MORS 132 Exam 2 Ch. 1-7 Funeral Service Merchandising

Casket (ABFSE definition)

A case or receptacle in which human remains are placed for protection, practical utility, and a suitable memory picture; and any box or container of one or more parts in which a dead human body is placed prior to interment, entombment, or cremation which may or may not be permanently interred, entombed, or cremated with the dead human remains

Polymer

A compound similar in appearance to plastic, that has a high molecular weight creating an extremely durable substance

Velvet

A fabric of silk, cotton, and possibly rayon, with a nap

Gauge

A measurement of the thickness of metals for carbon steel caskets. The number of sheets of metal necessary to equal approximately one inch of thickness. Common gauges are 16, 18, and 20

Stainless steel

A metal alloy of steel, chromium, and sometimes nickel; noted for its ability to resist rust. Is not rustproof tho

Bail handle

A single handle in which the lug, arm, and bar are combined in one unit

Crepe

A thin, crinkled cloth of silk, rayon, cotton, or wool

Overlay/overthrow/throw

Aesthetic covering for the foot cap of a half couch or inner foot panel of a full couch

Ogee/rim

An "S" shaped molding that is a component of the casket cap

Casket corner

An optional part of the hardware that is attached to the four corners of the body panels

Non-ferrous metal

Any metal which is not formed from iron such as copper or bronze

Common woods in use today

Birch, cherry, mahogany, maple, oak, poplar, walnut, pine

Hardwood

Broad-leaved deciduous trees that annually lose their leaves like oaks or maples

Wrought bronze

Bronze metal rolled into sheets

Coffin

Case or receptacle for dead human remains which is anthropoid in shape

Perfection full couch

Casket in which the rim (ogee), crown, and pies are formed as one unit and which raises in one piece

Perfection half couch

Casket in which the rim (ogee), crown, and pies are formed as one unit with a transverse cut in the cap, forming a two-piece lid for the casket

Casket vs coffin

Caskets are six-sided, coffins are eight-sided

Foot panel

Component part of the casket interior which is inside the foot portion of the cap

Head panel

Component part of the casket interior which is inside the head portion of the cap. In a full couch, this term and panel are interchangeably used, no distinction is made

Cove/roll/puffing

Component part of the casket interior which lines the rim (ogee) and surrounds the cap panel

Body panels

Compose the sides and ends of the casket shell

Softwood

Coniferous (cone-bearing) trees with needles or scale-like foliage like pines or cedars

Wrought copper

Copper metal rolled into sheets.

Wood veneer

Created by gluing a thin layer of wood of superior value or excellent grain to an inferior wood

Austenitic stainless steel

Excellent corrosion resistance, represents a significant increase in quality when compared to 400 series stainless. Sometimes called "300" or "304" stainless, possesses higher chromium content (18%) and added element of nickel (8%) thus called 18-8. Non-magnetic

Linen

Fabric made from flax, noted for its strength, coolness, and luster

Satin

Fabric woven to create a smooth lustrous face and dull back

Cap panel

Focal part of the interior which fills the inside portion of the crown, sometimes bordered by the roll/cove; may be referred to as the panel

Cast hardware

Former via the most expensive hardware production method in which molten metal is poured into a mold, allowed to cool, and then removed from the mold

Gasket channel/transverse gasket channel

Found on cut-top gasketed caskets; it is an integral part of the foot panel header on gasketed caskets; the function of this is to hold the transverse gasket to seal the space between the head and foot caps

Inner panel

Functional or ornamental covering that usually covers the foot end of the casket in the full couch casket; may be located at both the head and foot of the full couch casket

Backing and padding materials

Gives casket interior form and definition. Cardboard, plastic, masselin, excelsior, cotton, other synthetic textiles.

Cherry

Hardwood. Common in eastern and midwestern US, 60-80ft. Relatively strong, very fine, straight grain with definite growth rings. White sapwood with very red or reddishbrown heartwood. Can be polished to an extremely fine surface texture lending itself to high gloss finish.

