Why Is One Side of My Casket Lowering Device Freewheeling or Dropping?
Updated: 1 day ago
One side of a casket lowering device completely letting loose or freewheeling is a serious mechanical failure. It is not the same thing as one lowering strap tightening before the other during setup.
In a true one-side failure, that side can lose its mechanical connection to the operating system and drop or freewheel while the opposite side remains controlled by the device.
Under load, that can create a severe uneven condition immediately. The lowering device should be removed from service until the cause has been identified and normal operation has been confirmed.
A true one-side failure is not a gradual speed difference
When one side loses its connection to the operating system, it is not normally a situation where that side simply lowers a little faster than the other.
The affected side can completely let loose or freewheel while the other side remains connected and continues to be controlled.
That sudden difference is what makes the condition serious.
Do not confuse freewheeling with uneven strap take-up during setup
Uneven strap tightening before the device is loaded can sometimes be caused by short-strap connections that were reassembled one wrap ahead or behind the others.
That is why uneven strap take-up should first be checked as a separate setup issue.
A side that actually drops or freewheels independently from the rest of the device, however, is no longer a simple strap-alignment complaint.
What cemetery personnel may notice
A true one-side failure may present as one side suddenly dropping while the opposite side remains controlled, one side moving freely with little or no normal connection to the rest of the mechanism, or an obvious loss of coordinated operation between the two sides of the device.
The visible behavior is important information, but it does not identify the exact internal component that failed.
Remove the device from service immediately
If one side has completely let loose, dropped or begun freewheeling independently, do not use the lowering device for another graveside service.
Do not place a casket on the device to see whether the problem happens again, and do not repeatedly cycle the equipment in an attempt to make the connection return.
The device should be tagged out and inspected under controlled conditions.
One successful unloaded cycle does not clear the device
An intermittent mechanical failure can sometimes appear to correct itself temporarily.
If one side has already demonstrated a complete loss of normal connection, one successful unloaded cycle is not enough to establish that the lowering device is safe to return to service.
The reason for the failure needs to be identified and the complete device needs to be functionally tested after the repair.
The complete operating system should be inspected
A one-side drop or freewheeling complaint should be evaluated as a complete mechanical failure rather than by guessing which internal part needs replacement from the symptom alone.
The inspection should determine why that side lost its connection to the operating system, evaluate the surrounding mechanical condition and verify that the complete lowering device again operates as one coordinated unit.
The bottom line
If one side of a casket lowering device completely lets loose, drops or freewheels while the other side remains controlled, remove the device from service immediately.
That condition is different from uneven strap take-up during setup and should not be treated as a short-strap alignment problem.
The exact internal cause should be determined by inspection, corrected, and the complete lowering device should be tested under controlled conditions before it is returned to graveside use.
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