DK2687579T3

DK2687579T3 - Optænder to a grillild Fireplace or stove or furnace for solid fuels, as well as the device and method of manufacturing the same

Info

Publication number: DK2687579T3
Application number: DK13177082.8T
Authority: DK
Inventors: Konrad Hart; Stefan Neumeier; Thomas Dunkel
Original assignee: Scherdel Innotec Forschungs & Entwicklungs Gmbh
Priority date: 2012-07-20
Filing date: 2013-07-18
Publication date: 2015-06-29
Also published as: EP2687579B1; DE102012212810A1; DE102012212810B4; EP2687579A1; PL2687579T3; ES2539928T3

Description

The present invention relates to an igniter for an open fire or grill fire or a solid fuel oven as well as to an apparatus and a method for producing igniters for an open fire or grill fire or a solid fuel oven.

Known igniters of wood shavings for an open fire or grill fire are usually made of wood shavings spun into long ropes. In this process, there is created a considerable amount of waste of wood filaments. Moreover, there is a considerable variation in size and weight of such igniters, which is disadvantageous as well. In addition thereto, known production methods of igniters of wood shavings are complex, involve high costs and cannot be automated or automated in part only.

The document DE 596 869 A discloses an igniter or fire lighter consisting of a prismatic housing composed of wood sticks and having grid-like walls, which encloses an auxiliary igniting body which is formed from wooden rods and consists of a wood chip which, with the exception of one or more transverse webs left solid, is slotted in the longitudinal direction of the same so as to form narrow juxtaposed strips and which, as a wound or folded block, fills the interior of the grid housing. DE 20 2011 100 021 U1 discloses an apparatus for producing igniters for an open fire or grill fire or for starting solid fuel ovens. This apparatus comprises a first cutter, in particular a slicing, cutting or paring knife, for cutting at least one wood material sheet from a wood blank; and a second cutter, in particular a comb knife, a needle board or a plurality of blade wheels, for cutting at least one wood sheet into wood filaments having substantially the same length. This apparatus comprises furthermore a combining and twisting means by means of which a specific amount of wood filaments is twisted into a twisted strand, so that the wood filaments extend from one face side of the wood filament strand to the opposite face side of the wood filament strand. Such a combining and twisting means may comprise for example two ring-shaped gripping arms gripping a number of wood filaments and each firmly enclosing one end of these wood filaments, forming a strand of wood filaments thereof and twisting both ends thereof into opposite directions.

It is thus the object of the present invention to indicate an apparatus and a method for producing igniters having substantially the same size and shape for an open fire or grill fire or for starting solid fuel ovens in inexpensive and simple manner permitting automation, as well as a corresponding igniter.

This object is met by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous further developments are indicated in the dependent claims.

The invention relates to an apparatus for producing igniters for an open fire or grill fire or a solid fuel oven, comprising a first cutter, in particular a comb knife or a plurality of circular blade wheels, for introducing a plurality of groove-shaped recesses into a wood material blank; a second cutter, in particular a sheer, a cutting or paring knife, for cutting off at least one wood material layer from a wood material blank; at least one displacement means displacing the wood material blank relative to the first and/or second cutter or the first and/or second cutter relative to the wood material blank; and a control unit designed to drive the first cutter such that, during displacement of the displacement means, it is movable between a cutting position, in which it introduces groove-shaped recesses into the wood material blank, and a lifted position, in which it is located at a distance from the wood material blank.

The second cutter is designed and arranged such that, during displacement of the displacement means, the wood material layer, upon being cut off from the wood material blank, winds spirally around a transverse axis extending substantially parallel to the width direction of the wood material layer. This can be achieved, for example, by a correspondingly inclined and rounded design of the second cutter, in particular of the sheer, cutting or paring knife. This constitutes a particularly effective production variant as an additional working step involving winding or twisting can be dispensed with.

Such a production apparatus is of relatively simple construction, and it is capable of producing igniters of the type described here, with substantially the same weight, substantially the same size and substantially the same appearance, rapidly, efficiently, inexpensively and with low levels of rejects. The advantages and the described embodiments of the igniters of the type described hereinbefore present themselves with a corresponding design of this production apparatus as described in the following.

The recesses introduced by the first cutter into the wood material blank should have a depth, as measured from the surface of the wood material blank, corre sponding at the least to the thickness of the wood material layer to be cut off by the second cutter. The groove-shaped recesses, after cutting off of the wood material layer, constitute the interstices between the wood filaments of the wood filament areas, and the respective areas located between two such groove-shaped recesses, upon cutting off of the wood material layer by the second cutter, constitute the wood filaments.

