US3369475A

US3369475A - Chimney vacuum cap assembly

Info

Publication number: US3369475A
Application number: US562270A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward J Artis; Jr Samuel W Artis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: SAMUEL W ARTIS JR
Priority date: 1966-07-01
Filing date: 1966-07-01
Publication date: 1968-02-20
Anticipated expiration: 1985-02-20

Description

Feb. 20, 1968 E. J. ARTIS ET CHIMNEY VACUUM CAP ASSEMBLY Filed July 1, 1966 Fig.2

Edward J. Arfis Samuel W.Arfis. Jr.

IN VENTORS 40/23.

A Attorney:

Fig .5

3,369,475 Patented Feb. 20, 1968 3,369,475 CHIMNEY VACUUM CAP ASSEMBLY Edward J. Artis, 1201 Harrison Blvd. 83702, and Samuel W. Artis, Jr., 1202 S. Orchard 83705, both of Boise,

Idaho Filed July 1, 1966, Ser. No. 562,270 8 Claims. (Cl. 9866) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention generally appertains to improvements in ventilator and chimney covers or caps and, more particularly, relates to novel improvements in vacuum caps for chimneys, of the type disclosed in prior Artis patents, Nos. 2,191,948, issued Feb. 27, 1940, and 2,676,- 529, issued Apr. 27, 1954.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a chimney vacuum cap assembly, which is much simpler, from a constructional and installation viewpoint, more efficient and reliable in operation and more easily adjusted so as to be adaptable for proper operation, under various wind conditions.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide an improved vacuum cap which is constructed so that the cost of fabrication, from a material and labor standpoint, is drastically reduced and the installation and adjustment thereof can be carried out in a more facile manner.

In the foregoing patents, particularly Patent No. 2,676,- 529, a vacuum cap assembly is disclosed, which essentially comprises a tubular body portion adapted to be attached to a chimney, a generally U-shaped overhead member, which overlies only the center of the Open upper end of the body portion and a cooperating series of overlapping gores disposed between the bight portion of the cover member and the upper end of the tubular body portion.

Such construction, while very efficient, is extremely complicated and the cost of manufacture, considering the high cost of material and labor, is very high and the cost to the consumer is very high, considering such foregoing factors, in addition to transportation and freight costs. Furthermore, the movable gore assembly of such construction is extremely complicated and the cover member does not serve the desired purpose, unless the complicated and multiple number of sets of gore members are provided for overlapping positioning, in adjustable relationship, between the bight portion of the cover member and the upper end of the tubular body, which must also be provided with additional gores that are disposed below the upper end of the tubular body.

In order to simplify such construction, thereby realizing substantial savings in production costs and purchasing cost and the installation and adjustment of the vacuum cap, the construction of the present invention has been provided, which construction is extremely simple but highly effective for creating any desired amount of partial vacuum or draft in the chimney, under any wind conditions, and for ensuring that gaseous air is exhausted from the chimney, irrespective of static air conditions in the atmosphere surrounding the chimney.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the improved vacuum cap for chimneys of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse, vertical sectional view, taken substantially on the line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of one of the U-shaped plates, shown in blank form, which forms part of the single gore assembly; and,

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of a modified blank form.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing, the vacuum cap 10 is designed to be installed on the chimney (not shown) of a building.

The cap comprises a cylindrical or tubular body or body portion 12, having a longitudinal slit extending throughout its length with the edges of the slit overlapping each other. Ears 14 are struck outwardly from the body, adjacent the overlapping edges, the ears being apertured and being disposed in paired relationship so as to receive fastener or bolt assemblies 16, whereby the body portion may be securely clamped about a chimney pipe (not shown).

The tubular body portion 12 has an open upper end 18. The open end 18 is covered by the bight portion 20 of a substantially U-shaped top or cover member 22. The cover member 22 includes the bight portion 20 and opposing

straight leg portions

24 and 26. The

leg portions

24 and 26 are fixed at their lower

free end portions

28 and 30 to the outside of the tubular body portion 12 at diametrically opposed points thereon, with the

portions

28 and 30 of the legs straddling the outside of the upper end of the tubular body at the diametrically opposed points.

