Title:
GAS FIRED FIREPLACE BASKET
United States Patent 3582250
Abstract:
A gas fired fireplace basket which simulates a coal fire and incorporates a plurality of gas burners beneath a screen which in turn supports a plurality of pieces of noncombustible material in a loosely disposed shallow layer. A transversely extending deepened pocket in the screen locates pieces of the noncombustible material adjacent cut away areas in the front portion of the fire basket.
Application Number:
04/829616
Publication Date:
06/01/1971
Filing Date:
06/02/1969
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Export Citation:
Assignee:
Armstrong Products Corporation (Huntington, WV)
Primary Class:
Other Classes:
126/512
International Classes:
F24C3/00; F23H13/00
Field of Search:
431/125 126/127,164,165,92
Primary Examiner:
Favors, Edward G.
Claims:
1. In a gas fired fireplace basket having an apertured front wall and a perforated horizontal member positioned adjacent the top thereof for holding pieces of noncombustible material in elevated relation therein, said perforated member having a portion thereof adjacent said apertured front wall offset with respect to the remainder by a vertical portion thereof which is spaced with respect to said apertured front wall and forming a narrow vertical area for additional pieces of said noncombustible material arranged in a vertical layer against said apertured front wall, gas burners positioned beneath the horizontal and offset portions of said perforated member and means for connecting said burners to a fuel source.
2. The gas fired fireplace basket set forth in claim 1 and wherein the apertures are located in the upper half thereof and comprise an area equal to at least half the area of said upper half of said front wall.
3. The gas fired fireplace basket set forth in claim 1 and wherein the burners are tubular burners arranged in said basket in angular relation from the front to the rear of said basket with the front portions of said burners lying beneath the offset portion of said perforated member and the back portions of said burners lying adjacent the rearmost edge of said perforated member.
2. The gas fired fireplace basket set forth in claim 1 and wherein the apertures are located in the upper half thereof and comprise an area equal to at least half the area of said upper half of said front wall.
3. The gas fired fireplace basket set forth in claim 1 and wherein the burners are tubular burners arranged in said basket in angular relation from the front to the rear of said basket with the front portions of said burners lying beneath the offset portion of said perforated member and the back portions of said burners lying adjacent the rearmost edge of said perforated member.
Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to gas burning devices of the type normally employed in fireplaces and the like for heating and creating a visually attractive conversation center.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior structures of this type have located the noncombustible material in substantially horizontal layers above the gas burners so that the heat therefrom is largely directed upwardly unless reflective means are employed. Such devices are found in U.S. Pats. No. 2,362,972 and No. 3,227,149. Other prior art constructions incorporate means between the burners and the noncombustible layer of material such as found in U.S. Pat. No. 1,259,029 No. 3,087,041 and No. 3,322,179. This invention provides a realistic appearing fire basket arranged so that the noncombustible material heated by the gas burners can and will direct radiant heat horizontally from the basket and over a wide area without the use of reflective means.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A gas fired fireplace basket having gas burners beneath and behind a layer of noncombustible material which extends both horizontally and vertically so as to direct radiant heat horizontally and vertically therefrom when said gas burners are operating.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective elevation of the gas fired fireplace basket with some of the noncombustible material removed.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation of the fireplace basket.
FIG. 3 is a front plan view of the fireplace basket.
FIG. 4 is a cross section on line 4-4 of FIG. 3 and section lines 2-2 on FIG. 4 indicate the cross section of FIG. 2.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In its preferred form the gas fired fireplace basket of this invention is comprised of spaced end portions 10 a back 11 and an apertured bowed front portion 12 wherein the apertures are indicated at 13. The ends of the front portion 12 are supported by legs 14 which extend below the lower edge 15 of the front portion 12 and above the upper edge 16 thereof. Secondary legs 17 are secured to the back portion 11 and support the basket thus formed. The side portions 10 and the back portion 11 are provided with inturned flanges 18 inwardly from their uppermost edges so that they will support a section of stainless steel mesh 19. The forward portion of the mesh 19 has a vertical flange 20 and an out-turned flange 21 on its lower edge as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 4 of the drawings. The forward portion of the mesh comprising the vertical flange 20 and the out-turned flange 21 thus form along with the apertured front portion 12 of the basket a transversely extending pocket in which pieces of noncombustible material 22 such as lava ash or the like may be positioned and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that additional pieces of lava ash or the like are positioned on the horizontal upper surface of the mesh 19 so that when the gas fired fire basket is viewed it appears to be filled with burning coal.
