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GAS BARBEQUE ASSEMBLY
FIELD OF THE INV>E:NTION
The present invention relates generally to the field of cooking apparatus, and
more
particularly to barbeques such as outdoor gas fuelled barbeques.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVEN'T10N
To reduce manufacturing, shipping and storage costs, barbeque grill
manufacturers often
ship unassembled barbe:ques to retailers, for subsequent assembly by
consumers. While some
nnanufacturers may provide barbeques with a number of components pre-
assembled, consumers
are generally required to assemble at least some part of the barbeque. This
assembly often
requires consumers to follow detailed instructions to combine a plurality of
barbeque
components. These components may include: an upper and lower casting
containing burners
and a grill, shelves, a console for regulating the flow ofd fuel to the
burners, and a structure for
supporting the upper and lower castings. Following assembly of the various
barbeque
components, a fuel source is connected to the barbeque. The fuel source may be
a tank
containing pressurized propane, which should be safely secured to the barbeque
support
;structure.
To assemble the barbeque, the support members and one or more of the other
components may be securely fastened 1:o one another. For example, a typical
barbeque may
require that over twenty such connections be made by a consumer. Common tools
such as
screwdrivers and wrenches may be required. Since not all consumers have a
facility with such
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tools or with interpreting assembly instructions for the barbeque, assembly of
the barbeque may
be a relatively complex and frustrating process, which could take a
significant amount of time to
c~~mplete.
Difficulty may also be encountered due to the required orientation of
fasteners during
installation. For example, to assemble some barbeques, fasteners such as
screws or bolts are
required to be installed in a generally upward direction. This rnay
necessitate that the consumer
crouch beneath a partially assembled barbeque to install additional components
or to secure
assembled components. Use of tools in this position may be difficult for those
who do not have
f~exterity with tools. Even manual insertion and tightening of screws or bolts
in this position
rnay be difficult. Alternatively, a consumer rnay have to reposition a
partially assembled
barbeque numerous times during its assembly process if it is desired to
install screws or bolts in a
rnore convenient orientation than in a generally upward direction.
While manufacturers often provide detailed written assembly instructions,
including
figures, the required orientation of some barbeque components might not be
apparent to
unskilled consumers. This may lead to improperly assembled barbeques. For
example, the grill
casting might not be adequately balanced on the support structure which could
make the
barbeque unstable. Other elements such as the burners, heat deflectors, and
the propane tank
should also be properly oriented to ensure safe operation of the barbeque.
The above difficulties might also be faced by retailers attempting to assemble
floor
models for display to potential consumers. 'Chis may make retailers reluctant
to assemble floor
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models, which could make it more difficult for the unassembled barbeques to be
sold because
c~~nsumers are deprived of the opportunity to see an assembled model.
Similarly, if retailers
assemble floor models improperly, consumers may be discouraged from purchasing
the
corresponding barbeque model.
Fully assembled barbeques may alternatively be shipped by manufacturers to
retailers to
avoid problems associated with the assembly of the barbeque by the consumer. A
potential
drawback of this approach is that the fully assembled barbeque generally
requires a significantly
l~~rger shipping carton and therefore c>cc;upies a greater volume when
shipped. As a result, fewer
b~arbeques may be shipped at a time leading to increased shipping costs.
Manufacturers also
incur increased labour costs in assembliing the barbeque themselves.
Based on the foregoing, it would be desirable to develop alternative barbeques
that may
be shipped unassembled to reduce cost:>, but that may be readily assembled by
unskilled
consumers.
~~UMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention consists of a barbeque assembly. The barbeque assembly has a
support
:structure for a barbequc: grill housing. 'The support structure includes
first and second support
members for supportin;a the grill housing in a generally horizontal
orientation, and a cross beam.
,A connector is included for manually connecting the cross beam at a first end
to the first support
member and for manually cormecting the cross beam at a second end to a second
support
member. The first and second support members and connection member combine to
form a
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substantially rigid structure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a better understanding of the; present invention and to show more clearly
how it may
be carried into effect, reference is now made, by way of example only and not
of limitation, to
the accompanying drawings in which:
FIGURE 1 is an exploded persp~ectiva view of the barbeque according to an
illustrative
embodiment of the invention;
FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of the barbeque according to an
alternative
illlustrative embodiment of the invention;
FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view of supports and a lower casting of
the
barbeque of Figure 1;
FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view of the lower casting of the barbeque of
Figure 1 taken
along the line 4-4 of Figure 3;
FIGURE 5 is a side view of a beam connection member of the barbeque of Figure
1;
FIGURE 6 is an exploded perspective view of beam connection members and a
cross
beam of the barbeque of Figure 1;
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FIGURE 7 is an assembled perspective view of the beam connection members and
cross
beam of Figure 6 showing bolts oriented for insertion;
FIGURE 7A is an exploded partial end view of a beam connection member and bolt
of
the barbeque of Figure 1;
FIGURE 8 is a partial side view including the beam connection members and
cross beam
of the barbeque of Figure 1;
FIGURE SA is an assembled partial end view of a beam connection member and
bolt of
tine barbeque of Figure 1;
FIGURE 9 is an. exploded partial perspective view including beam connection
members,
support members and a cross beam of tlhe barbeque of Figure 2;
FIGURE 10 is a partial perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the
beam
connection member and cross beam of the barbeque of Figure 2;
FIGURE 11 is side view o.f a pin of the barbeque of Figure 1;
FIGURE 12A is side view of~ an alternative embodiment of the pin of Figure 1
l;
FIGURE 12B is an exploded partial perspective view of a beam connection
member, leg
extension, castor and legs of the barbedue of Figure 1;
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FIGURE 13A is an end view of a bolt of the barbeque of Figure 1;
FIGURE 13B is a side view of a~ bolt of the barbeque of Figure 13A;
FIGURE 14A is an end view of an alternative embodiment of the bolt of Figure
13A;
FIGURE 14B is. a side view of the bolt of Figure 14A;
FIGURE 15 is a perspective view of a partially assembled barbeque of Figure 2;
FIGURE 16 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the beam
connection
member and tank base of Figure 2;
FIGURE 17 is a perspective ~=iew of an alternative embodiment of the tank base
of Figure
:l 6;
FIGURE 18 is a perspective view of the tank base of Figure 17 having
strengtheners;
FIGURE 19 is ~~n exploded perspective view of~ a fuel source retainer of the
barbeque of
higure 2;
FIGURE 20 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the fuel
source retainer
of Figure 19;
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FIGURE 21 A is an end view of a further alternative embodiment of the fuel
source
retainer of Figure 19;
FIGURE 21 B is a side view of the fuel source retainer of Figure 21 A;
FIGURE 22 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of a shelf of the
barbeque of
Figure 1;
FIGURE 23 is an end view of the shelf of Figure 22;
FIGURE 24 is a cross-sectional view of a receptacle the shelf of Figure 23
taken along the
line 24-24;
FIGURE 25 is a side view of'a shelf of the barbeque of Figure l;
FIGURE 26 is an exploded partial perspective view of a shelf and support of
the
barbeque ofFigure 1;
FIGURE 27 is ;gin exploded partial perspective view of a shelf and support of
the
harbeque of Figure 2;
FIGURE 28 is an exploded perspective view of a side burner of the barbeque of
Figure 1;
FIGURE 29 is .an exploded perspective view of a side burner of the barbeque of
Figure 2;
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FIGURE 30A is an exploded perspective view of a valve clip and valve opening
of the
barbeque of Figure 1;
FIGURE 30B is a perspective view of the valve clip and valve opening of Figure
30A
showing the valve clip inserted into the valve opening;
FIGURE 30C is a perspective view of the valve clip and valve opening of Figure
30A
showing the valve clip :retained within the valve opening;
FIGURE 31 is an exploded perspective view of the panel and leg members of the
barbeque of Figure 1;
FIGURE 32 is a perspective vriew of the barbeque of Figure l;
FIGURE 33 is an exploded perspective view of a lower casting and burner of the
barbeque of Figure 1;
FIGURE 34 is ~~ side view of°the lower casting and burner of Figure 23
showing the
burner attached to the lower casting;
FIGURE 35 is an exploded perspective view of the console and leg members of
the
lbarbeque of Figure 1;
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FIGURE 36 is a perspective assembled view of the console and leg members of
Figure
35;
FIGURE 37 is an exploded perspective view of the console and leg members of
the
barbeque of Figure 2;
FIGURE 3$ is a perspective assembled view of the console and leg members of
Figure
?.7;
FIGURE 39A is a side view of a console bolt of the barbeque of Figure l;
FIGURE 39B is an end view of the bolt of Figure 39A;
FIGURE 40 is a partial exploded perspective view of the wheel assembly of the
barbeque
of Figure l;
FIGURE 41 is a cross-sectional view of the wheel assembly of the barbeque of
Figure 1
l:aken along the line 41-.41 of Figure 40;
FIGURE 42A i;s an exploded perspective view of a axle pin and axle lock of the
barbeque
~~f Figure l;
FIGURE 42B i;~ an assembled perspective view of an axle pin and axle lock of
Figure
42A;
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FIGURE 43A is. an exploded perspective view of an axle pin and axle lock of
the
barbeque of Figure 2;
FIGURE 43B is an assembled perspective view of an axle pin and axle lock of
Figure
~l3 A;
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS OF THE
INVENTION
Refernng to Figure 1, a first illustrative embodiment of the claimed invention
is shown in
Exploded view. The claimed invention includes a barbeque 60 having first and
second support
members 62, 64, and a rigid connection between the support members 62, 64,
such as a cross
team 66. A preparation or storage surl:ace in the nature of first and second
shelves 68', 70' may
lie included. To provide limited structural support to the support members 62,
64, a panel 72
may be provided. A grill housing 74, having opposed castings 76 and 68 that
enclose a burner
80, is supported by the support members 62, 64. A cooking surface or cooking
grid, in the nature
of one or more grill plates 82, and a w~~rming rack 84 may also be contained
within the grill
lhousing 74. A fuel flow controller, for instance console 86, may be provided
to moderate the
flow of fuel to the burner 80. To deflect heat produced by burners 80, a heat
deflector, such as
angled bars 88 may also be included. 1:f a self contained fuel source is used,
such as a propane
tank 90, then a fuel source support base 92 may be employed to support tank
90. If an external
fuel source, such as piped natural gas, is used then base 92 may be omitted,
and support members
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62 and 64 may have a substantially identical or mirror configuration of one
another. Relocation
of the barbeque 60 may be facilitated by the addition oi~wheels 94 and/or
casters 96.
In the context of describing embodiments of the claimed invention, variations
of detail
are disclosed, a number of which are shown, for example, in Figure 2. While
one such variation
is described in conjunction with another particular variation, yet other
variations may generally
b~e used in association as well. The description provided is therefore not
intended to be limited to
tl'ne particular combination of variations. disclosed.
Support Member
Support member 62 may be conEgured to be substantially identical to support
member
E~4, and may have a mirror configuration to support 64. In the embodiment
illustrated in Figure
support members 62. 64 differ in that support member 64 is provided with a
fuel source
support base 92. Except for the description of support base 92, the
description of support
member 62 generally applies to support member 64, unless otherwise noted.
Support member 62 has two leg; members 98 and 100. In the illustrative
embodiment, the
leg members 98, 100 are substantially cylindrical, and rnay be hollow to
reduce cost and weight.
if leg members 98, 100 are made of a metal, such as steel tubing, they may
have an external
diameter of 1 3l8 inches and a wall thickness of 0.035 inches. In an
alternative embodiment, legs
~~8 and 100 may have substantially rectangular cross sections. For example,
leg members 98 and
100 may be configured as leg members 98' and 100' having a generally square
cross-section with
one inch sides, as is shown in Figure 2.
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Referring to Figures 3 and 4, lei; members 98, 100 may be joined to each other
by at least
one member, such as bridging member 102. Bridging member 102 may be connected
to leg
members 98, 100 either by spot welding, bolting, riveting or in some other
appropriate manner
known to those in this art. In the illustrative embodiment, bridging member
102 has one, and
preferably two, slots 106 and 108 therethrough. Slots 106 and 108 laterally
traverse bridging
member 102 and are positioned to receive a weld therethrough for attaching leg
members 98 and
100 to the bridging member 102. To conserve weld material, the width of slots
106 and 108 may
be made narrow enough to receive a standard weld. By joining leg members 98
and 100 using
bridging member 102, a substantially rigid structure is created, with leg
members 98 and 100
preferably oriented generally parallel to one another, and bridging member 102
may be generally
perpendicular to leg members 98 and 1 X00. When in their operative position,
legs 98 and 100
Imeferably are generally vertically oriented, and may rest on their respective
base ends 110 and
1'.12. Alternatively, leg members 98 and 100 may rest on wheels 94, casters
74, leg extensions
1l 14 or other terminating elements as are known to those skilled in the art.
For stability, leg members 98 and 100 may be substantially uniformly spaced
from each
other by a distance corresponding generally to a width W of the grill housing
74. It will be
appreciated by those versed in the arC that a wider spacing for the leg
members 98 and 100 may
provide greater stability to barbeque 6Ct, while a narrower spacing therefor
could make barbeque
60 top-heavy and prone to tipping. For example, if a narrower grill housing is
used (not shown),
the spacing between le;g members 98 and 100 as configured for a larger housing
74 may be
;appropriate, and may provide greater stability to barbeque 60 than if a
spacing approximating the
width of the narrower grill housing was used.
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While support members 62, 64 each have at least two leg members 98 and 100,
they
could alternatively each have just one leg member (not shown) if the single
leg member is made
sufficiently large to provide adequate support and stability to the grill
housing 74 and other
components of the barbeque 60. Components herein described as being attached
or connected
S between leg members 98 and 100, could be attached to the single leg member
in substantially the
same orientation as for the embodiment of support members 62, 64 each having
l:wo leg
members 98 and 100.
Cross Beam
A cross member, in the nature of cross beam 66, joins first support member 62
to second
support member 64 to form a substantially rigid structure for supporting grill
housing 74, and
other components of the barbeque 60. for sake of stability, cross beam 66 may
be of a length
which is approximately the same as that of the grill housing 74. For example,
cross beam 66
rnay be approximately 18 inches long. This ensures that support members 62 and
64 may be
attached to grill housing 74 generally below and approximately aligned with
opposite sides of the
~~ill housing 74.
Cross beam 66 may have a uniform lateral cross-section that is generally
rectangular in
:shape, for example, having two respective opposed sides of three inch width
and two respective
opposed sides of four inch width, or sides all having a similar width such as
2 '/Z inches.
,alternatively, beam 66 may have a cross-sectional configuration which is
polygonal, round, or
non-uniform in shape. To reduce costs anti material, the beam 66 may be
hollow. A rigid
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plastic, or a metal, whether formed by injection moulding, bending, or some
other appropriate
yrocess, is preferably used to construct cross beam 66.
While cross beam 66 is generally linear in the illustrative embodiment of the
invention, it
rnay have angles or curves formed therein for orienting the beam 66 for
attachment to each
support member 62 or ~i4, as described in greater detail below. For example,
Figure 2 shows an
alternative cross beam 66' used in an embodiment of the invention.
Beam Connection Member
Refernng additionally to Figures 5, 6, 7, 7A, 8 and 8A, a beam connection
member 116,
having a strut 118 with a beam receptacle 120 defined therein, connects beam
66 to support
member 62. A second beam connection member 122, having a beam receptacle 124,
connects
beam 66 to support member 64. Beam connection members 116 and 122 are similar
in
configuration except that at least one o f the beam connection members, for
example beam
connection member 122, may be confil;ured to have a fuel source support base
92 for supporting
a fuel container such as a propane tank 90, as described below. Aside from the
possible
consideration of a fuel source support base 92, the following description of
beam receptacle 120,
;applies to beam recept~~cle 124 as well. unless otherwise indicated.