The groove-shaped recesses, upon cutting off of the wood material layer from the wood material blank by the second cutter, constitute the wood filament areas, and the areas without groove-shaped recesses, in which the first cutter was in the lifted state or in the course towards or away from this state, constitute the transverse web areas upon cutting off of the wood material layer by the second cutter.

The elongated groove-shaped recesses may also be referred to as grooves, chinks or trenches.

According to a first embodiment of the invention, the control unit drives the first cutter such that it is moved back and forth several times during displacement of the displacement means between the cutting position and the lifted position.

According to a further embodiment of the production apparatus, the first cutter extends across the entire width of the wood material blank and introduces elongated groove-shaped recesses into the entire side of the wood material blank facing the cutter. This constitutes a simple and efficient kind of production resulting in igniters in which the wood filament areas extend across the entire width of the wood material layer.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the cutter extends only across part of the width of the wood material blank so as to introduce, in the cutting position, elongated groove-shaped recesses only into part of the side of the wood material blank facing the cutter. This permits a simple and efficient production of igniters in which the wood filament areas extend across part of the width of the wood material layer.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the first cutter has cutting portions associated with different width regions of the wood material blank. The control unit is designed to drive the cutting portions such that, during displacement of the displacement means, these are movable independently of each other between a cutting position and a lifted position. This permits the introduction of individual groove patterns into the wood material blank, so that igniters of the type described hereinbefore can be produced in which there are provided transverse web areas and/or wood filament areas which each extend across part of the width of the wood material layer only and in which there are formed combined areas having one or more transverse web areas and wood filament areas arranged side by side and which permit a variation of such areas in the longitudinal direction across the wood material layer of the igniter.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the second cutter is designed and arranged such that, during the displacement of the displacement means, it cuts off several wood material layers from the wood material blank. In this case, the first cutter introduces groove-shaped recesses into the wood material blank, having such a depth that they extend through all wood material layers to be cut off in one displacement of the displacement means. This embodiment, with a corresponding design of the second cutter, either permits the production of as many igniters during displacement of the displacement means as there are wood material layers cut off. It is possible just as well, with a corresponding design of the second cutter, to use the wood material layers to be cut off for providing one common igniter which then has as many wood material layers as these are cut off during one displacement of the displacement means.

According to a further embodiment, a perpendicular arrangement of the blade or cutting edge of the second cutter with respect to the displacement means results in an igniter having a substantially cylindrical external shape.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the provision of an angle between the blade/cutting edge of the second cutter and the displacement means that is slightly smaller than 90°, e.g. 80° to 85°, leads to an igniter having a substantially conical external shape.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the displacement means is formed such that a relative movement of the first cutter and the second cutter arranged therebehind takes place in a direction along the length of the wood material blank. In doing so, either both spaced-apart cutters can be moved by means of the wood material blank held in stationary manner, or the two mutually spaced apart cutters can be held in stationary manner with respect to the movement in longitudinal direction, and the wood material blank is moved relative to the two cut- ters. The wood material blank in this regard is fixed on a suitable support, for example a working table, which in the first case is stationary and in the second case is movable.

The height position of the cutters with respect to the wood material blank has to be reduced after each cutting off of a wood material layer, which may be effected either by stepwise raising of the wood material blank or by stepwise lowering of the two cutters.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the displacement means is formed such that a first relative movement of the first cutter takes place along the length of the wood material blank in one direction and thereafter a second relative movement of the second cutter takes place along the length of the wood material blank in the opposite direction. Here too, either the cutters can be moved while the wood material blank is kept stationary, or the cutters can be kept stationary and the wood material blank can be moved relative thereto.

Both variants constitute production variants for igniters of the type described hereinbefore, which are efficient and permit automation.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the inventive production apparatus comprises furthermore a means for providing, in particular for impregnating, the igniter with a wax or paraffin material. This material is partially sucked up by the wood material or at least partially wets the outer surface of the igniter. The wax or paraffin material may also at least partially fill interstices between, with respect to the the transverse axis, radially opposing areas of the wood material layer and interstices between the wood filaments. This means can be designed in particular as wax or paraffin material bath or as wax or paraffin spraying means. This is advantageous in particular with regard to the subsequent burning of the igniters, as this permits long, controlled and at the same time low-odor burning. The wax or paraffin material advantageously has a temperature of more than 40°C so that it is present in liquid form. An inexpensive and at the same time natural and environmentally friendly example of such a wax or paraffin material is beeswax.

