Burying a coffin is one of the most important acts at a funeral, and any movement of the coffin is important. But reducing it is more important and meaningful. This is the last time the coffin is seen, representing the final delivery, the final act of the funeral.

To accomplish the feat of lowering a coffin into the ground without damaging it or destroying the body inside, gravediggers use specialized equipment. The aptly named “casket lowering device” support the weight of coffins and allow them to slide gently into graves.

Below are the essential components of the casket lowering devices:

1. Surrounding bases. The rectangular base of the casket descent encircles the perimeter of the cemetery and sits above ground. It is adjustable so it can accommodate longer or wider graveyards. It is fixed by its own weight or by other means.

2. Support. With the base in place, the undertaker attaches a set of straps or cables to the plot, width oriented. Straps must be placed precisely according to the type of casket and the size of casket they will support.

3. Spool and gear. The equipment also includes sets of gears, as well as spools for winding cables. Gears are usually located in the enclosure at the four corners of the device. The spool can be a simple set of rods on either side of the base, or it can be placed at the four corners.

4. Locking mechanism. Once the strap is in place, the gear is locked so that the coffin can rest on it. When it was time to lower the coffin, the undertaker opened the gears and slowly lowered the coffin into the ground.

5. Decorative elements. Often, workers place sod or felt grass on top of the base to hide the cold, mechanical side of things. The visible parts of the device, including the four corners and side bars, may have drapes hanging down to add touch.

 

How to use the casket lowering device?

The main task to be completed before burial is to prepare the cemetery.

Then coffins were precisely aligned with the casket lowering devices and placed on lowering straps. The straps remain taut to suspend the coffin over the grave. Coffin lowering devices lower coffins into the ground, mortuaries operate levers to release internal gears. Slowly, the spool on the side of the device turns, releasing the strap and allowing the coffin to descend at a controlled rate.

Once the coffin is in the ground, the device needs to be removed. The first step is to remove the straps. Once the straps are out of the grave, funeral home workers can take apart the rest of the device in the reverse order they were placed with it. The device can usually be telescoped together to make it easier to transport.

Finally, the cemetery filled the grave with soil and planted sod on top to seal the grave.

Seeing a coffin sink into the ground for the first time can seem terrifying. You are witnessing the final moments of your loved ones on the ground and saying goodbye to them in a definite way.

It is also important to remember that lowered caskets are part of a large range known as traditional burials. If you choose an alternative burial, such as a natural burial, the process may be different.