Beam receptacle 120 has an open end 126 for receiving an end 128 of cross beam
66. A
~~losed end 130 of receptacle 120 which is opposed to open end 126 prevents
cross beam 66 from
lbeing inserted into the receptacle 120 my further. The closed end 130 also
provides feedback by
way of abutment of cross beam 66 thereagainst to indicate that the beam 66 is
fully inserted, and
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ready to be secured. In addition to closed end 130, beam receptacle 120 has
walls 132 that, in
conjunction with closed end 130, define; receptacle 120 as substantially the
same shape, and at
least the same size as end 128 of cross beam 66. If a beam 66 with a round or
curved lateral
cross-section (not shown) is used, then receptacle 120 may have one continuous
wall. The
difference between the size of receptacle 120, as defined by walls 132 and end
130, and cross
beam end 128, is preferably configured to be at a minimum to reduce movement
of end 128
within beam receptacle 120.
Beam connection member 116 may be made from a metal, plastic or other suitable
material known to those in this art. If made from a plastic, it may be
integrally formed by
injection moulding.
Referring to Figures 2 and 9, an alternative embodiment of beam connection
member
1.16' is formed as a strut 118' having a generally inverted U-shaped cross-
section. Strut 118' may
be attached between leg members, sucru as leg members 98' and 100', as
described below. Arms
1'~ 36 (whose lower longritudinal edge is shown in a phantom line) and 138 of
the U-shaped cross-
I S :section are preferably substantially at right angles to base 140 of the
L1-shaped cross-section.
Strut 118' is preferably attached between leg members 98' and 100' adjacent
leg member base
ends 110' and 112'. When attached between leg members 98' and 100', arms 136
and 138 may be
l;enerally parallel to thf: longitudinal axes of the leg members, and the U-
shaped cross section
preferably opens in the general direction of leg member base ends I 10' and
112' (Figure 2).
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Ann 138 may have an opening 142 formed therein for receiving beam end 128'.
Opening
142 preferably is substantially the same size as a lateral cross-section of
beam end 128' so as to
mate therewith. To facilitate placement: of beam end 128' into opening 142,
opening 142 may
correspond to the general shape of just three sides of beam end 128', to
define a generally right-
angled U-shaped opening 142.
Cross beam 66' may be attached to strut 118' by first inserting beam end 128'
into
opening 142 until beam end 128' abuts .arm 136 of strut 118'. Arm 136 of strut
118' may
additionally have a supporting member attached thereto for supporting beam end
128'. The
supporting member ma;y be in the form of a substantially perpendicular flange
144 along a free
end 146 (shown as a phantom line) ok'ann 136, the flange 144 being generally
directed towards
opening 142. Beam end 128' may rest on flange 144 once beam end 128' abuts arm
136. When
fully inserted into opening 142, movement of beam end 128' is inhibited by arm
136, flange 144
of arm 136, base 140 of strut 118' and edges of opening 142. A transverse
indent 148 in base
140 between arm 138 and opening 142 may also receive and align a portion of
beam end 128'.
Furthermore, opening 142 may additionally have a flange such as a peripheral
flange (not
shown) for abutting crass beam 66'.
To abut a greater portion of beam end 128', base 140 of strut 118' may be
widened at a
raid-section 150 of strut 118'. Mid-section 150 may widened in a direction
generally away from
gum 136 or away from ;arm 138, or in both directions. While strut 118'
maintains its U-shaped
cross-section in this configuration, arms 136 and 138 are closer to one
another at the ends 152 of
strut 118' and become ~;radually further apart to a maximum when adjacent mid-
section 150. If
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rnid-section 150 is widened in a direction away from arm 138 only, beam
connection member
116' then projects from the plane of legs 98 and 100 in a similar direction as
an attached shelf 68
(or 68' or 68"). This may enable a support member such as support member 62'
having a shelf
fib" and a beam connection member 116' to occupy a smaller volume when placed
in a container
such as a shipping box (not shown) than if mid-section 150 projected in an
opposite direction.
Beam end 128' may be attached to strut 118' using at least one fastener, such
as bolt 154,
which is inserted through a hole 156 in base 140 and a corresponding bore in
beam end 128'.
'JVhen beam end 128' is inserted into opening 142 and abuts arm 136, hole 156
and bore 158 are
preferably aligned to receive bolt 154. Once bolt 154 is inserted
therethrough, it may be
preferably manually secured with a wing nut or some other manually tightenable
fastener.
Before bolt 154 is inserted, hole I 56 arid bore 158 are aligned and
preferably generally vertically
oriented to permit insertion of bolt 154 in a downward direction. This
arrangement permits bolt
154 to rest within hole 154 and bore 158, while also, to a limited extent,
securing base 140 to
beam end 128'. Wing nut 160 may then be conveniently attached and tightened.
Beam connection member 1 I 6' is preferably made from a single sheet of metal,
which
may be cut and then bent to define the elements described above. Beam
connection member 116'
may alternatively be made of plastic or other suitable material, as known to
those skilled in this
;art.
Refernng to Figure 10, a further alternative beam connection member 116",
preferably
made of metal, has two walls 132" prol:ruding substantially perpendicular to a
strut 118" of beam
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connection member 11 fi". Walls 132" ~u-e respectively preferably located to
abut top and bottom
opposite sides of end 128" of cross beam 66", as shown in Figure 10. The walls
132" may
respectively alternatively be oriented (not shown) to abut opposite sides of
cross beam end 128"
other than the said top and bottom opposite sides.
Each wall 132" has at least one hole 162 passing therethrough for receiving a
fastener
such as bolt 164. Holes 162 have collinear axes and align with a bore 166
(shown in phantom
lines) in cross beam end 128". When wall holes 162 and bore 166 are aligned,
bolt 164 may be
inserted therethrough and manually secured at a free end using a wing nut 168
or some other
manually tightenable fastener. Before lbolt 164 is inserted, wall holes 162
and bore 166 are
aligned and preferably generally vertically oriented to permit insertion of
bolt 164 in a downward
direction. This arrangement permits bolt 164 to rest within holes 162 and bore
166, while
partially securing walls 132" to beam end 128". Wing nut 168 may then be
conveniently
attached and tightened causing walls 13'?"' to urge against beam end 128".
Beam connection member 116" may be constructed from a single generally planar
sheet
of metal having two bends formed therein to define walls 132" and strut
portion 118". The beam
connection member 116" may then be welded to leg members such as leg members
98 and 100.
Attachment of J3eam Connection Member to Lei Members
Beam connection member 116, may be rigidly attached to at least one, and
preferably
hotly of the leg members 98, 100. If'bnam connection member 116 is attached to
both leg
members 98, 100, then the connection member 116 may provide structural support
to support
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member 62. Strut 118 of beam connec~:ion member 116 spans leg members 98 and
100, and may
be secured to leg members 98 and 100 .at its ends 152 which may have portions
defining two
conduits 170. Each conduit 170 may b~e attached to, or be integral with, the
respective ends 170
of strut 118. Strut 118, bridging member 102 and legs 98 and 100, preferably,
combine to form a
ladder-like configuration.
To attach strut 1.18 to leg members 98 and 100, each leg member 98, 100 is
inserted
through a respective conduit 170. Tlae conduits 170 preferably have a lateral
cross-section
substantially equal to or larger than the size and shape of the lateral cross-
section of the
respective leg member;. 98, 100. This permits the leg members to be inserted
through conduits
l~ 70. If the cross-sections of the conduits 170 and leg members 98, 100 are
substantially the
;game size, then a friction fit may be fornied between the each conduit 170
and leg member 98,
:100. To position strut 118, the axes of conduits 170, are moved along the
longitudinal axis of the
leg members 98, 100.
Conduits 170 rnay be secured t<a leg members 98, 100 using pins 172 (see
Figure 11 ).
1?ach conduit 170 has a hole 174 passing laterally therethrough for receiving
a pin 172. Hole 174
has an entry 174a and an exit 174b. Similarly, each leg member 98, 100 has a
hole 176, passing
laterally therethrough for receiving pin 172. Hole 176 has an entry 176a and
an exit 176b. To
install pin 172, the respective entries 1'74a, 176a and exits 174b, 176b are
aligned. The pin 172
may then be inserted therein to hinder movement of the conduit 170 relative to
leg member 98,
100.
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Pin 172 preferably has a head 1'78, which is larger than entry 174a to inhibit
movement of
pin 172 along its longitudinal axis within the holes 174, 176. Pin 172 may
also have a catch 180
to inhibit longitudinal movement of the pin 172 within the holes 174, 176.
Catch 180 is located
a.t the insertion end 182 of the pin 172. End 182 is located opposite to head
178. Catch 180 may
be marginally larger than exit hole 176b to inhibit pin 172 from being removed
once end 182 is
fully inserted therethrough. To facilitate passage of catch 180 through
marginally smaller exit
hole 176b, end 182 may be tapered. ,4~i annular rebate 184 may also be
provided in pin 172.
7.'he annular rebate I 84 is located adj agent to catch I 80, and receives a
portion of the boundary of
marginally smaller exit hole 176b.
Referring to Figure 12A, an alternative fastener, such as slotted pin 186, may
be used to
aatach strut 118 to leg members 98, 100. In a similar manner as described for
pin 172, slotted pin
186 is installed. Slotted pin 186 however has a slightly different
configuration than pin 172.
Slotted pin 186 preferably has a head 1.88, which is larger than entry 174a to
inhibit movement of
yin 186 along its longitudinal axis within the holes 174, 176. Pin 186 may
also have a catch 189
to inhibit longitudinal movement of pin 186 within the holes 174, 176. Catch
189 is located at
the insertion end 190 of pin 186. End 190 is located opposite to head 188.
Catch 186 may be
marginally larger than c;xit hole 176b to inhibit pin 186 from being removed
once end 190 is
fully inserted therethrough. To facilitai:e passage of catch 189 through
marginally smaller exit
hole 174b, end 190 may be tapered. 'To further facilitate passage of catch I
86, end 190 may have
at least one and preferably three partially transverse slots 192 emanating
from a central
longitudinal axis of pin 186. Each slot 192 is preferably uniformly angularly
displaced from the
another. As end 190 is inserted througll the marginally smaller exit hole
174b, slots 192 permit
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end 190 to narrow, facilitating passage ofcatch 186, therethrough. Slotted pin
186 may be made
of a resilient material such as a plastic s;o that end 190 returns to its
original shape once it passes
through exit hole 174b to enable catch 189 to inhibit removal of pin 186.
Yet further alternative means may be employed to secure strut 118 to leg
members 98,
100. For example, an axial portion of conduit 170 may be removed to form a
yoke (not shown).
The yoke may be snapped onto a leg member 98, 100, and pinned in place as
described above.
Instead of, or in addition to catch 180, the insertion end 182 of pin 178 may
have a lateral hole
therethrough for receiving a retaining clip or cotter pin (not shown) which
further inhibits
nnovement of pin 178 along its longitudinal axis.
Referring again to Figure 9, if beam connection member 116 is made of metal,
for
example as described above as beam connection member 116', strut portion 118'
may be secured
to the leg members 98, 100 by one or more welds, as long as legs members 98
and 100 are also
nnade of a metal. To accommodate both rounded and square leg members 98, 100,
ends 152' of
strut 118' may have concave rebates 194, instead of having conduits 170.
Concave rebates 194
nnay be arcuate and have substantially the same radius as leg members 98, 100
which have round
cross-sections. Strut 118' may also be welded to leg members having
rectangular cross-sections,
such as leg members 98' and 100'. As long as the leg member 98', 100' is wider
than the distance
~~etween edges 196 of the arcuate rebate; 194, strut 118' may be welded to leg
members 76', 78'
along edges 196.
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In the various embodiments, strut portion 118 is preferably attached so that
it is
substantially perpendicular to legs 98 and 100. Walls 132 of beam receptacle
120 are preferably
oriented so that the received cross beans (i6 is substantially perpendicular
to both strut 118 and
legs 98, 100. Similar relationships between the analogous structural elements
of the alternative
S c;mbodiments are also preferred.
In an alternatives embodiment: (not shown), the beam connection members 116,
122 do
not have beam recepta<;les 84, 86, nor is a cross beam 66 used. Instead, the
beam connection
members of each support member 62, fi4 are integral with one another, having a
joining portion
therebetween. To reduce the size of the combined beam connection members, for
example for
shipping, the joining portion may be bifurcated. The bifurcation is preferably
located equidistant
from each connection member 116 and 122. As with other parts of the barbeque
60, the
bifurcated joining portion may be assembled using connectors such as threaded
receptacles and
bolts that may preferably be manually installed. Alternatively, the free ends
of the bifurcated
joining portion may be configured to have a releasable snap fit or friction
fit to permit manual
1 S joining and separation .of the connection members.
Beam Securing Apparatus
Referring again to Figures 5, 6, i, 7A, 8, and 8A, and to Figures 13A and 13B,
a beam
securing apparatus 198 of beam connection member 116 secures beam 66 within
receptacle 120.
'Che beam securing apparatus 198 includes a fastener for attaching receptacle
120 to beam 66.
'Che fastener may be a bolt, and is prr:fcrably a bolt 200 (figure 13A and
13B) that may be
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tightened and loosened by hand. The beam securing apparatus 198 also includes
an opening, in
the nature of a hole 202: defined in one of walls 132 and passing
therethrough. A threaded end
2 04 of bolt 200 may be inserted through hole 202, and may be received by a
corresponding bore
of the beam securing apparatus 198, which may be a bushing 206, fixed in the
cross beam 66.
>_3ushing 206 preferably has internal threads 207 for threaded engagement with
the threaded end
04. Hole 202 is smaller than head 20F> of bolt 200 to inhibit head 208 from
passing through
hole 202. As a result, when an end 128 of cross beam 66 is inserted into
receptacle 120, it may
be secured to a wall 13:? of receptacle; 120 by bolt 200, inserted through
hole 202, into bushing
2 06, and tightened by hand. In the illustrative embodiment, at least one of
the walls 132 is an
attachment wall 210, and the hole 202 passes through attachment wall 210.
While the hole 202
is located in a wall 210, additional holes 202 may be located in other walls
132 to receive
additional screws 96. similarly, more than one hole 202 may be included in the
same wall 132.
To further secure an end 128 of cross beam 66, the beam securing apparatus 198
may
include a raised collar 212 which may be used to limit movement of bolt 200
once the bolt 200 is
tightened. The collar 212 is co-axial with hole 202, and protrudes away from
the inside 214 of
receptacle 120.
Head 208 of bolt 200 has a generally annular void 216 for matingly receiving
collar 212.
'void 216 is coaxial with threaded end ~'.04 of bolt 200, and is open adjacent
the point of
attachment 218 of threaded end 204 and screw head 208. Void 216 has an
internal surface 220
defining a shape that is congruent to and substantially the same size as
collar 212. The shape of
void 216 need not be uniform, nor does it have to correspond precisely to the
shape of collar 212.
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'Che shape of void 216 and collar 212 need only be sufficiently similar to
permit threaded end
''<?04 of bolt 200 to be inserted through the hole 202, into threaded bushing
206, and tightened to
cause collar 212 to enter void 216 and 1:o come into sufficient contact with
portions of internal
:surface 220 to inhibit movement of the bolt 200. If void 216 is slightly
smaller than collar 212
then a friction fit may be formed between internal surface 220 and collar 212.
If void 216 is
made to be too small, or if it is a substantially different shape than collar
212, then collar 212
may be inhibited from entering void 216 and bolt 200 may not be turned and
threaded, or it may
only be partially threaded, into bushing; 206, which is undesirable.
Beam securing apparatus 198 rr~ay also include a slot 224 located in
attachment wall 210
1:o facilitate increasing the friction between receptacle walls 132 and beam
end 128. As slot 224
is narrowed, the internal perimeter of"receptacle 120, as defined by walls
132, decreases, causing
the walls 132 to grip the beam end 128. This gripping may reduce movement of
receptacle 120
relative to beam 66, and, by connection, movement of support member 62
relative to beam 66.