The production apparatus moreover can make use of a blowing nozzle which blows away wood dust created and wood shavings created during the cutting operations and/or which supports winding of the cut-off wood material layer into spiral-shaped igniters.

The invention moreover relates to a method of producing igniters for an open fire or grill fire or a solid fuel oven, comprising the following steps: providing a wood material blank having a width and a length that is larger in comparison therewith; displacing the wood material blank relative to a first and/or second cutter or displacing the first and/or second cutter relative to the wood material blank; introducing, by means of a first cutter, in particular a comb knife or a plurality of circular blade wheels, a plurality of groove-shaped recesses in the longitudinal direction into the side of the wood material blank facing said cutter, such that some portions extending at least across part of the width of this side remain free from grooveshaped recesses; and cutting off at least one wood material layer from a wood material blank by means of a second cutter, in particular a sheer, a cutting or paring knife, such that during displacement the wood material layer (34), upon being cut off from the wood material blank (2), winds spirally around a transverse axis extending substantially parallel to the width direction of the wood material layer.

This method according to the invention permits the production of igniters of the type described hereinbefore in automated, efficient and inexpensive manner. At the same time, rejects arising are reduced to a minimum. The igniters produced display a high ignition capacity, each have the same weight and the same size as well as a uniform appearance.

The advantages and embodiments of the production method, in a procedural arrangement each, correspond to those of the production apparatus. These are disclosed here as well with respect to the method, without the advantages and embodiments being repeated here again.

An inventive igniter for an open fire or grill fire or a solid fuel oven has a substantially cylindrical or a substantially conical external shape and is produced in automated manner, in particular according to a method of the kind indicated hereinbefore. The igniter according to the invention comprises a spirally wound layer of wood material; the wood material layer - as seen in the unwound state - having a width and a length that is larger in comparison therewith and - as one proceeds along its longitudinal direction - having transverse web areas with transverse webs extending across at least part of the width of the wood material layer, and having wood filament areas with wood filaments extending substantially side by side in the longitudinal direction; and the wood material layer being wound about a transverse axis extending substantially parallel to the width direction of the wood material layer.

Such igniters can be produced by the production method described in the following and the production apparatus described in the following in inexpensive, simple and automated manner with substantially the same weight, substantially the same size and substantially the same appearance.

Such an igniter has a high ignition capacity, in particular due to the wood filament areas which usually are longer than the transverse web areas. For, the wood filament areas, constituting longitudinally slit partial areas, have the functions of wood shavings and ensure a good circulation of air.

The transverse web areas, constituting unslotted areas, serve as carrier material and hold the wood filaments of the wood filament areas together, which on the one hand results in a pleasing appearance and on the other hand significantly reduces dropping out of wood filaments, thus reducing waste arising to a minimum. Due to the fact that the number of wood filaments remaining in the igniter is increased, the ignition capacity is further enhanced.

The igniters may also referred to as kindling aids.

The igniter according to the invention comprises a spirally wound layer of wood material which forms more than three spiral windings. The spirally wound wood layer describes a curve extending about the transverse axis parallel to the width direction of the wood material layer and - seen from inside towards the outside -becoming remoter from the same. The curvature of the spirally wound wood layer may be slightly decreasing from the innermost to the outermost winding, while however being approximately constant for each winding. Mutually adjacent windings may have a substantially uniform distance from each other.

The thickness of the wood material layer may be from 0.1 to 1.0 mm.

According to a first embodiment of the invention, the transverse web areas and the wood filament areas - as one proceeds along the longitudinal direction of the wound wood material layer - alternate. Such an igniter can be produced in simple and efficient manner, using a simple cutter that is moved between a cutting position and a lifted position.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, at least some of the transverse web areas are transverse webs extending across the entire width of the wood material layer.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, at least some of the wood filament areas extend across the entire width of the wood material layer, with substantially mutually parallel wood filaments and interstices between adjacent wood filaments.

These embodiments can be manufactured easily and efficiently by repeatedly moving a cutter extending across the entire width of the wood material blank, from which the wood material layer is cut, between a cutting position, in which grooveshaped recesses are cut into the wood material blank, and a lifted position.

