US3596419A — Waterproof concrete burial vault and method of co…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 218 words

A waterproof burial vault constructed in situ, comprising: at least one watertight inner plastic form having a bottom wall and open at the top; an outer plastic form of larger size than said inner plastic form and disposed in spaced relationship thereabout, said inner and outer plastic forms being adapted to be placed within a dug grave; a plurality of spacer bars beneath at least said inner form for supporting the same in an elevated position above the bottom of said grave, said spacer bars having openings therein for the flow of wet concrete around said bars, and the upper edges of said inner and outer plastic forms being spaced so that concrete can be poured between said forms; a unitary concrete vault body cast in situ between said inner and outer forms and including a bottom wall within which said spacer bars are embedded, whereby said forms and said concrete vault body constitute a unified burial vault body open at the top, said inner form defining at least one casket receiving chamber; a sheet of plastic adapted to be secured in a watertight manner to the upper edge of each said inner plastic form completely around the periphery thereof to seal said chamber; and cover means placed on said concrete vault body to complete said burial vault.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 218 words

A waterproof burial vault constructed in situ, comprising: at least one watertight inner plastic form having a bottom wall and open at the top; an outer plastic form of larger size than said inner plastic form and disposed in spaced relationship thereabout, said inner and outer plastic forms being adapted to be placed within a dug grave; a plurality of spacer bars beneath at least said inner form for supporting the same in an elevated position above the bottom of said grave, said spacer bars having openings therein for the flow of wet concrete around said bars, and the upper edges of said inner and outer plastic forms being spaced so that concrete can be poured between said forms; a unitary concrete vault body cast in situ between said inner and outer forms and including a bottom wall within which said spacer bars are embedded, whereby said forms and said concrete vault body constitute a unified burial vault body open at the top, said inner form defining at least one casket receiving chamber; a sheet of plastic adapted to be secured in a watertight manner to the upper edge of each said inner plastic form completely around the periphery thereof to seal said chamber; and cover means placed on said concrete vault body to complete said burial vault.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 30 words

A waterproof burial vault as recited in claim 1, wherein the concrete of said vault body contains a waterproofing compound to render the same impervious to the passage of water.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 51 words

A waterproof burial vault as recited in claim 1, including a plurality of separate inner forms arranged in side-by-side spaced relationship, each inner form defining a single casket receiving chamber and resting on a plurality of said spacer bars, and said cover means including a separate cover for each casket chamber.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 71 words

A waterproof burial vault as recited in claim 1, wherein said outer form comprises: a pair of end walls and a pair of sidewalls, one of said pair of sidewalls and end walls being planar, and the other thereof having groove defining means on the vertical edges thereof, the vertical edges of said planar walls being received within said grooves and being secured in a watertight manner to said other walls.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 52 words

A waterproof burial vault as recited in claim 1, including at least one pressure relief tube mounted to extend from beneath said vault body bottom wall to the top of said burial vault, said relief tube being open at both ends for relieving pressure accumulations beneath and outside of said burial vault.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 21 words

A waterproof burial vault as recited in claim 5, wherein said pressure relief tube is embedded within said concrete vault body.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 24 words

A waterproof burial vault as recited in claim 5, wherein said pressure relief tube is secured to the exterior of said outer plastic form.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 121 words

A waterproof burial vault as recited in claim 1, wherein the top surface of said unified burial vault body is planar, and wherein said surface has a plurality of spaced inserts embedded therein, said cover means including; at least two cover slabs disposed to rest side by side on said planar vault body top surface, the confronting sides of said slabs having overlapped flanges thereon, and said slabs having bores therethrough aligned with said embedded inserts; a resilient Z-shaped seal disposed between said overlapped flanges; seal means between said slabs and the top planar surface of said vault body; and a plurality of bolts received in said bores and threaded into said embedded inserts for securing said cover slabs in place.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 62 words

A waterproof burial vault as recited in claim 8, wherein said bores are recessed to receive the heads of said bolts, said recesses having a depth substantially greater than the height of said bolt heads; and further including disks of resilient maTerial received within said recesses on top of said bolt heads, said disks sealing said bores against the passage of liquid.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 55 words

A waterproof burial vault as recited in claim 8, wherein said sheet of plastic secured to the open end of said inner plastic form extends outwardly over said top planar surface of said vault body, said outwardly extending portion of said sheet serving as said seal means between said cover slabs and the vault body.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 103 words

A waterproof burial vault as recited in claim 1, wherein in addition to said bottom wall said inner form includes a pair of end walls and a pair of sidewalls, and wherein said outer form includes a pair of end walls and a pair of sidewalls, said burial vault further including; a plurality of spacer means interconnecting walls of said outer form with their confronting inner form walls, said spacer means serving both to hold said inner and outer forms in concentric relationship during the pouring of said concrete vault body, and to anchor said inner and outer forms to said vault body.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 87 words

