Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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48529-1
PIVOTING FLUE LINER ADAPTOR
This invention relates to fireplace inserts and more
specifically to a flue liner adaptor for connecting to a
flue liner in a chimney flue upon installation of a
firebox in a fireplace.
In the installation of a fireplace insert, known as
a firebox, it is necessary to connect the exhaust opening
in the firebox to a flue liner within a chimney flue to
direct flue gases up the chimney. An exhaust opening is
provided in a top panel of a firebox which is generally
positioned beneath the chimney opening when the firebox
is installed in the fireplace. A flue liner or duct in
the chimney is connected to the exhaust opening of the
firebox. This flue liner extends upwards into the
chimney to ensure that the exhaust gases are directed up
the chimney and no exhaust gas leaks into the space
between the firebox and the fireplace. A leakage of
exhaust gas into a room can provide an environmental
health hazard and is unacceptable.
The connection between the exhaust opening in the
top panel of the firebox and the flue liner generally
presents some problems because there is little space
available between the firebox and the interior surfaces
of the fireplace once the firebox is installed. This
makes it difficult to manoeuvre the firebox into the
fireplace and at the same time connect the exhaust
opening in the firebox to a flue liner in the chimney.
A method and adaptor for installing a flue liner to
a firebox is shown in Canadian Patent 1,281,249 issued
March 12, 1991 to Rieger. This patent provides an
adaptor which has a slider plate to slide between slider
brackets on the firebox to allow assembly between the
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firebox and the flue liner. One problem that has been
encountered with such an arrangement is that the slider
plate does not easily slide without binding in the slider
brackets. If the clearance is too great to provide ease
of sliding, then exhaust gas is able to escape and this
is not acceptable. One is sliding the slider plate into
the brackets at the same time that the firebox is pushed
into the fireplace. If the firebox is not pushed in
exactly straight, then the slider plate may deform and
jam. Most liners are typically formed of lightweight
flexible material and in some cases crushing or
deformation can occur which is not always easy to detect
after installation. The fact that fireplace inserts or
fireboxes are cumbersome and heavy and the flue liners
are light and flexible can pose a hazard to safety as any
deformation or jamming of the slider plate may go
undetected.
Another requirement for a flue liner adaptor is not
only for the installation of a firebox into the fireplace
and connection to the flue liner, but also to permit
removal of the firebox from time to time for maintenance
purposes and inspection. It has been found that a
sliding plate sliding within two brackets tends to become
warped or distorted after repeated cycles of heating and
cooling. Furthermore, soot and other combustion products
can cause a slider plate to jam within the brackets, thus
removal of a slider plate by sliding can present a
jamming problem. Even small amounts of combustion
products such as soot can jam the sliding plate and thus
make it difficult to remove.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide a
flue liner adaptor for connection between an exhaust
opening in a top panel of a firebox and a flue liner
within_a chimney. The flue liner adaptor is pivoted at
one end to swing downwards and be clamped to the top
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panel of the flue box. The flue liner adaptor may be
removed by simply unclamping at one end and pivoting
upwards. Thus, one does not have to slide an adaptor
within sliding brackets for installation of an insert.
The firebox is first installed, and then the adaptor is
fitted and pivoted down to be clamped in position.
Similarly, when removing the flue liner adaptor for
maintenance purposes, it may be unclamped and pivoted
upwards, thus soot or other deposits formed thereon do
not jam the flue liner adaptor to hold it in the
installed position.
The present invention provides a flue liner adaptor
for connection to an exhaust opening in a top panel of a
firebox to join to a flue liner, the firebox adapted to
be installed in a fireplace having a chimney flue, the
flue liner adaptor comprising:
a plate means having one end engageable in a clip
means at a rear corner of the top panel of the firebox,
the plate means being pivotable and removable from the
clip means, the plate means having an aperture therein to
match the exhaust opening in the top panel of the firebox
when the plate means is flush with the top panel;
connection means on the firebox to retain the plate
means flush with the top panel of the firebox comprising
a front flange at a front edge of the plate means
extending upwardly to match a firebox flange at the front
of the top panel of the firebox with fastening means to
join the front flange and the firebox flange; and
sleeve means located over the aperture in the plate
means and attached thereto, the sleeve means extending
upwards and adapted for connection to the flue liner.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a
method of installing a firebox in a fireplace and
connecting an exhaust opening in a top panel of the
firebox to a flue liner within a chimney flue, comprising
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the steps of:
fitting a sleeve means of a flue liner adaptor to
mate with the flue liner, the flue liner adaptor having a
flat plate with an aperture in the flat plate under the
sleeve means;
installing a mounting clip on a rear edge of the top
panel of the firebox;
inserting the firebox into the fireplace;
fitting a rear edge of the flat plate of the flue
liner adaptor into the mounting clip, and pivoting the
flat plate downwards to rest flush on the top panel of
the firebox with the aperture in the flat plate over the
exhaust opening in the top panel of the firebox, and
fastening a substantially vertical front flange on
the front edge of the flue liner adapter to a firebox
flange at the front of the top panel of the firebox to
clamp the flue liner adaptor to the top panel of the
firebox to ensure a sealed exhaust connection between the
exhaust opening in the firebox and the flue liner.
