CA1073296A - Fireplace enclosure - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT

A fireplace enclosure comprising a frame having two vertical side members and two transverse cross members extend-ing therebetween, two pairs of hingedly connected folding doors for closing off the space encompassed by the frame, and a pair of slide latches connected with elongate slidable handles on two of the doors respectively for conveniently selectively opening and closing the doors. The frame includes a door stop in the form of a depending apron on the upper cross member, constituting a backing for the doors when they are in closed positions. A pair of retainer slide members is carried on the innermost two doors, respectively, for engagement with the rear surface of the apron. The advantage of the present con-struction over the devices of the prior art is that there is eliminated all binding between the slide members and the apron as the doors are opened or closed, thus providing an enclosure that is both easy to used and reliable in operation, even over extended periods of time.

Description

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FIREPLACE ENCLOSURE
This invention relates generally to fireplace enclosures, and more particularly to panelled enclosures of the type em-ploying one or more sets of hinge-connected folding doors.
Prior enclosures of the folding door type have employed pairs oflugs on the free ends of the two inner doors, wherein the lugs were adapted to ride in tracks or grooves in the upper or lower cross supports of the frames. Typically, in units having four door panels the outer two were hingedly connected to the frame, with the inner two being connected respectively to the outer two by hinges. By such an arrange-ment, each of the inner panels could be folded onto its respec-tive outer panel as the hinge joining the two was shifted out-wardly.
While such a construction operated satisfactorily, there was a tendency for the lugs to bind in the tracks, especially if the latter became dirty, or if the doors become slightly warped. As a result, smooth operation was difficult to achieve, particularly after the unit had been in use over a substantial length of time.
Prior latch mechanisms for the doors tended to be either too complex and expensive to produce, or ineffective in that they were difficult to operate. In many cases, the handles for such latch mechanisms were located at the center of the door edges, directly in front of the fire, and thus tended to become excessively not after several hours.
Frequently, one or more collaPsible wire mesh screens were employed with a glass door enclosure, to confine the burning ashes while still permitting heat convection into the room. The pull-chain mechanisms employed with such screens often involved complex guides or channels for the chain. In ;

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addition, problems were encountered where it was desired to have a slight overlap of the screens, as opposed to having them merely abut one another. Many prior units were thus both costly to produce and sometimes ineffective in use.
The above disadvantages and drawbacks of prior fire-place enclosure units are obviated by the present invention, which provides a fireplace enclosure, comprising in combina-tion a frame having substantially vertical side members and substantially horizontal top and bottom members extending between and respectively connected to the side members, two pairs of hingedly connected folding doors adapted to close off the space encompassed by the frame, means movably mounting the doors on the frame for movement between open and closed positions, the upper frame member having a depending apron adapted to extend behind the doors when the latter are closed, two of said doors having retaining guide members extending - behind the apron of the t~p frame member and enqaqeable with tne back surface thereof. for pilotin~ the doors durinq open-inq and closinq movements of the latter, andhandles carried on two of said doors adjacent the quide members, for operating the doors to open and close the same.
Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.
In the drawlngs:
Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the improved fire-place enclosure, shown with one pair of hinged doors open and the other pair closed.
Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the two right-hand doors of Fig. 1, and particularly illustrating the latch mechanism and retainer means associated therewith.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a rear elevational view of the two left-hand doors of Fig. 1, and illustrating the latch mechanism and re-,, .
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tainer means associated therewith.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the inner one of the right-hand doors in Fig. l, particularly showing details of the latch construction associated there-with.
Fig. 7 is a section taken on line 7--7 of Fig. 6.
Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 8--8 of Fig. 6.
Fig. 9 is a section taken on line 9--9 of Fig. 8.
Fig. lO is a side elevational view of a headed screw em-ployea in the latch mechanism of Figs. 6-9.
Fig. 11 is a- perspective view of the rear of the fire-place enclosure of Fig. 1, particularly showing the two collapsible wire mesh screens and the pull-chain mechanism associated therewith.
Fig. 12 is a top plan view of the pull-chain mechanism per se, of the enclosure of Fig. ll.
Fig. 13 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the enclosure and pull-chain mechanism of Fig. ll.
Referring first to Fig. l, there is illustrated an en-closure for fireplaces comprising a rectangular frame which ~-~
includes a pair of vertical side ~.embers 12, 14 and a pair of substantially horizontal top and bottom members 16, 18 respec- -tively extending therebetween. The frame is secured in plac`e in front of a fireplace by suitable brackets or clamps (not shown) which are well known in the art. Carried by the hori-zontal members are two pairs of hingedly connected swinging doors 20, 22 and 24, 26. ~s shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the two left doors 20, 22 are pivotally connected by means of a hinge :
28, the same being true of the two right-hand doors 24, 26, connected by a hinqe 30. A pair of aligned pins 32, 34 sup- - -ports the door 20 and are received in holes in the toP and .. .. . .

