GB1571917A - Fire grate - Google Patents

Description

(54) AN IMPROVED FIRE GRATE (71) I, MICHAEL BOTT, a British subject of Orchard House, Cowbeech, Nr. Hailsham, Sussex, BN27 4JQ. do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following state menu: This invention relates to an improved fire grate. More particularly it relates to a domestic fire grate which is intended to facilitate the efficient burning of logs.

According to the present invention I provide a fire grate comprising an imperforate base plate, side walls extending upwardly from said base plate, a grid which provides an upper support spaced from said base plate, and inclined side supports, one on each side of the upper support, each of said side walls being opposite a respective one of said side supports to form the respective sides of a trough whereby, in use, said plate provides support for a bed of burning charcoal and said upper support and said troughs provide support for logs.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a fire grate of the present invention, illustrating its invention, illustrating its method of use.

Figure 2 is a perspective view from above of the grate shown in Figure 1, when not in use.

As shown, the grate consists of a flat rectangular metal base plate 10 preferably made of iron or mild steel, which is provided with side walls 11 which extend upwardly from the base plate 10 at an angle of around 60 with respect to the horizontal plane of a hearth on which the base plate 10 rests (i.e.

equivalent to an angle of around 1200 with respect to the base plate 10). The size of the base plate 10 is, for example, 12" deep X 14" wide and the side walls 11 are of the order of 5" to 6" long. Three bars 12, each bent to an inverted U shape and interconnected by a cross bar 13 as shown, are arranged over the base plate 10. In use, logs 14 are supported on the bars 12, and by the side walls 11 as shown in Figure 1.

A bed of red hot charcoal 15 is supported on the base plate 10 and the heat of this burning charcoal causes the logs 14 to be gradually converted to charcoal such that eventually charred pieces drop through the gaps between the bars 12 and so provide further fuel for the charcoal fire 15.

The base plate 10 is provided with, preferably three, support feet 16 which raise the base plate 10 a short distance from the underlying hearth.

In operation, logs are piled on the log support bars 12, as shown in Figure 1, and a fire is then lit, beneath them, on the base plate 10. As the fire, on the base, burns the logs above on the bars 12, these gradually become converted to charcoal and either fall through the spaces of the bars 12 or, alternatively, are removed manually and placed on the base plate 10. Thus a bed of red hot charcoal is formed on the base plate 10, which burns slowly and the heat from the bed of hot charcoal causes the logs on the bars 12 gradually and continuously to be converted into charcoal. As the logs on the bars 12 are converted into charcoal, they tend to break up and fall through the gaps in the bars 12 onto the bed of charcoal and thns the bed of charcoal is kept replenished.

If needs be, logs which have been converted to or substantially converted to charcoal, may be manually removed from the bars 12 and placed on the bed of hot charcoal burning on the base plate 10.

In practice there are several advantages to be derived from the fire grate of the present invention. Firstly, heat is radiated directly into a room from the bed of red hot char coal. Secondly, because logs - are arranged above the hot bed of charcoal, less heat than normal escapes up the chimney. Further, because of the intense heat generated in the burning bed of charcoal on the base plate 10, wet logs can be placed on the log support bars 23 and these dry out quite satisfactorily without putting the fire out.

The rate of burning can also be controlled. The size of the logs placed on top of the log support bars 12 can vary from quite small ones when the fire is first lit, to provide adequate charcoal, whereas later in the fire's operation larger logs can be placed on the support bars 12 and this has the effect of slowing down the rate of combustion.

A low wall (not shown) may be provided along the front edge of the base plate 10 to prevent ash or hot charcoal from falling forwards. Similarly an imperforate wall may be provided along the rear edge of the base plate 10, though this rear wall preferably extends the full height of the side walls 10.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A fire grate comprising an imperforate base plate, side walls extending upwardly from said base plate, a grid which provides an upper support spaced from said base plate, and inclined side supports, one on each side of the upper support, each said side walls being opposite a respective one of said side supports to form the respective sides of a trough whereby, in use, said base plate provides support for a bed of burning charcoal and said upper support and said troughs provide support for logs.

2. A fire grate as claimed in claim 1 wherein said support grid is in the form of a plurality of elongate bars each bent to an inverted U shape and each supported by the ends of the arms of said U on said base plate.

3. A fire grate as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said base plate is substantially rectangular in plan view, and it provided with a wall extending along the front and/or rear edges thereof.

4. A fire grate substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (4)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. coal. Secondly, because logs - are arranged above the hot bed of charcoal, less heat than normal escapes up the chimney. Further, because of the intense heat generated in the burning bed of charcoal on the base plate 10, wet logs can be placed on the log support bars 23 and these dry out quite satisfactorily without putting the fire out. The rate of burning can also be controlled. The size of the logs placed on top of the log support bars 12 can vary from quite small ones when the fire is first lit, to provide adequate charcoal, whereas later in the fire's operation larger logs can be placed on the support bars 12 and this has the effect of slowing down the rate of combustion. A low wall (not shown) may be provided along the front edge of the base plate 10 to prevent ash or hot charcoal from falling forwards. Similarly an imperforate wall may be provided along the rear edge of the base plate 10, though this rear wall preferably extends the full height of the side walls 10. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A fire grate comprising an imperforate base plate, side walls extending upwardly from said base plate, a grid which provides an upper support spaced from said base plate, and inclined side supports, one on each side of the upper support, each said side walls being opposite a respective one of said side supports to form the respective sides of a trough whereby, in use, said base plate provides support for a bed of burning charcoal and said upper support and said troughs provide support for logs.

2. A fire grate as claimed in claim 1 wherein said support grid is in the form of a plurality of elongate bars each bent to an inverted U shape and each supported by the ends of the arms of said U on said base plate.

3. A fire grate as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said base plate is substantially rectangular in plan view, and it provided with a wall extending along the front and/or rear edges thereof.

4. A fire grate substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.