According to a further embodiment of the intervention, at least some of the transverse web areas extend only across part of the width of the wood material layer, so that beside the same - as seen in transverse direction - there is located at least one wood filament area, with substantially mutually parallel wood filaments and interstices between adjacent wood filaments. Due to such an arrangement of transverse web areas and wood filament areas beside each other, the ignition capacity can be further enhanced, and at the same time the cohesion function can be optimated by the transverse webs, with the transverse web areas being usually reduced in space.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, as one proceeds along the longitudinal direction of the wood material layer, first combined areas with at least one wood filament area extending across part of the width of the wood material layer and with at least one transverse web arranged transversely beside the same, and second combined areas with at least one wood filament area extending across a different part of the width of the wood material layer from the wood filament area of the first combined area and with at least one transverse web arranged transversely beside the same, alternate. Such a pattern permits a further increase in the ignition capacity while simultaneously retaining the cohesion effect.

Such a production requires the provision of a cutter having various cutting areas that have different width areas of the wood material blank associated therewith and can be controlled such that they are moved between a cutting position and a lifted position independently of each other.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the first combined areas, as seen in transverse direction, comprise two outer transverse webs and a wood filament area located therebetween, and the second combined areas comprise two outer wood filament areas and a transverse web located therebetween.

The ignition capacity can be enhanced further when, between the respective first combined areas and the second combined areas, there are arranged wood filament areas having wood filaments extending across the entire width of the wood material layer.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, two or more layers of wood material, each comprising transverse web areas and wood filament areas described here in detail, are spirally wound. Such igniters can be produced from shorter wood material blanks, requiring the provision of a corresponding cutter with double cutting edge or double blade.

In addition thereto, the igniter according to the invention can be provided with a wax or paraffin material that is partially sucked up by the wood material and at least partially wets the outer surface of the igniter. Interstices between, with respect to the transverse axis, radially opposing areas of the wood material layer and interstices between the wood filaments can be filled at least partially therewith. Due to such a wax or paraffin material, particularly long burning of the igniter can be achieved.

The invention will be elucidated in the following by way of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings in which

Fig. 1 shows in respective partial Figs. 1 (a) and 1 (b) plan views of a first and a second wood blank each having a groove pattern introduced into the surface thereof;

Fig. 2 shows in partial Fig. 2(a) thereof a side view and in partial Fig. 2(b) thereof a plan view of a production apparatus for igniters in a working step in which the circular blade set introduces a groove pattern into the surface of the wood material blank;

Fig. 3 shows in partial Fig. 3(a) thereof a side view and in partial Fig. 3(b) thereof a plan view of a production apparatus for igniters in a second working step in which the slicer cuts off the upper layer of the wood material blank and promptly rolls the same into an igniter;

Fig. 4 shows in partial Fig. 4(a) thereof a side view and a front view of the circu lar blade set of the production apparatus of Figs. 2 and 3, and in partial Fig. 4(b) thereof a side view and a front view of a comb knife.

The wood blank 2 shown in Fig. 1(a) and the wood blank 12 shown in Fig. 1(b) both have a width in transverse direction Q indicated by arrows as well as a length in longitudinal direction L which is larger in comparison therewith and is indicated by arrows as well. Moreover, the wood blanks 2 and 12 have a thickness in the direction perpendicular to the drawing plane, which is not visible in Fig. 1.

The upper side of the first wood blank 2 comprises a first groove pattern or incised pattern with transverse webs 4 and wood filament areas 6 which alternate in longitudinal direction and each extend across the entire width of the wood material blank. The length of the wood filament areas significantly exceeds the length of the transverse webs 4, the transverse webs 4 thus being clearly shorter than the wood filament areas 6, with the transverse webs 4 located at the left-hand and right-hand ends of the wood material blank 2 being still shorter, in particular being approximately half as long as the transverse webs 4 arranged between the wood filament areas 6.

Although in the illustration of Fig. 1 the uppermost wood material layer is not yet cut off from the wood material blank 2 or 12, but rather still is an integral part of the same, reference nevertheless will be made in the following to transverse webs, wood filament areas and wood filaments, especially as the surface portions 4, 6 and 14, 20 and 22, respectively, after cutting off of the uppermost wood material layer from the wood material blank 2 or 12, constitute transverse webs or wood filament areas with wood filaments.

The groove-shaped recesses of the groove patterns in the surface of the first wood blank 2 and the second wood blank 12 have been introduced by means of one of the following cutters that will still be described in detail hereinafter. These groove-shaped recesses are illustrated in Figs. 1(a) and 1(b) by lines extending in longitudinal direction and bearing reference numeral 10. These groove-shaped recesses have been introduced into the surface of the wood blank 2, 12 at least to a depth corresponding to the depth of the wood material layer or layers to be cut off, so that these groove-shaped recesses 10, after cutting off of the uppermost wood material layer, form interstices and separate longitudinally mutually adjacent wood filaments 8 from each other. These wood filaments 8 are created upon cutting off of the uppermost wood material layer from the wood blank 2, 12 from the areas 8 located between the respective groove-shaped recesses 10.

