# US 8,783,242 B1 · Charcoal grill having re-chargeable charcoal feed for continuous operation

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- Number: US 8,783,242 B1
- Document ID: US8783242B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 12/879,062
- Filed: 2010-09-10
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2009-09-10
- Assignees: University of South Florida
- Applicants: Matthew Ronald Banas; Paul A. Witiak
- Inventors: Matthew Ronald Banas; Paul A. Witiak
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8783242B1

## CPC

- F24B 13/04: Arrangements for feeding solid fuel, e.g. hoppers
- A47J 37/079: {Charcoal igniting devices}
- 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
- A47J: KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES

## Abstract

A charcoal grill includes a base for holding charcoal, support legs, and a lid mounted to the base. A metal band, having an opening formed therein, encircles the base. A box is secured to the metal band in registration with the metal band opening. The box includes a top wall and an opening formed in the top wall. The box has an open, ram-receiving back end and an open front end in open communication with the metal band opening. A chimney holds charcoal until it is ready to be used. A user inverts the chimney to charge charcoal into the box through the top wall opening. A ram inserted through the back end of the box slides the charcoal into the base through the metal band opening. In this way, charcoal is added to the apparatus when the lid is closed and before a prior charge of charcoal is consumed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A charcoal grill apparatus, comprising:
a base for holding charcoal;
a lid;
a metal band disposed between said lid and said base, said metal band supported by said base and said lid supported by said metal band;
an opening formed in said metal band;
a hollow box secured to said metal band in cantilevered relation thereto, said hollow box being in open communication with said opening formed in said metal band;
said hollow box having a top wall, a box opening formed in said top wall, a bottom wall, and a pair of sidewalls, said walls collectively defining a hollow interior;
said box having an open front end and an open back end, said front end being in open communication with said opening formed in said metal band; and
a ram having two lateral sides and an uninterrupted front surface slideably mounted in said hollow interior of said box through said open back end of said box, wherein said front surface is in contact with said bottom wall of said hollow box and is coincident with said opening in said metal band when said ram is fully inserted into said hollow box, whereby forward sliding of said ram is configured to inject all contents of said box into said base for holding charcoal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a chimney adapted to hold a quantity of charcoal;
said chimney further adapted to hold charcoal while said charcoal is burning, preparatory to use of said charcoal as a heat source for cooking.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:
said ram having an open, retracted configuration where it is substantially withdrawn from the hollow interior of said box, thereby enabling charcoal to be charged into the hollow interior of said box through said box opening.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:
said ram having a closed, extended configuration where it is substantially fully inserted into the hollow interior of said box;
said box opening being closed when said ram is in said closed configuration;
said charcoal in said box being rammed through said opening formed in said metal band when charcoal is in the hollow interior of said box and said ram is displaced from its open, retracted configuration to its closed, extended configuration;
whereby charcoal is added to said apparatus when said lid is closed and before a prior charge of charcoal is consumed so that a cooking process is not interrupted.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:
said chimney having a bottom wall;
said chimney being disposed atop said top wall of said box when said chimney contains burning charcoal briquettes;
said chimney being manually inverted when said ram is substantially withdrawn from said box so that said box opening is open;
whereby said burning charcoal briquettes are charged in the hollow interior of said box when said box opening is open and said chimney is manually inverted; and
whereby said burning charcoal briquettes are shoved into said base through said opening formed in said metal band when said ram is displaced from its retracted configuration to its extended configuration.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:
said chimney having a cylindrical construction and having no top wall or bottom wall;
said chimney adapted to hold a predetermined quantity of charcoal briquettes when said chimney is positioned atop said box and said ram is in said closed, extended configuration so that said box opening is closed by said ram;
whereby charcoal briquettes are charged into said chimney when said chimney is positioned atop said box and said box opening is closed by said ram; and
whereby after said charcoal briquettes have been ignited and allowed to burn for a predetermined amount of time, said ram is displaced to said open, retracted configuration, thereby opening said box opening so that burning charcoal briquettes fall into said box; and
whereby said ram is then displaced from said open, retracted configuration to said closed, extended configuration, thereby shoving said burning charcoal briquettes from said box, through said opening formed in said metal band, and into the hollow interior of said base.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:
said chimney having a cylindrical construction and having no top wall or bottom wall;
said chimney adapted to hold a predetermined quantity of charcoal briquettes when said chimney is positioned atop said box;
a slideably mounted trapdoor having a first, retracted configuration where said box opening is open;
said slideably mounted trapdoor having a second, extended configuration where said box opening is closed by said trapdoor;
whereby charcoal briquettes are charged into said chimney when said chimney is positioned atop said box and said box opening is closed by said trapdoor in said second, extended configuration;
whereby after said charcoal briquettes have been ignited and allowed to burn for a predetermined amount of time, said ram is displaced to said open, retracted configuration, and said trap door is positioned in its second, retracted position, thereby opening said box opening so that burning charcoal briquettes fall into said box; and
whereby said ram is then displaced from said open, retracted configuration to said closed, extended configuration, thereby shoving said burning charcoal briquettes from said box, through said opening formed in said metal band, and into the hollow interior of said base.