GB2345334A

GB2345334A - Fireplace Lintel

Info

Publication number: GB2345334A
Application number: GB9828486A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Archibald Grant
Original assignee: MONYMUSK LAND Co
Current assignee: MONYMUSK LAND Co
Priority date: 1998-12-24
Filing date: 1998-12-24
Publication date: 2000-07-05
Anticipated expiration: 2018-12-24
Also published as: GB9828486D0; GB2345334B

Abstract

A lintel 1 is provided for a fireplace and comprises a sloping internal face 4 which when stacked with other building components, such as bricks, forms a convergent path for heat or smoke from the fire. The lintel has an elongate body 2 with a flat first surface 3 substantially perpendicular to a second flat surface and connected by a third sloping surface4 . At either end of the elongate body 2 end portions 5 are provided having a first 6 and second 7 contact surface parallel to the first 3 and second surface of the elongate body 2. An inward facing surface 8 is provided adjacent the third sloping surface 4 and angularly disposed to both contact surfaces 6 and 7. An elongate lip (9, Figure 2a) may be provided along the edge between the sloping surface 4 and an elongate surface 3. The sloping surfaces 4 and 8 may form the shape of a cut off "V" or a truncated pyramid. The lintel 1 may be made of fire retardent or refractory material. The lintel 1 or a plurality of lintels may be used to form a fireplace wherein the narrowest part of the V-shape is closest to the flue. Where a plurality of lintels are used they may be stacked and each end portion made progressively larger to form a convergent path for heat and smoke (Figure 5B).

Description

LINTEL The present invention relates to a lintel for use in an open fireplace.

During construction or renovation of a building, it is common for builders to use structural components such as large slates or tiles, asbestos sheets or iron or steel sheets behind a mantelpiece in the front of the opening at the base of a chimney. However each of these components is somewhat unsatisfactory. For example, slates and tiles are normally intended to be a temporary measure since they eventually crack and disintegrate. Similarly, asbestos sheets are prone to cracking and in any case are an environmentally undesirable material for this purpose. Iron and steel sheets have a tendency to bend and crack over time.

The effect of this deterioration in the structural component is to expose the infill behind the components to the heat and smoke from the fire. Heat and smoke are not reliably and safely channelled up the chimney and have a tendency to find their way into the interior of the room.

This represents a serious fire hazard and fumes entering the room may have potentially serious consequences.

There is therefore a need for a structural component which may be assembled into a fireplace to reliably channel flames, heat and smoke into the flue over lengthy periods of time. The present invention seeks to fulfil this need by addressing the serious drawbacks of existing structural components in the construction of fireplaces.

Thus viewed from one aspect, the present invention provides a lintel for use in a fireplace comprising: an elongate body having a substantially flat, elongate first surface which is substantially perpendicular to a substantially flat, elongate second surface and a sloping surface between said first and said second surface, wherein said elongate body is provided with raised end portions located on said sloping surface; each of said raised end portions defines a first contact surface which is substantially parallel to said first surface, a second contact surface which is substantially parallel to said second surface and an inward facing surface which is angularly disposed to said first contact surface and angularly disposed to said second contact surface; whereby said first surface, second surface, first contact surface and second contact surface permit stacking of said lintel with one or more building components (eg lintels, bricks) and whereby said inwardly facing surface and said sloping surface define a convergent path for heat and smoke from a fire.

The structure of the lintel of the invention is such that the lintel may be advantageously incorporated into an existing fireplace using the normal coursing of the bricks or other structural components located therein. The uppermost surface of the lintel comprising the first contact surface is substantially flat and capable of forming a base for a structural component such as a secondary course of bricks or masonry or a further lintel according to the invention.

Equally, the lowermost surface comprising the first surface may be located on the upper surface of a structural component such as a secondary course of bricks or masonry or a further lintel according to the invention. The outward facing end surfaces of the lintel may be substantially flat to enable brickwork or masonry to be horizontally located in contact with the lintel.

In one embodiment, the sloping surface of the elongate body and the inward facing surface of the raised end portions define a cut-off "V-shape". In constructing the fireplace, the widest part of the "V" faces the fireplace opening and the narrowest part of the"V"faces the chimney flue to enable flames and smoke to converge towards the flue.

Viewed from a further aspect, the present invention provides a fireplace comprising an opening at a lower end of a chimney and a flue at an upper end of the chimney together with one or more lintels as hereinbefore defined, wherein said convergent path of the or each lintel converges upwardly from the opening to the flue.

For the purposes of the fireplace according to the invention, a plurality of lintels is preferred so that the throat of the fire is not constricted. Particularly preferably, the plurality of lintels are stacked together to provide a continuously convergent path along which smoke and heat may rise from the opening of the fireplace to the chimney flue. For this embodiment, the raised end portions of successive lintels may be progressively lengthened to provide the continuously convergent path.

To assist stacking of a plurality of lintels according to the invention, each lintel is preferably provided with an elongate lip along an edge between the sloping surface and an elongate surface of the elongate body.

