US2023730A - Grave filler - Google Patents

Description

F. A, HExsE 2,023,733

GRAVE FILLER Filed NOV. 18, 1933 4 SheebS--Sheet l F. A. HElsE 22,023,736

GRAVE FILLER Filed Now/'(18, 1953 4 sheets-sheet 2 Hmmm * Mvm nec. w, w35. FA A HHSE 2,023,730

GRAVE FILLER Filed Nov. 18, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 es. i0, E935. I F. A. HElsE 2,023,730

. GRAVE FILLER Y Filed Nov. 18, l933 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Dec. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE y '2,023,730 GRAVE FILLER Frederick Adam Heise, Luling, lllfeir. Application November 1s, 1933, serial No. 698,696 eclaims. (c1. 298-24) This invention relates to a grave ller and lhas for an object to .provide an improved grave filler which is especially useful in quickly and easily filling a grave or other excavation at the proper time.

A further object of this invention is to provide a grave ller consisting of a specially constructed dump Wagon or cart which will receive the dirt as the grave or excavation is made and will quickly and easily discharge the dirt back into the grave or excavation when the grave or excavation is to be lled. v

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a grave filler which receives the surface soil .in a separate hopper from the hopper in which it receives the sub-surface soil so that the surface soil can be discharged last on the top of the excavation or grave, thereby providing a fertile surface forplanting flowers or other greenery on the excavation or grave. p

Still a further object of this invention is to provide agrave ller which is adapted to receive the dirt as the grave. isbeing dug and then, after the coin is placed in the grave, to quickly discharge the dirt back into the grave, thus enabling the funeral procession to complete its operations at the grave in a few moments, which is especially desirable during bad weather.

A further object of this invention is to provide a grave filler having a removable, adjustable cover for inclement or rainy weather.

Still a further object .of this invention is to provide a grave ller especially useful in small graveyards where there is no professional grave digger or filler present, thusenabling the grave to be filled quickly and easily by the friends and relatives of the deceased.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, as will hereinafter become apparent, this invention comprises the construction, combinations and arrangements of parts, hereinafter set forth, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the invention showing the same in operating position.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, the dirt being removed to clearly show the parts therein.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the grave ller.

Fig. 4 is a rear View of the grave filler.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a sectional viewtaken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view showing the fabric connection to the body of the vehicle.

Fig'. 8 is an enlarged perspective of a fragment of. the agitator.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the top portion of Y the invention showing a covering mounted thereon.

Fig. 10 is -a plan viewof Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is an end view looking from the left of Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of one of the supporting posts. 10 Fig. 13 is an enlarged section view taken on the line I3-I3 of Fig. 10.

Fig. 14 is a view looking from 'the right of Fig. 13. y

There is shown at IIl the'grave filler constitut- 15 ing this invention. This grave ller I0 comprises a body I I mounted on a pair of rear wheels I2 and front wheels I3, the rear wheels I2 being mounted on a rear axle I4 and the front wheels I3 being mounted on a front axle I5, the axle 20 I5 being secured to a fth wheel I5 for supporting the front end of the body I I. A handle I'I secured to the fifth wheel I5 is used in pulling and steering the grave filler I0.

Formed within thebody II of the grave filler 2.3 Il) are two hoppers I8 and I9, the hop-per, I8 having a rearwardly inclined wall 20 at the bottom and of which is hinged a movable floor 2 I, the movable floor 2l being hinged downwardly at the hinge 22 and moved from opened and closed SO position and vice versa by meansof the rod 23. The operating rod 23 for the lower iioor 2| passes through a slot 24 in the rear wall of the body II and is held on a catch 25 when it is desired to retain the floor 2| in the forward position. 3.7

The hopper I9 consists of a wall 23, to which is hinged as at 2 a bottom oor 28 held in closed position by a rod 29 securable to a catch 30, the catch 39 being secured on the rear wall 3l of the body II. An agitator 32 consisting of a rod 4I) journaled in the opposite side wall of the body II and a plurality of fingers 33` therein is operable by a handle 38 outside of the body I I. v

In operation the grave ller I9 is placed so that its wheels I2 and I3 are on board tracks 39, 45 each track 39 ending in a stop L19. The tracks 39 are so placed that the stops 49 are positioned at the edge of the grave or excavation 34 that is being dug. 'Ihe grave filler is then moved along tracks 39 so that it will not overhang the 50 grave or vexcavation 34 being dug.

Both floors 2I and 28 of hoppers I8 and I9 are placed in closed position by means of their rods 23 and 29. The upper or fertile soil that is rst dug from the excavation is placed in the 55 hopper I 9, the hopper I9 being of such a size that it will just contain the average amount of upper or fertile soil necessary for growing grass, flowers, or other articles that may afterward be planted on the grave.

