Grate Structure Patents (Class 126/540)
  • Patent number: 5842465
    Abstract: Stackable fireplace grates having a minimum of widely spaced legs and posts. One or more mediate posts are positioned inside the grate and on inclined, V-shaped sloping rod members which are supported by front and rear horizontal reinforcing support members. The front and rear distances between the rod member upper ends are less than the distances separating points of connection of the horizontal reinforcing support members to the V-shaped rod members. Thus, grates can be stacked in a minimal space, adjacent grates arranged at right angles to each other, with the rod member tips of one grate fitting up through the horizontal reinforcing supports of an adjacent grate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Inventor: Harry J. Cassidy
  • Patent number: 5722389
    Abstract: An apparatus is described that enables the user to pull a fireplace grate partially out of a fireplace for ease of loading with fuel, and then to push the fuel-loaded grate back into the fire-making position. The apparatus consists of a platform on whose top surface are receptacles which receive the feet of the grate. The platform engages and slides on rails attached to a base resting on the floor of a fireplace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1998
    Inventor: Lawrence Cranberg
  • Patent number: 5718217
    Abstract: A safety device for fireplaces provides a non-flammable apron adjacent to the fireplace opening, the apron being sloped up in a direction away from the fireplace. Thus, logs or embers discharged from the fireplace will engage the apron, and will dissipate their energy in moving up hill. The device has a switch that is closed when the apron is contacted for sounding an alarm. A panel beneath the apron defines a space, and the air in the space will be heated. The heated air is directed into the living space, either by natural or forced convection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1998
    Inventors: Javier Aleman, Kevin B. McBurney
  • Patent number: 5636624
    Abstract: Various fireplace grates having a minimum of widely spaced legs and posts. One or more mediate posts are positioned inside the grate and on the V-shaped sloping post members which can be resting on the fireplace floor or be elevated with legs. The mediate posts can be straight, inclined or bent. Removable mediate posts are clamped on any sloping post member or parallel reinforcing side members. Gas burners and a reflector can be integrated with the grate. Ash packing utensils are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1997
    Inventor: Harry J. Cassidy
  • Patent number: 5575275
    Abstract: A firelog burner tray for supporting a firelog over ground, including: (a) a flat horizontal base plate, for supporting the firelog, the base plate being full and defining an aft edge portion; (b) an elongated heat-reflector, upwardly extending from the aft edge portion of the base plate; and (c) a number of forwardly extending ribs, lengthwisely extending along and integrally dependent from the heat-reflector, whereby vertical air draft channels are formed between each pair of laterally successive ribs, for promoting vertical through circulation of combustion air between the heat reflector and the firelog; wherein particulate emissions released to the environment are controlled, and forwardly reflected heat and combustion time are enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1996
    Inventor: Guy Gazaille
  • Patent number: 5408989
    Abstract: A fireplace grate having legs and cut-out portions adjacent the legs, the cut-out portions of one fireplace grate receive the legs of a second fireplace grate when the two fireplace grates are nested together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1995
    Assignee: Vestal Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: David M. Vestal, Sr.
  • Patent number: 5076253
    Abstract: The burner is intended for combustion of wood logs or other similar solid fuels. The burner which will be called the basket burner is shaped as an open inclined basket (1) comprising a bottom plate (3) and a backing plate (4) which are inclined towards the horizontal plane, respectively the vertical plane, so that the connection between the bottom plate and the backing plate constitutes the lowest part of the basket. The backing plate forms a chute or hold for the package of wood logs. The two plates contain holes (8) for air. The fuel is piled up against the backing plate and is supported by the bottom plate so as to form a compact bundle or parallel wood logs with minimized surface/volume ratio. The design of the basket burner makes the wood logs serve as efficient supporting burners for each other. Thanks to the shape of the basket burner the burning wood logs are successively brought towards each other and towards the lowest part of the basket burner during the combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1991
    Inventor: LindstroOlle B.
  • Patent number: 5067476
    Abstract: An artificial log assembly is provided which produces a realistic looking flame resembling that of a natural wood log fire. The assembly includes a grate, cement logs positioned upon the grate, and a combustible log made from wax or other clean burning material positioned among the cement logs. The grate includes steps which allows the artificial logs to be positioned in such a manner that they resemble a stack of natural wood logs. One or more cement logs extend over the combustible log to deflect the flame generated thereby. An ash pan is removably positioned beneath the grate for trapping the ash generated by the combustible log.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1991
    Assignee: Majco Building Specialties, L.P.
