US 4,303,056 A · Fireplace closures

Abstract

A fireplace closure containing means for supplying an additional amount of air to assist combustion of the logs, coal and the like in the fireplace grate at the time a fire is first started. The invention includes means for cutting off the additional amount of air after the fire is burning satisfactorily. The invention is well adapted for combination with a heat exchanger having forced air circulation and in such case the forced air is first delivered under the fireplace grate to assist combustion during the start of the fire. When the fire has caught satisfactorily, the forced air is then directed through the heat exchanger and is no longer delivered to the grate area. Included in this application are means to adapt and secure a fireplace closure of standard dimensions to fireplace openings of variable dimensions.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A fireplace front for spanning the opening into a fireplace, said front comprising a metal frame having connected top, bottom and side strips defining a frame opening, and glass doors within said frame opening to provide access to the fire in said fireplace,

a motor-driven blower,
said bottom strip having a plurality of openings therein to permit passage of room air by convection,
a conduit extending from the outlet of said blower, and
tube means, having one end adapted to receive air selectively by either convection through said bottom strip openings or by blower-forced air through said conduit, said tube means having another end open and extending into said fireplace with said open end directed toward the fire therein, whereby the start of said fire may be assisted by blower-forced air until the fire has caught on, and thereafter combustion may be maintained only by convection air.

1 more element

A fireplace front for spanning the opening into a fireplace, comprising,

a metal frame having connected top, bottom and side strips defining a frame opening, and glass doors within said frame opening to provide access to the fire in said fireplace, said top strip having at least two openings therethrough,
a heat exchange tube having an intermediate portion exposed to the heat of the fire in said fireplace, said heat exchange tube having one end in communication with one of said top strip openings and its other end adapted to discharge heated air into the room in which the fireplace is located,
a conduit having one end in communication with the other of said top strip openings and its other end in communication with the interior of a manifold,
tube means, having one end in communication with the interior of said manifold and the other end extending into the fireplace in the vicinity of the fire therein to be in position to direct additional air onto said fire to assist in combustion,
a motor-driven blower having an inlet for receiving air from said room, and an outlet for delivering forced air to both of said top strip openings,
and damper means shiftable to two positions, in one position interrupting air flow through said one strip opening but permitting air to flow through said other top strip opening, so that forced air is blown onto said fire, and in another position interrupting air flow through said other top strip opening but permitting forced air flow through said heat exchange tube.

3 more elements

A fireplace front for spanning the opening into a fireplace, comprising

a metal frame having connected top, bottom and side strips defining a frame opening, and glass doors within said frame opening to provide access to the fire in said fireplace, said top and bottom strips extending horizontally and being vertically spaced by said side strips, said top strip having a first set of openings near one end and a second set of openings at the opposite end and equal in number to said first set,
heat exchange tubes having their intermediate portions exposed to the heat of the fire in said fireplace, said tubes being equal in number to the sets of openings in the ends of said top strip and said tubes having their opposite ends in communication with respective sets of openings so that air may flow through said first set of openings, through said heat exchange tubes and be heated, and exit to the room in which the fireplace is located through said second set of openings,
said top strip having an extra opening adjacent to said first set of openings,
an air blower including a housing forming an air chamber which is in communication with said first set of openings and said extra opening,
a conduit having an upper end in communication with said extra opening and a lower end in communication with the interior of a manifold, and
tube means having one end in communication with the interior of said manifold and the other end disposed within said fireplace in the vicinity of the fire therein to be in position to direct additional air onto said fire to assist in combustion.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Fireplace closures

Life of this patent

Fireplace closures

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14