Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates generally to fireplace heating systems,
and particularly to a fireplace heating system suitable for use in heating
residences, and the like, and employing a fireplace furnace of greatly
improved efficiency.
In view of the various fuel shortages currently being felt,
great attention is being directed to alternate methods of heating residences
and other buildings. Further, many structures such as mountain cabins, ranch
houses, and the like, are located in remote areas where there is no gas, and
possibly no electricity, available for heating purposes other than liquefied
petroleum gas (LPG) which sometimes must be hauled great distances. Accord-
ingly, there is need for a system, such as that employing a fireplace
furnace, which can be employed to heat such structures.
Examples of heating systems employing fireplace furnaces can
be found in U.S. Patent Nos. 373,333, issued December 6, 1887 to Q. S.
Backus; 1,352,371, issued September 7, 1920 to D.T. Kenney; 1,576,899,
issued March 16, 1926 to J.B. Clanton; 2,006,279, issued June 25, 1935 to
C.W. Perry; 2,048,675, issued July 28, 1936 to H.N. Baruch et al.; and
2,172,711, issued September 12, 1939 to A.A. Newton. These proposed systems,
and fireplace furnaces, set forth various approaches to meeting the problem
: 20 of achieving efficient dwelling and other heating from a fireplace.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a fireplace
heating system of simple yet reliable construction which will effectively
and efficiently heat a dwelling or other structure.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a
fireplace heating system employing therein a fireplace furnace of simple,
yet rugged and efficient construction.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide
a heating system which efficiently permits balancing of a plurality of
heat transfer devices so as to obtain uniform heating over a structure being
heated.
These and other objects are achieved according to the present
invention by providing a fireplace heating system, cornprising, in combination:
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fireplace furnace means arrangeable in a fireplace for heating a fluid
passing through the furnace; fluid storage means connected to the furnace
means for feeding fluid to the furnace means and for providing a reservoir
of heated fluid; and heat transfer means connected to the furnace means for
receiving heated fluid from the furnace means and heating a space in which
the heat transfer means is disposed, the heat transfer means being a plurality
of radiators connected to the fluid storage means for returning the fluid
to the storage means and storing and recycling the fluid so as to form a
closed fluid flow system, a pump being inserted between the heat transfer
means and the fluid storage means for circulating fluid through the closed
fluid flow system, with the storage means being provi.ded with an inlet
arranged for adding fluid to the system in ord.er to make up losses, the heat
transfer means including a like number of lines as radiators, the lines
being connected in parallel with and bypassi.ng the radiators for selectively
permitting adjustment of fluid flow through the radiators, and a plurality
of valves, each of the lines having a one of the valves disposed thereon for
permitting adjustment of the amount of f'luid passed through the radiators,
the furnace including a continuous member bent into a plurality of connected,
horizontally extending coil.s, adjacent ones of which open in opposite directions,
and are disposed above a hearth of the fireplace for forming a continuous
tortuous flow path of the fluid through the fireplace, and the furnace
further incl.uding a stand supporting the coils, the stand including a
: substantially horizontal framework, legs supporting the framework, and a
substantially vertically disposed element extending from the framework, with
the coils 'being arranged extending horizontally on both the framework and
. along the vertically disposed element for partially surrounding on two sides
a fire built on the coils, the coils disposed forming a grate for the fire
in the fireplace.
Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view, looking down, of a
structure provided with a fireplace heating system according to the present
invention~
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:Figure 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged, sectional view taken
generally along the line 2--2 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a fragmentary, enlarged, sectional view taken
generally along the line 3--3 of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is an enlarged, sectional view taken generally along
the line 4--4 of Figure 2.
Referring now more particularly to Fi~ures 1 and 2 of the
8 drawings,
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a fireplace heating system 10 according to the present invention includes a
fireplace furnace 12 arranged in a fireplace 14 for heating a fluid, such as
water, passing through the urnace 12. A fluid storage source ~n the form of
a tank 16 is connected to furnace 12 for feeding fluid thereto, while a heat
tran~fer arrangement in the form of a plurality of radiators 18, 20, 22, 24,
26, and 28 are also connected to the furnace 12, preferably in serles as il-
lu~trated, for recei~ing heated fl~id from furnace 12 and heating a space such
as the interior of a conventional building 30 in which the aforementioned
radiators are disposed.