In order that the pieces of noncombustible material 22 may be heated, some to incandescence, a plurality of burner tubes 23 are angularly positioned in the basket and beneath the stainless steel mesh 19 as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4 of the drawings. Each of the burner tubes 23 is apertured longitudinally thereof as at 24. The foremost ends of the burner tubes 23 are closed and provided with down turned tabs 25 which register in slots 26 in a bottom portion 27 of the basket. The apertures 24 in the burner tubes 23 are arranged to form 88 ports per row, the rows being located 45° from center, 90° apart and those skilled in the art will observe that the plurality of burner tubes 23, each of which is provided with two rows of apertures, 24, together with the angular positioning of the burner tubes 23 provides efficient means for heating the noncombustible material 22. Each of the burner tubes 23 includes a mixer portion 28 and a communicating section connected with a transverse manifold 29, one end of which is closed and the other end of which is adapted to be placed in communication with the source of fuel gas.
The above described gas fired fireplace basket achieves unusual heating and visual effects by its novel arrangement of the burner tubes and the relation thereto of the noncombustible material supported in the novel configuration by the stainless steel mesh 19 together with the relatively wide open area of the front portion of the basket through which the heated noncombustible material may be readily seen and the radiant heat therefrom delivered horizontally over a wide area.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to gas burning devices of the type normally employed in fireplaces and the like for heating and creating a visually attractive conversation center.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior structures of this type have located the noncombustible material in substantially horizontal layers above the gas burners so that the heat therefrom is largely directed upwardly unless reflective means are employed. Such devices are found in U.S. Pats. No. 2,362,972 and No. 3,227,149. Other prior art constructions incorporate means between the burners and the noncombustible layer of material such as found in U.S. Pat. No. 1,259,029 No. 3,087,041 and No. 3,322,179. This invention provides a realistic appearing fire basket arranged so that the noncombustible material heated by the gas burners can and will direct radiant heat horizontally from the basket and over a wide area without the use of reflective means.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A gas fired fireplace basket having gas burners beneath and behind a layer of noncombustible material which extends both horizontally and vertically so as to direct radiant heat horizontally and vertically therefrom when said gas burners are operating.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective elevation of the gas fired fireplace basket with some of the noncombustible material removed.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation of the fireplace basket.
FIG. 3 is a front plan view of the fireplace basket.
FIG. 4 is a cross section on line 4-4 of FIG. 3 and section lines 2-2 on FIG. 4 indicate the cross section of FIG. 2.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In its preferred form the gas fired fireplace basket of this invention is comprised of spaced end portions 10 a back 11 and an apertured bowed front portion 12 wherein the apertures are indicated at 13. The ends of the front portion 12 are supported by legs 14 which extend below the lower edge 15 of the front portion 12 and above the upper edge 16 thereof. Secondary legs 17 are secured to the back portion 11 and support the basket thus formed. The side portions 10 and the back portion 11 are provided with inturned flanges 18 inwardly from their uppermost edges so that they will support a section of stainless steel mesh 19. The forward portion of the mesh 19 has a vertical flange 20 and an out-turned flange 21 on its lower edge as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 4 of the drawings. The forward portion of the mesh comprising the vertical flange 20 and the out-turned flange 21 thus form along with the apertured front portion 12 of the basket a transversely extending pocket in which pieces of noncombustible material 22 such as lava ash or the like may be positioned and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that additional pieces of lava ash or the like are positioned on the horizontal upper surface of the mesh 19 so that when the gas fired fire basket is viewed it appears to be filled with burning coal.
In order that the pieces of noncombustible material 22 may be heated, some to incandescence, a plurality of burner tubes 23 are angularly positioned in the basket and beneath the stainless steel mesh 19 as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4 of the drawings. Each of the burner tubes 23 is apertured longitudinally thereof as at 24. The foremost ends of the burner tubes 23 are closed and provided with down turned tabs 25 which register in slots 26 in a bottom portion 27 of the basket. The apertures 24 in the burner tubes 23 are arranged to form 88 ports per row, the rows being located 45° from center, 90° apart and those skilled in the art will observe that the plurality of burner tubes 23, each of which is provided with two rows of apertures, 24, together with the angular positioning of the burner tubes 23 provides efficient means for heating the noncombustible material 22. Each of the burner tubes 23 includes a mixer portion 28 and a communicating section connected with a transverse manifold 29, one end of which is closed and the other end of which is adapted to be placed in communication with the source of fuel gas.
The above described gas fired fireplace basket achieves unusual heating and visual effects by its novel arrangement of the burner tubes and the relation thereto of the noncombustible material supported in the novel configuration by the stainless steel mesh 19 together with the relatively wide open area of the front portion of the basket through which the heated noncombustible material may be readily seen and the radiant heat therefrom delivered horizontally over a wide area.