Slot 224 passes through collar 212 and adjacent attachment wall 210 to create
collar
pieces 212a and 212b, ;end adjacent wall portions 210a and 210b. Slot 224 may
be oriented
substantially perpendicular to the internal perimeter of the receptacle 120 as
defined by walls
132. While slot 224 may pass through collar 212 at a chord, it preferably
bisects the collar 212
into two substantially equal pieces 212;a and 212b. To facilitate movement of
collar pieces 212a
and 212b relative to one another, so that beam end 128 may be gripped, slot
224 preferably
c;xtends to an edge of receptacle 120 adjacent open end 126. Movement of
collar pieces 212a
and 212b may be further facilitated by increasing the length of slot 224.
Increasing the width of
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the slot 224 between adjacent portions 2 10a and 210b may also facilitate
movement of collar
~~ieces 212a and 212b. For example, slot 224 may be lengthened and widened
adjacent collar
pieces 212a and 212b to form a window 226 in attachment wall 210. The window
226 may be
generally rectangular, having one inch and three inch sides. Other sizes and
shapes created by
lengthening and/or widening slot 224 rnay facilitate varying degrees of
relative movement of
~~ollar pieces 212a and 212b.
As collar pieces 212a and 212b are moved closer to one another to a proximate
position,
slot 224 becomes narrower, and adjacent wall portions 210a and 210b move
closer to one
;mother to reduce the overall length I~ of' adjacent wall 210. This shortening
of wall 210 reduces
the overall internal perimeter of the receptacle 120 defined by the walls 132.
Receptacle 120
~~referably initially has substantially the same perimeter as beam end 128.
This enables a
marginal reduction in the receptacle's perimeter to cause the walls I32 to
grip the beam end 128.
'To keep collar pieces 212a and 212b po,~oximate to one another, bolt 200 is
installed while
maintaining the position of pieces 212a and 212b. As bolt 200 is tightened,
proximate collar
1 S ~~ieces 212a and 212b enter void 216. 'rhe shape of void 216 is preferably
similar to the
combined shape of proximate collar pieces 212a and 212b. Once bolt 200 is
installed, it limits
l:he movement of collar pieces 212a and 2I2b. This arrangement maintains the
grip of receptacle
,valls 132 on beam end 128.
Bolt 200 and collar pieces 212x. and 212b may be configured to cause beam end
128 to be
progressively clamped as bolt 200 is ti;~htened. 'Chis may be achieved by
configuring the annular
~~oid 216 of the bolt 200 to be narrower at a closed end 228 of void 216, and
to be progressively
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wider at an open end 2:30 of void 21 (i. Annular void 216 has an outer
circumferential surface
:?22a and an inner circumferential surface 222b. In the illustrative
embodiment outer
c;ircumferential surface 222a is angled, at 10 degrees for example, relative
to the axis of threaded
c,nd 204. As a result, outer surface 222a is ficrther from threaded end 204 at
open end 230 of the
S void than it is at closed end 228. In the illustrative embodiment, the
diameter of outer
c;ircumferential surface 222a is approximately one inch adjacent open end 230.
Inner
c;ircumferential surface 222b may be angled in a direction opposite to that of
surface 222x, or it
may be parallel to the axis of threaded end 204. Due to the orientation of
surfaces 222a and
222b, void 216 tapers to closed end 228.
When collar pieces 212a and 212b are positioned together to form collar 212,
they are
preferably configured to be substantially the same size and shape, and
preferably marginally
larger than, annular void 216. Accordingly, collar pieces 212a and 212b have
outer
c;ircumferential surface portions 232a and 232b. When collar pieces 212a and
212b are
positioned apart, free ends 234a and '234b of the respective collar pieces
212a and 212b are
preferably positioned for engagement b~y open end 230 of void 216. This
permits free ends 234a
and 234b to be inserted into void 2lEi as threaded end 204 of bolt 200 is
inserted into hole 202.
As bolt 200 is tightened, the c~ul;er circumferential surface 222a of void 216
and the
corresponding outer circumferential surface portions 232x, 232b of collar
pieces 212a and 212b
gradually come into sliding contact with one another. Slot 224 permits collar
pieces 212a and
:? 12b to move closer to one another as force is exerted on the pieces 212x,
212b by outer
c;ircumferential surface 222x. This fort°.e is caused by the tightening
of the bolt 200 moving the
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screw head 208 closer to the collar piec;es 212a, 212b. As the pieces 212a and
212b are forced to
move closer to one another, the walls 132 of receptacle 120 grip beam end 128
with increasing
force, as described above. Bolt 200 rna~y be manually tightened to the point
that collar pieces
a! 12a and 212b are at least partially retained by void 216. This arrangement
permits the cross
S beam end 128 to be gripped by walls 1:32 forming a substantially rigid
connection between cross
beam 66 and support member 62, without the need for tools. Furthermore, the
connection may
t>e made using one bolt 200 at each end 128 of cross beam 66. Because collar
pieces 212a and
a! 12b together are marginally larger than void 216, a tight fit is formed
between the screw head
208 and collar pieces 212a, 212b to inhibit loosening of bolt 200.
In the illustrative embodiment, slot 224 may be wider at slot portion 236a
which is
adjacent open end 126 of receptacle 120. As wall portions 210a and 210b are
forced closer
together by the tightening of bolt 200, a narrow portion 236b of slot 224 may
become closed
before bolt 200 is fully installed, while wide portion 236a is just narrowed.
As installation of
bolt 200 continues, the force exerted by bolt 200 on collar pieces 212a, 212b
is increased. This
forces slot wide portion 236a to narrow further, reducing the internal
perimeter of the receptacle
120, as defined by walls 132, and causing the walls 132 increase their grip on
beam end 128
adjacent to receptacle open end 126. In the: illustrative embodiment, slot
wide portion 236a may
~~e 0.10 inches across, and slot narrow portion 236b may be 0.06 inches
across.
In an alternative embodiment, the outer surface 222a of void 216 may be
configured to
d:efme other shapes such as a concave or convex taper (not shown) or some
other, preferably
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uniform, shape that permits the bolt '200 to be installed while at the same
time forcing collar
pieces 212a and 212b closer to one another so that beam end 128 may be
gripped.
Similarly, the configuration of void 216 and the corresponding configuration
of collar
pieces 212a, 212b may be varied to achieve the same effect as described above.
For example,
while it is preferable that outer surface 222a defines void 216 which tapers
to closed end 228, the
~;hape of the taper may vary. Surface 222a may taper linearly, or it may
follow a somewhat
uniform curve, such as a parabolic, or higher order, function. Outer
circumferential surface 222a
may also be non-uniform as long as it generally tapers sufficiently to engage
and force
correspondingly configured collar pieces 212a, 212b together.
It is not necessary that collar pieces 212a and 212b be continuous. Portions
of the collar
pieces 212a and 212b may be removed to leave a number of smaller protrusions
(not shown).
Provided that sufficient: portions of the collar 212 remain to engage, without
significant
deformation, the outer surface 222a of screw void 216, a substantially
equivalent function as
described above may b~~ achieved. For example, instead of a collar, a
plurality of posts may be
I>rovided (not shown), .with at least one post on either side of slot 224, and
with each post
positioned for sliding engagement with outer circumferential surface 222a.
To permit the described movement of collar pieces 212a and 212b so that beam
end 128
rnay be gripped as the bolt 200 is tightened, walls 132 defining receptacle
120 may be made of a
hendable material, and are preferably made of a resilient material. An
appropriate plastic or
metal, for example, may be used.
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The head 208 of bolt 200 may have external grips, such as knurls (not shown),
cross
hatches (not shown), or ridges 238, to provide greater friction to facilitate
manual installation of
bolt 200. In the illustrative embodiment, the head 208 is cylindrical, having
a diameter of about
1.5 inches and a thickness of about 0.6:?5 inches, or some other size and
shape suitable for
manual manipulation. The threaded end 204 protrudes substantially co-axially
with the axis of
the head 208. A plurality ridges 238, each being substantially parallel to the
axis of the threaded
e;nd 204, may be located about the circumference of the cylindrical head 208.
Turning of the bolt
:'00 about its longitudinal axis may also be improved by using a non-circular
or non-uniform
shaped head (not shown) with the threaded end 204 preferably protruding from
head 208 along
am axis passing througl'~ a centroid of head 208.
Head 208 may lie made of any rigid material, such as nylon plastic or a metal.
If
constructed from a plastic, bolt 200 may be integrally moulded with head 208.
Referring to
Figures 14A and 14B, provide an alternative connection between the threaded
end 204 and head
~!08, the threaded end 204 may be part of a bolt 240 having a bolt head 242.
To receive threaded
e;nd 204, screw head 208 may be provided with a bore 242 therethrough which is
coaxial with the
rotational axis of the screw head 208.. A rebate 244 may be added to a side of
the head 208
opposite to void 216. Rebate 244 is c;emtered about bore 242, and is
substantially the same shape
but marginally smaller than bolt head 242. Bolt 200 is assembled by inserting
threaded end 204
into rebate 244 and through bore 242. Because rebate 244 is marginally smaller
than bolt head
242, force must be applied to the bolt: head 242 in the direction of the
threaded end 204, to press
fit head 242 into rebate 244. ,A bolt Having a non-round bolt head, such as a
'/4-20 hex bolt, is
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preferably used to increase rotational resistance between screw head 208 and
bolt head 242
within rebate 244.
Tank Support
Refernng to Figure 7, beam co~mection member 122 may be similar in
configuration to
beam connection member 116, except that, in the illustrative embodiment, beam
connection
member 122, may be configured to have an integral fuel source support base 92
for supporting a
:.elf contained fuel source, such as a propane tank 90 (shown in Figure 1 ).
Other aspects of beam
connection member 122, such as the beam securing apparatus 198 described
above, are
configured and operate in substantially the same manner as described for beam
connection
member 116. However, the relative positioning of receptacle 124 and conduits
170 for securing
beam connection member 122 to leg members 98, 100 may require adjustment to
accommodate
base 92. In addition to supporting a fuel source, base 92 additionally
performs a function
analogous to strut 118 of beam connection member 116 in joining conduits 170
and having beam
receptacle 124 defined therein.
Beam connection member 122 its preferably moulded to have a fuel source
support base
~)2, which substantially conforms to the; shape of at least a base rim 246 of
a propane tank 90. A
standard domestic use "20 pound" propane tank may be used to determine the
dimensions of
:support base 92. Base rim 246 is received by a corresponding base rim cavity
248 defined in
:support base 92. Because base rim cavity 248 conforms to the shape of base
rim 246, tipping or
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other movement of tank 90 is hindered by the support base 92. A void 250 may
be located in
c;avity 248 to save material and to provide drainage for the cavity 248.
Tipping may be further reduced by increasing the dimensions of support base 92
to
conform to a greater portion of the tank: 90. Support base 92 has portions
defining a lower tank
cavity 252 that conforms to a continuous portion of the lower part of tank 90
that is adjacent to
base rim 246. Tank cavity 252 preferably does not encompass the entire
circumference of tank
~)0. While complete circumferential support may be used to further reduce
possible movement of
tank 90, it may also make it more difficult to place tank 90 within base 92.
For similar reasons,
the portions of base 92 which define tai k cavity 252 are preferably located
adjacent beam
receptacle 124. Tank 90 may then be placed into base 92 by first approaching a
side of base 92
opposite to receptacle 1.24 to avoid encountering cross beam 66 and the
portions defining lower
tank cavity 252. Base !~2 is preferably moulded from plastic but may moulded
from metal as
well.
Refernng to Figures 9 and 15, to reduce costs, an alternative beam connection
member
122', which is similar in configuration to beam connection member 116', may be
used. As with
beam connection member 122, beam cormection member 122', may have an integral
fuel source
:support base 92'.
Beam connection member 122' is formed as a strut 254 having a generally U-
shaped
cross-section, and may be attached between leg members, such as leg members 98
and 100, or
~)8' and 100'. Arm 256 and arm 258 ( pawn in phantom] of the U-shaped cross-
section are
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preferably substantially at right angles to base 260 of the U-shaped cross-
section. Strut 254 is
preferably attached between leg members 98 and 100 adjacent leg member base
ends 110 and
112. When attached between leg membe;rs 98 and 100, arms 256 and 258 may be
generally
f~arallel to the longitudinal axes of the leg members, and the U-shaped cross
section preferably
opens in the general direction of leg member base ends 110 and 112.
Having a configuration similar to arm 138 of beam connection member 116', arm
258
rnay have an opening 262 (shown in phantom) formed therein for receiving beam
end 128'.
(~ening 262 preferably is congruent to and substantially the same size as a
lateral cross-section
of beam end 128'. To facilitate placement of beam end 128' into opening 262,
opening 262 may
correspond to the general shape of just three sides of beam end 128, to define
a generally right-
angled U-shaped opening 262.
Cross beam 66' may be attached to strut 254 by first inserting beam end 128'
into opening
2;62 until beam end 128' abuts arm 256 of strut 254. Arm 256 of strut 254 may
additionally have
a, supporting member attached thereto fir supporting beam end 128'. 'the
supporting member
1 S rnay be in the form of a substantially perpendicular flange 264 (shown in
phantom) along a free
edge 266 of arm 256, flange 264 being generally directed towards opening 262.
Beam end 128'
rnay rest on flange 264 once beam end 128' abuts arm 256. When fully inserted
into opening
f.62, beam end 128' is inhibited by ann 256, flange 264 of arm 256, base 260
of strut 254 and
edges of opening 262. Opening 262 may additionally have a flange such as a
peripheral flange
(not shown) for abutting cross beam ~i6.
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To abut a greater portion of beam end 128', base 260 of strut 254 may be
widened at a
mid-section 268 of strut 254. Mid-section 268 rnay widened in a direction
generally away from
arm 256 or away from arm 258, or in both directions. While strut 254 maintains
its U-shaped
cross-section in this configuration, arms 256 and 258 are closer to one
another at the ends 270 of
strut 254 and become gradually further apart to a maximum when adjacent mid-
section 268. If
mid-section 268 is widened in a direction away from arm 258 only, beam
connection member
122' then projects from the plane of legs 98 and 100 in a similar direction as
an attached shelf 70.
'Chis may enable a support member such as support member 64 having a shelf 70
and a beam
connection member 122' to occupy a smaller volume when placed in a container
such as a
shipping box (not shown) than if mica-section 268 projected in an opposite
direction.
The widening of mid-section 2Ei8 is preferably sufficient to permit a base rim
cavity 248'
for receiving at least a portion of a tank. base rim 246 to be defined in mid-
section 268. To
reduce the amount of material used, rnid-section 268 may be configured to
permit a base rim
<;avity 248' which receives a segment, for example half; of the base rim 246
of propane tank 90.
If base rim cavity 248' is defined to receive a segment of base rim 246, the
cavity 248' is partially
defined by an arcuate wall 272 having ,~ similar radius to base rim 24fi.
Arcuate wall 272 may be
curved in the general direction of openiing 262, or it may curve in some other
direction, such as
away from opening 26:?.
Similarly, to save materials, the dimensions of a tank cavity analogous to
tank cavity 252
may be reduced so that it encompasses a smaller portion of tank 90 (not
shown). Alternatively,
the tank cavity may be eliminated, as slhown in Figures 9 and 15.
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As a result of the reduction or elimination of tank cavity 252, the central
axes of openings
1142 and 262 are not collinear when barbeque 60 is assembled as in other
embodiments. As a
result an alternative non-linear cross beam 66' having a curve or bends 274
and 276 therein
orients beam ends 92' for insertion into openings 142 and 262 and attachment
to beam
S connection members 116' and 122'.
Beam end 128' may be attached to strut 254 using at least one fastener, such
as bolt 278,
which is inserted through a hole 280 in base 260 and a corresponding bore 282
in beam end 128'.
l-Iole 280 is preferably located to pass through portions of base 260 defining
base rim cavity 248'.