The bight portion 20 of the cover member 22 is spaced above the upper end 18 of the tubular body 12 and held in such spaced relationship therewith by means of the secured lower or

free end portions

28 and 30 of the

leg portions

24 and 26.

The bight portion 20 is of a width so that the

opposing end edges

32 and 34 thereof extend beyond the open end 18 and the ends of the

edges

32 and 34 are curved inwardly, merging into the inwardly

tapered leg portions

26 and 24, which terminate in the widthwise reduced free or

lower end portions

28 and 30, as shown more particularly in FIGURE 1.

The

free end portions

28 and 30 of the

leg portions

24 and 26 are fixed to the outside of the tubular body portion, at diametrically opposed points at the upper end thereof by

bolt assemblies

36 and 38, which are positioned in side-by-side relationship.

A gore assembly 40 is disposed between the upper end 18 of the tubular body 12 and the bight portion 20 of the cover member 22 and consists only of a pair of generally

U-shaped plates

42 and 44. Each of the

plates

42 and 44 is formed from a flat blank 46, as shown in FIGURE 5. The flat blank includes a straight edge 48 and an outer semi-circular or convex edge 50, which is joined at its ends to the straight edge 48 by straight ends 52, which are disposed normal to the straight edge 48. The blank 46 is bent upon itself to produce the U-shaped configuration of the

plates

42 and 44. The plates are disposed in cooperating relationship and are interposed, in such relationship, be tween the bight portion 20 of the cover or top member 22 and the open upper end 18 of the tubular body 12, as shown in FIGURE 3.

The straight edges 48 constitute the inner edges of the plates, while the curved or convex edges 50 define the outer edges of the plate, which edges project beyond the

edges

32 and 34 of the cover member, in all of the lowered positions of the gore assembly, as shown in FIGURE 3, and which overlap the upper end of the body 12 at diametrically opposed points, as shown in FIGURE 3, the extending edges 50 being disposed at right angle to the

leg portions

24 and 26 of the cover member.

The

plates

42 and 44, which solely make up the gore assembly 40, are pivotally connected together by a bolt assembly or other suitable fastening means 54, above the upper end 18 of the body 12 and are joined or fastened to the body by the bolt assemblies or

fasteners

36 and 38.

The

plates

42 and 44 are adjustable, relative to each other about the pivot point, defined by the fastening means 54, when the

fasteners

36 and 38 are slightly loosened. In this regard, the shanks of the bolts of the

fasteners

36 and 38 are adapted to be positioned in

radial slots

56 and 58 which are formed in the plates, as shown in FIGURE 5, and which pass through the concave peripheral outer edge 50 of each of the plates.

A somewhat modified form of gore plate construction is shown in FIGURE 6, wherein the blank 46a has a straight edge 48a and a generally scalloped outer edge 50a. The outer edge 50a is made up of a centrally disposed rounded edge which is inwardly sloped, at its ends 50 and connected by the straight edges 52a to the straight edge 48a. The plate 46a is formed with the slots 56a, similar to the slots 56.

The

plates

46 and 46a are formed with apertures 58,

which receive the shanks of the fastener bolt assembly 54.

It is to be noted that the vacuum cap is composed only of the tubular body, which is corrugated, so that it has reinforcing and rigidifying ridges 62 and a generally U- shaped cover member 22, which is also rigidified with ridges 64 and the corrugated and

rigidified plates

42 and 44, which make up the adjustable gore assembly, interposed between the bight portion of the cover member 22 and the open upper end of the tubular body 12.

It can thus be seen that an extremely simple vacuum cap assembly is provided, which can be fabricated and assembled, in an inexpensive manner from a material and labor cost standpoint, since it is composed of a minimum of parts. The cap assembly consists only of the tubular body, which is clamped on the top of a chimney, the U- shaped cover member and the gore assembly, which consists only of the pair of

cooperating plate

42 and 44. The adjustable mounting of the gore assembly and the relationship thereof to the upper open end 18 of the body and the cover member are important factors, as is the construction and relationship of the bight portion of the cover member to the gore assembly and to the open end 18 of the body 12.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A chimney cap comprising a tubular body having means carried thereby for attaching it on a chimney, said body being disposed vertically and having an open upper end, a substantially U-shaped top cover member having a bight portion and opposing leg portions, means fastening the leg portions to the outside of the body adjacent the upper end so as to position the bight portion in overlying covering relation with the upper end, said bight portion being spaced vertically above the upper end and a gore assembly interposed between the cover member and the upper end of the body, said gore asembly consisting only of one pair of substantially U-shaped plates, said plates having opposing leg portions disposed in overlying relation,

and secured to the body by the fastening means for the leg portions of the cover member, said fastening means being releasable to permit relative movement of the gore plates inwardly and outwardly about the connecting means with respect to the cover member and the upper end of the body.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein said bight portion of the cover member is of a width. to completely overlie the open upper end of the body.