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~ 3Z~6 bottom members, respectively to enable pivotal movement of the door 20 about their common axis. The lower pin includes an enlargement 36 constitu~ing a spacer bearing for maintain-ing the lowermost edge of the door 20 spaced slightly above the bottom member 18. Similarly, aligned pins 38, 40 rigidly carry the door 26 and are received in holes in the upper and lower members 16, 18 respectively, the pin 40 including an enlargement or spacer bearing 42. Such an arrangement enables the doors 20, 22 to be swung outwardly and folded back upon one another in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1, with a minimum of sliding contact with either the member 16 or 18. Especially smooth operation and freedom from binding and s~izure are thus realizeable.
As particularly shown in Fiqs. 2-5, the door 20 comprises a qlass pane 52 surrounded by ~hannel-like support members 44,46, 4~ and 50, the hin~e 2~ beinq secured to`the latter by means of rivets 62. The members 44 and 48 are secured with rivets 58, 60 to angle brackets 54, 56 respectively, which have been welded to the member 46.
Similarly, the door 22 includes a glass pane 72 which is carried by support members 64, 66, 68 and 70 with brackets 74, 76 being welded to the member 70 and secured to the mem-bers 64, 68 by rivets 78, 80 respectively. The hinge 28 is fastened to the member 70 by rivets 82. A flange 71 is carried on the member 66 and is adapted to close over the crack be-tween the doors 22, 24 when the latter are both closed.
As shown in Fig. 2, the doors 24, 26 comprise panes 92, 112 carried by support members 84, 86, 88, 90 and 104, 106, 108, 110, respectively. Angle brackets 94, 96 and 114, 116 are associated with the doors 24, 26 respectively, secured by rivets 98, 100 and 118, 120. The hinge 30 is ~astened to the members 90, 110 by rivets 102, 122 respectively.

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Tne bottom member 18 includes ventilation openings 128 which are selectively closed off by a shutter (not shown) which is operated by an actuator lever 130. The frame carries two collapsible wire mesn screens 132, 133 which are shifted by ~ pu l-chaln mechanism comprising chain 136 and handles 138, 140. Due to the fact that the handles 138, 140 are dis-posed out of the direct radiation from the fire, they remain cool and thus pose no burn hazard to the operator. This has not been the case in many prior constructions where the handles for the screen were directly carried by the same.
Referring to Figs. 2-5 there is provided a guide for the two center doors 22, 24 for confinina their innermost edwes to slidin~ movement substantiallv in the ~lane defined bv the members constitutingthe frame. In accom~lishing this the top member 16 includes a depending apron or door stop 146 which is slightly offset toward the rear with respect to the member 16 ~Figs. 7, 8) so as to form a recess to receive the doors 20-26. Similarly, the bottom member 18 includes an upstanding apron or door stop 148 (Fig. 1) which is slightly offset to define a similar recess. Cooperable with the upper apron 146 is a pair of retaining suide members on the doors 22, 24 con-stituted as relatively stiff wires 150, 152 each having a pair of reverse bends giving them the configuration of the letter ~, carried by brackets 158, 160. The latter include cylindrical sockets which respectively receive the ends of the wires 150, 152. TAe sockets are intégral with the brackets respectively as shown. The free ends of the wires150, 152 extend behind the apron 146 as particularly illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5, such that the adjacent edges of the doors 22, 24 will be re-strained against outward swinging movement with respect tothe frame. ~he wire pieces 150, 152 can swlvel in the sockets of the brackets 158, 160 respectively, as dictated by the open-- . - ... ,. :~ : .