When beam end 128' is. inserted into opening 262 and abuts arm 256, hole 280
and bore 282 are
preferably aligned to receive bolt 278. Once bolt 278 is inserted
therethrough, it may be
manually secured with a wing nut 284 .or some other manually tightenable
fastener. Before bolt
278 is inserted, hole 280 and bore 282 are aligned and preferably generally
vertically oriented to
permit insertion ofbolt 278 in a downward direction. This arrangement permits
bolt 27$ to rest
~Hithin hole 280 and bore 282, while partially securing beam connection member
122' to beam
c,nd 128'. Wing nut 284 may then be conveniently attached and tightened.
Referring to Fil;ure 16, an alternative configuration for supporting a tank 90
is shown. In
the illustrated configuration, a beam connection member 286 having
substantially the same
~;tructure as beam connection member l 16" is attached between legs 98 and 100
in a similar
manner as described for connection member 116". Beam connection member 286
differs from
connection member 116" in that it has an arcuate portion 288 having generally
the same radius as
tank 90. When tank 90 is supported by a stmt 290 spanning legs 98 and 100, a
portion of curved
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lank body 292 (shown in Figure I ) is received by arcuate portion 288, and
lateral movement of
tank 90 in the direction of beam connection member 286 may be inhibited.
Movement of tank
~)0 may additionally be inhibited by one or more of the embodiments of a fuel
source retainer
described below. To further inhibit movement of tank 90, strut 290 may have a
base rim cavity
:?48" which conforms to and receives at least a portion of a tank base rim
246, and preferably the
lull circumference of base rim 246.
Refernng to Figure 17, an alternative embodiment of a tank support base which
is
separate from beam connection member 286 is shown. In this embodiment, tank
support base
!~2" may be made from injection mouldled plastic having a similar form as base
92, or it may be
made of wire as shown in Figure 17. Tank support base 92" may also be
pivotally attached to
legs 98, 100. Pivotal attachment may be achieved using collinear posts 294
protruding from
each leg member 98 and 100. Posts 294 reside in aligned holes 296 located in
support base 92".
,Aligned holes 296 are preferably generally located at either end of the
longitudinal axis of base
!~2". If wheels 94 are added to barbeque 60, posts 296 may be extensions of
the wheel axle pins
described below. Pivotal attachment of base 92" permits base 92" to be angled
to receive tank
base rim 246. This may make it easier to place tank 90 into base 92". Once
tank base rim 246 is
placed within base 92", both base 92" a.nd tank 90 may be rotated to a
generally upright position.
Movement of tank 90 rnay then be limited by beam connection member 286 and by
adding a fuel
source retainer, described below.
Base 92" may also have a base rim collar 298 fur receiving tank base rim 246.
For added
support, base 92" may lhave one or more sections 300 (see Figure 18) which
conform to a portion
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of tank 90 to resist movement of tank S~0 and to strengthen collar 298.
Sections 300 may be
located adjacent posts :?94 to limit movement of tank 90 in a direction along
the pivotal axis of
base 92". Refernng again to Figure 17~ additional retention of tank 90 may be
achieved by
addition of a tank support 302 which e:~ct:ends from and substantially normal
to base rim collar
:?98, and is positioned to abut a side of tank 90 when tank 90 is placed in
base 92".
Fuel Source Retainer
Referring to Figure 1, for increased retention of tank 90 within support base
92, a fuel
source retainer such as tank wire 304 may be added to base 92. Tank wire 304
may have an
~rrcuate portion 306 that substantially conforms to a portion of the
circumference of tank 90, such
ors tank body 292, to provide lateral support to tank 90 in a direction
generally opposite to the
support provided by portions of tank cavity 252 adjacent beam receptacle 124.
Tank wire 304
may be attached to base 92 with two tank wire supports 308 formed at ends 310
of tank wire 304.
'tank wire supports 308 may be oriented substantially normal to the plane
arcuate portion 306
and may be inserted in tank wire retaining holes 312 located adjacent to
conduits 170.
Referring to Figures 15 and 19, an alternative fuel source retainer such as a
collar 314
may be used to inhibit movement of tank 90. Collar 314 has two substantially
identical curved
wire members 318. Each wire member :318 has a curved portion 320 having a
generally uniform
radius which is preferably less than tile radius of tank body 29'2 but greater
than the radius of a
standard valve protecting sleeve 316 attached to tank 90. A mounting portion
322 is formed at
an end of wire member 318. Mounting; portion 322 may be linear and
substantially
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perpendicular to semi-circular portion 320. 'The remaining end of wire member
318 may have a
hoop 324 defining a generally circular c.~pening, the centroid of which is
located on a line co-axial
~,vith a longitudinal axis of maunting pc.~rtian 322. When the respective
mounting portions 322 of
each wire member 318 are inserted through the respective loops 324 of the
other wire member
:318, and semi-circular portions 320 are; oriented to lie in substantially the
same plane, a circular
ripening 326 is formed by the two semi-circular members 320. Collar 314 may be
attached to
support member 64 so that the collar 314 spans, and is preferably centered,
between legs 98 and
100. Each mounting portion 322 may lbe attached to a respective leg member 98,
100 using a
mounting clip 328 wherein each mounting portion 322 is inserted into a
respective mounting
hole 330 in each mounting clip 328 for rotational movement therein. Each
mounting clip 328 is
attached to a leg member 98 or 100 for sliding movement along a longitudinal
axis of the leg
member.
The mounting clips 328 are substantially identical to one another and may be
mirror
configurations of one another. The description of one mounting clip 328
therefore substantially
applies to the other. Mounting clip 328 conforms to a portion of leg member 98
or 100. If leg
member 98, 100 is has a round or oval lateral cross-section, then mounting
clip 328 preferably
c,ncompasses greater than half of the circumference of a portion of the leg
member so that the leg
is retained by clip 32$. Similarly, if 1e;; member 98, 100 has a rectangular
lateral cross-section
then mounting clip 328 preferably encompasses at least two sides and at least
part of both a third
side and a fourth side of a portion of the leg member. Mounting clip 328 may
be likewise
configured to accommodate leg menrbc;rs having other cross sections. Mounting
clip 328
preferably conforms to the attached leg, member 98, 100 to the extent that the
clip 328 is held in
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place by friction at the interface between the mounting clip 328 and the leg
member 98, 100.
lHowever, the friction is preferably not sufficient resist manual positioning
of clip 328 by sliding
it longitudinally along leg member 98, 100.
To retain fuel tank 90, mounting clips 328 of collar 314 may be slidingly
moved along
l.eg members 98 and 100 to a position adjacent shelf 70. This positioning
provides clearance for
hank 90 to be placed within base 92. Once tank 90 is placed into base 92,
mounting clips 328 of
collar 314 are slidingly moved along legs 98 and 100 towards tank 90, valve
sleeve 316 passes
through collar opening 326, and curved members 320 may abut a shoulder portion
332 of tank
!~0. Any lateral movement of tank 90 within base 92 causes collar 314 to come
into contact with
~ralve sleeve 316 thus inhibiting further lateral movement of tank 90. To
replace tank 90, one
curved member 320 may be rotated toward and over valve sleeve 316 to permit
removal of tank
!~0.
Mounting clips 328 may be attached to each leg member 98, 100 by
simultaneously
manually applying generally opposite forces to the ends 334 and 336 of clip
328 to increase the
linear distance between them. This hermits passage of a leg member 98 or 100.
Since mounting
clips 328 are preferably made of a genc;rally resilient material, such as a
plastic, when a force is
no longer applied, the ends 334 and 336 return to their initial position to
retain a portion of the
leg member therein. Tlhe respective mounting portions 322 of each curved wire
member 318
may then be inserted into the respective mounting holes 330. In the
illustrative embodiment, at
least the curved wire member 318 is sufficiently resilient to permit mounting
ends 322 to be
moved axially closer te~ one another ;as they are aligned with their
respective mounting holes 330.
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nnce aligned, the resilient curved pardons 320 encourage the respective
mounting members 322
~;o enter the mounting holes 330.
Curved portions 320 of collar 314 may alternatively have radii marginally
larger than the
radius of tank body 29:?. In this configuration (not shown) curved portions
320 are aligned with
body 292 and combine to surround tank body 292 to inhibit lateral movement
thereof.
Refernng to Fil;ure 20, a yet further alternative fuel source retainer such as
a collar 314'
may be used to inhibit movement of tank 90. Collar 314' may include a single
piece of wire
having a curved, and preferably semi-circular, portion 320' formed therein to
define two
mounting portions 322'. The configuration of both curved portion 320' and
mounting portions
:322' is substantially the same as described for curved wire member 318 and
mounting portion
:322 of the embodiment described above. Collar 314' is attached to mounting
clips 328, and
permits the installation, retention and removal of a tank 90 in a similar
manner as described
above for collar 314.
Referring to Figures 21A and 21 B, curved portion 320" may be additionally
configured to
1 S rapture an edge of valve protecting sleeve 316. For example, curved
portion 320" may have a
clip 338 formed therein for engaging a portion of sleeve 316. In order to
engage sleeve 316 the
radius of curved portion 320" is preferably substantially the same as sleeve
316 so that clip 338
may be aligned with sleeve 3 l6.
In a yet further alternative embodiment (not shown), mounting clips 328 may be
eliminated and the mounting portions of the various embodiments, for example
mounting
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portions 322, may be inserted directly into mounting holes located in each leg
member 98 and
'100 for rotational movement therein.
Shelves
Refernng to Figures 22, 23 and 24, barbeque 60 may have a shelf 68 or two
shelves
S (second shelf not shown) to provide a surface 339' which may be used for
food preparation, or
for supporting items such as cooking utensils. Shelves 68 may be configured
identically, or
configured as a mirror :image of one another.
In the illustrative embodiment, the second shelf has a configuration that
mirrors shelf 68.
The description of shelf 68 that follows, therefore substantially applies to
the second shelf, as
well. Shelf 68 has a generally planar surface 339'. Surface 339' is supported
by shelf supporting
portion 340 of leg men-iber 98, and supporting portion 342 of leg member 100.
Legs 98, 100 are
preferably each bent in a similar manner to form a substantially 90 degree
angle therein, creating
supporting portions 340, 342 of sufficic;nl: length to support shelf 68. In
the illustrative
c;mbodiment, each sup~iorting portion 340, 342 is approximately 15.5 inches
long, oriented in
~,ubstantially the same direction, and generally parallel to the another.
Shelf 68 may be secured
to each of the supporting portions 340, 342 of respective leg members 98, 100
by shelf retainers
..44 and 346 having receptacles 348 and 350, which receptacles each receive a
respective free
e:nd 352 and 354 of supporting portions 340 and 342. Each receptacle 348 and
202 may be
attached to, or integral 'with, shelf 68. In the illustrative embodiment,
receptacles 348, 350 are
integral with shelf 68. Because shelf reaainers 344 and 346 are substantially
similar to one
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another, only shelf retainer 344, which attaches supporting portion 340 to
shelf 68, will be
described.
To attach shelf 68 to supporting; portion 340, free end 352 of supporting
portion 340 may
I>e inserted into receptacle 348 in a direction of insertion D. Receptacle 348
preferably has a
cross-section which, when taken lateral to direction of insertion D, is
substantially equal to or
larger than the size and shape of the lateral cross-section of supporting
portion 340. The
relatively larger cross-section permits supporting portion 340 to be inserted
into the receptacle
~~48. If the cross-section of the receptacle :348 and corresponding supporting
portion 340 is
:,ubstantially the same size, then a friction fit may be formed between
receptacle 348 and
corresponding supporting portion 3411. While generally maintaining its lateral
cross-sectional
shape and size, receptacle 348 may also be elongated to receive a greater
portion of free end 352.
Referring additionally to Figure 24, to secure supporting portion 340 within
receptacle
~~48, receptacle 348 may be provided with ;~ shelf retainer such as a
protrusion in the shape of a
ramp 356 located within receptacle 348. Ramp 356 generally increases along the
direction of
insertion D. A corresponding void 358 (shown in Figure 25) located in
supporting portion 340,
receives ramp 356 to inhibit movement of shelf 68 relative to supporting
portion 340. Ramp 356
is installed as follows. When inserting free end 352 into receptacle 348, free
end 352 encounters
a. base 360 of a sloping side 362 of ramp 356. Ramp 356 is preferably made of
a resilient
material such as a plastic to permit it to deform before entering void 358. As
free end 352 is
forced along ramp 356, ramp 356 deforms to permit passage of free end 352 into
receptacle 348.
\~Vhen void 358 of supporting portion 340 is positioned to correspond with the
location of ramp
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356, resilient ramp 356 extends therein. Removal of free end 352 in an
opposite direction is
inhibited by a sheer side 364 of ramp 356 which abuts an edge of void 358.
Further insertion of
free end 352 into receptacle 348 is prevented by a stop such as tab 366
attached to shelf 68.
~~lternatively, receptacile 348 may have a closed end (not shown) for
preventing further insertion
of free end 352. In either configuration, when assembling shelf 68 and
supporting portion 340,
the stop provides feedback that the free end 352 is fully inserted and
assembly of the two parts is
complete.
Shelf retainer 344 may additionally have a conduit 368, which is similar in
configuration
to receptacle 348 and has an axis which is collinear to the axis of receptacle
348. Conduit 368
differs from receptacle 348 in at least that it does not have a stop, such as
tab 366. This permits
free end 352 to be inserted through conduit 368 in the general direction of
insertion D so that it
rnay be subsequently inserted into receptacle 348. Conduit 368 thus generally
guides free end
~~52 toward receptacle 348. Once free c;nd 3_52 is received by receptacle 348,
conduit 368
inhibits the movement of supporting portion 340 relative to shelf 68. Conduit
368 may be
1 S attached to, or integral 'with, shelf 68. In the illustrative embodiment,
conduit 368 may have a
slot which separates conduit 368 into two conduit portions 368a and 368b.
Conduit portions
?'~68a and 368b are preferably the same sire but may be unequal. By using
conduit portions 368a
a.nd 368b instead of a contiguous conduit, the conduit portions 368a and 368b
may have greater
flexibility at their free ends to facilitate insertion of free end 352 and
passage of supporting
portion 340. To provide greater reter~ti~~n of supporting portion 340, conduit
368 may be
Lengthened to meet receptacle 348 to form a single continuous passage.
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Shelf 68 could alternatively be attached to supporting portions 340 and 342 by
bolting,
welding, or some other attachment means. While shelf supporting portions 340
and 342 are
iintegral with legs 98 and 100 in the illustrative embodiment, they may
alternatively be made of a
separate member or members attached to support member 62.
In the illustrative embodiment, shelf 68 is made of moulded plastic but could
be made
from some other material such as steel. If shelf 68 is made of plastic, then
strengthening ribs 220
may be added to increase the rigidity of shelf 68, potentially reducing the
amount of material
required to mould shell' 68.
Refernng to Fil;ures 25 and 26, in an alternative embodiment of shelf 68,
labelled 68',
either a portion or the entirety of shelf surface 339' may be manually
removable. This removable
portion, or member, 370 may be removed to be used as a tray, to be cleaned,
for example in a
dishwasher, or it may be put to some oi:her use appropriate for such a member
having a
substantially flat an rigid surface. A suitable weather resistant material
such as plastic, porcelain,
steel, ceramic, wood or a combination thereof may be used to construct
removable member 370.
1 S Removable member 370 may also have a ridge (not shown) about the perimeter
of its surface
339', and a drain (not shown) to pernvit removal of a liquid such as rain
water by gravity.
To accommodate removable me;rnber 370, shelf 68' may have a generally U-shaped
shelf
name 372. An inner perimeter 374 of shelf frame 372 substantially conforms to
a portion of the
periphery of removable: member to preferably form a friction ftt therebetween.
