IE85441B1 - Insert stove - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT The present application provides an insert stove (5) for inserting in a fireplace. The insert stove has a rear face (27) for abutting against the fireplace. A fixing means comprising a rod (50) extending generally backwards from the rear face is provided with a bracket (52) for co-operating with an internal surface of the fireplace and chimney system. The bracket is movably mounted on said rod so as to permit relative longitudinal movement between the rod and the bracket. A threaded fastener is provided for co-operating with a threaded portion of said rod to cause movement of the bracket against the internal surface where the threaded fastener is operable by hand through the exhaust flue of the insert stove to force the bracket against the internal surface.

Description

Title An insert stove Field of the Invention The present invention relates to fireplaces and in particular to the insertion of a heating stove into an existing fireplace.

Background of the Invention Solid fuel open fireplaces suffer from a number of problems. For example, it is difficult to control the rate of combustion in a solid fuel open fireplace with the result that frequently the room being heated becomes too hot or too cold.

In addition, the average solid fuel open fireplace delivers fuel efficiencies as low as 20%. A consequence of this inefficiency is that many kilos of unnecessary carbon monoxide are dumped into the atmosphere.

Traditionally, stoves have been a stand alone appliance in a kitchen or living room. These stoves are considerably more efficient and allow for control of the rate of combustion.

To obtain the benefit of a stove in a fireplace, a known solution is an arrangement known generally as an insert stove. Typically, insert stove solutions are often much larger than a standard fireplace opening, and involve removing the fireplace fireclay fireback or even altering the structure of the chimney itself.

However, smaller insert stoves are known which combine the advantages of the stove but fit within the standard opening of a fireplace. An example of a prior art insert stove in situ is illustrated in Fig. 1.

This prior art insert stove comprises a main body which is shaped to fit within the space defined by the standard height of a fireplace opening, typically about 22.5 inches (57cm), although it may vary generally from 18 inches (46 cm) to 27 inches (670m). The stove 1 comprises a burning chamber 3 having a grate 2 provided therein. Fuel 4, including for example wood, coal and\or turf. may be placed on the grate and burnt. The grate is situated over an underlying ash drawer 18 In which ash from the burning fuel collects. Fuel may be added to the burning chamber through a main door 12 in the front. One or more handles 14 on the door allow the door to be closed and locked or opened as required.

Conveniently, the ash drawer 18 may be removed after opening a lower door 16. Commonly, the main door and lower door are combined into a single door.

To retain the warm visual feeling presented by a fire a window (not shown) may be provided in the door 12 at the front of the stove to allow the fire inside to be viewed. These insert stoves may be manufactured using any suitable material but are typically cast iron.

To facilitate combustion in the chamber 3 a supply of air is required. This air supply is primarily provided by an air supply, which is supplied through a lower intake opening (not shown), which feeds air to the area under the grate 2, which supports the fuel. The air is effectively sucked into the fuel pile as the heated air and smoke in the pile rises to exit through a flue 22 at the top of the burning chamber. This air is typically supplied through an adjustable baffle or damper (not shown). which allows a user to manually regulate the supply of air to the fire. Commonly the adjustable baffle or damper comprises one or more rotateable or slideable caps, which may be rotated/slid in one direction to increase the flow of air and in the opposite to decrease the flow of air. By closing the damper, the supply of air can be cut-off and the fire effectively extinguished. Opening the damper increases the flow of primary air and thus the intensity of the fire. The air damper may also be adjusted to give the best possible results when burning different fuels.

To function properly, it is important that the primary supply of air to the combustion chamber is from below the grate and that other unwanted sources of combustible air are prevented from interfering with the combustion process.

To achieve this, it is important that air is prevented from entering the fireplace from the front in any gap present between the insert stove 1 and the fireplace opening 24. To achieve this, the prior art stove provides a rear face 27 which is intended to generally abut against the walls 28 around the fireplace opening. During installation, a seal 30. typically a sealing rope, is provided between the rear face of the stove and the walls of the fireplace opening.

In order to insure a proper seal, it is important that the sealing rope is maintained in compression between the rear face 27 and the wall 28 to ensure a proper seal. Techniques employed for achieving this include drillingtbolting onto the fascia of the fireplace, or drillinglbolting through the rear of the appliance onto the wall or floor behind.

Another approach employed (as illustrated) is to have a bolt 32 extending generally horizontally backwards through an aperture 34 in a front face of the stove. The height of the bolt is positioned so that the bolt travelling horizontally can pass under the lintel or a back panel of the fireplace. A bracket 36 is threadably engaged with the bolt 32. This bracket in use extends generally upwards from the bolt and is configured to present a friction grip against the front rear surface of the fireplace, lintel or the chimney structure abutting the lintel.