Poplar

Hardwood. Eastern US, 150ft. Several species of this used for casket construction; yellow poplar aka tulip tree, cottonwood, salix, and willow. Straight and medium to fine texture grain. Sapwood is usually white but heartwood is greenish in color. Relatively strong but somewhat soft and widely available.

Oak

Hardwood. Eastern US, seen in red and white varieties, avg height 60-80ft. Grain is pronounced and relatively straight with a somewhat course texture. Strong wood, hard and heavy. Sapwood can be white to light brown with heartwood that is light to dark reddish brown.

Birch

Hardwood. Found in eastern US, 60-70ft tall. Strong dense and hard with a fine straight to wavy grain. White sapwood with reddishbrown heartwood

Maple

Hardwood. Found in eastern US, can grow 60-120ft. Very strong, has a fine grain and can vary from medium hard to very hard. Curious grain patterns. Sapwood is creamy white and heartwood is light to very dark reddish brown.

Walnut

Hardwood. Primarily central US, 100-150ft. Typically straight grain pattern but occasionally shows a curly or wavy patterning. Sapwood usually creamy white but sometimes steamed to darker coloration. Heartwood can be light brown to deep chocolate color. Strong and heavy. Rarely used anymore, black walnut is the most costly casket production material

Mahogany

Hardwood. Three common types - South American Swietenia, Philippine Shorea and African Khaya. Can grow up to 140ft. Strong wood, reddishbrown, with a fine even grain and medium to heavy weight. Can exhibit ribbon graining with a premium price.

Other woods used in casket construction

Hickory and pecan Cedar Redwood

Body ledge flange/top body molding flange

Horizontal portion of the top body molding/body ledge where the gasket is placed on gasketed caskets

Stamped hardware

Is the result of a hardware production method of lesser expense whereby the casket hardware sections are pressed out on a hydraulic press

Sapwood

Layers of wood found between the heartwood and the bark of the tree

Apron

Lining attached to the undersurface of the foot panel of the casket and/or a component part of the throw (overlay) which extends downward into the body of the casket

Casket handles generally consist of four parts

Lug/ear Arm Bar Tip

Laminates

Made by uniting superimposing layers of different materials

Copper deposit casket

Made from a solid core of copper metal to which copper ions are combined by an electrolytic process. Extremely expensive

Copper

Malleable, ductile metallic element having a characteristic reddish-brown color.

Fiberglass

Material consisting of extremely fine filaments of glass embedded in various resins.

Body lining

Material which drapes the inside perimeter of the body of the casket

Lining Materials

Materials for casket lining include crepe, velvet, satin, linen, linen weaves, twill weaves, and muslin

Steel

Metal alloy consisting mainly of iron and carbon; used in caskets it is low in carbon which keeps it soft (mild) and malleable; commercial steel contains carbon in an amount up to 1.7% as an essential alloying constituent

Bronze

Metal alloy consisting of 90% copper with tin and sometimes zinc comprising the other 10%

Plastic extrusion molding

Method of molding plastic by injecting molten plastic into a die

Base molding

Molding along the lowermost edge of the body panels

Cast bronze casket

Molten bronze poured into a mold and allowed to cool. Can weigh over 1000lbs. No longer made bc of high cost

Plastic

More commonly used in hardware components, synthetic or natural organic material shaped when soft and then hardened.