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ing or closing of the door pairs. The ends of the wire pieces 150, 152 which protrude from the bottom of -the sockets are slightly enlarged, to prevent the pieces from pulling out and becoming lost. Due to the small contact area between the apron and each door and wire guide, the frictional drag ex-perienced during the opening and c:Losing of the doors has been found to be extremely low. This feature, together with the provision of the spacer bearings 36, 42, results in especially smooth operation, with ~reedom from binding and seizure of the doors.
Referring now to Figs. 2~ 4 and 6-10, there are provided cooperable latch means on the apron 146 and on the doors 20, 22 and 24, 26 for maintaininq them in closed positions. The latch for the doors 24, 26 is particularly shown in Fi~s. 6-9 and includes a channel member 162 having front and rear legs 164, 166 respectively and a connecting yoke 168. The rear leg 166 includes two elongate slots 170, 172 by which the member 162 is slidably secured to the door 2~. In accomplishing this, a pair of headed screws 174 of the type shown in Fig.
10 are provided, which are received in threaded holes in the member 84. The screws have stop shoulders 176 which limit the insertion thereof and provide a clearance area 178 directly beneath the head for receiviny the slots 170, 172 in the leg 166. Referring particularly to Figs. 7 and 9, there is also provided a lug 180 integral with -the leg 66 and constituted as a stamping therefrom, receivable in a cooperable slot 182 in the apron 146 when the doors 24, 26 are closed. An elongate handle 184 is carried by two spacers 186, 188 secured to the leg 164 of the channel 162, for actuating the latch. It will be seen that the doors 24, 26 can be swung from an open posi-tion to the closed position of Fig. 1 wherein they overlie the apron 146, and wherein the lug 180 is received in the slot or ~ 3~

recess 182. The door latch mechanism can then be made operative by actuation of the handle 184 toward the left in Fig. 1, to bring the lug 180 into latching engagement with the walls of the slot 182. Fig. 9 shows the channel 162 in the latchincl position. The releasing position would correspond to move-ment of the channel 162 toward the right in Fig. 9 wherein the lug 180 could be withdrawn from the slot 182.
The door 22 also includes a latch mechanism similar to that already described. It is shown in Figs. 1 and 4 and in-cludes a channel 190 having elongate slots 192, 194, and a - stamped out lug 196. An elongate handle 199 enables sliding movement of the channel to be effected. The latter is mounted on two screws 174 similar to that of Fig. 10, with the stop shoulders 176 providing a clearance area 178 as in the previous embodiment. Latching of the door 22 in the closed position is accomplished by sliding the handle 199 toward the right wherein the lug 196 is seated behind the walls of a cooperable slot 197 in the apron 146. The above arrangement has the dis-tinct advantage of extreme simplicity and low cos-t, while pro-viding smooth operation and freedom from binding. In addi-tion, the construction is pleasing to the eye, resulting in attractive overall appearance which adds to the desirability of the device.
Referring now to Figs. 11~13, joining the horizontal top member 16 ancl the side member 14 is an L-bracket 200, secured b~ screws (noti shown). A second L-bracket 202 joins tne top member 16 to the member 12. A pair of vertical rein-forcing brackets or struts 204, 206 is provided, the strut 204 being welded to the horizontal top member 16 and bolted to the L-bracket 200. The remainincr strut 206 is welded to the to~ member 16 and bolted to the L-bracket 202 in the posi-tion shown.