During installation, one or more fixing screws 40 are inserted through fixing apertures in the base of the stove into previously drilled holes 42 in the base of the fireplace. These screws may be inserted and tightened through the door by removing the grate 2 and ash drawer 18. Once the screws have been fixed, an installer may position the bracket against the back wall of the lintel by holding the bracket in place with their hand through the exhaust flue 22 of the combustion chamber. The bracket may then be tightened against the rear surface by rotating the head of the bolt at the front of the stove, for example by means of a screwdriver or spanner.

The present application is directed to providing an insert stove having an alternative fixing arrangement.

Summary of the Invention Accordingly, a first embodiment of the invention provides an insert stove for inserting in a fireplace. The insert stove has a rear face for abutting against the fireplace. A fixing means comprising a rod extending generally backwards from the rear face is provided with a bracket for co-operating with an internal surface of the fireplace and chimney system. The bracket is movably mounted on said rod so as to permit relative longitudinal movement between the rod and the bracket and the bracket is pivotably mounted on the rear of said stove. A threaded fastener is provided for co-operating with a threaded portion of said rod to cause movement of the bracket against the internal surface where the threaded fastener is operable by hand through the exhaust flue of the insert stove to force the bracket against the internal surface. More particularly an insert stove is provided as detailed in claim 1. The invention also provides a method for installing an insert stove in a fireplace as detailed in claim 10.

Advantageous embodiments are provided in the dependent claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a prior art insert stove in situ in a fireplace, and Figure 2 is an insert stove according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Drawings The inventor of the present invention has determined that a negative feature of existing prior art stoves is that the fixing arrangement may be unsightly particularly where the head of the tightening bolt for the fixing bracket is visible to the user when they open the door.

Whilst this may appear a trivial complaint, the presence of a visible bolt head can destroy the clean appearance of the front face of an insert stove when the door is opened‘ Moreover, the need for creating and maintaining a seal with the marble or stone fireplace insert panel and preventing oxygen entering the appliance is an important consideration so as to ensure that the only significant source of oxygen to the fire chamber is via the air controls on the front of the appliance.

Furthermore, the various existing modes of connection are such that it can be awkward and time consuming removing and reinstalling existing insert stoves when cleaning the chimney which should be performed on an annual basis for safety reasons.

The present invention addresses this problem by seeking to provide a fixing method for an insert stove which is essentially invisible to a user once installed whilst at the same time easy to installlremove.

This is achieved, as shown in Figure 2, by having a fixing mechanism that is counter-intuitively tightened from the rear.

In common with the prior art, the insert stove 5 of the present invention comprises a main body which is shaped to fit within the space defined by the standard height of a fireplace opening, typically 22.5 inches (57cm). The stove 5 comprises a burning chamber 3 having a grate 2 therein. Fuel 4, including for example wood, coal and\or turf, may be placed on the grate and burnt. The grate is situated over an underlying ash drawer 18 in which ash from the burning fuel collects. Fuel may be added to the burning chamber through a door in the front. A handle 14 on the door allows the door to be closed and locked or opened as required. Conveniently, the ash drawer 18 may be removed after opening a lower door 16. The main door and lower door may be combined into a single door. To retain the warm visual feeling presented by a fire a window (not shown) may be provided in the door 12 at the front of the stove to allow the fire inside to be viewed. These stoves may be manufactured using any suitable material but are typically cast iron.

To facilitate combustion in the chamber a supply of air is required. This air supply is primarily provided by an air supply, which is supplied through a lower intake opening. which feeds air to the area under the grate 2. which supports the fuel. The air is effectively sucked into the fuel pile as the heated air and smoke in the pile rises to exit through a flue 22 at the top of the burning chamber. This air is typically supplied through an adjustable baffle or damper (not shown), which allows a user to manually regulate the supply of air to the fire. Commonly the adjustable baffle or damper comprises one or more rotateable or slideable caps. which may be rotated/slid in one direction to increase the flow of air and in the opposite to decrease the flow of air. By closing the damper, the supply of air can be cut-off and the fire effectively extinguished. Opening the damper increases the flow of primary air and thus the intensity of the fire. The air damper may also be adjusted to give the best possible results when burning different fuels.

To ensure an adequate seal is achieved the present invention provides for the use of a seal, for example a sealing rope 30, to seal any gaps between the insert stove and the walls forming the fire place opening.

As in the prior art. it is important to maintain the sealing rope in compression to ensure a proper seal.

The present invention achieves this using a bracket which is tightened from behind rather from the front. As in the prior art, the insert stove has a rear face 27 for abutting against the external walls defining the fireplace opening with a seal interposed there between. A fixing means is provided for forcing the rear face of the stove against the external walls of the fireplace. The fixing means comprises a rod 50 that extends generally backwards from the rear face.

The rod may be fixed. for example by welding, directly to the rear surface 27.

Alternatively. the rod may be screw fixed to the rear face. In another arrangement, the rod may comprise a bolt which extends through an aperture defined in the rear surface of the stove. In this arrangement, the bolt does not extend through to the front surface of the stove and may be hidden behind a face plate or other feature. In yet another embodiment the rod has a screw fixing which co-operates with a screw fixing provided on the rear face.