Removable
member 370 may alternatively or additionally be fastened to frame 372 with a
fastener (not
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s;hown), or held in place by gravity. While frame 372 may define a closed
opening, for example
a four-sided opening, the partial removal of a portion of frame 372, such as a
fourth side of a
rectangular frame, permits an edge 3'76 of removable member 370 to be grasped
for removal and
installation. Movement of removable member 370 in the direction of the open
end of U-shaped
frame 372 may be inhibited by tabs 378 and 380 projecting generally toward
each other from
respective free ends 38:? and 384 of arms 386 and 388 of U-shaped frame 372.
Tabs 378 and 380
further encourage a friction fit between frame 372 and removable member 370.
In an alternative
embodiment (not shown), the periphery of removable member 370 may be bevelled
or provided
with a rib (not shown) for engagement 'with a corresponding feature of the
frame 372 to permit a
snap fit therebetween. Other variations to the configuration of the interface
between frame 372
and removable member 370 may be dei:ined to retain member 370 within frame 372
while
permitting manual installation and remowal of member 370 therein. Removable
member 370
rnay be any generally planar shape s~citable for use as a tray as long as
frame 372 is configured to
receive that particular shape.
When installed, removable member 370 is supported by receptacles 348 and 350,
and
corresponding conduits 368' and 390°. Receptacle 350' and conduit 368'
may be configured as
described for the illustrative embodiment, or they may be formed together as a
continuous
channel member 392' for slidingly receiving and frictionally retaining
supporting portion 340 of
leg member 98. A second continuous channel member 394', having a substantially
similar
configuration as channel member 392', is provided for retaining supporting
portion 342 of leg
nnember 100. Because channel members 392' and 394' are similar, a description
of channel
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member 394' will be provided. This dc;scription applies equally to channel
member 392' with
necessary modifications for receiving supporting portion 340.
Channel memb~:a- 394' may be attached to arm 388 of U-shaped shelf frame 372
along a
<;losed side 396 of the c;hannel member 394'. Channel member 394' may
alternatively be
integrally formed with shelf frame 372. A ramp 356', which has a configuration
that is similar to
ramp 356 and which operates in a similar manner, is provided along an interior
surface 398 of
conduit 390' for entering void 358 to retain supporting portion 342. The
procedure required to
manually attach shelf fi~ame 372 to supporting portions 340 and 342 is similar
to that described
above for attaching shelf 68 to supporting portions 340 and 342. In
encouraging proper
alignment and installation of frame 372:, channel member 392' performs a
similar function to that
of conduits 368, 390 and receptacles 348, 350. Bends 400 and 402 of U-shaped
frame 372 may
be used as stops to prevent further insertion of supporting portions 340, 342
instead of a tab such
as tab 366, or closing an end of channel member 392'.
Channel member 392' may have a generally circular or rectangular cross-section
for
frictionally receiving and retaining supporting portions having a variety of
cross-sections. For
example, if channel member 392' has a generally rectangular cross-section, it
may receive and
retain supporting members having crass-sections of a similar size and shape.
An advantage of
some cross-sectional shapes is that they may accommodate supporting members
having different
cross-sections as long a.s there is sufficient frictional contact between the
supporting members
amd the inner surface of the channel. A channel having a generally square
cross-section, for
example, may also receive and retain a supparting member having a circular
cross-section with a
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diameter that is substantially the same magnitude as the length of the sides
of the channel's
square cross-section. In this configuration, the circular supporting member
contacts the inner
:>urface of the conduit along lines defining the mid-points of the channel's
sides, and is retained
by the channel. In combination with th~.e various configurations of channel
and support member,
ramp 356' serves to further retain the support member within the channel.
Refernng to Figure 27, in a yet further alternative embodiment of shelf 68,
labelled 68", a
f=astener in the nature of at least two bolts 404 and wing nuts 406 may be
used to attach shelf 68"
to supporting portions 340 and 342. Shelf 68" has at least one slat 408 for
spanning the distance
between supporting portions 340 and 342. Slats 408 may be bolted directly to
supporting
portions 340 and 342 using bolts 404 inserted through slat holes 410 and
through holes 412 in
;supporting portions 340 and 342, which bolts 404 are secured by wing nuts
406. Slats 408 may
also be retained by a shelf bracket 414 at each slat end 416. Each shelf
bracket 414 is
:substantially identical to the ather. T'he description of one therefore
applies to the other.
Shelf bracket 4R4 retains and secures slat ends 416 to a supporting portion,
such as
supporting portion 340. The shelf bracket 41.4 has a narrow body with a
longitudinal bend 418
therein to form to arms 420 arid 422 extending from bend 418 substantially
normal to one
another. One of the arms, such as arm 420, may have protrusions, such as
flanges 424 to inhibit
lateral movement of slat ends 416. Flanges 424 may be generally normal to both
arms 420 and
422, and may be located at least at eithfr end of bracket 414. Movement of
slats 408 may also be
inhibited by additional protrusions (not shown) extending from either arm 420
or arm 422, which
additional protrusions a.re located to abi.rt slats 408 that are not adjacent
the ends of bracket 414.
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'Chew additional protru ions may also lie used to evenly space slats 408 from
one another. The
other arm, arm 422, has at least one, and preferably two holes 426, there
through for receiving a
bolt 404.
Shelf 68" may be installed by placing slats 408 on support portions 340' and
342' so that
c;ach end 416 of each slat 408 is supported by one of support portions 340'
and 342'. Each
bracket 414 is placed over the slat ends 416 with slat ends 416 located
between flanges 424.
Boles 426 of arm 422 are then aligned with both the hole 410 in the adjacent
slat 408 and hole
~E12 in the associated support portion 340 or 198. Bolt 404 may then be
inserted through the
three holes 426, 410 and 412 and manually secured with a wing nut 406. Once
bracket 414 is
installed, lateral movement of slat ends 416 is inhibited by protrusions such
as flanges 424.
Lifting or otherwise moving barbeque 60 may be facilitated by providing a
handle hole
X128 (shown in Figure 22) defined in shelf fib for gripping shelf 68. Shelf 68
may also have an
indentation defining a c;up holder 430. Similarly, at least one utensil rebate
432 for holding
utensils (not shown), may be provided along an edge of shelf 68. A handle hole
(not shown),
c;up holder (not shown) and utensil rebate (labelled 432' on shelf 68' and
432" on shelf 68") may
also be added to shelves 68' or 68".
Side Burner
Referring to Figure 28, one or both of the shelves may be substituted with a
side
burner 434. Side burner 434 may have a burner frame member 436 which has
substantially the
::ame configuration as shelf frame 37:2, arid a burner apparatus 438 which may
include a burner
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tray 440 having a similar configuration to removable member 370. Burner tray
440 may also be
installed and retained within burner f'ca~me 436 in a manner similar to that
described for
removable member 37C~. Similarly, hurner frame 436 may be installed and
retained in
substantially the same manner as described for shelf frame 372. Burner frame
436 may be
additionally retained by installing at least one fastener in the nature a bolt
442 inserted through a
hole (not shown) in channel member 392' and into an aligned threaded bore in
support portion
~~40 or 342. Bolt 442 preferably has a head that may be gripped and manually
tightened (not
shown).
In the illustrative embodiment, burner frame member 436 is generally L-shaped
having
just one arm 386' which has a configuration similar to arm 386 of shelf frame
372. In place of a
second arm, burner frame 436 has a i~lange 444 for receiving a fastener such
as bolt 446 for
fastening burner frame 436 to burner tray 4417.
Burner tray 440 has a burner pan 448 in which a standard burner, such as
burner 450 may
reside. Burner pan 448 may be formed from the same piece of material as burner
tray 440 if a
metal burner tray is used. In the illustrative embodiment, burner pan 448 is a
separate piece
made of a heat resistant metal which is attached to burner tray 440 using a
fastener such as a bolt
and wing nut (not shown). As shown in Figure 29, a v~u-iation of burner pan
448, labelled 448',
rests within a burner pan opening (not shown) and is supported by a peripheral
flange 452.
Burner 450 has a burner element 454 that is attached to a fuel conduit 456.
Burner
element 454 may have ~~ fastener in tlue nature of a threaded post 458
attached thereto. Threaded
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post 4S8 may be inserted through a post hole 460 in burner pan 448 and
manually secured using
a wing nut 462 or some; other manually tightenable fastener. Fuel conduit 4S6
extends through a
conduit hole 464 in pan 448 and may receive in its input end 466 a fuel output
conduit 468 of a
burner valve 470. Conduit hole 464 is preferably smaller than element 4S4 to
inhibit passage of
S element 454 therethrough. Proper placement of conduit 4S6 within conduit
hole 464 may be
facilitated both by threaded post 4S8 arid post hole 460, and by an arcuate
rebate 472 at an edge
of conduit hole 464 which may abut conduit 456. Arcuate rebate 472 preferably
conforms to a
portion of fuel conduit 4S6 and may have substantially the same radius of
conduit 456. An
optional spider guard 4'74 may be included at input end 466 to inhibit entry
of spiders and other
insects therein.
A burner grill 4'76 may be located adjacent burier element 454, and is
preferably located
t~o receive heat from burner 4S0 when burner 4S0 is operational. Burner grill
476 may have a
protrusion such as a leg; 478 to inhibit movement of burner grill 476 relative
to burner tray 440.
Ln the illustrative embodiment, burner grill 476 has four legs 478 which may
be received by four
1 S l~~g holes 480 in burner tray 440. Wlien legs 478 are inserted into leg
holes 480, lateral
movement of burner gr~:ll 476 is limited.. A.t least one, and preferably two,
of burner legs 478
have a curved end 482. Curved ends 482 are first inserted into respective leg
holes 480 with
burner grill 476 oriented substantially perpendicular to burner tray 44U. Once
curved ends 482
are inserted, burner grill 476 may be rotated about curved ends 482, which
reside in leg holes
4.80, to a position generally parallel tc> burner tray 440. The remaining legs
478 may then be
inserted into leg holes 480 in the manner described above. In this
configuration movement of
burner grill relative to burner tray 440 rnay be further inhibited.
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Burner valve 470 may be inserted into valve opening 484 from a side of burner
tray
opposite to that of barrier pan 448, and may be attached to burner tray 440
with a valve securing
apparatus, such as valve clip 486. Valve; opening 484 is preferably round and
has one or more
c;ngaging members in t:he nature of fins. 488 which extend into valve opening
484. Fins 488 are
preferably identical in shape and are located in a plane parallel to that of
burner tray 440. Each
fin 488 extends from an opposite side c>f valve opening 484 towards the other,
and has a curved
portion 490 which abuts and is connected to a corresponding portion of a wall
492 of valve
opening 484. A free end 494 of each fin 488 is substantially linear and
defines a generally
straight edge 496. Free; ends 494 may be parallel to each other.
Referring additionally to Figures 30A, 30B and 30C, valve clip 486 may have a
planar
portion having curved ends 500 and generally linear parallel sides 502 which
together define a
shape which is substantially the same as valve clip opening 484 defined by
fins 488. Planar
f~ortion 498 also has an opening, such a~s valve stem opening 504, passing
therethrough. Valve
stem opening 504 permits insertion of a valve stem 506 of burner valve 470.
Valve clip 486 may
1 S be attached to a standard burner valve such as burner valve 470. Because
valve clip 486 is
preferably attached to burner valve 470 by a manufacturer, it may be fastened
to burner valve
4170 using screws inserted through borf;s (not shown) of valve clip 486.
Manually tightenable
fasteners may also be used (not shown). The bores may additionally pass
through posts 510 of
valve clip 486. Posts 510 are preferably ofa length to ensure that valve stem
projects through
valve stem opening 504 a sufficient distance to engage a valve knob S 12 once
burner valve 470
is attached to burner tray 440. Valve knob 512 facilitates turning of valve
post 506 about its axis
to control fuel flow through burner valve 470.
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Once burner valve 470 is attachc;d to valve clip 486, the planar portion 498
of valve clip
486 may be inserted through valve clip opening 484, as shown progressively in
Figures 30A and
30B. Further insertion of valve clip 48(i may be inhibited by at least one,
and preferably two,
tabs 514, wherein each tab 514 extends from a linear edge 502 of valve clip
486. Tabs 514 may
lie in a plane parallel to, but displaced from, the plane of the surface 516
planar member 498.
Once valve clip 486 is inserted into valve clip opening 484 to the point that
it is inhibited from
further insertion by tabs 514, it may be rotated about its central axis by
preferably 90 degrees (as
shown in Figure 30C). This rotation aligns the curved portions 490 of fins 488
and the curved
ends 500 of valve clip 486 to inhibit removal of valve clip 486 from valve
clip opening 484.
Valve clip 486 rnay be additionally configured to retain fins 488. Curved ends
500 of
planar member 498 ma:y be provided with a slot 518 which bisects the curved
ends 500 to form
two parallel curved ends 500a and 500b for retaining fins 488. In this
configuration, planar
nnember 498 is installed by insertion into valve clip opening 496, as shown in
Figures 30A and
30B. Tabs 514 extend :from each linear side 502b to permit only curved end
500a to pass
through valve clip opening 484. In this position, slots 518 are aligned with
straight edges 496 of
fins 488. Rotation of valve clip 486 by 90 degrees causes fins 488 to enter
respective slots 518.
Once fins 488 enter slots 518, curved ends 500a and 500b retain respective
fins 488
therebetween (as shown in Figure 30C).
To secure valve clip 486 within valve clip opening 484, tabs 514, which are
preferably
coplanar with linear sides 502b, may be provided with a retainer such as a
protrusion in the shape
of a ramp 520. Ramp 520 generally increases opposite to the direction of
rotation R and projects
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into the plane of slot 518. When valve clip 486 is inserted into valve clip
opening 484, ramps
520 abut fins 488. As valve clip 486 is forced marginally further into valve
clip opening 484,
t;~bs 514 deflect away fxom the plane ol'slot 518. This deflection permits
rotation of valve clip
486 and fins 488 may enter slot 518. Once valve clip 486 is rotated 90
degrees, tabs 514, and
ramps 520, enter valve clip opening 484 to clear fins 488 and return to their
original position, as
i~~ best shown in Figure 30C. Further rotation of valve clip 486 is inhibited
by sheer side 522 of
each ramp 520 which abuts straight edge 496 of fin 488. 'This inhibited
rotation provides
feedback that valve clip 486 is installed. Tabs 514 are preferably made of a
resilient material
such as a plastic to enable them to resiliently return to their initial
positions after being deflected
during installation. Thc; thickness of each tab 514 may be reduced to
facilitate temporary
deflection of tab S 14 from its initial position. Once burner valve 470 is
installed, burner knob
~~24 may be attached to valve stem 506, and conduit 456 may be oriented to
cause valve output
4E68 to be inserted into conduit input end 466. Valve clip 486 may be removed
by manually
deflecting tabs 514, for example by fml;er pressure, and concurrently rotating
valve clip 486 in a
direction opposite to direction D.
To permit a snug fit between valve clip 486 and fins 488, an apex 526 (shown
in phantom
in Figure 30C) of slot 518 which is co-planar with slot 518, has a curved
portion 528 and a
tangent portion 530. When valve clip 486 is fully installed, as described
above, tangent portion
~~30 abuts fin straight edge 496 to inhibit transverse movement of valve 470
relative to fin
straight edge 496. Tan;?ent portion 5.3Cn originates at a Linear edge 502 of
valve clip 486 and
merges with curved portion 528 which gradually curves toward valve stem
opening 504 and
terminates at an opposite linear edge 5(>2 of valve clip 48fi adjacent tab
514. When valve clip
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486 is installed, curved portion 528 first meets fin straight edge 496, and as
valve clip 486 is
rotated, curved portion 528 guides tangent portion 530 into alignment with fin
linear edge 496.
Once tangent portion 530 and linear edge 496 are aligned, ramped tabs 514
clear fin 488 and
snap into place. To further facilitate alignment of fin 488 with slot 518,
curved edges SOOa and
SOOb may be rounded in a direction generally normal to the plane of the curves
of curved edges
SOOa and SOOb.