In an exemplary embodiment of Fig. 1(a), the groove pattern of the surface of the wood blank 2 comprises in total four transverse webs 4 as well as three wood filament areas 6 arranged between adjacent transverse webs. The number of the groove-like recesses to be introduced beside each other in transverse direction is dependent upon the width of the wood blank and the desired width of the wood filaments 8 in the wood filament areas 6. The wood filament areas 6 constitute those portions of the subsequent igniter in which a particularly advantageous exchange of air takes place and through which easy ignition as well as long and controlled burning are obtained. The transverse webs 4 hold the wood filament areas 6 together and provide for good compactness of the subsequent igniter as well as for production of the same in automated manner, and reduce a material loss, in particular dropping or loss of wood filaments, to a minimum.

Endeavors will thus be made to make the wood filament areas 6 long for obtaining good ignition and burning capacity, and to make the transverse webs 4 so short that these are still capable of well fulfilling their holding-together or cohesion function.

With respect to the groove or incised pattern of the second wood blank 12, there is an alternation of first combined surface areas 14 and second combined surface areas 22, with respective wood filament areas 20 being arranged therebetween.

The first combined surface areas 14 comprise two outer transverse webs 16 as well as a central wood filament area 18 located therebetween, which - roughly speaking - extend each across one third of the width of the surface of the second wood blank 12. The wood filament areas 20 corresponds to the wood filament areas 6 of the first wood blank 2 and just are somewhat shorter. The second combined surface areas 22 comprise two outer wood filament areas 24 and a central transverse web 26 located therebetween, with each thereof - roughly speaking - extending across one third of the width of the surface of the second wood blank 12.

The length of the first combined surface areas 14 in the instant embodiment corresponds to the length of the second surface areas 22, with the first combined surface areas 14 that are located at the front and rear ends of the surface of the wood blank 12 being shorter, in particular being approximately half as long. The wood filament areas 20 located between the first combined surface areas 14 and the second combined surface areas 22 each are of shorter length than the areas 14, 22, and in particular are approximately half as long.

The groove pattern of the surface of the second wood blank 12 has been introduced into the surface of the wood blank 12 by a cutter that has at least two cutting portions covering different width areas and being controllable in different manner, namely a central cutting portion adapted to introduce the central wood filament areas 18 both of the first combined surface areas 14 and of the continuous wood filament areas 20, as well as two outer cutting portions covering the outer portions of the second wood blank 12 and adapted to introduce the outer wood filament areas 24 both of the second combined surface areas 22 and of the continuous wood filament areas 20.

Thus, with the relative movement of the wood blank 12 in relation to the cutter, there were thus involved three cycles, as follows: for producing the first combined surface area 14, the central cutting portion of the cutter was in the cutting position, while the outer cutting portions were in the lifted position. For producing the continuous wood filament area 20, also the outer cutting portions of the cutter were then brought into the cutting position, while the central cutting portion was retained in the cutting position. For producing the second combined surface areas 22, the outer cutting portions of the cutter were held in the cutting position, and the central cutting portion of the cutter was displaced from the cutting position to a lifted position. For producing the wood filament area 20, the outer cutting portions of the cutter were then held in the cutting position, and the central cutting portion of the cutter was returned to the cutting position.

Upon repetition of this cycle for three times, the first combined surface area 14 at the opposite end was produced then by holding the central cutting portion of the cutter in the cutting position while the outer cutting portions of the cutter were raised from the cutting position to the lifted position.

From the groove pattern of the surface of the second wood blank 12, upon cutting off of the upper wood layer, there is formed an igniter in which combined surface areas 14 with outer transverse webs 16 and a central wood filament area 18 and second combined surface areas 22 with outer wood filament areas 24 and a central transverse web 26 alternate with respective wood filament areas 20 arranged therebetween and extending across the entire width.

Such an igniter has an especially good ignition and burning capacity as it ensures good exchange of air across a large part of the wood material layer. At the same time, this igniter nevertheless is effectively held together by way of the webs extending only across part of the width, so that this igniter is also compact and dropping or loss of wood filaments is reduced to a minimum.

The production apparatus 28 illustrated in Fig. 2 in exemplary form comprises a longitudinally movable support table (not shown) on which the wood blank 2 is fixed, a cutter in the form of a circular blade set 30 and a second cutter in the form of a sheer 32, which both remain stationary in the longitudinal direction L.