A bracket 52 is provided for co-operating with an internal surface (i.e. the rear of the front wall at the top of the fireplace). The bracket is movably mounted on said rod so as to permit relative longitudinal movement between the rod and the bracket. The bracket may be of a length in the range 10 cm to cm. A threaded fastener 54 is provided for co-operating with a threaded portion 56 of said rod 50. The arrangement of the fastener and rod is such that rotation of the fastener causes movement of the bracket against the internal surface. Advantageously, the threaded fastener is operable through the exhaust flue 22 of the insert stove to force the bracket 52 against the internal surface.

To assist the user in installing a stove in the fireplace, the bracket may be pivotably mounted to the rear of the stove. In this way, the degrees of motion of the bracket are limited and the user need only concern themselves with tightening the threaded fastener rather than having to hold the bracket in place and tighten. This is an important concern since it may be difficult to get more than one hand through the narrow opening of the flue exhaust. A wing-nut may advantageously be employed as the threaded fastener to provide for hand tightening as access by a spanner or other tool may be difficult.

Suitably, the bracket is pivotably mounted to the rear upper surface of the burning chamber of the insert stove. To assist tightening of the wing nut, the bracket may be pivotably mounted between the rear face of the insert stove and the exhaust flue. Similarly, it will be appreciated that it may be beneficial to have the bracket pivotably mounted to the rear of the stove in a position so that when in situ in a fireplace, the pivotable mount is substantially below the chimney system. it will be appreciated that as the wing nut is tightened on the threaded portion of the rod the bracket is caused to pivot generally forwards.

The bracket may have a generally backwards bend provided along its length to improve the co-operation between the bracket and the chimney system. To further assist the co-operation of the bracket and the rear surface, a barb or similar engaging feature may be provided on the end of the bracket for engaging with the chimney system surface.

To install the stove insert. the same initial steps are employed as in the prior art. including for example the drilling of holes in the base of the fireplace for fixing the base of the stove, the placement of sealing rope around the rear perimeter of the stove where it will abut the external walls of the fireplace. To facilitate insertion of the stove into the fire place opening, the wing nut is loosened so that the bracket is generally tilting backwards away from the stove.

This allows the stove to be lifted into place by tilting the stove backwards as it is inserted. Once in the opening of the fireplace, the stove can be straightened simply by pushing in at the bottom. The insert stove may then be screwed of the base of the stove in the previously drilled holes. The wing nut of may then be tightened by hand causing the bracket to pivot generally forwards and upwards causing the top of the stove to be drawn generally inwards towards the fireplace thus ensuring a tight seal. Advantageously, the fixing is not visible to a user after installation. In addition, the present arrangement allows for single handed tightening of the bracket. Previously, it may have been necessary to hold the bracket (at least initially) with one hand and then whilst holding the bracket with one hand tighten the bolt on the front face of the stove.

The words comprises/comprising when used in this specification are to specify the presence of stated features, integers. steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers , steps, components or groups thereof.

Claims (1)

1. Claims ‘I An insert stove for inserting in a fireplace, the insert stove having a rear face for abutting against the fireplace, the insert stove having a fixing means, the fixing means comprising a rod extending generally backwards from the rear face, a bracket for co-operating with an internal surface of the fireplace and chimney system, the bracket being movably mounted on said rod so as to permit relative longitudinal movement between the rod and the bracket , wherein a threaded fastener is provided for co—operating with a threaded portion of said rod to cause movement of the bracket against the internal surface where the threaded fastener is operable through the exhaust flue of the insert stove to force the bracket against the internal surface, wherein the bracket is pivotably mounted to the rear of the stove. An insert according to claim 1, wherein the bracket is pivotably mounted to the rear upper surface of the burning chamber of the insert stove. An insert stove according to claim 2, wherein the bracket is pivotably mounted between the rear face of the insert stove and the exhaust flue. An insert stove according to claim 1, wherein the bracket is pivotably mounted to the rear of the stove in a position so that when in situ in a fireplace having a Iintel, the pivot point for the bracket is substantially below the Iintel An insert stove according to claim 1, wherein the fixing means is configured so that the pivoting motion of the bracket is caused by the co- operation between the threaded fastener and threaded portion of the rod. An insert stove according to any preceding claim, wherein the bracket comprises a barb for engaging the internal surface of the fireplace. 10 7. An insert according to any preceding claim, wherein the threaded fastener comprises a wing nut. 8. An insert stove according to any preceding claim wherein the bracket is 5 of a length in the range 10 cm to 20 cm. 9. A method of installing a stove insert in a fire place, the stove insert having an exhaust flue and further comprising a bracket pivotably mounted to the rear of the stove insert for engaging with a rear surface of the fire 10 place or chimney system. a tightening means for forcing said bracket against said rear surface. and an exhaust flue. the method comprising the steps of placing the stove insert in the fire place, tightening the tightening means through said exhaust flue. 15 10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of inserting a sealing material between the fireplace and the insert stove.