3. The invention of claim 2, wherein said bight portion has opposing end edges disposed beyond the upper end of the body said leg portions of the cover member being substantially narrow with respect to the bight portion.

4. The invention of claim 3, wherein each of said plates comprising the gore assembly is formedwith an outer edge adapted to project beyond the end edges of the bight portion of the cover member.

5. A chimney cap comprising a tubular body having means carried thereby for, attaching it on a chimney, said body being disposed vertically and having an open upper end, a substantially U-shaped top cover member having a bight portion and opposing leg portions, means fastening the leg portions to the outside of the body adjacent the upper end so as to position the bight portion in overlying covering relation with the upper end, said bightportion being spaced vertically above the upper end, and a gore assembly interposed between the cover member and the upper end of the body, said gore assembly consisting only of one pair of substantially U-shaped plates, said plates having opposing leg portions disposed in overlying relation, means releasably securing the leg portions together for relative adjusted positioning, said overlapping leg portions being interposed between the leg portions of the cover member and the body and secured to the body by the fastening means for the leg portions of the cover member, said fastening means being releasable to permit relative movement of the gore plates inwardly and outwardly about the securing means with respect to the cover member and the upper end of the body, said bight portion of the cover member being of a width to completely overlie the open upper end of the body, said bight portion having opposing end edges disposed beyond the upper end of the body, said leg portions of the cover member being substantially narrow with respect to the bight portion, each of said plates comprising the gore assembly being formed with an outer edge having a convex central portion adapted to project beyond the end edges of the bight portion of the. cover member, and said plates being disposed at right angles to leg portions of the cover member.

6. A chimney cap comprising a tubular body having means carried thereby for attaching it on a chimney,

said body being disposed vertically and having an open upper end, a substantially. U-shaped top cover member having a bight portion and opposing leg portions, means i fastening the leg portions to the outside of the body adjacent the upper end'so as to position the bight portion in overlying covering relation with the upper end, said bight portion being spaced vertically above the upper end, and a gore assembly interposed betweenthe cover member and the upper end of the body, said gore assembly consisting only of one pair of substantially U-shaped plates, said plates having opposing leg portions disposed in overlying relation, means releasably securing the leg portions together for relative adjusted positioning, said overlapping leg portions being interposed between the leg portions of the cover member and the body and secured to the body by the fastening means for the leg portions of the cover member, said fastening means being releasable to permit relative movement of the gore plates inwardly and outwardly about the securing means with respect to the cover member and the upper end of the body, the convex edges of the plates at the leg portions being formed with slots that are adapted to accommodate the fastening means and said securing means includes a single bolt assembly connecting the leg portions of the plates above the upper end of the body.

7. The invention of claim 6, wherein each U-shaped top cover and gore assembly plate includes a plurality of corrugated ribs disposed about their respective bight 10 portions.

8. The invention of claim 6, wherein said tubular body is further characterized by a longitudinal slit extending the length thereof with the slit edges overlapping each other, said means for attaching the tubular body on a chimney includes a plurality of apertured ear projections disposed in pairwise relation and extending outwardly from said body, adjacent said overlapping edges, and a plurality of bolt assemblies, each assembly fastening a corresponding pair of said ear projections for securely clamping said body about a chimney.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 538,366 4/1895 Cooper 98-66 826,345 7/1906 Miller et al 98-66 2,191,948 2/1940 Artis 98-78 2,676,529 4/1954 Artis 98-66 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,785 1894 Great Britain. 21,615 1904 Great Britain. 435,050 9/1935 Great Britain. 479,029 3/ 1953 Italy.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

M. A. ANTONAKAS, Assistant Examiner.