US4560335A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vault machine
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1983-11-07
•
Granted: 1985-12-24
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Expires: 2003-11-07
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for forming concrete burial vaults and the like. The apparatus comprises a plurality of forms which are movable independently and as a unit in a series of operating steps to form a completed vault. Drop-in apparatus for forming a compound vault is also described.
Inventors
- 👤 Elmer R. Cordova
- 👤 Jeffrey D. Cordova
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 12:40
CPC Classifications
B; B28; B28B; B28B7/00; B28B7/08; B28B5/00; B28B7/16; B28B7/168
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 41
Claim 1
Independent Claim
255 words
A vault machine for making burial vaults of a type having a bottomwall and an integrally formed sidewall positioned substantially perpendicular to the bottomwall from a forming material having a pourable fluid state and a set solid state such as concrete or the like, the vault machine comprising: carriage means for supporting various machine components for enabling relative movement thereof; outer form means for forming exterior sidewall surfaces of a vault; bottom form means fixedly engageable with said outer form means for forming an exterior bottomwall surface of a vault; inner form means for forming interior sidewall and bottomwall surfaces of a vault; edge form means for forming an upper peripheral edge surface of the vault sidewall; mainframe means operably mounted on said carriage means for supporting and collectively repositioning said outer form means, said bottom form means, and said inner form means; said mainframe means being rotatably displaceable about a substantially horizontal mainframe central axis of rotation; said mainframe central axis of rotation being linearly displaceable relative said carriage means along a mainframe linear displacement path perpendicular said central axis of rotation; said outer form means being linearly displaceable relative said mainframe means along an outer form linear displacement path parallel said mainframe linear displacement path; said inner form means being linearly displaceable relative said mainframe means along an inner form linear displacement path parallel said mainframe linear displacement path; said edge form means being linearly displaceable relative said mainframe means along an edge form linear displacement path parallel said mainframe linear displacement path.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
255 words
A vault machine for making burial vaults of a type having a bottomwall and an integrally formed sidewall positioned substantially perpendicular to the bottomwall from a forming material having a pourable fluid state and a set solid state such as concrete or the like, the vault machine comprising: carriage means for supporting various machine components for enabling relative movement thereof; outer form means for forming exterior sidewall surfaces of a vault; bottom form means fixedly engageable with said outer form means for forming an exterior bottomwall surface of a vault; inner form means for forming interior sidewall and bottomwall surfaces of a vault; edge form means for forming an upper peripheral edge surface of the vault sidewall; mainframe means operably mounted on said carriage means for supporting and collectively repositioning said outer form means, said bottom form means, and said inner form means; said mainframe means being rotatably displaceable about a substantially horizontal mainframe central axis of rotation; said mainframe central axis of rotation being linearly displaceable relative said carriage means along a mainframe linear displacement path perpendicular said central axis of rotation; said outer form means being linearly displaceable relative said mainframe means along an outer form linear displacement path parallel said mainframe linear displacement path; said inner form means being linearly displaceable relative said mainframe means along an inner form linear displacement path parallel said mainframe linear displacement path; said edge form means being linearly displaceable relative said mainframe means along an edge form linear displacement path parallel said mainframe linear displacement path.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
172 words
The invention of claim 1 further comprising: mainframe angular displacement means for rotating said mainframe about said mainframe central axis of rotation; mainframe linear displacement means for linearly displacing said mainframe means relative said carriage means along said mainframe linear displacement path; outer form means linear displacement means for linearly displacing said outer form means relative said mainframe means along said outer form linear displacement path; inner form means linear displacement means for displacing said inner form means relative said mainframe means along said inner form linear displacement path; edge form linear displacement means for displacing said edge form means relative said mainframe means along said edge form linear displacement path; said outer form, inner form and edge form linear displacement means being independently operable for causing relative displacement between said outer form means said inner form means, and said edge form means; said outer form means, said inner form means, said bottom form means, and said edge form means being positionable to define a form cavity for receiving forming material therein.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
The invention of claim 2 further comprising: power supply means for driving each of said displacement means; and control means for actuating each of said displacement means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The invention of claim 3 wherein said carriage means comprises opposite carriage stand means for supporting said frame means therebetween.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The invention of claim 4 wherein said carriage means is horizontally movable across a base surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The invention of claim 5 wherein said carriage means comprises carriage wheel means for enabling horizontal movement across a base surface.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
The invention of claim 6 further comprising carriage movement means for moving said carriage means across a base surface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
The invention of claim 7 wherein said carriage movement means comprises carriage motor means operably mounted on said carriage means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
48 words
The invention of claim 8 wherein said opposite carriage stand means each comprise: a rigid horizontal member extending in a direction perpendicular to said frame means central axis of rotation and being of sufficient length to prevent toppling of said vault machine during rotation of said frame means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
60 words
The invention of claim 9 further comprising track means operably engageable with said carriage wheel means for guiding said vault machine between a first horizontal position associated with pouring of forming material into said form cavity and a second horizontal position associated with removal of said outer and inner form means and said edge form means from a completed vault.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
68 words
The invention of claim 4 wherein said frame means comprise: a frame base portion extending substantially the distance between said opposite carriage stands; and frame elongate attachment members for attaching said frame means to said carriage stands said frame elongate members being positioned at opposite ends of said frame base portions and adjacent associated carriage stands, said frame elongate attachment members extending perpendicular to said frame base portion.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
33 words
The invention of claim 11 wherein said frame elongate attachment members are rotatably attached to associated carriage stands by opposite coaxial shaft means defining said central axis of rotation of said frame means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