The heat transfer arrangement including the aforementioned radiators
18, 20, 22, 24, 26, and 28 is also connected to tank 16 for returning the
flu~d to the tank 16 and storing and recycling the fluid in such a ~anner that
system 10 is in the form of a closed system. For thls purpose, a pipe 32 con-
nects radiator 18 to the outlet of furnace 12, while a pipe 34 connects radiator
18 to radiator 20. Si~ilarly, a pipe 36 connects radiator 20 to radiator 22
and a pipe 38 connects radiator 22 to radiator 24. Joining with pipe 38 are
a pair of parallel pipes 40 and 42 connected to respective ones of the radiators
26 and 28. The latter are connected together as by a length of pipe 44 in
orter to form a loop from pipe 3~ through the radiators 26 ant 28 and back to
pipe 38. A pipe 46 connects radiator 24 to tank 16. Radiators 18, 20, 22, and
24 are each provided with a respective bypass line 48 including a valve 50 for
permitting adjustment of the a unt of fluid passed through the radiators 18,
20, 22, and 24 in order to balance the heat transfer arrangement formed by the
radiators. In particulsr, it is advantageous if the valves 50 are conventional
thermostat~c valve~ which will automatically achieve the aforementioned balance
of the system. Thus, by arranging the lines 48 in parallel with their as~oci-
ated radiators 18, 20, 22, and 24, an adjustmen~ of the fluid flow through the
system is permitted.
A convention 1 pump 52 is connected to pipe 46 and to a plpe 54 con-
nected to tank 16 so a~ to be inserted between radiator 24, that being the
last radiator in the serislly connec~ed string of radiators, for circula~ing
the working fluld through the closed system. A pipe 56 connects tank 16 to
the inlet of furnace 12. Further, tank 16 advantageously is provided ~ith an
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inlet supply arrangement 58 disposed for adding fluid to the system in order
to ma~e up losses which naturally occur therein.
As can be seen from Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, furnace 12
includes a continuous me~ber bent into a plurality of coils 60 dispo&ed above
the hearth 62 of fireplace 14 for formlng a tor~uous flow path of the working
fluid through fireplace 14. More specifically, furnace 12 includes a stand 64
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t~ supporting~coils 60 and including a horizontal framework 66 supported by a
plurality of legs 68. A pair, although the number may vary, of substantially
vertical elements 70 extend from horizontal framework 66 so as to provide a
supporting surface for a portion of the coil~ 60. That is, the coils 60 are
arranged on both the framework 66 and element 70 for partially surrounding a ~-
fire built on the coils 60 as by means of the logs L. In this manner, it will
be appreciated that the coils 60, in con~unction with stand 64, form a grate
for a fire built in fireplace 14.
An auxiliary heater 72 is advantageously associated with the storage
tan~ 16 in order to panmit system 10 to maintain a constant temperature during,
for example, the rning hours after a fire in fireplace 14 has gone out.
Further, the provision of heater 72 gives the system 10 ~n emergency or standby
capability in order to provide heat into the heat transfer arrangement, as well
as possibly lnto the hot water taps of the structure, whenever the fireplace
14 could not be used for any reason, such as lack of appropriste fuel, or until
such time as occupants of the building 30 would return and start a fire in
fireplace 14. This heater 72 may be fueled as by a liquefied petroleum gas
such as propane, butane, and the like, or by fuel or simllar oil, and is of a
construction well known in the gas and oil heater arts. Further, heater 72 can
be provided with a thermostat ~not shown) set to come on automatically when the
water temperature on, for example, the fire grate formed by furnace 12 drops
to or below a predetermined temperature.
In order to enhance the inherent efficiency of a system 10, the pipes
conuectlng the radiators to one another and to the furnace 12 and tank 16 are
advantageously provided with an outer layer of sui~able insulation 74. As can
be seen from Figure 4, this insula~ion 74 surrounds a basic iron or steel pipe
76, and the like, in order to form a composite structure mak1ng up a pipe,
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specifically pipe 32 in this instance.
While the illustrated radiators 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, and 28 are con-
ventional baseboard radistore, it is to be understood that other kinds of
radiators, and other kinds of heat transfer devices, may be employed. For
example, air could be employed in place of water as the heat transfer fluid F.
Further, in the event all rooms or portions of the structure being heated have
obtained a predetermined maximum ~emperature, the basic system will simply go
to an off position by the opening of all the valves 50 to a position closing
flow through the radiators and causing the fluid to pass around the radiators
by means of the bypass lines 48. Of course, some of the valves 50 can be in
the position bypassing fluid, ~hile it is also possible to provide valves 50
which will have continuous operation and partially open and close in order to
divert part of the fluid through an associated bypass line 48 ~d the remainder
of the fluid through the associated radiator.
As can be appreciated from the above description and from the draw-
ings, a fireplace heating system according to the present invention is of a
simple yet rugged construction which provides for efficient use of heat gener-
ated by an open fire in a conventional fireplace. ~urther, by inclusion of the
auxiliary heater 72 ehe system can easily be mnde into a continuous heating
system which will constantly nltor the temperature of A room or rooms and
maintain the temperature in the associated structure above a predetermined
value.
