Tomb top

Abstract

A memorial burial structure for a grave consists of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) article with earth mounting supports and personalized digital print that is constructed as a gravestone, burial monument, tomb, burial headstone or marker placed on the memorial site or desired site of the user.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This application emanates from a previously filed provisional application 61/152,322, Feb. 13, 2009

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The general objective of the present invention is to provide a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) article with earth mounting supports and personalized digital print that is constructed as a memorial burial structure such as a gravestone, burial monument, tomb, burial headstone or marker placed on the memorial site of the deceased or a site determined by the user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Monuments for graves have traditionally been of stone and over the years have varied greatly as to sizes and shapes but, at the present time, most monuments are relatively uniform as to their overall dimensions.

There are objections to stone monuments such as their costs, weight and their limited graphical nature, in addition, vandalism, while varying from one locale to another, is unfortunately sufficiently widespread to be of concern

Of the cited patents, both U.S. Pat. No. 2,521,091 and No. 2,084,521 were made of stainless steel, an alteration from traditional stone. Each disclosed head sections and base sections in the form of stainless steel sheets with the base section partly filled with concrete and partly embedded in the ground. In the first named patent, the two shells were bolted together while in the second, the sections were joined by a weld. In both instances, the constructions were open to the objection that warping would unavoidably result in the fabrication.

The U.S. Pat. No. 2,095,290 is cited as illustrating anchorage of a marker in the form of a metal plaque substantially flush with the ground. A large concrete body had drain passageways through which the anchors extended with the anchors caught by the bottom ends thereof. While the plaque was securely anchored, it was not removable or unlimited in graphical images or color.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a memorial burial structure such as a gravestone, burial monument, tomb, burial headstone or marker.

The structure consists of two separate, manufactured, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) flat sheets; one is the headstone and the other sheet is the base of the headstone of the article. The sheets are perpendicularly joined to each other by two or more anchoring rod bars such as stainless steel rebar forming the commonly used upright design of a gravestone, burial monument, tomb, burial headstone or marker used in present day cemeteries. The anchoring rod bars protrude from the memorial burial structure bottom or underside of the memorial burial structure in order to attach to the foundation base. The gauged width size of the PVC flat sheet to be used for the device is one and one quarter inches in thickness/or greater. The PVC headstone sheet is cut to the desired height and shape determined by the user. The PVC base sheet is cut to cover/conform to the exposed area of the foundation If desired, two or more sheets can be joined together to increase the width of the headstone and/or the height size of the headstone base.

Foundation base material used for the memorial site is determined by the user and/or any governing body of a public or private burial place/cemetery.

Computerized graphics are then transferred to a vinyl laminated digital print adhered by heat onto the polyvinyl chloride (PVC sheet) to complete the finished product. The computerized graphics chosen and the area of decorative graphic design to be displayed is determined by the user and may cover the entire surface of the PVC headstone sheet and/or the PVC base sheet. Engraved names, dates or designs may be added onto the PVC headstone or headstone base if the user chooses to do so.

It is thus an object of the invention to provide a graphically designed article to mark a grave made of all weather durable materials and earth mounting attachments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1. FIG. 1 depicts the front and side views of the article as it attaches to the foundation. Each structure is equipped with anchoring rod bars (4) inside the headstone (1) extending through the headstone base (2) and into the foundation base (3) for secure mounting. Stop washers (5) are used on the anchoring rod bars as additional support for the structure

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Referring to the drawing in FIG. 1, the monument structure is equipped with two or more anchoring rod bars (4) classified as stainless steal, or galvanized or epoxy-coated rebar and two or more stop washers (5) classified as stainless steal, or galvanized, or epoxy-coated washers. The anchoring rod bars (4) are inserted into pre-drilled holes of the headstone (1) and headstone base (2). A setting compound such as but not limited to PVC cement is used to bond the anchoring rods (4) to the headstone (1) and headstone base (2). The stop washers (5) will further secure or lock the anchoring rod bars (4) inside the headstone (1) and the headstone base (2). Anchoring rod bars (4) will extend into pre-formed holes in the foundation base (3) to a depth of at least half of the foundation base (3). In order to easily remove the monument from the foundation, no setting compound will be used to secure the headstone and headstone base to the foundation. Omitting setting compound in the foundation allows for easy on-site movement of the monument structure when necessary.

Claims

1. A memorial burial structure comprised of a polyvinyl chloride headstone, polyvinyl chloride headstone base, perpendicularly joined to each other with two or more anchoring rod bars inserted with setting compound into at least, if not more than seven inches of the height of the headstone and headstone base and joined at the bottom of the memorial monument to the foundation base, using the protruding anchoring rod bars without any setting compound. The memorial burial structure will cover the perimeter of the foundation base. The foundation base will be pre-drilled to at least half of its depth to accommodate the size and number of anchoring rod bars. Stop washers secure or lock every anchoring rod bars inside the headstone and the headstone base.

2. The gauged width size of the memorial burial structure recited in claim 1 is determined by the user.

3. The height and shape of the memorial burial structure recited in claim 1 is determined by the user.

4. The anchoring rod bars recited in claim 1 are classified as stainless steal, galvanized or epoxy-coated rebar.

5. The stop washers of the memorial monument recited in claim 1 are classified as stainless steel, galvanized or epoxy-coated washers.

6. The anchoring rod bar size is determined by the gauged width size of the memorial monument recited in claim 2.

7. The length of the anchoring rod bar is determined by the height of the memorial monument cited in claim 3 and the depth of the foundation recited in claim 1.

8. The stop washers recited in claim 1 are fitted to any and every anchoring rod bar, according to size, used for reinforcement of the memorial burial structure headstone to the headstone base.

9. Easy removal of the memorial burial structure from the foundation is due to the non-use of setting compound recited in claim 1, within the pre-drilled foundation holes for the anchoring rod bars.

10. A personalized computer graphic display is transferred to a self adhesive vinyl laminated digital print onto the polyvinyl chloride headstone and headstone base recited in claim 1.

11. The personalized computer graphic display recited in claim 6 may cover some or all of the exposed exterior headstone and headstone base.

12. The vinyl laminated digital print recited in claim 6 provides UV protection.