Automatic chimney cap

An automatic chimney closure cap for use in sealing the upper end of a chimney having a vertically extending smoke passage leading from a combustion area that when operating will produce hot combustion gases to an upper terminal discharge end, comprising:

• a rigid frame of a size and shape to fit telescopically within the chimney upper end, and having securement means for rigidly fixing the frame to the chimney;
• a generally impervious movable valve member mounted for movement relative to said frame so as to be movable from a first position sealing the terminal discharge end of said chimney to prevent the movement of air into and out of said chimney through said terminal discharge end, and a second position spaced from said first position to vent the terminal discharge end of said chimney to provide for the exhaust of the combustion gases from the combustion area;
• an electrical motor means mounted on said frame, having a control signal input for selected actuation and a power output;
• power transmission linkage means between said motor power output and said movable valve member so that actuation of said motor will move said movable valve member from one of its said positions to the other of its said positions;
• detector means mounted on said frame within said chimney between said combustion area and said movable valve member for detecting smoke or incipient particles of combustion gases and producing a correlated detection signal when such exceed a fixed reference level;
• power means responsive to a control signal for moving said movable valve member from said other position to said one position;
• control means responsive to said detector signal to produce a control signal for actuation of one of said power means and said motor means to move said movable valve member from its sealed first position to its vent second position;
• and
• manual override means drivingly connected to said movable valve member for moving said movable valve member from its sealed first position to its vent second position, and having a downwardly depending elongated control mechanical linkage for extending from the frame downwardly through the chimney to the combustion area where it may be manually operated.

An automatic chimney closure cap for use in sealing the upper end of a chimney having a vertically extending smoke passage leading from a combustion area that when operating will produce hot combustion gases to an upper terminal discharge end, comprising:

• a rigid frame of a size and shape to fit telescopically within the chimney upper end, and having securement means for rigidly fixing the frame to the chimney;
• a generally impervious movable valve member mounted for movement relative to said frame so as to be movable from a first positition sealing the terminal discharge end of said chimney to prevent the movement of air into and out of said chimney through said terminal discharge end, and a second position spaced from said first position to vent the terminal discharge end of said chimney to provide for the exhaust of the combustion gases from the combustion area;
• an electrical motor means mounted on said frame, having a control signal output for selected actuation and a power output;
• power transmission linkage means between said motor power output and said movable valve member so that actuation of said motor will move said movable valve member from one of its said positions to the other of its said positions;
• detector means mounted on said frame within said chimney between said combustion area and said movable valve member for detecting at least one of heat and combustion gases and producing a correlated detection signal when such exceed a fixed reference level;
• power means responsive to a control signal for moving said movable valve member from said other position to said one position;
• control means responsive to said detector signal to produce a control signal for actuation of one of said power means and said motor means to move said movable valve member from its sealed first position to its vent second position;
• and
• shield means mounted on said frame for movement from a detect position spaced from said detector means that permits smoke and heat from the combustion gases rising in said chimney to reach said detector means and a second shield position at least partially enveloping said detector means and shielding said detector means from heat and smoke passing through said chimney, and including means interconnecting said shield means with said movable valve member so that said shield means will be in its shield position when said movable valve member is in its vent second position and said shield means will be in its detect position when said movable valve is in its sealed first position.

An automatic chimney closure cap for use in sealing the upper end of a chimney having a vertically extending smoke passage leading from a combustion area that when operating will produce hot combustion gases to an upper terminal discharge end, comprising:

• a rigid frame of a size and shape to fit telescopically within the chimney upper end, and having securement means for rigidly fixing the frame to the chimney;
• a generally impervious movable valve member mounted for movement relative to said frame so as to be movable from a first position sealing the terminal discharge end of said chimney to prevent the movement of air into and out of said chimney through said terminal discharge end, and a second position spaced from said first position to vent the terminal discharge end of said chimney to provide for the exhaust of the combustion gases from the combustion area;
• an electrical motor means mounted on said frame, having a control signal input for selected actuation and a power output;
• power transmission linkage means between said motor power output and said movable valve member so that actuation of said motor will move said movable valve member from one of its said positions to the other of its said positions;
• detector means mounted on said frame within said chimney between said combustion area and said movable valve member for detecting at least one of heat and combustion gases and producing a correlated detection signal when such exceed a fixed reference level;
• power means responsive to a control signal for moving said movable valve member from said other position to said one position;
• control means responsive to said detector signal to produce a control signal for actuation of one of said power means and said motor means to move said movable valve member from its sealed first position to its vent second position;
• and
• manual override means drivingly connected to said movable valve member for moving said movable valve member from its sealed first position to its vent second position, and having a downwardly depending elongated control mechanical linkage for extending from the frame downwardly through the chimney to the combustion area where it may be manually operated.

An automatic chimney closure cap for use in sealing the upper end of a chimney having a vertically extending smoke passage leading from a combustion area that when operating will produce hot combustion gases to an upper terminal discharge end, comprising:

• a rigid frame of a size and shape to fit telescopically within the chimney upper end, and having securement means for rigidly fixing the frame to the chimney;
• a generally impervious movable valve member mounted for movement relative to said frame so as to be movable from a first position sealing the terminal discharge end of said chimney to prevent the movement of air into and out of said chimney through said terminal discharge end, and a second position spaced from said first position to vent the terminal discharge end of said chimney to provide for the exhaust of the combustion gases from the combustion area;
• an electrical motor means mounted on said frame, having a control signal input for selected actuation and a power output;
• power transmission linkage means between said motor power output and said movable valve member so that actuation of said motor will move said movable valve member from one of its said positions to the other of its said positions;
• detector means mounted on said frame within said chimney between said combustion area and said movable valve member for detecting at least one of heat and combustion gases and producing a correlated detection signal when such exceed a fixed reference level;
• power means responsive to a control signal for moving said movable valve member from said other position to said one position;
• control means responsive to said detector signal to produce a control signal for actuation of one of said power means and said motor means to move said movable valve member from its sealed first position to its vent second position;
• and
• means producing a control signal for energizing one of said power means and said motor means for moving said movable valve member from its vent second position towards its sealing first position automatically at a fixed time after said movable valve member has reached its vent second position.