# US 4,391,266 A · Stove apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 4,391,266 A - Document ID: US4391266A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 06/224,431 - Filed: 1981-01-12 - Granted: 1983-07-05 - Earliest claimed: 1981-01-12 - Inventors: Arthur J. Leffers - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4391266A ## CPC - F24B 7/025: {with forced circulation} - F24B: DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES FOR SOLID FUELS (for solid fuels in combination with gaseous fuels, liquid fuels or other kinds of energy supply F24C1/02); IMPLEMENTS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH STOVES OR RANGES ## Abstract Stove apparatus comprising in combination with a firebox a surrounding heat-exchange housing spaced therefrom to provide for air circulating passages. Both the firebox and the housing have top, lateral sides and rear ends spaced apart in substantial parallelism. A front closure is provided on the firebox having an access door. The spaced lateral sides of the firebox and housing define air inlet passages having at the front ends thereof air inlet ports. The spaced tops define an outlet passage in communication with the inlet passages and have at the front end an air outlet port. Means are connected to the inlet ports for supplying a flow of air into the inlet passages, through the outlet passage and finally out of the outlet ports. Such air is heated by means of a fire burning in the firebox. Such apparatus may be used as a free-standing stove or as an insert for an existing fireplace. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Stove apparatus comprising a firebox, a heat-exchange housing enclosing said firebox and spaced therefrom to provide air circulating passages, said firebox having a top, lateral sides and a rear end, said housing also having a bottom, top, lateral sides and a rear end respectively spaced in substantial parallelism from the corresponding parts of said firebox, a front closure on said firebox having an access door, said spaced lateral sides of said firebox and housing defining air inlet passages having at the front ends thereof air inlet ports, said spaced tops defining an air outlet passage in communication with said inlet passages and having at the front end thereof an air outlet port, means connected to said inlet ports for supplying a flow of air to said inlet passages, means for admitting combustion air to said firebox, and means for venting smoke from said firebox in by-passing relation to said housing and said top air outlet passage, said firebox projecting beyond the front portion of said housing, said top of said firebox being in the form of a plate having a flat horizontal portion which projects forwardly of said housing and is exposed thereby providing a stove top, said top plate of said firebox engaging at the lateral edges thereof said housing sides thereby further defining said inlet passages, the space between said housing and firebox rear ends serving to connect said inlet passages to said outlet passage. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a face plate straddles said firebox in covering relation to said inlet and outlet ports and separates said housing from the projecting portion of said firebox, said face plate having inlet openings in registry with said inlet ports and outlet openings in registry with said outlet port, said means for supplying air including electric blowers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said face plate extends laterally beyond and above said housing thereby to close the opening of a fireplace into which such stove apparatus may be inserted, the front portion of said firebox thus being positioned forwardly of said face plate outside of said fireplace. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the portion of said top plate that projects forwardly of said housing also extends laterally therebeyond thereby to provide an extended area stove top. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said face plate also extends laterally beyond said housing substantially coextensively with the forwardly projecting portion of said stove top, said front closure on said firebox also extending laterally therebeyond substantially coextensively with said face plate and stove top and having sides connected with the lateral extremities of said face plate and stove top thereby to form two air intake chambers, said blowers being mounted in said chambers, and said chambers having air intake openings for supplying room air to said blowers. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said front closure is substantially planar and is angled outwardly from the bottom to top thereof, said access door being substantially coplanar with said front closure. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said firebox and housing conjointly are angled outwardly from the rear toward the front, said face plate having a rearwardly extending flange adapted to engage and seal the opening of a fireplace into which the stove apparatus is inserted. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said firebox includes a flue chamber beneath and extending substantially parallel to a portion of the top plate, said flue chamber being closed at the sides and rear and communicating with said venting means, the front of said flue chamber being open and disposed forwardly of said housing but spaced from said front closure near the upper portion of said access door thereby providing a path for smoke and gases developed within said firebox that extends from the rear toward the front and then back through the flue chamber and out of said venting means. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8 wherein flue chamber is defined by a flue plate spaced from but substantially parallel to said firebox top, said flue plate at its lateral edges engaging the lateral sides of said firebox. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said venting means includes at least one pipe section traversing the space between the tops of said housing and firebox and which opens into said flue chamber near the rear thereof and through the top of said housing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said flue plate at the forward end has a depending flange and a series of openings adjacent the flange through which a portion of the smoke and gases may pass from said firebox into said flue chamber. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said front closure is planar and is angled outwardly from the bottom toward the top, said access door being substantially coplanar with said closure, the bottom of said firebox near said front closure having at least one draft opening. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 in which an air deflecting plate is joined to the front closure and extends rearwardly in parallel spaced relation with the firebox bottom, said means for admitting combustion air being a draft opening in a bottom plate of said firebox opposite said deflecting plate, and said deflecting plate having one or more holes therein adjacent to said access door whereby air entering said draft opening not only passes rearwardly into said firebox but also through said holes and upwardly adjacent to said access door. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said face plate straddles said firebox in covering relation to said inlet and outlet ports and separates said housing from the projecting portion of said firebox, said face plate having inlet openings in registry with said inlet ports and outlet openings in registry with said outlet port, said means for suppling air including electric blowers, said face plate extending laterally beyond and above said housing thereby to close the opening of a fireplace into which such stove apparatus may be inserted, the front portion of said firebox thus being positioned forwardly of said face plate and outwardly of said fireplace, the portion of said top plate that projects forwardly of said housing also extending laterally therebeyond thereby to provide an extended area stove top, said face plate also extending laterally beyond said housing substantially coextensively with the forwardly projecting portion of said stove top, said front closure on said firebox also extending laterally therebeyond substantially coextensively with said face plate and stove top and having sides connected with the lateral extremities of said face place and stove top thereby to form two air intake chambers, said blowers being mounted in said chambers, and said chambers having air intake openings for supplying room air to said blowers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14 including a flat damper plate reciprocably mounted on said top of said housing to control the opening of said flue pipe therethrough. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15 including a cabinet supported on legs, said cabinet having an open front and receiving said stove apparatus therein, said face plate fitting over the front edge of said opening, and said cabinet having a flue opening which communicates with said flue pipe.