    Inventor: Robert T. Rhodes, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5033455
    Abstract: The invention is a gas-fired burner for a fireplace, including an upper burner comprised of an upper tubular gas pipe and a lower burner comprised of a lower tubular gas pipe. The upper and lower tubular gas pipes meet at a junction, where gas to the lower tubular gas pipe is fed through the upper tubular gas pipe. Each of the tubular gas pipes has downwardly-facing, in-line orifices along their lengths. The improvement comprises a metallic strip having a width approximately equal to the inner diameter of the lower tubular gas pipe. This metallic strip is secured at its lateral ends to the interior of the lower pipe, and extends from a point adjacent the junction to a point beyond approximately the first twenty-five to thirty-three percent (25-33%) of the in-line orifices in the lower tubular gas pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1991
    Inventors: Scott F. Eiklor, Steve F. Eiklor
  • Patent number: 5014683
    Abstract: A fireplace combustion system in which a sealed firebox contains: a base having apertures connected to a source of combustion air and wherein a hollow grate is connected to one of the apertures to conduct combustion air to a quantity of fuel disposed on the grate; a plurality of baffles and deflectors are utilized to direct the products of combustion above the grate for flow through a quantity of porous refractory material so that the refractory material is heated by the products of combustion to a temperature sufficient to ignite the unburned gases present; and a flue for exhausting the products of combustion. The grate is provided with a plurality of apertures at various levels above the bottom to supply combustion air at varying temperatures at different locations in the burning fuel. Suitable valve means are used to control the amount and direction of the air flow through the apertures in the base to different primary and secondary burning zones in the firebox.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1991
    Inventor: Donald W. Wilkening
  • Patent number: 4984560
    Abstract: A wood burning stove incorporates a catalytic cell for reducing exhaust emissions from the stove. A pair of heat shields are spaced from opposing surfaces of a combustor to exchange thermal radiation with the combustor. The combustor is oriented at an acute angle to enhance the combustor life. One of the heat shields also functions as a deflector for deflecting exhaust toward the combustor. A secondary air unit supplies secondary air to the vicinity of the combustor. A dynamic grate assembly is employed to prevent under firing of the firebox.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 15, 1991
    Assignee: N.H.C., Inc.
    Inventor: Gary M. Hazard
  • Patent number: 4955362
    Abstract: A product for use with a fireplace grate comprising a sheet of metal, preferably of mild steel, adapted to fit into a fireplace and cover the upper surface of the grate normally used therein. The sheet is bent upward at its long edges or otherwise formed so that the upper face thereof when laid flat on a grate is concave. The sheet has evenly spaced holes or apertures through its entire area to permit the free and uniform flow of air through it. The sheet is sufficiently strong to hold the fuel to be burned in the fireplace and is of a thickness, or gauge, sufficient to withstand premature destruction in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 11, 1990
    Assignee: Ronald W. Underdown
    Inventor: Ronald W. Underdown
  • Patent number: 4907568
    Abstract: The more or less greasy food to be grilled on the barbecue is placed on a grill above the burning coal. The coal is carried by an air-permeable support. Smoke, produced by the grease drops falling on the burning coal, is prevented from reascending and consequently from contacting the food to be grilled by a suction, carried out at the level of the coal support. This suction is carried out by creating a rising gas flow current in the thermally-conducting exhaust conduit. The conduit is heated by the coal itself used for producing the heat under the grill. The conduit communicates with a chamber, where the upper wall of the chamber forms the coal support. The rising gas flow current in the exhaust conduit produces a suction in the up-down sense of direction at the level of the coal support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1990
    Assignee: Adly Chamy
    Inventor: Thierry Pibernat
  • Patent number: 4892088
    Abstract: A fireplace grate including a ribbed framework providing a support surface for fireplace fuels and a plurality of legs for supporting the framework above a fireplace floor utilizes a plurality of recesses disposed across the support surface which each extend downwardly into each leg. The recesses are sized to nestingly receive the legs of a grate of like construction placed in overlying relationship with the grate and have sidewalls which are joined to the sections of the support surface encircling the recesses along smooth arcuate surfaces so that the opening of each recess is devoid of sharp corners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1990
    Assignee: Vestal Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: David M. Vestal, Sr.
  • Patent number: 4881522
    Abstract: A hearth having an air supply through the bottom, a metal dish arranged at a predetermined height above the bottom and defining an area for preheating combustion air which then flows upwardly around the contour of the dish to form a curtain of preheated air. A belt may be provided surrounding the dish which defines an air inlet slot. The method comprises introducing combustion air into the hearth in the form of a continuous stream to form a continuous ascending air curtain laterally surrounding glowing embers in the hearth. Water or water vapor may be introduced into a zone having a temperauture high enough to decompose the water molecules, thereby locally activating combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1989
    Inventor: Andre Meusy
  • Patent number: 4862871
    Abstract: Combustion of horizontally-stacked fireplace logs is expedited and facilitated by maintaining the adjacent logs in a spaced-apart relationship, at least until proper combustion of the individual logs has been initiated. This enables the surfaces of the individual logs to rapidly reach combustion temperatures upon exposure to open flames from paper or other burning tinder or exposure to an underlying bed of glowing embers. The spacing of the logs can be readily accomplished by use of spacer devices. Preferred devices are members having a generally Y-shaped configuration in vertical cross-section so that the member has (i) a trunk portion adapted to be interposed in an upright position between two adjacent laterally positioned logs to provide spacing therebetween, and (ii) a pair of upwardly and outwardly extending arms forming an upper surface adapted to support or cradle another such log above, between and spaced from those two laterally positioned logs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1989
    Inventor: James F. Sieberth
  • Patent number: 4836185
    Abstract: A newspaper holder for use in a fireplace to receive folded newspapers in a vertical position to promote controlled combustion for warmth and visual effect when ignited wherein there is a metallic base and a plurality of spacer means raising vertically from the base forming spaces therebetween to receive pluralities of said folded newspapers for igniting and burning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1989
    Inventor: David A. Kudija