Lintels according to the invention are conveniently made of a fire retardant composition. The composition may include one or more of the group consisting of cement, inert mineral fillers (preferably with a melting point over 1200 C) and stainless steel web reinforcing mesh.

The lintels themselves are conveniently made by conventional casting processes and may be made of any size by altering the rake or set of the side pieces.

The present invention will now be described in a nonlimitative sense with reference tc the accompanying figures in which : Figure 1 represents a front view of the lintel according to the invention in schematic form (a) and perspective form (b) ; Figure 2 represents a top view of the lintel according to the invention in schematic view (a) and perspective view (b) ; Figure 3 represents a base view of the lintel according to the invention in schematic view (a) and perspective view (b) ; Figure 4 represents a view along section AA in Figure 2 ; Figure 5 represents an end view of the lintel according to the invention in schematic view (a) and a plurality of stacked lintels in perspective view (b); and Figure 6 is a schematic base view of three lintels according to the invention stacked together.

Figure 1 represents a lintel according to the invention designated generally by reference numeral 1. The lintel comprises an elongate body 2 having a substantially flat elongate first surface 3 and a sloping surface 4. The elongate body is provided with raised end portions 5, each of which defines a first contact surface 6 substantially parallel to the first surface 3. Each of said raised end portions defines a second contact surface 7 which is substantially parallel to a second surface of the elongate body (not shown in Figure 1). Each of said raised end portions has an inward facing surface 8 which is angularly disposed to the first contact surface 6 and the second contact surface 7. The sloping surface 4 and inward facing surfaces 8 define a cut-off"V-shape"which in use may be arrange in the manner of Figure lb so that the widest part of the"V"points downwards.

Surfaces 3,6,7 and the second surface (not shown) permit stacking of the lintels into existing brickwork in a manner so that the surfaces 4 and 8 define a convergent path for upward passage of heat and smoke from the fire. The arrangement for stacking of three lintels in this manner is shown in Figure lb.

In Figure 2, illustrates the top view of a lintel according to the invention in which it is possible to see the elongate lip 9 located between the first elongate surface 3 and the sloping surface (not shown).

Figure 3 shows the underside of the lintel according to the invention comprising the first contact surface 6 of each of the raised end portions 5. Figure 3 shows clearly the angular disposition of inwardly facing surface 8 to the second contact surface 7 and to the first contact surface 6.

Figure 4 is a section through AA in Figure 2 and shows clearly the disposition of elongate lip 9 between sloping surface 4 and the first surface 3.

Figure 5 illustrates an end view of the lintel according to the invention with a substantially flat end 10 which allows horizontal stacking of building components with the lintel according to the invention. Elongate lip 9 is shown in isolation in Figure 5a and in use in 5b in which more than one lintel is nested together.

Figure 6 illustrates schematically three lintels stacked in accordance with the arrangement shown perspectively in Figure 3b. The sloping surface 4 of each lintel together with the angularly disposed inward facing surface 8 of each raised end portion 5 of each lintel defines a convergent path 11 along which heat and smoke from a fire grate may pass smoothly through to the chimney flue.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A lintel for use in a fireplace comprising: an elongate body having a substantially flat, elongate first surface which is substantially perpendicular to a substantially flat, elongate second surface and a sloping surface between said first and said second surface, wherein said elongate body is provided with raised end portions located on said sloping surface, each of said raised end portions defines a first contact surface which is substantially parallel to said first surface, a second contact surface which is substantially parallel to said second surface and an inward facing surface which is angularly disposed to said first contact surface and angularly disposed to said second contact surface; whereby said first surface, second surface, first contact surface and second contact surface permit stacking of said lintel with one or more building components and whereby said inwardly facing surface and said sloping surface define a convergent path for heat and smoke from a fire.
2. A lintel as claimed in claim 1 wherein said building component is selected from the group consisting of lintels and bricks.
3. A lintel as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the sloping surface of the elongate body and the inward facing surface of the raised end portions define a cut-off V-shape.
4. A lintel as claimed in any preceding claim comprising an elongate lip along an edge between the sloping surface and an elongate surface of the elongate body.
5. A lintel as claimed in any preceding claim made of a fire retardant material.
6. A lintel as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the sloping surface of the elongate body and the inward facina surface of the raised end portions define a truncated pyramidal volume.
7. A fireplace comprising an opening at a lower end of a chimney and a flue at an upper end of the chimney together with one or more lintels as defined in any preceding claim, wherein said convergent path of the or each lintel converges upwardly from the opening to the flue
8. A fireplace as claimed in claim 7 wherein the sloping surface of the elongate body and the inward facing surface of the raised end portions define a cut-off V-shape whereby the widest part of the V-shape faces the opening and the narrowest part of the V-shape faces the flue to enable flames and smoke to converge towards the flue.
9. A fireplace as claimed in claim 7 or 8 with a plurality of lintels.
10. A fireplace as claimed in claim 9 wherein the plurality of lintels are stacked successively together to provide a continuously convergent path along which smoke and heat may rise from the opening of the fireplace to the chimney flue.
11. A fireplace as claimed in claim 10 wherein the raised end portions of successive lintels are progressively lengthened to provide the continuously convergent path.