While the illustrative embodimf;nt describes fins 488 having straight edges
496, edges
defining other shapes rmay also be used as long as the configuration of valve
clip 486 is adjusted
accordingly.
Valve clip 486 may be made of any preferably weather resistant material such
as a plastic
or a metal. In the illustrative embodiment, valve clip 486 is injection
moulded as a single piece
using a plastic that enables tabs S 14 to be resilient.
Referring to Figure 29, a side burner 434' is configured for use with shelf
bracket 414.
7.'he configuration and installation of valve clip 486 and the other elements
of side burner 434 is
substantially the same as described above for side burner 434, and are not
described further.
One shelf bracket 414 rnay be used to secure burner tray 440. Shelf bracket
414 is
installed in substantially the same mancu:r as described above in the context
of shelves 68" and
70". Bolts 404 are inserted into bracket holes 426, through holes 532 in
burner tray 440, and
then through holes 412 in support portion 340' or 342' (side burner 434' may
also be attached to
support portions 340 and 342 in a similar manner). Bolts 404 may then be
secured with wing
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nuts 406. Burner tray 440 may be attached to the remaining support portion
340' or 198' with at
least one bolt 404 inserted through holes 532 in tray 440 and holes 406 in the
support member.
Bolts 404 may then be secured with wing nuts 406.
Panel
Refernng to Figure 31, a cross piece, in the nature of a generally rectangular
panel 72, is
mounted between support members 62 and 64, and is preferably mounted between a
leg member
!~8 or 100 of support member 62 and a leg member 98 or 100 of support member
64. The
generally planar panel '72 substantially conforms to the shape of opening 534
(see Figure 32)
which is generally defined by the support members 62 and 64, cross beam 66 and
console 86.
1?anel 72 may also be curved or bowed. or some other shape that substantially
spans opening 534,
and may have a flange or other protrusion (not shown) to at least partially
obscure an adjacent
l.eg member 98 or 100. Panel 72 is preferably mounted to be substantially
parallel to cross beam
66.
A pocket 536 rnay be integrally formed in panel 72. Pocket 536 may be used for
holding
condiments or utensils (not shown). When panel 72 is installed, pocket 536 may
have a
substantially level bottom 538 and vertical sides 540. In the illustrative
embodiment, pocket 536
extends along substantially the entire length of panel 72. To better retain
items stored within
~~ocket 536, pocket sidca 540 may be angled inwards, for example by three
degrees relative to
pocket bottom 538. Furthermore, placement of items into pocket 536 may be
facilitated by
~.ilting pocket 536 away from the plane of panel '72, for example by 12
degrees. The location of
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pocket 536 may be varied relative to longitudinal edges 542 and 544 of panel
72. For example,
a.s shown in Figure 2, pocket 536' may be located adjacent longitudinal edge
544' of an alternate
panel 72'.
Panel 72 has at least one mounting member, and preferably two mounting
members, in
the nature of mounting pins 546, each of which extends from an edge thereof.
Each pin 546
extends from an edge 548 of panel 7 ~ tlhat is substantially perpendicular to
the longitudinal axis
of pocket 536. Pins 546 may be coaxial and are oriented for insertion into
corresponding
mounting holes 550 located in support :members 62 and 64. Mounting holes 550
are preferably
located in one of legs 98 or 100 of each, support member 62, 64. In the
illustrative embodiment,
c;ach pin 546 projects from an edge of panel 72, adjacent a corner thereof,
and each
corresponding mounting hole 550 is located adjacent a respective bridging
member 102 and 104.
Pins 546 may also lie in substantially the; same plane as panel 72.
Panel 72 may have an additional mounting member in the nature of a retaining
clip 552.
Retaining clip 552 may be located along edge 548 of panel 72, and located at a
distance, for
c;xample ten inches, from pin 546. Additional retaining clips 552 may be
added. Each retaining
clip 552 is preferably located to correspond to the location of a leg member
98, 100 when the
panel 72 is installed. Retaining clip .552 may be made of a resilient
material, and may be shaped
to conform to a portion, and preferably at least a semi-circular half, of the
lateral perimeter of a
corresponding leg merr~ber 98, 100. 'To conform to leg member 98 or 100, clips
552 may have a
semi-circular surface 554 corresponding to the shape of leg member 98, 100.
Retaining clip 552
is attached to, or integral with, panel 7~'. at a mid-point of the curved
retaining clip 552. In this
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configuration, each clip 552 receives anal retains a portion of a respective
leg member 98 or 100,
and limits movement of panel 72 in a direction substantially transverse to the
plane of panel 72.
In an alternative embodiment, e;~ch clip 552 may be attached to panel 72 at an
end 556 of
clip 552 instead of a mid-section (not shown). In this embodiment, surface 554
of clip 552 is
f~referably configured to conform to a greater portion of the circumference of
leg member 98,
100 than in the embodiment described above. This permits a snap fit to be
formed after resilient
clip 552 is attached to a leg member 98, 100. For example, as clip 552 is
attached, a resilient
free of clip 552 must be; forced away from panel 72 to accommodate the wider
diameter of leg
member 98, 100. Once leg member')8, 100 is placed within clip 552 the free end
resiliently
returns to its initial position to engage a~ portion of leg member 98, 100
substantially
corresponding to the shape of clip surface 554. T'he illustrative embodiment
of clip 552 may be
likewise configured to :form a snap fit v~ith leg member 98, 100 by extending
free ends 556 to
encompass a greater portion of the lateral perimeter of legs 98, I 00.
In a preferred configuration, the: mounting members, including pins 546 and
clips 552,
:,ubstantially secure panel 72 between support members 62 and 64 to provide at
least some
resistance to movement of support members 62 and 64 relative to one another.
Pins 546 and
clips 552 are both preferably integrally formed with panel 72, which may be
made of a plastic or
metal.
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Castin
Referring to Figures 1, 3 and 4, grill housing 74 has opposed castings 76 and
68 that may
f;nclose burner 80, grill plates 82, warnaing rack 84 and angled bars 88. In
operation, the castings
'~6 and 68 may be aligned vertically so that casting 76 is located generally
above casting 68. In
the following description each respective casting will be referred to as an
upper casting 76 and a
lower casting 68.
Lower casting fib supports burner 80 and grill plate 82. Angled bars 88 for
deflecting
heat may also be supported by lower casting 68. The casting 68 preferably has
an interior
>urface 558 that defines a volume, which volume may be generally box-shaped.
The interior
;surface 558 terminates at an edge 560 defining an opening 562 which may be
generally
rectangular. A closure such as upper' casting 76 may be provided to inhibit
loss of the heat
produced by burners 80. Upper castin~; 76 preferably has an interior surface
(not shown) that
defines a volume, which volume may be generally box-shaped. The interior
surface terminates
pit an edge 564 which defines an opening 568. Opening 568 is preferably
generally rectangular,
~,vith edge 564 substantially conforming to edge 560 of lower casting 68 to
reduce spaces or gaps
l:herebetween. This may reduce heat lass from within the grill housing 74 when
castings 76 and
68 are in a closed position, as shown in Figure 32, for example. Interior
surface 558 of lower
casting 78 and the interior surface of upper casting 76, and their respective
edges 560, 564 may
;alternatively be configured to define other valumes and openings. For
example, each of the
iinterior surfaces could define a hemispherical volume and the edges could
each define a
generally circular opening.
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As shown in Figure 32, castings 76 and 68 combine in a closed position to
enclose a
generally box-shaped volume when they are oriented with their openings 562 and
568 facing
each other, and their edges 560, 564 are; aligned. In this closed position,
the castings 76 and 68
inhibit heat transfer from within the grill housing 74 to the surrounding
environment. Castings
76 and 68 are separable. from one another to provide access to at least the
grill plate 82. At least
one hinge 570 preferably joins upper casting 76 to lower casting 68. Hinge 570
has a bolt 572
(shown in phantom) which is connected to upper casting 76, and semi-circular
receiving
members 574 and 576 'Nhich are connected to lower casting 68 and receive bolt
572. Bolt 572
rnay be slidingly inserted between semi-circular receiving members 574 and 576
to form hinge
'.>70. A free end of bolt 572 may receive a -bolt clip 578 to inhibit removal
of bolt 572 from its
position between receiving members 574 and 576. An axial groove or head 580
may be included
at the bolt free end to inhibit axial removal of bolt clip 578.
A handle 582, connected to upper casting 76, may be gripped to move upper
casting 76
relative to lower casting 68. Handle 58.2 is preferably made of a heat
resistant material such as
'NOOd or an appropriate plastic so that it remains relatively cool to the
touch even when the
castings 76 and 68 are hot. Heat resistant: gaskets 584, sandwiched between
handle 582 and
casting 76, may be installed to inhibit heat transfer between casting 76 and
handle 582. Handle
:i82 may be attached to casting 76 using at least one, and preferably two,
fasteners in the nature
of threaded posts 586 projecting from ends of hurdle 582' (shown in Figure 2)
or bolts 588 for
insertion into handle 582 (as shown in figure 1). The installation of either
handle 582 or 582' is
similar. For example,1:o install handle 582', the generally parallel threaded
posts 586 are inserted
into handle holes 590 passing through c.rpper casting 76. As noted above, a
gasket or gaskets 584'
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rnay be placed between handle 582' anal casting 76. Once inserted through
handle holes 590,
threaded posts 586 may be manually secured by either wing-nuts 592 or in some
other manner to
hold handle 582 fixed adjacent to casting 76. A temperature gauge 594 may also
be attached to
upper casting 252 in a similar manner as described for handle 582. In
particular, temperature
gauge 594 may be manually installed and fastened using wing nuts 592.
To accommodate various internal components, such as burners 80, grill plate
82,
warming rack 84 and angled bars 88, the shape of the castings 76 and 68 may be
modified from a
general box-shape, as described below.
Referring to Figure 2, lower casting 68 may rest on support members 62 and 64.
A
fastener such as bolt 596 may be used to inhibit movement of lower casting 68
relative to support
members 62 and 64. Bolt 59fi may be inserted into a casting bore 598 passing
through lower
casting 68, wherein bore 598 is substantially coaxial with a threaded bore 600
in bridging
member 102 or 104 when lower casting; 68 is aligned for assembly to member 62,
64. To
connect lower casting 68 to bridging member 102 or 104, bolt 596 is inserted
through casting
bore 598, starting adjacent interior surface 558. Bolt 596 is then received by
threaded bore 600
and tightened to attach lower casting 68 to bridging member 102 or 104.
As the bridging members 102 and 104 are preferably identical to one another,
the
description for one applies to the other. Bridging members 102 and 104 may
also be
symmetrical about their longitudinal centrelines. This configuration permits
identical bridging
member configurations to be used for both bridging member 102 and 104, which
may reduce
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tooling and manufacturing costs. For example, to use a bridging member 102 as
bridging
member 104, the bridging member need only to be rotated 180 degrees about its
longitudinal
axis. To avoid redundancy, only one h;al f of the symmetrical bridging members
is described.
Each bridging member, for example member 102, may be provided with at least
one
flange 602 having the threaded bore 600. Flange 602 additionally provides a
support surface 604
for supporting lower casting 68. In its .operative position, support surface
604 is preferably
~;enerally horizontally oriented and located at about waist height. For
example, support surface
(i04 may be 26 inches fiom the base ends 110, 112 of leg members 98, 100.
Increased rigidity of
bridging member 102 nnay be achieved by attaching at least one, and preferably
four, gussets 606
thereto. In the illustrative embodiment, at least two gussets 606 straddle
each bend 608 formed
by flange 602.
Bolt 596 is preferably configured so that it may be manually installed and
tightened. Bolt
'.i96 includes a head 610 that may be gripped. Head 610 may be cylindrical,
having an oval
cross-section, wherein the minor axis of the oval cross-section is greater
than the thickness of the
head 610. A threaded ;;haft 612 extends from the center of the oval head 610
along the cylinder
axis, and may be integrally formed with head 610. For enhanced gripping, a
protrusion from
head 610, such as posts. 614, may be added. Posts 614 protrude from a side of
head 610 opposite
to threaded shaft 612. Posts 614 are preferably spaced apart and equidistant
to the axis of shaft
tilt to permit increased torsional leverage about the axis of shaft 612 when
the bolt 596 is
tightened or loosened. Due to the heat produced by the burners 80, bolt 596 is
preferably made
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of a material, such as cold forged steel, that does not deform when subjected
to high
temperatures.
Refernng to Figures 1 and 4, head 610 may alternatively be configured as a nut
610'
having a threaded bore 616 through its .axis, instead of threaded shaft 612. A
threaded post 612'
rnay be partially threaded into the threaded bare 600 of flange 602 so that it
protrudes from
support surface 604. Threaded post (i 12' may alternatively be welded directly
to flange 602. A
free end of the threaded post 612' is inserted into the bore 598 passing
through the lower casting
E.8. The casting 68 may then be secured by threading and tightening nut 610'
about the threaded
post 612', whereby the casting 68 is sandwiched between the nut 610' and the
flange 602.
Hecause the threaded post 612' is preferably first connected to flange 602, it
may further serve as
a~ locator for positioning; the lower casting 68 relative to the bridging
members 102 and 104.
'hhreaded post 612' may additionally have a head to form a bolt 618 which may
be threaded
through threaded bore fi00, with its free end protruding from support surface
604.
In the illustrative embodiment, the casting 68 may be guided to a preferred
alignment
1 S relative to the support members 62 and 64, by employing an alignment
structure in the nature of
apt least one, and preferably four, guide posts 620. The alignment structure
also encourages
alignment of threaded bore 600 with casting bore 598 so that bolt 596 may be
readily inserted
amd threaded therethrough. Guide posts 620 protrude from lower casting 68 in a
direction away
from interior surface 558. Guide bores 622 located in flange 602 of bridging
member 102
receive the guide posts 620. ~fhe flanges 602 of each bridging member 102, 104
preferably each
have two spaced-apart guide bores 622 for receiving the respective guide posts
620.
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The guide posts 620 may protrude from a side, such as bottom 624, of lower
casting 68,
bottom 624 being located generally opposite to the opening 562 of the lower
casting 68. Each
post 620 may be located adjacent an extremity of bottom 624, such as at
corners 626. The
location of guide posts 620 and corresponding bores 622 orients lower casting
68 so that it
straddles support members 62, 64 and is generally balanced, thus reducing the
possibility of
barbeque 60 tipping. Additional guide bores, such as guide bore 628, may be
included to
accommodate different spacings of guide posts 620 on castings of different
size.
Guide posts 620 may be tapered, being narrower at their distal ends 630. The
bases 634
of guide posts 620 are preferably larger than the guide bores 622. The
narrower distal ends 630,
being smaller than the ;;uide bores 622, may fit more readily within the guide
bores 622,
reducing the need to precisely align the posts 620 with the bores 622. As the
guide posts 620 are
inserted into the bores 622, the casting 68 is aligned relative to the
supports 62, 64, and the edges
tS32 of the guide bores come into contact: with the respective bases 634 of
guide posts 620 to
preferably form a friction fit between the guide bore edges 632 and guide
posts 620. This
arrangement further inhibits movement of the lower casting 68 relative to the
supports 62, 64.
~~s noted above, the alignment structure also serves to align the threaded
bores 600 and casting
bores 598, to permit insertion and tightening of bolt 596. The guide posts may
alternatively
protrude from support surface 604 into bores in lower casting 68 (not shown).
A hollow 636 may be provided in support surface 604 to encourage the edges 632
of the
l;uide bores 622 to grip the guide posts 620. Hollow 636 is defined by
adjacent gussets 606 that
are displaced from one another along support surface 604 with an exposed
portion of support
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surface therebetween. l-follow 636 is located with threaded bore 600, or
threaded post 612',
passing therethrough. When lower casting 68 is placed onto gussets 606 which
overlap support
surface 604, a gap (not shown) is formed at hollow 636 between support surface
604 and the
bottom 624 of lower casting 68. As bolt 596, or nut 610', is installed and
tightened, the gap
narrows due to a deformation of support surface 604 towards lower casting 68
at hollow 636.