Swing bar handles

Moveable casket handles with hinged arms

Ferritic stainless steel

Often referred to "400 series" or "409 stainless" is a basic grade of stainless steel with good corrosion resistance properties. Composed mainly of iron and carbon (steel) to which has been added chromium in an amount not less than 10% of the whole. Magnetic

Arm

Part of the casket handle that attaches the bar to the lug

Lug/ear

Part of the casket handle that is attached to the casket body

Types of composition board

Particle board, hardboard, fiberboard, oriented-strand board (OSB), medium-density fiberboard (MDF), and pressed board. *different types are distinguished by the size and shape of the particles of wood used*

Composition board

Particles of wood bonded together with waterproof glue

Hinge cover/hinge skirt

Portion of the casket interior covering the hinges that attach the casket cap to the casket body; usually extends from the bottom roll and becomes part of the body lining

Extendover

Portion of the casket interior which extends over the top body molding for aesthetic value

Bed

Portion of the casket upon which the deceased human remains are placed

Masselin

Pressed paper in sheet form

Blanket

Provided in most full couch caskets; a piece of fabric used to cover the body of the deceased, especially the lower legs and feet

Nap

Refers to a plush, downy, soft surface texture.

Hardware

Refers to the handles, ornamental fixtures, and their fittings that are attached to the casket shell

Casket (FTC definition)

Rigid container which is designed for the encasement of human remains and which is usually constructed of wood, metal, or like material and ornamented and lined with fabric

Casket is alternatively defined as

Small box for jewels

Pine

Softwood. Coniferous evergreen, grows throughout US typically more than 100ft high. Fine and relatively straight grain with characteristics knots. Can be creamy white to pink to yellow to light brown. Medium strength and light in weight. Depending on species can be very hard (Longleaf pine) or very soft (White pine)

Galvanized steel

Steel coated with zinc for increased resistance to rust

Fold/gimp

Strip of metal, plastic, or cloth that is attached to the inside of the panel, covering the area at which point the roll/cove is anchored to the cap

Twill weave

Textile weave in which threads are crossed over one another to give an appearance of diagonal lines

Header/bridge/cap filler

That portion of the cap/lid that is constructed into caskets that display a cut top; provides strength/rigidity at the point of the transverse cut

Body

That portion of the casket shell containing the top body molding, body panels, base molding, and casket bottom

Shell

The component parts of the casket comprised of the cap (lid) and the body of the casket

Tip

The decorative or ornamental part of the casket handle that covers the exposed ends of the bar

Cap

The topmost portion of the casket shell, including the ogee, crown, pie, and header

Plywood

Thin sheets of wood glued together so that the grains are at right angles to one another; an odd number of sheets will always be used so that the grain on the front and back will always run in the same direction

Header flange/bridge flange/cap filler flange

Turned-under edge or horizontal portion of the header

Ogee flange/rim flange

Turned-under edge or horizontal portion of the rim which comes into contact with the gasket or body ledge flange/top body molding flange

Non-ferrous metals

Typically copper and bronze. Measured in ounces, typically 32 and 48. Refers to the weight (thickness) of wrought material used to construct casket shell. 32oz equivalent to an 18ga, 48oz equivalent to 14-15ga

Crown

Uppermost part of the cap, extending from rim to rim. Can be considered everything above the rim

Select hardwood/Salix

Various species. Used to describe a casket constructed from a variety of hardwood species including poplar willow or cottonwood. The component parts of a single casket will not necessarily be constructed of the same species of wood.

Muslin

Very basic, plain-woven fabric most frequently used in the lining of the orthodox Jewish casket (aron) and for making burial shrouds

Pie or fishtail

Wedge-shaped portion of the cap (lid) at each end of the crown

Excelsior/wood wool

Wood that has been shredded into spaghetti like strings

Heartwood

Wood which is in the center of the tree. Preferred for casket construction

Linen weave

Woven to look like linen and used as a casket lining material

Stationary bar handles

a non-movable casket handle

Board-foot

a unit of measurement for lumber that equals 12" square and 1" thick

Ferrous metal

any metal formed from iron

Body ledge/top body molding

is a molding along the uppermost edge of the body panels

"All wood" construction

refers to a product that is in fact all wood with the exception of some hardware components, but utilizes wood by-products, such as particle board

"Solid wood" construction

refers to a product that, excepting some hardware components, is made from solid wood pieces; the casket shell has no components formed from wood by-products

Bar

that part of the casket handle, attached to the lug or arm, which is grasped by the casketbearer