The circular blade set 30, as shown by the arrow referenced V, can be controlled by a control unit, not shown here, such that it is moved between the cutting position illustrated in Fig. 2(a) and a lifted position in which it is raised upwardly with respect to the cutting position.

In the illustration of the working position of Fig. 2, the wood blank 2 has been displaced from the right towards the left up to a position in which the forward end of the same is located directly in front of the sheer 32.

The circular blade set 30 was brought from its lifted position to the cutting position for the first time and was held in the same for a predetermined period of time in order to cut the groove-shaped recesses of the forward wood filament area 6 into the surface of the wood blank 2, and following this the circular blade set 30 was brought from the cutting position to the lifted position and held in the same for a predetermined period of time in order to form the transverse web 4, and after this the circular blade set 30 was again moved to the cutting position and held in the same for a predetermined period of time in order to form the groove-like recesses of the central wood filament area 6 in the surface of the wood blank 2. Fig. 2 illustrates the point of time at which the circular blade set 30, upon terminating the cut ting operation of the groove-shaped recesses of the central wood filament area 6, is brought again from the cutting position to the lifted position.

The sheer 32 starts the slicing operation in a height position of the wood blank 2 shortly below the upper side of the same. The distance of the cutting edge of the sheer 32 from the upper side of the wood blank 2 defines the thickness of the uppermost wood layer to be cut off. The circular blade set 30 and the sheer 32 have to be matched to each other such that firstly the groove-shaped recesses introduced from the circular blade set 30 into the surface of the wood blank 2 at least are as deep as the thickness of the upper wood material layer to be cut off, and secondly the thickness of the wood material layer to be cut off by the sheer 32 has to be dimensioned such that an igniter is obtained the spirally wound wood material layer of which forms a roll with the desired diameter and the desired layer thickness.

The width of the igniters to be produced is determined according to the production apparatus 28 by the width of the wood blank 2.

In a further embodiment not illustrated here, there may be provided an additional vertical knife which may be integrated for example in the cutter 32 in order to produce a plurality of igniters of smaller width from a wood blank of predetermined width.

In a further embodiment not illustrated here, it is also possible to process a plurality of wood blanks arranged side by side in one operation cycle by means of the cutters 30 and 32, as described, so that as many igniters can be produced simultaneously as there are wood blanks arranged side by side. In this case, the cutters 30 and 32 have to be formed with a corresponding width.

The circular blade set 30, in the simple embodiment of the invention illustrated, is formed so as to extend across the entire width of the wood blank 2 and to extend somewhat beyond the same at the sides and to introduce groove-shaped recesses across the entire width of the wood blank 2. The slicer 32 also is formed so as to extend across the entire width of the wood blank 2 and to extend somewhat beyond the same at both sides in order to be able to cut off the entire upper layer of the wood blank 2.

Fig. 3 illustrates the production apparatus 28 at a subsequent point of time of the same displacement movement of the wood blank 2.

As can clearly be seen, the circular blade set 30 is in its lifted position above the surface of the wood blank 2 after, starting from Fig. 2, it was first brought in the lifted position and held in the same for a predetermined period of time in order to form a further transverse web 4, thereafter was lowered again to the cutting position and held in the same for a predetermined period of time in order to introduce the recesses of the rear wood filament area 6 into the surface of the wood blank 2 and then was moved again to the lifted position for forming the last transverse web 4.

Starting from the position of Fig. 2, the wood blank 2 was displaced in the longitudinal direction forwardly, to the left in the direction of the drawing plane, to such an extent that the sheer 32 is arranged shortly before the center of the same and has already cut off approximately half of the upper wood layer from the wood blank 2. Due to the angled arrangement and design of the sheer 32, the cut-off wood material layer is immediately wound into a spiral shape, about a transverse axis that is substantially parallel to the width direction of the wood material layer and in the side view of Fig. 3(a) extends perpendicularly to the drawing plane and so to speak forms the eye of the wound wood layer 34. Starting from the position of Fig. 3, the wood blank 2 is displaced further in forward direction, towards the left and the drawing plane, until the entire upper wood layer has been cut off into a wood layer 34 and has directly been wound spirally and now constitutes the igniter 34.

The igniter 34 thus produced comprises a spirally wound wood layer 34 having a plurality of spiral windings, in particular more than three spiral windings. The spirally wound wood layer 34 describes a curve extending about the transverse axis which is arranged parallel to the width direction of the wood material layer and in the side view of Fig. 3(a) extends perpendicularly to the drawing plane and so to speak constitutes the eye of the spirally wound wood layer 34 and, seen from the inside towards the outside - becomes remoter from the same. The curvature of the spirally wound wood layer 34 slightly decreases from the innermost to the outermost winding, but is approximately constant for each winding. Mutually adjacent windings form a substantially uniform distance with respect to each other.

