Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
S71
B~CKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an outdoor wood burning stove, and more parti-
cularly to a stove which will permit controlled burning of wood a~.d even heating of
a cooking plate in an outdoor environment.
The stove of the present invention is intended as a substitute for, and
in many ways an improvement over, the standard charcoal barbecue unit which is
popularly used today for outdoor cooking. The use of wood for cooking offers many
possible advantages over the use of charcoal. The shrinkage loss in the production
of charcoal may be in the order of 1 to 3 - in other words three baskets of wood
would produce one basket of charcoal. A one bushel basket of charcoal provides
about three fillings for the average size family barbecue of twenty-four inches
diameter. Such barbecue may produce full heat for about thirty minutes per load.
Control and regulation of the heat generated by such units in the outdoors is
dif~icult, since charcoal in them may burn irregularly, producing heat in one area
and little in another, or alternatively, producing high flames in one area because
of fanning by wind or dripping of fat in that area, while not in another. Some of
these disadvantages have been overcome by the use of drum barbecue units providing
a unitary, completely enclosed burning and cooking chamber, or by the use of barbe-
cue accessories such as the barbecue hood described and illustrated in Giuliani,
Canadian Patent No. 660,408, issued April 2, 1963.
Qther cooking devices for ou,door use includes the open grill devices of
Beller, United States Patent No. 3,053,245, issued September 11, 1962; Crowley, et.
al., United States Patent No. 3,209,742 issued October 5, 1965 and Clark, United
States Patent No. 3,298,361 issued January 17, 1967, all of which describe open
grills supported on a central supporting column or the like. Park, United States
Patent No. 2,173,024, issued September 12, 1939 and Petrie, Canadian Patent No.
737,246, issued June 28, 1966 both describe portable barbecue cooking stands which
consist of a central spike or post which is embedded in the ground, about which an
open fire is prepared on the ground, and to which are attached appropriate grills
or utensils for heating and cooking over the open fire. Garske, United States
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atent No. 3,526,217, issued September 1, 1970 describes and illustrates a charcoal
pan centrally suspended on such a spike to be driven in the ground, a grill or
other cooking utensils to be suspended above the charcoal pan from the spike, in a
modification of this concept. All of these devices, in addition to the above-
mentioned difficulties of obtaining an even heat for cooking, present the obvious
danger of an open flame to both the user and the environment around the device. As
well, because the flame cannot be controlled, the fuel may be burned faster than is
necessary to ensure its optimum use or the device may require more fuel than would
otherwise be necessary.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an outdoor wood burn-
ing stove which avoids or minimizes many of the afore-mentioned inconveniences and
disadvantages of prior known domestic outdoor cooking devices. It is a further
ob~ect of the present invention to provide a safe, clean, efficient and versatile
stove for outdoor cooking.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an outdoor,
wood burning stove comprising a central vertical support post to be embedded in the
ground. A combustion chamber comprising cylindrical walls on a flat base is sup-
ported on the post at a desired height. A cooking plate is supported on the upper
edge of the cylindrical walls so that the cylindrical walls, flat base and cooking
plate completely enclose the combustion chamber. An exhaust chimney passes through
the center of the cooking plate to carry smoke and exhaust gases produced within
the combustion chamber to the atmosphere above the stove. The smoke and exhaust r
gases produced in the combustion chamber enter the chimney therein only through
paced exhaust holes positioned in the sides of the chimney below the cooking
plate. Spaced breather holes in the lower part of the combustion chamber are provided
to restrict and control the supply of fresh air thereto and restrict formation of
high flames therein when in use.
It is important to provide relative sizes of the cooking chamber, breather
and exhaust holes and exhaust chimney to ensure even, controlled burning of material
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n the combustion chamber and even heat supply to the cooking plate.
