Portable fireplace heating unit

A portable heating device for use in a standard fireplace opening in conjunction with an aperture permanent damper frame of said standard fireplace, the original fireplace damper plate opened to its furthest upstanding position with the remaining portion of the original fireplace damper assembly disconnected from said original fireplace damper plate, said heating device comprising:

• (A) housing means, a portion of which forms a heating chamber having an apertured region in the upper portion of said heating chamber, said housing means incorporating means for positioning the housing within the standard fireplace opening inwardly spaced from the masonry wall thereof, said housing further incorporating an openable front portion communicating with the heating chamber for placement of fuel therein;
• (B) a closeable damper assembly movably mounted in said upper apertured portion of the heating chamber for connecting the heating chamber to the fireplace flue, said damper assembly incorporating,
• (1) an adapter plate dimensioned to cover and block a pre-existing damper opening in said permanent damper frame having a central aperture formed therein;
• (2) an aperture adapter assembly dimensioned to cover and block a portion of the central aperture of the adapter plate, comprising:
• (a) an aperture adapter frame dimensioned to contact a portion of the adapter plate, having an aperture substantially equal to and aligned with the central aperture of the adapter plate;
• and
• (b) an aperture adapter plate positionably mountable to the aperture adapter frame generating a second central aperture;
• (3) a damper flue conduit dimensioned to extend through said second central aperture and having:
• (a) a lower entrance portal juxtaposed to the apertured region in the upper portion of the heating chamber and
• (b) an upper exit portal opening into the fireplace flue;
• (4) a damper plate movably mounted to said housing means at the upper portion of said housing means;
• and
• (5) means for manually positioning said damper plate;
• and
• (C) means for admitting air into the heating chamber;
• whereby an air convection space is created between the outer portion of the enclosed heating chamber and the masonry fireplace wall so that air entering the convection space is circulated back past the housing and outside the fireplace for space heating purposes.