This deformation of surface 604 may create longitudinal tension in support
surface 604 causing
portions of guide bores 622 to grip guide posts 620.
The lower casting 68 may be provided with a plurality of holes in the nature
of vents 286
that permit oxygen to be drawn for use by burners 80 to combust fuel. Air
holes 286 are
yreferably located in the bottom 624 of lower casting 68, and may be arranged
beneath burner
F~O. The lower casting ti8 may further b~e provided with an ignition hole 287
therethrough for
igniting fuel by external means, such as a lighted match (not shown) inserted
therein. Burner 80
rnay alternatively be ignited using an ignition, described below.
To provide a drain for grease and other drippings from food cooked within the
grill
housing 74, lower casting 68 may have a drain in the nature of at least one
drain opening 638.
Drain opening 638 is preferably centrally located in the bottom 624, and
passes therethrough.
Bottom 624 may be sloped towards drain opening 638 to encourage draining from
substantially
the entire bottom 624 of lower casting 68. When in operative position, bottom
624 may be
sloped downwards at between five and 15 degrees from the horizontal towards
drain opening
Ei38. A cup, tube or other means (not: sihown) for collecting the drippings
may be located beneath
drain opening 638. For example, as shown in Figure Figures 1 and 2, a cup
holder 640 may be
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inserted into and retained by a hole 642 in lower casting 68 adjacent drain
opening 638. Cup
holder 640 may be made of a section of pliable wire configured to receive and
support a cup
below drain opening 638.
A pair of rotisserie rebates 644 may be provided in edges 560 of lower casting
68 for
~~upporting a rotisserie (not shown). The rebates 644 are preferably generally
located at the mid
points of opposite sides of edges 560.
Burner Support Member
Refernng to Figures 33 and 34, lower casting 68 contains at least one burner
80. Burner
f~0 may be an H-shaped burner 80, a bar-shaped burner 80' (see Figure 2), or
some other
appropriate barbeque burner known in t:he art. To satisfy government
standards, such as, support
members 646 are attached to burners to retain and maintain the burner in a
preferred orientation
within lower casting 68.. The support members 646 of the illustrative
embodiments described
below permit the burner to be manually installed in and removed from barbeque
60 without
tools. Support members 646 may be used in combination with many different
burner
configurations, including the H-shaped burner 80 arid bar-shaped burner 80'.
The attachment and
use of the support members 646 is similar in each case. Accordingly, the
following description
of support members 646 as used in cogjunction with an H-shaped burner 80 is an
example and
rnay apply in substantially the same manner to burners having different
configurations.
H-shaped barbeque burners typically have four coplanar arms, such as arms 648
of burner
f~0. When in a preferred orientation, the four arms 648 of burner 80 are
generally horizontal. At
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least one support member 646 is attachc;d to each arm 648. Each support member
646 generally
uniformly displaces the arms 648 of burner 80 from the lower casting bottom
624 and inhibits
movement of burner 80 relative to lower casting fib. Each support member 646
has a generally
ylanar strip portion . Strip portion 650 may be rectangular, and is preferably
constructed from a
resilient heat resistant material such as a metal. Strip portion 650 is
attached along an edge (not
shown) to arm 648 to generally form a right angle with arm 648. Attachment may
be by welding
ar some other securing means that is not significantly affected by high
temperatures.
~~lternatively, strip 650 may have a bend therein to form a toe 652 protruding
more or less
normal to a longitudinal axis of strip 650. 'foe 652 may be welded to arm 648,
thereby providing
a larger area for attachment to ann 648 than along an edge of strip 650.
Adjacent a free end 654 of strip 650 is a catch 656 for securing strip 650
(and by
connection burner 80) when catch 656 is inserted into an apening 658 in the
bottom 624 of lower
casting 78. Catch 656 is preferably generally rectangular in shape, and may be
formed from strip
fi50 by making three incisions in strip 650, or stamping strip 650, to define
three sides of
rectangular catch 656. A fourth side of catch 656 is defined by bending a free
end 654 of three-
sided catch 656 away from strip 650 to form a bend 660 where catch 656 meets
strip 650. Bend
fi60 is preferably adjacf,nt strip free end. 654, and has an axis which is
generally parallel to the
plane of arms 648. As a result of bend 660, catch free end 662 is displaced
from strip 650. Once
bend 660 is formed, catch free end 662 is preferably displaced by greater than
zero and less than
~>0 degrees from an opening 664 fornaed by the bending ofcatch 656 away from
strip 650. An
angle of about 30 degrees may be defined, for example. In the illustrative
embodiment, the
material used for strip fi50 may be sufficiently pliable to permit the
formation of bend 660, but is
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of sufficient resilience that when a force is applied to catch free end 662 to
move it through an
arc about the axis of bend 660 to move i1: towards opening 664 in support
member 646, catch free
e,nd 662 returns substantially to its original position at about 30 degrees
displacement from
opening 664 of support member 664 when the force is no longer applied.
Support member 646 also has at least one protrusion, such as a shoulder 666
which
contacts portions of interior surface 558 of lower casting 68 adjacent to
casting opening 658 to
prevent further insertion of support member 646 into casting opening 658. In
the illustrative
Embodiment, support rr~ember 646 has two shoulders 666. Shoulders 666 are
located at a
predetermined distance from arm 648 to provide a preferred displacement of
burner arms 648
from lower casting interior surface 558. For example, shoulders 666 may be
displaced by inches.
;shoulders 666 may be formed by bending portions of the free parallel sides
670 of strip 650
adjacent free end 654 to form tabs 668 which are preferably perpendicular to
the plane of strip
fi50. The creation of tabs 668 forms shoulders 666 at portions of the free
parallel sides 670,
adjacent tabs 668. To facilitate bending; of tabs 668, a transverse cut to
define shoulder 666 may
be made in each side 6 7 0, before tabs 668 are bent. Alternatively, shoulders
666 may be added
to strip 650 by welding or by otherwise connecting one or more metal tabs or
pieces to strip 650
to limit insertion of support member 646 into opening 658 beyond a desired
threshold (not
shown). In the above embodiments, thc: tabs 668, being located in planes
generally
perpendicular to the plane of strip 65t:>, rnay also add rigidity to strip
650.
Burners, such as burner 80, typically have at least one, and frequently two,
fuel input
ducts 672. Free ends 6'74 of ducts 672 leave guards, such as spider guards
474, to prevent insects
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from entering ducts 672. Guards 474 engage outlets of console 86 (described
below) to receive a
mediated flow of fuel which is suppli.eal to the burner 80 via ducts 672.
To manually install burner 80 into lower casting 68, free ends 674 of each
duct 672 are
inserted through separate burner duct passages 676 and fi78, located in lower
casting 68.
Passages 676 and 678 permit fuel to lae delivered from an external source,
such as propane tank
~)0, via ducts 672 to bw-ner 80. Once duct free ends 674 are inserted through
passages 676 and
(i78, support member free ends 654 are each inserted, preferably concurrently,
into their
respective lower casting openings 658. Because the manner in which each
support 646 is
installed and removed is similar, a description for the installation of just
one support 646 is
provided. Bend 660 enters opening 658 and is followed by catch 656 which
angles away from
strip 650, as described above. As support (i46 is further inserted into
opening 658, catch 656
encounters an edge of opening 658 and, is caused to move closer to strip 650
to a depressed
position (not shown) to permit further insertion of support 646. When catch
free end 662 passes
l:hrough opening 658, the resilient catch 656 returns to its initial angled
displacement from strip
650, and is positioned adjacent to opening 658. In this position, the free end
662 of catch 656 is
;rdjacent to, and preferably abuts, lower casting 80 to hinder removal of
support 646 from
opening 658. Once catch 656 passes t>7~rough opening 658, shoulders 666 abut
portions of
interior surface 558 of lower casting 68. adjacent to casting opening 658 to
inhibit further
insertion of support 646 into opening 658. To manually remove support 646 from
opening 658,
hatch free end 662 is moved toward strip 650 to permit support 646 to clear
the edges of opening
658 and be removed. The tabs 668 ma;y additionally each have a hole 680
therethrough. Holes
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fi80 are coaxial with one other, and may optionally receive a removable pin
such as a cotter pin
to further inhibit removal of support mc;mber 646 from opening 658.
In the illustrative embodiment, during installation of support 646, shoulders
666 abut the
lower casting 68 immediately after catch free end 662 passes through opening
658. This
configuration attempts to minimize movement of support 646 along an axis
parallel to the
direction of insertion, by retaining lower casting 68 between shoulders 666 on
one side and catch
free end 662 on the other.
Casting opening 658 is preferably made sufficiently large to permit insertion
of support
fi46 with catch 656 in a depressed position, yet sufficiently small to prevent
removal of support
fi46 with catch 656 in its initial position. T'he casting openings 658 which
receive each support
fi46 are also preferably of a size and location to inhibit movement of burner
80 in a direction
transverse to the direction of insertion. For example, transverse movement may
be inhibited by
configuring the edges of opening 658 to be located immediately adjacent strip
650. In this
configuration, if a transverse force is applied to burner 80, movement of the
burner 80 is
hindered by strip 650 coming into cont;~ct with an edge of opening 658.
Alternatively, the
location of the edges of the openings relative to the inserted support members
646, may be made
~;uch that any two or more of the four support members 646 abut an edge of
their corresponding
opening 658 when subjected to a force transverse to the direction of
insertion, which in turn
hinders transverse movement of burner 450. Any transverse force applied to
burner 80 causes at
least two supports 646 to abut edges of their respective holes to limit
transverse movement of the
burner 80.
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In an alternative. embodiment {not shown), the rectangular catch may be
fashioned from
t:he strip by making two. incisions in tlae strip at right angles to one
another to define adjacent
sides of the rectangular catch. A third side of the catch is a portion of an
edge of the strip, and
t:he fourth side of catch is defined by bending the three-sided catch away
from strip to form a
bend where the catch is attached to the strip. As with other embodiments, the
axis of the bend is
generally parallel to the plane of arms 648.
In a further alternative embodirrzent, the catch may be added to the strip by
welding or
other connection means. to provide a catch with the preferred properties
described above.
In a yet further alternative embodiment, the catch rnay be formed by bending
the free end
E~54 of strip 650 to forrr~ a catch with similar characteristics to those
described above.
In any embodiment, the shape of the catch may differ from a rectangular shape
as long as
the catch is resilient and has a free end that may be moved to a depressed
position to permit
insertion of support 64Ei into opening 6:>8, and that returns to its initial
position to inhibit
removal of support 646 from opening 658 once a free end of support 646 is
inserted therein.
~~imilarly, support 646 may be of any shape, having shoulders and a catch,
that affords insertion
of the support into an opening, the support being inhibited from further
insertion by the
shoulders, and removal of the support, being inhibited by an attached or
integral catch.
The fuel used b:~ burner 80 is preferably a pressurized combustible gas, such
as propane,
that is appropriate :for gas barbedues. E~ecause the fuel is pressurized, it
is forced into the burner
80 and may be released via a plurality of fuel openings 682 in the walls of
the burner 80. The
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slow of fuel is mediated by console 86, described below. Fuel openings 682
permit fuel to be
released into the interior 684 of lower casting 68. The fuel may then be
ignited. The fuel
openings 682 are preferably located adj acent to a plane that bisects all arms
648 of the H-shaped
burner 80. A standard igniter, such as electronic ignition 686 is attached and
retained by igniter
clip 688 to burner 80 adjacent the fuel openings 682 of at least two arms 648
having a common
longitudinal axis. Igniter activation ;assembly 690, which includes an igniter
activation knob
(i92, is attached to console 86, and comiected to igniter 686 via igniter wire
694 (see Figure 1 ).
Heat Deflectors
Refernng to Figure 1, a heat ciealector in the nature of angled bars 88 may be
installed
within casting 68, to encourage heat dissipation within barbeque 60. Burner 80
is sandwiched
between casting bottom 624 and angled bars 88. Angled bars 88 may be formed
from a single,
>ubstantially rectangular sheet of metal. Longitudinal peaks 696 and valleys
698 may be formed
therein, to create angled sides 700 for dlissipating heat within the grill
housing 74. Grill plate 82
is preferably located above angled bars 88. In this arrangement, the angled
sides 700 may also
reduce the accumulation of grease and other drippings from food within the
grill housing 74.
'then drippings from food supported by grill plate 82 encounter an angled side
700, they may be
heated to a higher temperature and partially vapourized, which vapour may add
flavour to food
located within the grill housing 74. Openings 702 located adjacent to valleys
698 permit
drippings that are not vapourized to drop to lower casting bottom 624, to be
drawn by gravity to
drain opening 638.
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At least one and preferably two support struts 704 for supporting angled bars
88, traverse
the interior 684 of lower casting 68, and are located between burners 80 and
angled bars 88.
Support struts 704 may be uniformly displaced from casting bottom 624 by fins
706
which project from interior surface 5.58. Fins 706 are each located to support
the respective ends
708 of each strut 704. .Strut ends 708 preferably have a longitudinal groove
710 for receiving a
iin 706 which inhibits movement of thc; strut 704 when the fin 706 is placed
therein. The fins
'706 may be integral with casting 68, or otherwise attached thereto, and may
be located to orient
support struts 704 in a plane parallel to the plane of the arms 648 of burner
80, and both are
preferably horizontal when operational. At least one and preferably two
locating tabs 712
projecting from each strut 704 may enter an opening 702 of angled bars 88 to
encourage a
preferred orientation of angled bars 88, and to inhibit movement of angled
bars 88 relative to
strut 704, once angled bars 88 are installed.
Refernng to Fi~;ure 2, in an alternative embodiment, a heat deflector such as
lava rocks
'l14 or ceramic briquettes (not shown) nay be provided instead of or in
addition to angled bars
1 S 88. If these alternatives are used then an appropriate support structure,
such as grate 716, for the
lava rocks 714 or ceramic briquettes m;a:y be provided. Grate 716 may be
supported directly by
fins 706, and support sl:ruts 704 may bc; excluded.
Grill and Warming Rack
Referring again to Figure 1, grill plate 82, of a configuration known in the
art, is
supported by a pair of substantially parallel ledges 718 that may be formed in
casting 68 (only
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one ledge is shown). Ledges 718 may be located to orient grill plate 82 in a
plane parallel to the
plane of the arms 648 of burner 80. When in operative position, grill plate 82
is substantially
horizontal and is located above angled bars 88.
Barbeque 60 may also be provided with a warming rack 84, that may be in the
form of at
least one cantilevered shelf 720 for supporting food at a greater distance
from burners 80 than
food located on grill plate 82. As a result of this greater distance, food
supported by warming
rack 84 receives less heat than food located on grill plate 82. Warming rack
84 may be installed
by inserting mounting pins 722 into mounting pin holes 724 located in upper
casting 76. Once
the pins 722 are inserted, toes 726 of warming rack support legs 408 may be
inserted into toe
holes 728 or may rest in rebates (not shown) located in edges 560 of lower
casting 68. Either, or
both, grill plate 82 and warming rack 84 may be made from wire, chrome wire,
heavy duty
porcelain coated wire, porcelainized metal, cast iron or porcelainized cast
iron.
Console
Refernng to Figures 35, 36, 37 and 38, console 86 has a control valve 730 for
stopping or
varying the flow of fuel to burner 80. Alternatively, the flow of fuel to
burner 80 may be
controlled by separate valves 730 and 7 32. Appropriate valves for controlling
the flow of a
~;aseous fuel as are known in the art rna.y be used. Valves 730 and 732 are
attached to console
body 734 (or 734'). Console body 734 is preferably "drawn" from a single sheet
of metal to form
a substantially rectangular cavity (not shown) for receiving valves 730 and
732. The console
body 734 is made using a die (not shown) which imparts shape to console body
734, by
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impressing the single sheet of metal into a corresponding mould to produce the
desired form of
console body 734. Holes 736 and 738 in console body 734 permit knob stems 740
and 742 to
protrude therethrough. Knob stems 740 and 742 may then be inserted into
respective receptacles
in control knobs 744 and 746, forming ;a friction or mechanical fit.