The cooking stove according to the present invention, in addition to
providing such advantages, enables wood burned therein to last longer and provides
an extremely economical source of heat. As fresh air supplied to the combustion
chamber is limited, the production of high flames is avoided. The central support,
which in a preferred embodiment is integral with the exhaust chimney, enables ex-
haust smoke to be removed to the environment at a height where it will not inter-
fere with persons using or around the device. Sufficient heat and smoke may be
generated within the combustion chamber and passed through the exhaust chimney to
permit hanging fish or meat in the chimney to cook or smoke such food therein,
adding further to the versatility of the device.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be-
come apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon referring to
the drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of an example embodiment of a wood burning
stove according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is an exploded, section view of the stove of Figure 1 taken along
lines II-II.
While the invention will be described in connection with an example
embodiment, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to
that embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modi-
fications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the
invention as defined by the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As illustrated in Figure l, an outdoor wood burning stove 2 is provided
having central vertical support posts 4 embedded at an appropriate place in the
ground. Combustion chamber 6 is completely enclosed by cylindrical walls 8, sup-port rim 10 and cooking plate 12. Support r~m lO is secured to post 4 at an
appropriate height, with c~lindrical walls 8 preferably removably engaged about or
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.ithin upstanding lip 13 of the support rim. Cooking plate 12 is supported on the
upper edges o cylindrical walls 8 and is upwardly yertically removable from that
position to enable cleaning and fueling of the combustion chamber. (Alternative
combustion chamber feeding means, such as a door in the side of cylindrical walls
8, although not illustrated, are within the scope of the present invention.)
Handles 14 may be spaced about the periphery of cooking plate 12 to facilitate
movement of this plate.
Exhaust chimney 16 passes through the center of cooking plate 12 to carry
smoke and exhaust gases produced within chamber 6 to the atmosphere. In the embodi-
ment illustrated, this chimney is an extension of support post 4. The top of the
chimney may be cut at an angle, as shown, and oriented with respect to prevailing
winds to ensure efficient removal of exhaust gases and circulation of air through
the combustion chamber. The smoke and exhaust gases enter exhaust chimney 16 only
through spaced exhaust holes 18 positioned in the sides of the chimney below cook-
ing plate in the combustion chamber. Breather holes 20 are spaced in the lower
part of the combustion chamber 6 to restrict and control a supply of fresh air to
the chamber. Exhaust holes 18 are positioned sufficiently close to the underside
of cooking plate 12 such that smoke, exhaust gases and hot air passing through
these holes provide even, controlled heating of cooking plate 12. The size and
location of breather holes 20 is also important so that even, controlled burning of
the wood in the combustion chamber is achieved. In the described embodiment, ideal
dimensions to achieve prolonged burning of the wood and even heating of the cooking
plate have been achieved by evenly spacing four exhaust holes of about two inches
to three and one-half inches beneath the normal position of the cooking plate in an
exhaust chimney o~ about four inches in diameter. ~ cooking plate of about one-
quarter inch steel about sixteen and one-half inches in diameter, cylindrical walls
for the combustion chamber made from a thirteen gallon gear oil drum and a support
rim of about fifteen inches in diameter, haye proyed effectiye. Four oblong breather
holes of about two and one-half inches long and one-half inches wide spaced about the
sides of the rim and exhaust holes of one inch in diameter have provided excellent
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,urning and cooking characteristics for the device.
It is preferred to provide means such as holes 22 in the exhaust chimney to
permit securing the cooking plate and combustion chamber cylindrical walls in posi-
tions upwardly spaced from their normal positions, to permit either charging of the
combustion chamber with wood (with the plate secured in this elevated position) or
for cleaning ashes from the combustion chamber (with both the cooking plate and
cylindrical walls secured in upwardly spaced positions~.
The device according to the present invention cooks meats, fish and other
foods on the cooking plate and enables smoking of fish or meat suspended within the
exhaust pipe. At the same time it provides a safe, clean, long-lasting fire from
wood, making it ideal for use at cottages, or in backyards, hunting camps or even
recreational grounds.
Thus it is apparent that there has been provided, in accordance with the
present invention, an outdoor wood burning stove which fully satisfies the objects,
aims and advantages set forth above. While the invention has been described in con-
junction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives,
modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of
the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alter-
natives, modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of
the appended claims.
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