Why Is My Casket Lowering Device Grinding or Scraping?
Updated: 1 day ago
A grinding sound from a casket lowering device—especially one that can also be felt through the crank handle—should be taken very seriously.
This is different from the repetitive clicking or clacking that can be associated with the governor system. A grinding sensation while cranking can indicate a problem in the mechanical connection between the worm/helical gear system and the governor assembly.
If that connection becomes severely damaged or is lost completely, the device may no longer be capable of safely controlling a casket load.
Grinding You Can Feel Through the Crank Handle Is a Major Warning Sign
One of the most common serious grinding complaints Cantrell’s encounters occurs while the lowering device is being cranked back up.
Personnel may hear a grinding or skipping sound and, at the same time, feel the grinding through the crank handle.
That combination can indicate that the worm/helical gear and governor assembly are no longer engaging with each other properly.
Possible conditions can include:
slippage between the assemblies,
misalignment,
damaged or worn gear cogs,
damage to one of the interacting assemblies, or
another mechanical condition affecting the connection between them.
The exact cause still needs to be properly diagnosed before deciding which components require service or replacement.
Do Not Use a Grinding Device With a Casket
If a lowering device is producing this type of grinding or slipping condition, do not use it with a casket load under any circumstances.
This is not a symptom where we recommend completing one more service and repairing the device afterward.
Do not use it because another device is unavailable. Do not use it because the device still appears to crank. Do not assume the brake will provide a backup if the drive connection fails.
The device should be removed from service and inspected before it carries another casket.
Why the Brake May Not Protect You if the Drive Connection Fails
This is one of the reasons this particular grinding condition is so serious.
The braking system depends on the mechanical drive path of the lowering device remaining connected.
If the connection between the worm/helical gear system and governor assembly becomes completely stripped, disconnected, or otherwise loses engagement, the brake may no longer be able to stop the casket from descending.
Engaging the brake does not restore a mechanical connection that has already been lost.
That means a device can reach a point where the operator engages the brake and the casket continues downward because the part of the mechanism being held by the brake is no longer properly connected to the part carrying the load.
That possibility is why grinding, gear slippage, or a grinding sensation through the crank handle should never be treated as a minor noise complaint.
The Device May Still Crank Before Complete Failure
Another reason this condition can be dangerous is that the device may still operate before the connection fails completely.
Personnel may be able to crank the device while hearing or feeling grinding and assume that because it still moves, it can still be used.
That is not a safe assumption.
Partial engagement can still allow the device to operate while damage progresses. If the remaining engagement is lost under load, the condition can become much more serious immediately.
The fact that a device still cranks does not clear a grinding complaint.
Do Not Try to Fix Grinding by Adding Lubrication
Proper lubrication is important preventive maintenance, but additional lubricant cannot repair damaged gear teeth, restore proper mechanical engagement, or correct every alignment or drive-system condition.
If the device is grinding or slipping, adding lubricant and continuing to operate it can delay the inspection of a potentially serious mechanical problem.
Continued Operation Can Turn One Problem Into Several
A lowering device rarely benefits from being operated until it completely fails.
When wear first begins, the condition may involve one area or a smaller number of components. Continuing to operate the device while it is grinding, slipping, binding, clacking, or showing another mechanical warning can allow the damaged or worn area to affect the components that work with it.
As the device continues cycling, one developing problem can become damage to multiple components.
This is particularly important where gears and other mating components operate together. Once significant damage or loss of proper engagement has occurred, manufacturer service guidance may require the related mating components to be replaced together rather than replacing only one damaged piece and putting a worn mating component back against a new one.
That is another reason a grinding condition should be addressed when it first appears—not after the device has been operated until it will no longer function.
Early Service Can Mean a Smaller Repair
A device that is still operating is not necessarily a device that should continue being used.
Cemetery personnel sometimes continue using equipment because it can still complete a cycle. The problem is that every additional cycle can continue wearing or damaging the components involved in the original condition.
Having the device inspected when a new symptom first appears can sometimes mean correcting a developing problem before additional parts are damaged.
Waiting until complete failure can result in a larger repair, more replacement parts, and more time with the equipment out of service.
What Should Cemetery Personnel Report?
If grinding is noticed, useful information includes whether the sound occurs while cranking the device up, whether the grinding can also be felt through the crank handle, whether the crank slips or changes resistance, and whether the condition appeared suddenly or has become progressively worse.
If a video can be obtained safely while the device is unloaded and positioned away from an open grave, it may also help a technician understand the complaint.
Do not repeatedly operate a severely grinding device simply to reproduce the symptom.
Do Not Test a Grinding Device Over an Open Grave
Any follow-up inspection should be performed with the device in a controlled location away from an open grave whenever possible.
A device suspected of losing engagement in its drive system should never be placed over a grave or loaded with a casket merely to determine whether the condition is serious.
The grinding itself is already enough reason to remove the equipment from normal graveside service until it has been properly inspected.
Why Proper Diagnosis Still Matters
Although this type of grinding commonly directs the inspection toward the relationship between the worm/helical gear system and governor assembly, it still does not mean that every component in that system needs replacement.
The problem could involve engagement, alignment, damaged gear cogs, wear, or another condition.
Proper diagnosis determines what actually failed and which components actually require correction.
Replacing every part associated with the system without identifying the condition first can add unnecessary expense without guaranteeing that the original problem has been corrected.
Preventive Maintenance Is the Better Option
The best time to find many of these conditions is before the cemetery ever hears grinding or experiences a serious operational problem.
Regular preventive maintenance gives the technician an opportunity to inspect wear, lubrication, adjustment, engagement, and the overall operating condition of the device before those conditions progress into a major failure.
Preventive maintenance cannot guarantee that a mechanical component will never fail, but the goal is to identify developing problems early enough to reduce the chance of one worn condition damaging additional parts.
The Bottom Line
A grinding sound—particularly grinding that can be felt through the crank handle while the device is being cranked up—is a serious warning sign.
It can indicate a problem with the mechanical connection between the worm/helical gear system and the governor assembly.
If that connection is lost completely, the brake may no longer be capable of stopping the casket because the mechanical drive path needed to control the load has been interrupted.
Do not continue using the device simply because it can still complete a cycle. Continued operation can allow an existing problem to damage additional components and turn a smaller repair into a much larger one.
For that reason, do not use a grinding lowering device with a casket under any circumstances.
Remove it from service, keep it away from graveside use, and have the condition properly diagnosed before the device is returned to operation.
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