The invention of claim 12 wherein said opposite shaft means are mounted in shaft holder means for rotatably holding said shaft means said shaft holder means being vertically displaceable relative said carriage means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
37 words
The invention of claim 13 wherein said shaft holder means comprises plate means mounted in vertically extending plate guide means, said plate guide means comprising vertically disposed members fixedly mounted on said carriage stand rigid horizontal members.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
The invention of claim 13 wherein said mainframe angular displacement means comprises: gear means mounted on said shaft means; and gear drive means operably associated with said gear means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
The invention of claim 15 wherein said gear drive means is operably mounted on said shaft holder means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
42 words
The invention of claim 16 wherein said gear means and said gear drive means comprise a rack and pinion assembly comprising pinion means, rack means and cylinder means for operably moving said rack relative said pinion means for selectively causing rotation thereof.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
The invention of claim 16 wherein said mainframe means linear displacement means comprises cylinder means operably associated with said shaft means holder means for causing displacement thereof relative said carriage means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
39 words
The invention of claim 18 wherein said frame means further comprises: frame edge form guide members operably attached to peripheral portions of said frame base portion and extending perpendicularly therefrom in parallel alignment with said mainframe elongate attachment members.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
19 words
The invention of claim 11 wherein said outer form means is slideably mounted on said mainframe elongate attachment members.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
37 words
The invention of claim 20 wherein said outer form linear displacement means comprises outer form cylinder means operably mounted between an exterior surface portion of said outer form means and a portion of said mainframe base means.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
25 words
The invention of claim 21 wherein said outer form means comprise two longitudinal sidewall portions and two transverse sidewall portions perpendicular said longitudinal sidewall portions.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
30 words
The invention of claim 22 wherein said outer form cylinder means comprises two cylinder units, one operably attached to each of said transverse side walls of said outer form means.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
28 words
The invention of claim 22 further comprising vibrator means operably mounted on at least one of said outer form sidewalls for vibrating concrete received in said form cavity.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
29 words
The invention of claim 20 further comprising clamping means operably mounted on said outer form means for detachably securing said bottom form means to a peripheral edge surface thereof.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
27 words
The invention of claim 20 wherein said inner form means comprises inner form mounting structure for linearly displaceably mounting said inner form means on said mainframe means.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
25 words
The invention of claim 26 wherein said inner form means comprises a bottomwall portion and wherein said inner form mounting structure is operably attached thereto.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
71 words
The invention of claim 27 wherein said inner form mounting structure comprises at least two elongate members fixedly mounted at first ends thereof to said inner form bottomwall and fixedly attached at second ends thereof to a cross-support member and slideably mounted along the length thereof to inner form guide means operably mounted on said mainframe base portion for guiding said inner form means along said inner form linear displacement path.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
41 words
The invention of claim 27 wherein said inner form bottomwall comprises indentation portions therein for forming transverse raised portion on the vault bottomwall interior surface for accepting a casket thereon in raised relationship to the remainder of the bottomwall interior surface.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
45 words
The invention of claim 29 further comprising vent means in said inner form bottomwall portion for equalizing air pressure between the atmosphere and an area between the vault bottomwall interior surface and said inner form bottomwall as said inner form is retracted from the vault.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
56 words
The invention of claim 30 wherein said vent means comprises a central hole in said inner form means bottomwall and a plug means positionable in said central hole and extendable therethrough into abutting contact with said bottom form means for forming a central hole through the bottomwall of the vault when said plug means is withdrawn.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
31 words
The invention of claim 27 wherein said inner form means linear displacement means comprises cylinder means operably attached between said inner form means bottomwall portion and said mainframe means base portion.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
20 words
The invention of claim 19 wherein said edge form means is slideably mounted within said frame edge form guide means.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
41 words
The invention of claim 33 wherein said edge form means is movable from a predetermined form for means material loading position to a predetermined form material compressing position, whereby said forming material is compressed and strengthened prior to form means removal.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
36 words
The invention of claim 34 wherein said edge form comprises a width substantially equal to the width of said form cavity in an area associated with the formation of an upper portion of the vault sidewall.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
44 words
The invention of claim 35 wherein said edge form comprises a predetermined lip forming surface for providing a seal forming lip on the vault upper peripheral edge surface whereby a vault cover having a complimentary lip configuration may be placed in sealing relationship thereon.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
29 words
The invention of claim 35 wherein said edge form means linear displacement means comprises edge form cylinder means operably attached to said edge form means and said mainframe means.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
50 words
The invention of claim 37 wherein said edge form means comprises a fixed portion and a drop-in portion said drop-in portion comprising said predetermined lip forming surface and having a predetermined depth, the depth of said drop-in portion being inversely proportional to the depth of a vault being formed thereby.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
12 words
The invention of claim 38 comprising a plurality of interchangeable drop-in portions.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
73 words
The invention of claim 39 comprising at least two drop-in portions having lip forming surfaces of complementary shape whereby a vault formed by use of a first drop-in portion is sealably mountable on a vault formed by use of a second drop-in portion whereby a compound vault may be formed from said two vaults formed by use of said first and second drop-in portion by placing the lip portions thereof in sealing contact.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1988-12-23 | 1989-06-24 | 1989-12-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1992-12-23 | 1993-06-24 | 1993-12-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1996-12-23 | 1997-06-24 | 1997-12-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |