GB2149498A - Fireplace lining - Google Patents

Abstract

A prefabricated decoratively lined chamber 2 ready for fitment into a hole in the wall fireplace has a box like construction with an open front and is lined internally with decorative lining layers 14 of building material. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Fireplace This invention concerns a decorative chamber of a fireplace.

Domestic decorative fireplaces are known in which an alcove or hole formed in a wall has a base forming a hearth on which a dog-grate stands and back and side faces of the hole are lined by decorative brick or stone-work.

The grate can contain a real fire in the sense that combustible material such as coals or logs are burnt, or the fire can be constructed to give the appearance of the burning of such combustible material for example an electric fire having illuminated artificial coal or logs or a gas fire in which the flame emerges from and plays over refractory material formed to appear as coals or logs.

Because the lining is to provide decorative effect it has to be installed and pointed expertly otherwise it looks unsightly. To produce the desired result the services of a professional bricklayer or stone mason are usually needed. Also the decorative lining material can be costly, for example, full-size bricks are used. Therefore labour and materials costs make the construction of such a fireplace expensive.

An object of the invention is to provide means to form a fireplace of the decoratively lined type which enables such a fireplace to be installed less expensively but nevertheless satisfactorily particularly by non-experts.

According to the invention there is provided for a fireplace a decoratively lined chamber ready to be fitted into a hole in a wall in which the fireplace is being constructed, said chamber comprising s supporting structure carrying at inner faces of a back and sides of the chamber decorative lining layers of building material, and having an open front through which the fire will be visible in the constructed fireplace.

Building material in this application includes decorative bricks, flags, plates or blocks of a stone material and fired tiles.

The supporting structure may be a metal box of, for example, steel.

The box may have any desired cross sectional shape and is open at its front. It can have two opposite ascending side walls which may be vertical, an ascending back wall which may be vertical, a base wall which may be horizontal, and a top wall which may also be horizontal or have some other configuration, for example be convex or bowed upwardly.

The building material, which is preferably heat resistant and fire-proof, can be held in place on the supporting structure by any appropriate means, for example by any suitable heat-resistant adhesive which may be a known cement or mortar. It can be disposed in any desired pattern or arrangement of courses suitably pointed or grouted. Preferably the layers of building material on the backs and sides of the support structure are thin. In the case of bricks, thin decorative bricks about 6 to 13 mm thick are already known and are suitable. The building material arranged in the desired design may previously be attached to a flexible supporting substrate, for example a gauze, and the design then applied in one piece to the chamber surface it is to cover. Then pointing or grouting may be carried out.

If desired insulating material may be applied over the outerfaces of the support structure and/or interposed between it and the decorative building material.

If desired, the decorative building material may be attached to the inner face of the top andlorthe bottom of the box, in the latter case forming a hearth for the grate.

The decorative lined fireplace chamber can be mass produced. It can be relatively light in weight so that no more than two people would be needed to carry it. It can be formed in various sizes and shapes, and with different decorative patterns, or effects thereon. Thus a range of different sizes and styles of chambers can be provided and displayed to give the purchaser a variety of choices any of which can be immediately carried away and inserted in an appropriately sized hole in a wall to produce a decorative fireplace without the need for professional assistance.

If desired the box can be provided with securing means, for example, brackets or openings by which the chamber may be bolted, screwed or otherwise secured to the wall.

An opening may be formed in the top of the box to communicate the chamber with a flue. This opening may be covered by a removable cover and surrounded by a flange connectable with the flue.

A masking surround of comparable shape to that of the front opening in the chamber can be provided to mask the edge of the opening and hole in the wall by overlying the wall. The surround may be arranged to engage about the box or be secured thereto, for example by screws. The surround may be decorative and may be of polished metal. It may be formed without a bottom masking portion so the hearth can be extended outwardly beyond the surround and the wall surface.

Alternatively the surround mey be a lip or flange provided on the box to extend about its opening.

If desired the surround may be covered with a layer of decorative building material, which particularly in the case of bricks or stone plates makes them appear as the ends of apparently thick bricks or stone blocks lining the chamber and creates a vaulted appearance if the top of the chamber is convex.

The surround may have hooks, catches, brackets or other means to secure a fireguard.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a decoratively lined chamber formed according to the inventioin for a fireplace; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a fireplace having the chamber of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a modified chamber.

Referring to Fig. 1, the decoratively lined chamber 2 comprises an open fronted metal box having a base 4, sides 6 and 8, atop 10 and a back 12.

The inner faces of sides 6 and 8 and the back 12 are lined with decorative building material attached thereto. In this case the material is courses of thin decorative bricks 14 suitably pointed.

The base 4 may be covered with decorative building material, for example tiles 16 shown in dotted lines adhered to the base to form a hearth.

The top 10 can have an opening shown by dotted line 18 closed by a cover which is removable, and may be surrounded by a flange 20 shown in dotted lines.

To make a domestic or similar fireplace a hole, shown by dotted lines 22 in Fig. 2, of a size comparable to that of chamber 2 is formed in wall 24. The chamber is placed in the hole and may be secured therein. A decorative surround 26 is placed about the open end of the chamber and overlies the wall. A fire of the dog-grate type 28 is shown on the hearth within the chamber. The fire may consume coals or logs in the grate or it may hold artificial coals or logs arranged to appear to be on fire either by the effect of illumination or by the playing of a gas flame amongst them.

If desired, the base 4, sides 6 and 8, top 10 and back 12, or any one or more of those parts, of the box may be additionally stiffened or reinforced to prevent undue or undesired flexing. For example, the base 4, sides 6 and 8 and the top 10 may be formed with a reinforcing flange extending externally about the open front of the box.

Fig. 3 shows a modified chamber having the same structure as the chamber described above but supplemented by ducts 29, 30 each of which extends from an air inlet opening as the bottom front of the chamber, over the outside of the base 4, back 12 and top 10 to finish in an air outlet opening at the top front of the chamber. Heat conducted through the walls of the chamber heats the air in the ducts 29, 30 causing a flow of air upwards through each duct from the inlet to the outlet. The air is heated during its passage along the ducts with relatively cold air being drawn in through the bottom inlet and relatively hot air being expelled through the top outlet. This arrangement serves to increase the efficiency of the fire. The inlets and outlets of the ducts may be covered by grills forming part of a surround as indicated in dotted line at the front of the chamber and in the inset.

Alternatively, the inlets and outlets may be concealed behind the surround or frame.

Claims (6)

1. A decoratively lined chamber ready to be fitted into a hole in a wall in which a fireplace is being constructed, said chamber comprising a supporting structure ca; rying at inner faces of a back and sides of the chamber decorative lining layers of building material, and having an open front th rough which the fire will be visible in the constructed fireplace.

2. A chamber as claimed in claim 1, wherein the building material comprises decorative bricks, flags, plates or blocks of a stone material and fired tiles.

3. A chamber as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the supporting structure is a metal box.

4. A chamber as claimed in claim 3, wherein the box is of rectangular shape in plan and front and side elevations.

5. A chamber as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one duct is provided on the outer surface of the chamber for drawing ambient air over the outer surface of the chamber from a lower inlet to an upper outlet.

6. A decoratively lined chamber substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.