Why Aren’t My Casket Lowering Device Straps Tightening Evenly?
Updated: 22 hours ago
If one lowering strap begins tightening before the other, or one connection point remains loose while the device is being set up, do not immediately assume the lowering device has an internal synchronization problem.
A very common cause is much simpler: one of the short-strap connections may have been reconnected with one more wrap or one less wrap than the others after the device was disconnected following a graveside service.
A casket lowering device uses two lowering straps with four connection points. The short-strap connections at those four points need to be positioned consistently so the two lowering straps take up evenly when the device is wound.
Why this can happen after a graveside service
Lowering devices are routinely disconnected, moved, transported, stored and then assembled again for the next service. During that process, a short strap can accidentally be reconnected one wrap farther around the side rail tube—or one wrap short of the others.
The difference may not be obvious until the device is wound for the next graveside service. One lowering strap may begin tightening before the other, or one connection point may remain loose while the others have already taken up.
That does not automatically mean the device is out of synchronization.
First, stop cranking harder
When one strap is not tightening with the other, the first instinct can be to keep cranking until everything becomes tight.
Do not do that.
If a short-strap connection is one wrap out of alignment, additional cranking will not correct the setup. It only places unnecessary force into the lowering device and can contribute to damage elsewhere.
The correct first step is to remove the tension and check the short-strap connections.
Step 1: Unwind the lowering straps
Unwind the two lowering straps from the device so the short-strap connections can be checked without the system being held under tension.
The purpose of this check is not to disassemble or repair the lowering device. It is simply to verify that the four external short-strap connections were reconnected consistently.
Step 2: Compare all four short-strap connections
Look at the short straps where they wrap around the side rail tubes.
All four connection points should have the same relative amount of wrap. If one short strap has been wrapped one turn more or one turn less than the others, correct that connection so it matches the others before winding the lowering straps again.
All four short-strap connection points should be wrapped consistently before the two lowering straps are wound.
What proper short-strap alignment looks like
The important comparison is the relationship between the short-strap connections. They should be positioned consistently so one connection point is not starting a full wrap ahead of or behind the others.
Close-up of short-strap connections wrapped consistently around a side rail tube. A one-wrap difference at one connection point can change when the lowering strap begins to take up.
Step 3: Wind the device again and watch the take-up
After the short-strap connections have been verified and corrected if necessary, wind the lowering device normally and observe how the two lowering straps take up across the four connection points.
If the straps now tighten evenly, the problem may have been the short-strap setup rather than an internal synchronization problem.
This is one of the simplest checks cemetery personnel can make themselves, and it can prevent an unnecessary service call or prevent someone from forcing a device that was simply reconnected unevenly.
What if all four short straps are wrapped the same but the device still does not line up?
That is the point where the situation changes.
If the lowering straps are unwound and all four short-strap connections are wrapped consistently, but one connection point still does not line up with the others or the two lowering straps still will not take up evenly, that can be a clue that the device has a synchronization problem rather than a simple setup issue.
Do not continue cranking harder in an attempt to force the device into alignment.
A lowering device that will not take up evenly after the short-strap connections have been verified should be removed from service until it has been further inspected.
A simple setup problem and a synchronization problem are not the same thing
A short-strap alignment issue can happen during normal disconnection and reassembly. It is external, visible and relatively simple for cemetery personnel to check.
A synchronization problem is different. If the external short-strap connections are correct and the device still does not line up or tighten evenly, the cause needs to be identified through a proper mechanical inspection.
The operator-level check is intended to help separate those two situations—not to diagnose or repair the internal synchronization system.
The bottom line
If one casket lowering-device strap is tightening before the other, or one connection point remains loose during setup, do not keep cranking harder.
Unwind the two lowering straps, compare the four short-strap connections and make sure each short strap has been wrapped consistently around the side rail tube.
If one connection was a wrap ahead or behind, correct the setup and recheck the device.
If all four short-strap connections are aligned correctly and the device still will not take up evenly, stop using the lowering device and have it inspected for a possible synchronization problem.
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