US20090159073A1

US20090159073A1 - Self-Lighting Firewood Stack With Handle

Info

Publication number: US20090159073A1
Application number: US11/963,973
Authority: US
Inventors: Gabriel Giordano
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-12-24
Filing date: 2007-12-24
Publication date: 2009-06-25

Abstract

A portable firewood stack is described, the firewood stack designed o be easily transportable and possessing all the elements necessary for a good fire. The firewood stack is composed of a pyramidal stack of wood logs, a base made of compressed paper, and a cone of starter material placed on the base placed directly under the stack of firewood

A fire can be easily started by means of igniting the starter material and allowing the base and wood stack to catch fire because of the chimney effect of the wood stack. The entire package will be consumed, except for any staples or nails used to attach the pieces, leaving only ashes to be cleaned up.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of packaged firewood products and firewood lighters.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Those skilled in the art of designing consumer products for inside or outside fire making have concentrated on providing separate ingredients for the fire making task. There are stacks or bundles of wood, there are starter logs, there are supplies of kindling or fatwood to get the flame going, and so on. The present state of the art shows no products that combine all of the necessary elements of fire making in one product that can be sold as a package.
Firewood is sold in bulk, bags of charcoal can be kept in a consumer's garage to be dispensed on a grill, and lighter fluid or starters are kept separate. The consumer must dispense portions of each component of the fire making task and assemble it in place to make a fire.
Classically, indoor fire making is done in a fireplace with limited size. A single bunch of firewood will normally last for one use, and therefore it is not necessary to stack more than that nearby. Outdoor fire making, such as at picnics or campsites, requires transporting the fire making materials to the site. For single use fires, not kept going all night or used for cooking, a small stack of firewood should be sufficient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a convenient ready-to-use firewood and starter package designed to be easily transported and ignited.
It is an object of the present invention that the package will “chimney” the flow of air through the burning wood and enhance its combustion.
It is an object of the present invention that the pyramidal shape of the stack of wood be preserved by fasteners during the burning of the wood, to increase the above effects. The pyramid will be formed by the wood itself.
It is an object of the present invention that the entire package by combustible, leaving the minimum amount of residue behind after the product is consumed.
A wide variety of firewood ignition and transportation technologies are available. Other means than those proposed here are covered by the spirit and scope of this patent application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1. Perspective view of the invention

DETAILED SPECIFICATION

As shown in FIG. 1, he invention 100 is comprised of a stack of firewood pieces 102. The stack of firewood pieces 102 is assembled into a roughly pyramidal shape, with the firewood pieces 102 attached fixedly to each other with a firewood attachment means 103. The bottoms 104 of the stack of firewood pieces 102 are mitre-sawed such that the bottoms 104 of the stack of firewood pieces 102 are flat. The bottoms 104 are then attached fixedly to the base 105 of the invention 100 by a base attachment means 106. The base attachment means 106 and the firewood attachment means 103 may be the same or different. The attachment means 103, 106 can be selected from the list of glue, staples, nails, and other permanent fixing means.
The tops 107 of the stack of firewood pieces 102 are also mitre sawed such that a handle 108 can be fixedly attached. The handle attachment means 109 is a staple. The handle 108 material can be selected from the list of rope, string, and combustible plastic.
The base 105 is comprised of newspaper or other disposable material, compressed or glued such that it provides a rigid structure to which the stack of firewood pieces 102 can be attached.
Resting in the middle of the base 105, directly under the center of the stack of firewood pieces 102 is the starter material cone 110. This cone 110 is comprised of solid, ignitable, incendiary material that burns quickly and gives a hot flame.
The present invention 100 is used by means of the following method. The invention 100 is carried by hand by means of the handle 108 to a safe location for starting a fire. The invention is placed on its base 105 with the pyramid stack of firewood pieces 102 extending upwards.
The starter material cone 110 is then ignited by whatever means is available, matches, lighters, and the like. The starter material cone 110 burns and the air flow through the stack of firewood pieces 102 forces hot air up through the stack of firewood pieces 102, which quickly ignites it. The base 105 also ignites and adds additional heat. The stack of firewood pieces 102, the handle 108, the base 105, and the starter material cone 110 are entirely consumed. The remaining residue from the fire will consist of ashes and any metallic attachment means used.
An alternate embodiment of the invention includes an attached ignition mechanism, such as a packet of wooden matches removably attached to the base 105.
While the foregoing describes a preferred embodiment of the present invention and an alternate embodiment, variation on this design and equivalent designs may be resorted to in the scope and spirit of the claimed invention.

Claims

1. A portable firewood stack, the firewood stack comprised of a plurality of firewood pieces, a firewood attachment means, a base, a handle, and a starter material cone,

the firewood pieces comprised of a material selected from the group of wood, wood products, and compressed paper,

the firewood pieces each in a roughly cylindrical shape,

the firewood attachment means a means of fixedly attaching the firewood pieces to each other such that the stack of firewood pieces forms a roughly pyramidal shape,

the base a flat piece of material to which the bottom of the firewood stack is fixedly attached with a base attachment means,

the base comprised of material selected from the group of paper, compressed paper or cardboard,

the handle a flexible length of material that is fixedly attached with a handle attachment means to the top of the firewood stack at two points,

the handle comprised of a material selected from the group of rope, string, and combustible plastic,

the starter material cone a cone shaped body comprised of industry-standard starter material such that when the starter material cone is ignited, the starter material cone burns continuously with a hot flame,

the starter material cone fixedly attached by a cone attachment means to the center of the base such that the starter material cone rests directly underneath the center of the firewood stack.

2. A portable firewood stack as in claim 1 where the firewood attachment means is selected from the group of glue, staples and nails.

3. A portable firewood stack as in claim 1 where the base attachment means is selected from the group of glue, staples and nails.

4. A portable firewood stack as in claim 1 where the handle attachment means is selected from the group of glue, staples and nails.

5. A portable firewood stack as in claim 1 where the cone attachment means is selected from the group of glue, staples and nails.

6. A method of using a portable firewood stack as in claim 1, comprised of the steps of

obtaining a portable firewood stack,

transporting the portable firewood stack by means of the handle to a suitable location for safely making a fire, such as a fireplace, a campsite, and the like,

placing the portable firewood stack on a level surface,

igniting the starter material cone with a match, lighter, or other means of ignition.