Device for automatically charging a woodburning stove

In a wood burning stove having front, rear and side walls joined by a top and bottom a device for automatically drying and dropping a log at a predetermined time for charging a fire carried on said bottom comprising:

• an elongated arcuate shaped log supporting member journaled within said stove adjacent the juncture of said top and side wall displaced from the center of said stove where a fire is normally located, said log supporting members being disposed to support a log completely within the interior of said stove so that said log may be dried prior to burning;
• said log supporting member being rotatably journaled in said stove having a first position for supporting said log and a second position in which said supporting member pivots downwardly and drops said log into said fire;
• an elongated lever arm connected to said log supporting member;
• a latching means operably connected to said lever for holding said lever in a latched position wherein said log supporting member is held in a log supporting position in said first position and when in said second position said latching means allows said lever to assume an unlatched position wherein said log supporting member is pivoted to the log dropping position, and
• means for causing said latching means to be moved from said first position to said second position at a predetermined time for dropping a log carried on said log supporting member into said fire.