In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the
present invention,
Figure 1 is an isometric view of a firebox for
installation in a fireplace having a flue liner adaptor
positioned for fitting within a clip on the near corner
of the firebox for pivoting to a sealed connection,
Figure 2 is a top view of a flue liner adaptor
according to one embodiment of the present invention,
Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the flue
liner adaptor shown in Figure 2,
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are side elevational views of a
fireplace showing steps of installing a firebox therein.
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A firebox 10 is shown in Figure 1. The firebox is
generally rectangular in shape and may be a gas fired
firebox or a solid fuel firebox for either wood, coal or
other types solid fuel. The firebox 10 has a top panel
11 which extends from a near corner a portion of the way
down the back of the firebox 10. The top panel 11 has a
front firebox flange 12 extending upwards. An adaptor
clip 13 is shown positioned at the rear corner of the top
panel 11 in approximately the centre position and
adjacent to it in the top panel 11 is an exhaust opening
14 for flue gases to escape. A flue liner adaptor plate
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15, shown in more detail in Figures 2 and 3, has a rear
edge 16 which fits under the adaptor clip 13 attached to
the top panel 11. The adaptor plate 15 has side edges
that extend up and provide a positioning arrangement for
positioning the plate 15 to the adaptor clip 13. The
plate 15 has a width just sufficient for the near edge 16
to fit under the clip 13 and the side edges locate the
plate 15 in the centre of the top panel 11. A front
flange 17 at the front edge of the plate 15 extends
upwards approximately the same height as the front
firebox flange 12. Upon installation, the flue liner
adaptor plate 15 has the rear edge 16 inserted under the
clip 13, it is then pivoted downwards until the plate 15
is resting flush on the top panel 11.
An opening 19 is provided in the flue liner adaptor
plate 15, the opening 19 is exactly positioned to mate
with the exhaust opening 14 in the top panel 11 of the
firebox 10. A sleeve 20 extends up from the exhaust
opening 19 in the flue liner adaptor plate 15 and is
connected to the flue liner adaptor plate 15. The sleeve
20 is shown fitting over a flue liner or duct in a
chimney flue. It is customary to have the sleeve 20
fitting over the flue liner for gas fired fireplaces and
to have the sleeve 20 fitting into the flue liner for
solid fuel fireplaces.
Upon installation, the flue liner adaptor plate 15
has the rear edge 16 pushed under the clip 13 of the
firebox, and is then pivoted downwards. A hole 21 in the
front firebox flange 12 mates with a hole 22 in the front
flange 17 of the flue liner adaptor plate 15. The flue
liner adaptor plate 15 is pushed down flush with the top
panel 11 so that there is a seal between the exhaust
opening 14 in the top panel 11 and the adaptor plate 15
and no exhaust gases can escape. A machine screw is
inserted between holes 21 and 22 to ensure that the flue
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liner adaptor plate 15 is pressed firmly downwards on the
top panel 11 and is held to form a sealed connection.
As seen in more detail in Figures 4, 5 and 6, a flue
liner 23 within a chimney 24 of a fireplace 25 has a flue
liner adaptor plate 15 connected to it by the sleeve 20
fitting over the end of the flue liner 23. In another
embodiment the sleeve 20 fits into the end of the flue
liner 23. As shown, the flue liner 23 is flexible. In
other embodiments the flue liner 23 need not specifically
be flexible.
For installation of a firebox 10, the firebox is
installed as shown in Figure 5 and pushed into place and
only when it is in place the flue liner adaptor plate 15
has its rear edge 16 pushed under the clip 13 attached to
the near corner of the firebox 10. The side edges of the
flue liner adaptor plate 15 ensure that the adaptor plate
is centred on the firebox 10, the adaptor plate 15 is
then pivoted downwards as shown in Figure 6. A bolt is
fitted between the hole 21 in the front firebox flange 12
and hole 22 of the front flange 17 of the adaptor plate
15 so that the adaptor plate 15 is flush with the tap
panel 11 to provide a seal preventing exhaust gases from
escaping. The connection of the flue liner adaptor plate
15 to the firebox 10 is achieved only after the firebox
is installed in the fireplace 25.
If it is necessary to remove the firebox 10, then
the bolt or screw is removed from holes 21 and 22, the
adaptor plate 15 lifted at the front and pivoted open
where it then may be moved forward to disconnect it from
the clip 13. The firebox 10 can then be slid out of the
fireplace leaving the adaptor plate 15 connected to the
flue liner 23.
2091429
Various changes may be made to the embodiments shown
herein without departing from the scope of the present
invention which is limited only by the following claims.
