Abstract: A liquid hydrocarbon burner includes a single-walled pot; and a catalytic element placed centrally in the single-walled pot and comprised of an assembly of blades which are arranged concentrically around a vertical axis, which have in axial cross-section a mushroom shape, and which blades have respective upper parts and lower parts with respective weights such that the weight of the lower parts is greater than that of the upper parts. A process for preparing a sheet of chromium inox steel which is catalytically active for hydrocarbon combustion so that it is suitable for making blades for a catalytic element of a liquid hydrocarbon burner includes providing a sheet of chromium inox steel having a silicon content which exceeds 0.40%.+-.0.05 so that the chromium inox steel is refractory to the core; and pickling the sheet of chromium inox steel by treatment thereof with an acid effective to pickle chromium inox steel and render at least the surface thereof catalytically active for hydrocarbon combustion.

Abstract: A stove comprises a combustion chamber and a window disposed at the front wall of the combustion chamber. The stove further includes a device disposed at the front wall of the combustion chamber for directing air into the combustion chamber across the inner side of the window and in a downward direction. The device can form, across the inner side of the window, a screen of air which has a width approximately equal to the width of the window. The device includes a longitudinal chamber and a longitudinal slot in flow communication with the longitudinal chamber. Disposed within the slot are: a cylindrical register which can be rotated about its longitudinal axis for controlling a flow amount of the screen of air across the window; a profiled piece having air passage openings therein; and a flexible sealing leaf engaging, on one side thereof, the cylindrical register, and on another side thereof, the profiled piece.

Abstract: A cover for a heating body comprising a thin wall at least partially screening the heating body from a region outside of the heating body. The thin wall comprises a polymeric material being substantially rigid and substantially resisting permanent deformation at temperatures from 100.degree. C. to 130.degree. C., the polymeric material further substantially resisting infrared absorption at wavelengths corresponding to black-body temperatures of 200.degree. C. to 500.degree. C.

Abstract: This invention concerns a solid fuel stove, in particular a wood stove fitted with a device capable of neutralizing the polluting elements of burnt gasses and that comprises, in a conventional manner, a chamber of combustion formed by vertical walls and that extends between a grate and the burnt gas flue, characterized in that the aforesaid device (12) consists of a postcombustion chamber that extends obliquely through the chamber of combustion (1) and that forms a compulsory passage heated to a high temperature level by the fuel, with the burnt gasses circulating in this device from the bottom to the top and from one wall of the hearth to the opposite wall.