmas tree fastener passing through the through hole and residing in the blind hole to thereby retain the end edge of the side wall panel against the inwardly facing surface of the respective end wall lateral edge member.
Each of the pair of side walls are pivotally connected to the bottom with a cardboard living hinge. Alternatively, each of the pair of side walls are pivotally connected to the bottom with metal hinges. The pair of end walls are pivotally connected to the bottom with metal hinges.
The lid comprises a rectangular frame and a panel secured to the frame. The frame is fabricated of cotton wood and the panel is fabricated of luan plywood. The luan plywood panel is secured to the rectangular cotton wood frame with wood glue. The lid preferably is a pair of equal length lids each of which comprises the above-described rectangular frame and panel secured thereto. The pair of lids are fastened to the top edges of the pairs of side walls and end walls with dowel pins.
In an alternative embodiment of the cremation container of the present invention, a locking lever is pivotally attached to either one of the side wall or the end wall of adjacent side and end walls and is cooperable with the other adjacent side or end wall to prevent the one wall from collapsing. Preferably, the locking levers are pivotally attached near an end edge of each side wall. There is a notch in a lateral edge of an adjacent end wall. The locking lever is pivotable into engagement with the notch to prevent the side wall from collapsing. The cover may include a plurality of pairs of cleats secured thereto, i.e. to the under side thereof. The upper edges of the side and end walls fit between respective cleats of the pairs of cleats to secure the cover onto the side and end walls. The alternative embodiment cremation container further includes a polyethylene bag for placement into the container to collect fluids.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent during the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings herein, in which:
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patent: 5661879 (1997-09-01), Kelly
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Bowman Pat
Heil Tom
Jones Rodger
Maple James
Parker Daniel J.
Batesville Services, Inc.
Melius Terry Lee
Miller William L.
Wood Herron & Evans L.L.P.
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