GB2247075A

GB2247075A - Sealing device between gas fire and flue

Info

Publication number: GB2247075A
Application number: GB9016033A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Allan Barnes
Original assignee: NORTHERN CHIMNEY LININGS SYSTE
Current assignee: NORTHERN CHIMNEY LININGS SYSTE
Priority date: 1990-07-20
Filing date: 1990-07-20
Publication date: 1992-02-19
Also published as: GB9016033D0

Abstract

A sealing device between the back of a gas fire and a flue lining comprises a housing 10 having an open front 11 for connection to the gas fire and a connection device 12 adapted for connection to the flue lining. The invention includes a method of providing a seal between a gas fire and a flue lining. <IMAGE>

Description

SEALING DEVICES The invention relates to sealing devices, and particularly to devices for use in sealing flues when used with gas fires.

It is common practice, and has been for some time, to fit modern gas fires into old fireplaces which were originally designed for use with open fires.

It is important that fumes from the gas fire should not leak out into a room around the sides of the gas fire and it is also important that fumes should not leak out into the rest of the building from the chimney. However, the chimneys are frequently old. Mortar may have become loose and bricks may have become porous, and it is difficult to make the walls of the chimney gas tight.

The problem of sealing around the sides of the gas fire can be solved fairly easily with some sort of sealing strip or tape. Furthermore, flexible stainless steel flue linings are known which can be inserted into the chimney to provide a gas tight flue. Surprisingly however, there is no known method of satisfactorily sealing the stainless steel flue lining to the back of the gas fire.

We have now solved this long standing problem by designing a special device.

Accordingly, our invention provides a sealing device for providing a gas tight seal between the back of a gas fire and a flue lining, the device comprising a housing, the housing having an open front to which a gas fire may be connected, and also having a connection device adapted to connect with a flue lining.

The open front may be rectangular in shape.

The open front may have a flange around the periphery thereof to facilitate sealing to the gas fire.

The housing may be rectangular in shape.

The connection device may comprise a spigot adapted to fit into or around a flue lining.

The connection device may be releasably connected to the housing so that the connection device can readily be fitted to the flue lining and thereafter can be connected to the housing.

The connection device may be connected to the housing by bolts.

The connection device may comprise a cylindrical spigot having a square flange for connection to the housing.

The invention includes a sealing device as defined above, when connected to a flue lining.

The flue lining may comprise a flexible stainless steel lining.

The invention includes a sealing device as defined above, when connected to a gas fire.

The invention includes a method of providing a seal between a gas fire and a flue lining comprising connecting the rear of the gas fire to the flue lining using a housing having an open front for connection to the gas fire and a connection device adapted for connection to the flue lining.

By way of example a specific embodiment of the invention will now be described, with reference to the single accompanying drawing which is a perspective view of one embodiment of sealing device according to the invention.

The sealing device shown in the drawing comprises a rectangular housing 10 having an open front 11 and a connection spigot 12. The periphery of the open front 11 is provided with a flange 13 which is formed by appropriately shaping the edges of the sides 14 and 15 and the top 16.

The housing is constructed of light weight mild steel. Joints are formed by riveting and then sealing with a heat resistant jointing compound.

The housing is preferably shaped to fit into the most common size of fire place opening, which is 22" high by 16" wide, but other sizes of housing may be provided to suit other fireplace sizes.

The cylindrical spigot 12 is preferably shaped and dimensioned to be a good fit within a 5" internal diameter stainless steel flue liner, which is the most common size.

However, a different size of spigot may be provided if it is necessary to fit the housing to a smaller or larger flue lining.

The spigot 12 has a square flange 17 at its lower end and this is releasably connected to the top 16 of the housing by four bolts 18.

The device is used as follows The original fireback is removed from the fireplace to make room for the housing.

A stainless steel flue liner (not shown) is passed down the chimney to reach the fireplace and the upper end of the liner is then sealed to the top of the chimney with a blanking plate and gas cowl.

The spigot 12 is removed from the housing and this facilitates its connection to the stainless steel flue liner. The spigot is pushed into the lower end of the liner and is then sealed to the liner using gas impermeable tape.

The housing is then placed within the fireplace opening and the spigot 12 is then re-connected to the housing using the four bolts 18 and co-operating nuts. A seal is provided around this joint using a heat resistant jointing compound.

The face of the housing is then sealed to the front of the fireplace opening by applying gas impermeable tape between the edges of the fireplace opening and the flange 13.

Once all these steps have been taken, the housing provides a regular shaped unit, very effectively sealed to the flue lining, to which the gas fire can be attached.

It is preferred that the rear of the gas fire is also sealed to the flange 13 using gas impermeable tape.

Other configurations of housing are of course possible, provided that they are capable of providing an effective seal between the gas fire and the flue lining.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

1. A sealing device for providing a gas tight seal between the back of a gas fire and a flue lining, the device comprising a housing, the housing having an open front to which a gas fire may be connected, and also having a connection device adapted to connect with a flue lining.

2. A sealing device as claimed in Claim 1, in which the open front is rectangular in shape.

3. A sealing device as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the open front has a flange around the periphery thereof to facilitate sealing to the gas fire.

4. A sealing device as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, in which the housing is rectangular in shape.

5. A sealing device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, in which the connection device comprises a spigot adapted to fit into or around a flue lining.

6. A sealing device as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, in which the connection device is releasably connected to the housing so that the connection device can readily be fitted to the flue lining and thereafter can be connected to the housing.

7. A sealing device as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, in which the connection device comprises a cylindrical spigot having a square flange for connection to the housing.

8. A sealing device constructed and arranged substantially as herein described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A sealing device as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, when connected to a flue lining.

10. A sealing device as claimed in Claim 9, in which the flue lining comprises a flexible stainless steel lining.

11. A sealing device as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, when connected to a gas fire.

12. A method of providing a seal between a gas fire and a flue lining comprising connecting the rear of the gas fire to the flue lining using a housing having an open front for connection to the gas fire and a connection device adapted for connection to the flue lining.

13. A method of providing a seal between a gas fire and a flue lining, substantially as described herein, with reference to the accompanying drawing.