A waterproof burial vault as recited in claim 11, wherein each of said spacer means comprises: an elongated body disposed between said inner and outer forms and having a reduced diameter portion on each end thereof; and a washer received on each reduced diameter end portion and secured to said elongated body, the reduced diameter end portions of said body being received in confronting openings in the opposed walls of said inner and outer forms, and said washers abutting against and being secured to said opposed walls.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 115 words

A waterproof burial vault as recited in claim 11, wherein said inner form contains a plurality of casket-receiving chambers disposed vertically one above another, said sidewalls and said end walls of said inner form having inwardly extending shoulder means thereon at the juncture of each chamber with the chamber thereabove, and said burial vault further including; a reinforced sheet of plastic disposed to rest on each said shoulder means and adapted to be sealed in a watertight manner to the sidewalls and the end walls of said inner form for sealing the casket chamber therebelow, each said reinforced sheet further serving as a shelf to support a casket received in the casket chamber immediately thereabove.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 32 words

A waterproof burial vault as recited in claim 13, wherein each said shoulder means is continuous and presents a planar upper surface for receiving and supporting the edges of said reinforced sheet.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 180 words

A waterproof burial vault as recited in claim 13, wherein said inner form comprises: a rectangular bottom wall having an upstanding flange extending about the periphery thereof; a pair of planar end walls and a pair of planar sidewalls defining the lowermost of said casket chambers, the vertical edges of said planar sidewalls and end walls being secured together in a watertight manner, and the bottom edges of said planar sidewalls and end walls being secured in a watertight manner to said upstanding flange; and a pair of sidewalls and end walls for each upper casket chamber, the vertical edges of said upper chamber side and end walls being secured together in a watertight manner, the top ends of said upper chamber side and end walls being planar, and the bottom edges of said upper chamber side and end walls having inwardly and downwardly extending flanges thereon, the upper surfaces of said flanges defining said shoulder means, and said flanges being received within and secured in a watertight manner to the end walls and sidewalls defining the casket chamber therebelow.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 57 words

A waterproof burial vault as recited in claim 16, further including a plurality of elongated fasteners extending through said upstanding flange and said downwardly extending flanges, and projecting substantially beyond the outer surface of said inner form, the extending portions of said fasteners being embedded in said concrete vault body to further secure said inner form thereto.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 211 words

The method for constructing in situ a waterproof burial vault, comprising the steps of: excavating a grave in the earth to a depth so that the bottom thereof lie at the level at which the bottom of the vault is to be positioned; positioning within said grave an outer plastic form having disposed therewithin at least one inner plastic form of watertight construction having a bottom wall and being open at the top, said inner plastic form defining at least one casket receiving chamber and being spaced from said inner form, said inner and outer forms being held above the bottom of said grave by spacer means disposed therebetween, and the top edge of said inner and outer forms being spaced for pouring concrete therebetween; pouring concrete mix into the space defined between said inner and outer plastic forms, and between said forms and the walls of said grave at the bottom thereof; curing said concrete with said plastic forms in place, whereby to produce a unified vault body containing at least one waterproof casket receiving chamber; securing a plastic sheet across the open upper end of said inner plastic form in a watertight manner; and mounting cover means to the upper end of said vault body, over said plastic sheet.

Claim 19

Independent Claim 211 words

The method for constructing in situ a waterproof burial vault, comprising the steps of: excavating a grave in the earth to a depth so that the bottom thereof lie at the level at which the bottom of the vault is to be positioned; positioning within said grave an outer plastic form having disposed therewithin at least one inner plastic form of watertight construction having a bottom wall and being open at the top, said inner plastic form defining at least one casket receiving chamber and being spaced from said inner form, said inner and outer forms being held above the bottom of said grave by spacer means disposed therebetween, and the top edge of said inner and outer forms being spaced for pouring concrete therebetween; pouring concrete mix into the space defined between said inner and outer plastic forms, and between said forms and the walls of said grave at the bottom thereof; curing said concrete with said plastic forms in place, whereby to produce a unified vault body containing at least one waterproof casket receiving chamber; securing a plastic sheet across the open upper end of said inner plastic form in a watertight manner; and mounting cover means to the upper end of said vault body, over said plastic sheet.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 21 words

The method as recited in claim 18, including additionally adding a waterproofing compound to said concrete mix before the pouring thereof.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 41 words

A waterproof burial vault as recited in claim 13, wherein said reinforced sheet comprises: a planar sheet of plastic of substantial thickness; and a plurality of pairs of aligned cantilever type boxed beams secured to the undersurface of said planar sheet.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1974-08-02	1975-02-01	1975-08-03	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1978-08-02	1979-02-01	1979-08-03	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1982-08-02	1983-02-01	1983-08-03	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Waterproof concrete burial vault and method of construction

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