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Carried by the L-brackets 200, 202 respectively is a pair of horizontal support arms 208, 210. These in turn carry a pair of substantially aligned curtain rods 212, 214 by means of bolts 216, ~18. ~wo collapsible wire mesh screens 132, 133 include multiple rings 220 which slide along the rods 212, 214. Small wire extensions 219, 221 on the rods 212, 214 support the two opposite edges of the screens 133, 132 adjacent the side members ld,l2 respectively.
The rods 212, 214 are constituted as a single piece, being bent to have overlapping portions which enable the two screens 132, 133 to overlap when closed, and thus providing a centrally-located guide for the chain 136. Two of the por-tions 222, 224 are parallel to one another and are herein-after referred to as carrier portions, joined by a support portion 226. The portion 226 is askew with respect to the carrier portions as shown, and the latter are angularly dis-posed with respect to the substantially àligned rods 212, 214.
As shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the support portion 226 is welded to a third horizontal support arm 228 carried by the horizontal top member 16.
One portion of the chain 136 is attached to the inner-most ring 220 supporting the screen 132, while another portion of the chain is secured to the innermost ring 220 supporting the screen 133. The arrangement is such that when the screens are drawn together by operation of the chain, they can over-lap in the manner of Fig. 11 due to the offset provided by the two carrier portions 222, 224 of the rods. With such a constructiG~, the rods 212, 214 and portions 222-226 can con-veniently be constituted as a single integral piece, resulting in a simpler device which is more economical to manufacturel and produce. Coextensive sections of the chain pass through the two loops formed by the rod portions 222-226, the loops - - : - . . - - -. ~ - :. -~ 2~

providing support for the chain adjacent the center of the horizontal top member 16. The end portions of the chain pass through bushings 230 in themember 16 as shown in Fig.
11, and a direction-reversing device or pulley 232 is carried on the bracket 210 for guiding the chain during its travel adjacent the member 12. Such an arrangement has the advantage of extreme simplicity, without reliance on special complex guides or channels. Freedom from kinking of the chain and from binding of tAe screens is thus realizeable, and the ends of the chain which must be grasped are never overly hot, to cause burning or discomfort to the fingers.
From the above it can be seen that I have provided an improved fireplace enclosure which is simple in construction, relaible in operation, and which can be constructed at ex-tremely low cost.
The device is both rugged, and easy to use, and thus seen to represent a distinct advance and improvement in the technology of fireplace accessories.
Variations and modifications are possible without de-parting from the spirit of the invention.

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Claims (4)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A fireplace enclosure, comprising in combination a frame having substantially vertical side members and substan-tially horizontal top and bottom members extending between and respectively connected to the side members, two pairs of hingedly connected folding doors adapted to close off the space encompassed by the frame, means movably mounting the doors on the frame for movement between open and closed positions, the upper frame member having a depending apron adapted to extend behind the doors when the latter are closed, two of said doors having retaining guide members ex-tending behind the apron of the top frame member and engage-able with the back surface thereof, for piloting the doors during opening and closing movements of the latter, and handles carried on two of said doors adjacent the guide mem-bers, for operating the doors to open and close the same.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein said guide members comprise wire hooks respectively carried by said two doors, said hooks having portions extending behind said apron to prevent forward movement of the adjacent edge portions of the doors as they are opened or closed.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein said movable mounting means comprises a pin carried by one of said doors, engageable with the bottom member, and a spacer member carried by said pin and disposed between the bottom member and the bottom edge of said one door, for maintaining the latter spaced a distance above the member in order to eliminate sliding contact between the two.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 1, wherein the doors include means defining a pair of sockets, said retain-ing guide members comprising a pair of wire-like pieces re-ceived in said sockets respectively and capable of limited swinging movement therein, thus tending to prevent binding of the doors as they slide along the apron.