'I'he hopper I8 will be of such capacity that it will just contain sufficient amount of dirt necessary to complete the lling of the grave. As the grave is dug, the dirt below the upper surface is shoveled into the hopper I8 until the hopper i8 is filled, then an additional amount of dirt is removed equal to the volume that will be occupied by the casket or cofn 35. When the grave 34 is thus prepared, the filled-up grave filler ID is drawn away from the edge of the grave about 3 feet or so, leaving the area oi the grave 34 available for the funeral services.

When the services are completed and the casket 35 is in position at the bottom of the grave 34, the grave ller is moved backward along the tracks 39 against the stop lio. A screen 3 is then placed about the discharge `spouts of the hopper I8 byrmeans of the prepared eyes 37 receiving the hooks 558 on the screen 36. The rod 23 is then detached vfrom the catch 25, per mitting the floor 2i of the hopper 2d to drop downwardly to the broken line position shown at 2| in Fig. 5, allowing the dirt in hopper I8 to fall downwardly into the grave 34 over the casket 35. Should this dirt from the hopper I8 become packed or for any reason fail to fall through the discharge spout so formed, the handle 38 of the agitatorz is rotated causing the prongs of fingers. 35 to agitate Vthe dirt and fall through the dischargespout. When the hopper E8 is empty, the hopper i9 is then opened by detaching the holding rod 29 of the iioor 28 from the catch 39, thus allowing this dirt to similarly fall through the discharge spout onto the top of the grave, thus providing the usual mound conventionally formed on the top of the grave and likewise providing fertile soil for planting iiowers, grass, or other shrubbery thereon.k

In order to keep the earth in the hoppers I 8 and I9 dry in case or rainy or inclement weather, rings 4I are provided to receive and `support the poles 43 of an adjustable cover or roof 46, which may be placed thereover, thus preventing 'the earth in the hoppers from caking and becoming hard to dislodge therefrom.

Each pole Sis provided with a plurality ofV apertures S5 which will removably receive a dowel pin 11G, the pin it cooperating with either of the supporting rings i and thus hold the pole rat the desired height.

The upper end of the pole 43 is provided with a universally adjustable end GT secured thereto by adjustable sections i8 and wing nuts 49 and i), the wing nut 19 beingat right angles tol the wing nut 50.

The pole end il? is secured to a plate 5I, secured to the framework 52 of the roof 4. It is thus possible to adjust the roof M to anyfdesired angle, such as shown at dei' and 44, thus protecting therearth in the grave ller irrespective of which direction `the rain may be coming from. This grave filler provided by this invention is ybeen completed while the funeral procession is this invention.

intended to be used as one of the tools about a cemetery or graveyard in preparing graves and lling graves, and is especially useful in small cemeteries or graveyards where there are no professional grave diggers employed and where 5 the job of digging and lling the grave must be done by the friends and relatives of the deceased, thus enabling the grave to be lled much more quickly after the iuneral ceremonies have still present, as is often necessary in such cases. The novel features and the operation of this device will be apparent from the foregoing description. While the device has been shown and the structure described in detail, it is obvious that this is not to be considered limited to the exactY form disclosed and that any changes may be made therein within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a grave ller comprising a wagon or cart body, wheels supportably mounting said cart body, a hopper in i; said cart body comprising a rearwardly inclined front wall, a floor hinged to said front wall, means for holding said loor in closed position, a second hopper formed within said rst mentioned hopper, said second hopper `comprising an in- 3o clined second front wall and a second iloor hingedly secured to said second front wall, and means for detachably holding said second iloor in closed position, said second hopper discharging through the opened floor of said first discharged hopper said second floor being of substantially the same area as said rst iloor and being located substantially vertically-above said first floor, whereby the contents of said second hopper may be discharged substantially vertically onto the discharged contents of the rst hopper.

2. As an article of manufacture, a grave ller comprising a wagon or cart body, said wagon or cart body vincluding opposite side walls and a rear wall, means supportably and movably mount; 45V

ing said cart body, a main hopper formed in said cart body comprising in combination a rear-` wardly inclined front wall with said opposite side` walls and said rear wall, said inclined front wall and said rear wall and opposite side walls forming a discharge spout at the bottom thereof, an i openable closure means for said discharge spout, a secondary hopper formed within said rst hopper, said secondary hopper comprising a secondary front wall in ccoperation with said same rear wallv and said same opposite side walls, a secondary openable closure means at the bottomY of said secondary, hopper, said secondary closure means being o'f substantially the same area as said main hopper closure means and being located substantially vertically above said main hopper closure means whereby the contents of said secondary hopper may be discharged substantially vertically over the discharge contents of said main hopper.

FREDERICK ADAM HEISE.

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