Rotating headstone
OwnerRichard Hermaninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The rotating headstone comprises a headstone, a rotator, and a top cover. The rotator may move the headstone between a vertical position and a horizontal position to move the headstone out of the way of landscaping crews and equipment. The rotator may comprise a plurality of pistons that expand and contract to move the top and bottom of the headstone and racks and pinions to guide the bottom of the headstone. In the horizontal position, the headstone may lie within a shell that is below ground level. When in the vertical position, the headstone may be exposed above ground and the top cover may cover the opening left by the vertical headstone. The repositioning may be initialed by a local button or by a wireless remote control. The rotator may be powered by one or more batteries which are kept charged by one or more solar cells.
Claims17
A rotating headstone comprising:
- a headstone, a rotator, and a top cover;
- wherein the rotator transitions the headstone between a vertical position and a horizontal position;
- wherein when the headstone is in the vertical position it is an upright, visible marker of the site of a grave;
- wherein when the headstone is in the horizontal position it is out of the way of landscaping and maintenance equipment;
- wherein the rotator rotates and translates the position of the headstone between the vertical position and the horizontal position;
- wherein in the vertical position, the headstone is vertically oriented with a top of the headstone above a bottom of the headstone;
- wherein in the horizontal position, the headstone is horizontally oriented with the top of the headstone at the same height as the bottom of the headstone;
- wherein in the horizontal position, a front face of the headstone is flush with ground;
- wherein the position of the bottom of the headstone of the headstone is translated horizontally in the process of rotating the headstone;
- wherein the rotator comprises a center piston, a left piston, a right piston, a left rack, a right rack, a left pinion, a right pinion, and a shell;
- wherein the center piston is an actuator that lifts the top of the headstone;
- wherein the center piston comprises a center piston rod and a center piston barrel;
- wherein the center piston barrel is mounted in a fixed position and the center piston rod expands and contracts under the influence of a control signal, thus changing the overall length of the center piston;
- wherein the end of the center piston rod is hingedly coupled to the top, rear of the headstone;
- wherein the center piston barrel is vertically oriented within a piston well located under the center of the headstone;
- wherein the center piston fits into a piston depression on the rear of the headstone when the headstone is in the vertical position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.