The thickness of the wood material layer is 0.1 to 1.0 mm.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the spirally wound wood layer 34 forms a total of 9 windings.

This igniter 34, in a subsequent processing step not shown here, can be provided with a wax or paraffin material that is partly sucked up by the wood material and at least partly wets the outer surface of the igniter 34. The wax or paraffin material can also at least partially fill the interstices between, with respect to the transverse axis, mutually opposing areas of the wood material layer as well as interstices between the wood filaments. This can be effected for example by means of a wax or paraffin material bath or a wax or paraffin spraying means.

Finally, the igniter is packed and is ready for selling.

The igniter 34 comprises a wood material layer having a grooved pattern, as illustrated in Fig. 1 (a), when the wound wood material layer is conceived in a flattened, sheet-like state.

This igniter 34 comprises all the advantages described hereinbefore, to which express reference is made here for avoiding repetitions.

Fig. 4 illustrates two different embodiments of the blades or knives used for introducing the groove-shaped recesses.

It can be seen from the front view of the circular blade set 30 according to Fig. 4(a) that this set consists of a plurality of parallel circular blade discs 36 as well as a circular blade support 38 extending centrally through each of the circular blade discs 36 and constituting the axis of rotation of the circular blade set 30. The blade discs 36 of the circular blade set 30 are of circular configuration and are arranged on the circular blade support 38 parallel and equidistantly to each other with a spacing of approx. 0.5 to 2 mm. Moreover, the circular blade discs 36 are of small thickness which for example is less than 1 mm. The sectional view reveals that the diameter of the circular blade support 38 corresponds approximately to half of the diameter of the circular blade discs 36.

The comb knife 40 illustrated in Fig. 4(b) consists of a comb knife support 42 and a comb knife blade 44 having a serrated profile. The comb knife support 42 takes up approx, two thirds of the comb knife 40 and is of rectangular cross-section. The comb knife blade 44, at the lower side thereof, comprises a number of serrated points constituting the lower third of the comb knife 40. The distance between two adjacent teeth of the serrated profile is e.g. 1 mm.

The front view of the comb knife 40 reveals that the thickness of the comb knife blade 44 corresponds approximately to half of the thickness of the comb knife support 42. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4(b), the left side of the serrated portion of the comb knife blade 44, as seen in the side view, constitutes the cutting edge. The lower serrated portion of the comb knife blade 44 tapers to a point and forms an angle of approx. 15° with the upper portion of the comb knife blade 44, with the lower serrated portion of the comb knife blade 44 being inclined towards the cutting edge.

The cutters illustrated in Fig. 4 are used for introducing elongated, groove-shaped recesses into the surface of a wood blank in a production machine, as illustrated by the first cutter 30 in Figs. 2 and 3.

List of reference numerals 2 first wood blank L longitudinal direction Q transverse direction 4 transverse webs 6 wood filament areas 8 wood filaments 10 interstices 12 second wood blank 14 first combined surface areas 16 outer transverse webs 18 central wood filament area 20 wood filament areas 22 second combined surface areas 24 outer wood filament areas 26 central transverse web 28 production apparatus for igniters 30 circular blade set V vertical direction D rotational direction 32 sheer 34 wound wood layer 36 circular blade discs 38 circular blade support 40 comb knife 42 comb knife support 44 comb knife blade

Claims

Apparatus for making combustors for a fireplace or grill fire or solid fuel furnace, comprising: a first cutting device (30), in particular a cam knife or several round knife wheels, for inserting a plurality of grooves (10) into a wood material blank (2) , a second cutting device (32), in particular a planer, a cutting or peeling knife, for cutting at least one wood material layer of a wood material blank (2), at least one moving device moving the wood material blank (2) with respect to the first and / or the second cutting device (30, 32), or moving the first and / or second cutting device relative to the wood material blank, a control unit which is designed to control the first cutting device (30) so that it a movement of the moving device can be moved between a cutting position in which it introduces groove-shaped recesses (10) in the wood material blank (2) and a raised position in which it is in a distance to the wood material blank (2), and the second cutting device (32) is designed and arranged such that during the movement of the moving device at the cutting of the wood material blank (2), the wood material layer (34) is spirally wound about a transverse axis which lies substantially parallel to the width direction of the wood material layer.

Device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is designed to control the first cutting device (30) such that during a movement of the moving device it is moved several times back and forth between the cutting position and the raised position.

Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first cutting device (30) extends over the entire width of the wood material blank (2) to insert into the cutting position elongate groove recesses (10) throughout the sides of the wood material blank (2) facing the cutting device (30).

Device according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the first cutting device extends only over a portion of the width of the wood material to insert into the cutting position elongated groove recesses in only a part of the sides of the wood material facing the cutting device.

Device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the first cutting device comprises cutting areas which are associated with different width ranges of the wood material blank, and wherein the control unit is designed to control the cutting areas such that during the movement of the moving device they can move independently of one cutting position. and a raised position.

Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second cutting device (32) is designed and arranged so that during the movement of the moving device it cuts several wood material layers of the wood material part (2).

Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the moving device is designed such that there is a relative movement of the first and the second cutting device (30, 32) arranged in a direction over the length of the wood material blank (2), or wherein - the weighing device is designed such that a first relative movement of the first cutting device over the length of the wood material takes place in one direction, and thereafter a second relative movement of the second cutting device takes place over the length of the wood material in an opposite direction.

A method of making combustion heaters for a fireplace or grill fire or solid fuel furnace, comprising: providing a wood material blank (2) having a width (Q) and a greater length (L), moving the wood material blank (2) ) relative to a first and / or second cutting device (30, 32) or movement of the first and / or second cutting device relative to the wood material item, introduction by means of a first cutting device (30), in particular a cam knife or several circular knife wheels, of longitudinal grooves (10) longitudinally in the sides of the wood material blank (2) facing the first cutting device (30), such that some areas (4) extending at least part of the width of this side , remains free of groove recesses (10), and cutting at least one wood material layer (34) from a wood material blank (2) by means of another cutting device (32), in particular a planer, a cutting blade is a peeler knife such that during the movement of the wood material blank (2) the wood material layer (34) is spirally wound about a transverse axis which is substantially parallel to the width direction of the wood material layer.

A fireplace for a fireplace or grill or solid fuel stove, comprising: a spirally wound layer of wood material, the wood material layer considered in the non-wound state exhibiting a width (Q) and a relatively longer length (L) and - moving forward along its longitudinal direction - cross-sectional areas (4) with cross-sections (4) extending at least over a portion of the width of the wood material layer, and wooden wire regions (6) with wooden strands (10) extending substantially longitudinally side by side, wherein the wood material layer is wound over a transverse axis substantially parallel to the width direction of the wood material layer, characterized in that the burner has a substantially cylindrical or substantially conical outer shape, that the burner is manufactured automated, in particular by a method according to claim 8, wherein the wood material layer forms more than three helical windings and in that the helically wound wood A layer describes a curve extending about the transverse axis which lies parallel to the latitudinal direction of the wood material layer, and seen from the inside and outwards distances from this transverse axis.

The igniter of claim 9, wherein - if one advances along the longitudinal direction of the wood material alloy - the cross-sectional areas (4) and the wooden wire regions (6) alternate.

An igniter according to claim 9 or 10, wherein at least some of the crosspiece regions (4) are crosspieces (4) extending over the entire width (Q) of the wood material layer and / or where at least some of the tree wire regions (6) extend extending over the entire width of the wood material layer with wood strands (10) extending substantially parallel to one another, and spaces (8) between neighboring wood strands (10).

The igniter of any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein at least some of the crosspiece regions (16, 26) are crosspieces (16, 26) which extend over a portion of the width of the wood material layer (Q), and / or where within it. at least some of the wood yarn areas (18, 24) extend over a portion of the wood material layer width with wood yarns extending substantially parallel to each other and spaces between neighboring yarns.

The igniter according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein - if one advances along the longitudinal direction of the wood material layer - first combined areas (14) with at least one wood wire area (18) extending over part of the width of the wood material layer, as well as in at least one crosspiece (16) arranged in the transverse direction adjacent to it, and other combined regions (22) with at least one wooden wire region (24) extending over a second portion of the width of the wood material layer as the first combined region ( 14) wooden wire area (18), and with at least one cross piece (26) arranged in the transverse direction next to it, alternates.

The igniter of claim 13, wherein the first combined areas (14) seen in the transverse direction comprise two outer cross pieces (16) and a wooden wire region (18) lying therebetween, and the second combined areas (22) comprise two outer wooden wire regions (24) and a crosspiece (26) lying therebetween, and / or where, respectively, the first combined areas (14) and the second combined areas (22) are arranged wooden thread areas (20) with wooden threads extending over the entire width of the wood material layer.

The igniter of any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein two or more layers of wood material are coiled.