To aid in the proper attachment of console 86 to barbeque 60, ends 748 and 749
of
bridging members 102 .and 104 each have at least one, and preferably two,
spaced-apart tabs 750
and 752 protruding in a similar direction from an edge thereof. Tabs 750 and
752 may both lie in
a. plane that is substantially perpendicular to the plane of bridging member
support surface 604,
a.nd, when barbeque 60 is fully assembled, rnay lie in a plane that is
parallel to cross beam 66.
Lateral edges 754 of console 86 may have notches 756 and 758 for receiving
tabs 750 and 752.
rJotches 756 and 758 need only provide a surface or edge 760 and 762 that may
be placed onto,
a.nd be supported by, tabs 750 and 75'2. One or both of notches 756 and 758
may further have a
slot 764 for receiving an edge 760 or 762 of a corresponding tab, for example
tab 750. Slot 764
preferably is substantia:tly the same thickness as tab 750, and is sufficient
to permit entry of edge
760 to limit movement of console 86 relative to tab 750. The remaining tab 752
also inhibits
movement of console 86. This arrangement permits console 86 to be placed upon
and supported
by tabs 750 and 752 to maintain console 86 in a preferred orientation before
it is secured.
Each bridging member 102 and 104 has a securing protrusion 766 for securing
console 86
thereto. Protrusion 766 may be perpendicular to both support surface 604 and
tabs 750 and 752,
a.nd is parallel and adjacent to console side 768 when console 86 is placed on
tabs 750 and 752.
Protrusion 766 lies on the concave side of'console 86 and has a threaded bore
770 for receiving a
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fastener inserted through a corresponding hole 7?2 in console side 768. The
fastener may be a
:'.crew, and is preferably a bolt 774 (see Figure 39A and 39B) that may be
installed and removed
t>y hand. Once partially inserted into hole 772, bolt 774 is inserted into
bore 770 and tightened to
secure console 86 to bridging member 102. 'The same operation is completed to
attach console
86 to bridging member 104. It should be noted that any form of protrusion may
be used as long
as receiving bore 770 is positioned to receive fastener 774 to secure console
86 to bridging
members 102, 104.
Referring to Figure 39A and 39B, a head 776 of bolt 774 may have external
grips, such
as knurls or cross hatches 77$ to provide greater friction to facilitate
manual installation of the
bolt 774. In the illustrative embodiment, the head 776 is cylindrical, having
a diameter of about
.'i/8 inches and a thickness of about 0.2 inches, or some other size and shape
suitable for manual
manipulation. A threaded end 780 protrudes substantially co-axially with the
axis of the head
',~78. Turning of the bolt 774 about its longitudinal axis may also be
improved by using a non-
circular or non-uniforrr~ shaped head (not shown) with the threaded end 780
preferably
protruding along an axis passing throu~;h a centroid of the head 778. The head
778 may be made
of any rigid material, such as nylon plastic or a metal.
Refernng to Figures 37 and 38 an alternative console 86' and bridging member
ends 748'
and 749' is illustrated. In the alternative embodiment, ends 748' and 749' do
not have tabs 750
and 752 for supporting a console. Instead, console 86' has a longitudinal
flange 782 which may
be placed at either end onto the respective support surfaces 262 of bridging
members 102 and
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1;04. When installed, flange 780 preferably traverses the distance between
support members 62
and 64.
Flange 780 may additionally have tabs 784 at either end thereof. In this
configuration
console 86' is supported on support surfaces 262 along edges 786 of tabs 784.
Tabs 784 each
c;xtend generally perpendicularly from flange 78U, and abut, or may be
attached to, console sides
',~68'. While tabs 784 nray be co-planar with sides 768', they preferably lie
in a planes parallel to
sides 768', and are marginally closer to one another than if they were co-
planar with sides 768'.
Because they are in marginally different parallel planes, each tab 784 meets a
respective side
',~68' at a radiused boundary 788. The displacement of tab 784 from side 768'
permits protrusion
766 to lie on the concave side of console 86', in a similar manner as
described for console 86'.
To attach console 86' to bridging members 102' and 104', tabs 784 of console
86' may be
placed upon support surface 604, with sides 768' each abutting an adjacent leg
member, for
c;xample leg member 98, to maintain console 86 in a preferred orientation
before it is secured.
'Chreaded bore 770 of protrusion 766 may then receive a fastener inserted
through a
corresponding hole 772' in console side 768'. The fastener may be a screw, and
is preferably bolt
774. Once partially inserted into hole i'72', bolt 774 is tightened into bore
770 to secure console
86' to bridging member 102. The same operation is completed to attach console
86' to bridging
member 104. It should be noted that any form of protrusion may be used as long
as receiving
bore 770 is positioned t:o receive fastener 382 to secure console 86' to
bridging members 102,
1. 04.
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A fuel hose (not shown) may be; connected to control valves 730, 356 via a
conduit in the
nature of tubing. The fuel hose has a connector, for example as manufactured
by Marshall Gas
of San Marcos, Texas, that may be hand tightened to tank 90, or some other
fuel source.
In an alternative: embodiment. (not shown) console 86 may be attached to
barbeque 60 by
fasteners for attaching console 86 to corresponding ends of bridging members
102 and 104. The
fasteners are preferably bolts 774. Openings, in the nature of holes, pass
through the bridging
member ends, and receive a threaded end 780 of bolt 774. The threaded end 780
may be further
received by a corresponding bore in console 86, ~Nhich may be a bushing, fixed
in the console
body, the bushing having internal threads for threaded engagement with the
threaded end 780.
'The holes in the bridging member ends. are smaller than the head 778 of bolt
774 to inhibit head
'778 from passing therethrough. To attach console 86 to bridging members 102
and 104, bolts
'774 may be inserted through the holes ~of the bridging members, into the
console bushings, and
tightened by hand. In this embodiment, to inhibit console 86 from pivoting
about the bolted
connections at the bridging member ends, each end may be provided with
flanges. The flanges
;ire preferably located to abut a side 1>f console 86 that is substantially
parallel to an axis of
rotation that is coaxial with the console; bolts 774 connecting console 86 to
bridging members
102 and 104.
In a further alternative embodinnent, bolt 774 may be a nut (not shown). A
threaded post
may be partially threaded into each of the bushings as described for the
previous embodiment, to
protrude from the console 86. Console 86 may then be secured by inserting the
threaded posts
into the bridging member holes, and then tightening the nuts about the
threaded posts. Because
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the threaded post is preferably first connected to console 86, it may further
serve as a locator for
positioning the console 86 relative to the bridging members 102 and 104.
In the illustrative embodiments. console 86 and panel 72 may be configured and
installed
;.o that corresponding edges thereof abut each other to inhibit movement of
one relative to the
other.
Leg Extensions and Casters
Base ends 110 and 112 of leg members 98 and 100 respectively may include
either
wheels 94, casters 96 or leg extensions 114 to support barbeque 60. Base ends
110 and 112 of
~;upport member 64 preferably have wheels 94 attached thereto. If base ends
110 and 112 of
;support member 62 have casters 96 then barbeque 60 may be moved by applying a
generally
horizontal force to barh~eque 60 to roll it in the direction of the force
along wheels 94 and casters
~)6. If base ends 110 arid 112 of support member 62 have leg extensions 74,
then leg extensions
',~4 must be lifted from .a surface supporting barbeque 60 before a generally
horizontal force is
applied to barbeque 60 to permit rolling; motion with attached wheels 94.
Movement of barbeque
(i0 may be discouraged by adding leg extensions 114 to all leg members 98 and
100. Wheels 94,
casters 96 and leg extensions 114, regardless of which combination of them is
used, are
preferably attached so that grill plate 82 is substantially horizontal when
barbeque 60 is
assembled and in an operative position.
Referring to Fi~;ure 12B, leg ~;x~tensions l 14 support barbeque 60 and
protect base ends
;l 10 and 112 of leg members ~)8 and 100. The height of grill plate 82, and
the other components
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of barbeque 60 may be varied by attaching leg extensions 114 having a desired
length to all legs
~)8, 100, and not attaching any wheels 94 or casters 96 to barbeque 60.
Because leg extensions
l!,14 are attached to legs 98 and 100 in the same manner, description for the
attachment of one
extension is provided.
A plug end 790 of leg extension 114 substantially conforms to the size and
shape of a
void (not shown) in base end 110 of lei; member 98. The void is the internal
space typically
defined by a hollow leg; member, such as leg member 98, having a generally
tubular, rectangular
or other cross-sectional shape. Plug end 790 terminates at a peripheral
shoulder 792 defined by a
:,upport end 794 of leg extension 114. 'Varying the length of support end 794
affects the
horizontal displacement of barbeque 60.
Leg extension 114 may be installed by inserting plug end 790 into the void of
leg
member 98 until shoulder 792 encounters leg member 98 to prevent further
insertion of the
extension 114. Because plug end 790 preferably substantially conforms to the
void in leg
member 98, it may be retained in place by friction. To permit easier insertion
of plug end 790,
plug end 790 may have longitudinal rebates 796, for example forming ribs 798,
to reduce the
frictional interface betv~/een plug end 79(1 and leg member 98. Figure 2 shows
leg extension 114'
having an alternative configuration for insertion into a leg member 98' having
a void with a
rectangular cross-section. The cross-sectional shape of support end 794 may be
varied and does
not have to be similar to that of plug end 790.
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Leg extension 114 may be secured to leg member 98 using a fastener, such as
slotted pin
186 (see Figure 12B). Leg member ~)8 has a hole 800 passing laterally
therethrough for
receiving slotted pin 186. Hole 800 ha;s an entry 800a and an exit (not
shown). Similarly, plug
<,nd 790 of leg extension 114, has a hole 802, passing laterally therethrough
for receiving pin
186. Hole 802 has an entry 802a anti an exit (not shown). To install pin 186,
the respective
c,ntries 800a, 802a and the exits are aligned. Slotted pin 186 may then
inserted therethrough to
hinder movement of the leg extension ll 14 relative to the leg member 98.
The slotted pin 186 preferably has a head 188, which is larger than entry 800a
to inhibit
movement of pin 186 along its longitudinal axis within the holes 800, 802. Pin
186 may also
have a catch 189 to inhibit longitudinal movement of the pin 186 within the
holes 800, 802.
(batch 189 is located at the insertion end 190 of pin 186. End 190 is located
opposite to head
:188. Catch 189 may be; marginally lar~;er than the exit of hole 800 of leg 98
to inhibit pin 186
from being removed once end 190 is fully inserted through the exit hole. To
facilitate passage of
marginally larger catch 189 through the exit hole, end 190 may be tapered. To
further facilitate
passage of catch 189, end 190 may have at least one and preferably three
partially transverse
allots 192 emanating from a central longitudinal axis of pin 186. Each slot
192 is preferably
uniformly angularly di:~placed from the another. As marginally larger end 190
is inserted
through the exit of hole 800, slots 19'2 permit end 190 to narrow facilitating
passage of catch
1.89, therethrough. Slotted pin 186 may be made of a resilient material such
as a plastic so that
e,nd 190 returns to its original shape c>nce it passes through the exit of
hole 800 and catch 189
inhibits removal of pin 186.
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Caster plugs 804 receive caster;; 96 to permit rolling movement of barbeque 60
as
described above. As with the description of leg extensions 114, a description
for the attachment
of one caster plug 804 :is provided and applies to the attachment of all
caster plugs 804.
The configuration and installation of caster plug 804 is similar to that of
the plug end 790
of leg extension 114, acid the description above for plug end 790
substantially applies to caster
plug 804. As with leg extension 114, caster plug 804 has a shoulder 806 to
inhibit further
insertion of the caster plug 804 into the void (not shown) in base end 110 of
leg member 98.
',ihoulder 806 is preferably of sufficient: thickness to prevent deformation
of shoulder when in
use. For example a shoulder thickness of may be used. Unlike leg extension
114, caster plug
has an axial bore 808 for receiving a caster post 810 of a standard caster,
for example caster 96.
,axial bore 808 may have a circumferential rib (not shown) for engaging a
corresponding
c;ircumferential groove 812 of caster post 810 to inhibit removal of caster
post 810. Caster plug
804 may be further retained using a slotted pin 186 in substantially the same
manner as described
i:or retention of the leg extension 114. The general configuration of caster
plug 804 may also be
~raried to accommodate: leg members of different cross-sectional shapes. For
example, a caster
plug (not shown) may he configured for use with rectangular leg member 98'.
If casters 96 or leg extensions 114 are attached to the same leg members to
which tank
base 92 is attached (not shown), then slotted pins 186 may perform the
additional function of
securing tank base 92 to the adjacent leg members 98, 100. In this
configuration, slotted pins
186 are installed in a similar manner as. described above, except each pin 186
also engages a
conduit 170 of tank base 92, as described below.
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To attach tank base 92 to leg members 98, 100, each leg member 98, 100 is
inserted
through a respective conduit 170 attached to or, preferably, integrally formed
with base 92.
(conduits 170 preferably have a lateral moss-section substantially equal to or
larger than the size
and shape of the lateral cross-section oar the respective leg members 98, 100.
This permits the leg
members to be inserted through the conduits 170. If the cross-sections of the
conduits 170 and
leg members 98, 100 are substantially the same size, then a friction fit may
be formed between
the each conduit 170 and leg member 98, 100. To position tank base 92, the
conduits 170, may
be moved along leg members 98, 10(1. C",onduits 170 are attached to leg
members 98, 100 using
:;lotted pins 186 in substantially the same manner as described above for
attaching strut 118 to
leg members 98, 100, with the additional step of inserting leg extensions 114
or caster plugs 804
before inserting pin 18(i.
WIIPPtC
Refernng to Figures 40, 41, 42 and 43, wheels 94 may be attached to legs 98
and 100 of a
support member, such as support member Ei4. Each wheel 94 is attached to a leg
member 98 or
1.00 in substantially the same manner. 'The description of the attachment of
wheel 94 to leg
member 98 applies to the attachment of other wheels 94 to other leg members,
such as leg
member 78.
Wheel 94 may attached to leg rrmmber 98 using an axle, such as axle pin 814,
inserted
through hole 800 in leg member 98. This may be the same hole used to retain
caster plugs 804
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and leg extensions 114. Once attached, wheel 94 may freely rotate about axle
pin 814 to
facilitate moving of barbeque 60, as described above.
Wheel 94 is attached to leg member by first inserting an end 816 of axle pin
814 into an
;axial bore 818 passing through wheel 94. Once inserted through bore 818, end
816 is received
lby entry 800a, passes through the void in the hollow leg member 98, and
extends through the
exit of hole 800 hole. Further insertions of axle pin 814 is inhibited by a
circumferential shoulder
820 which has a larger diameter than entry hole 800a, and abuts leg 98 or 100.
Wheel 94 is
retained by axle pin 814 with an axle head 822 at an end of axle pin 814
opposite to insertion end
816. Head 822 is larger than hole 8(?0. The displacement along axle 814
between shoulder 820
sand head 822 is preferably marginally ;greater than the length of bore 818.
This permits free
movement of wheel 94 about axle 8 I4, while discouraging binding of the walls
of bore 818 on
.axle 814.
Referring additionally to Figure, 42, axle 814 may be secured in place with an
axle
~~ecuring apparatus such as an axle locks 824. Axle lock 824 has a body 826
that is preferably
~~imilar in shape to caster plug 804 but has a transverse, generally C-shaped
channel 828 at an
~~nd thereof for engaging a securing povrtion 830 of axle pin 814. Securing
portion 830 is located
lbetween end 816 and shoulder 820 of axle pin 814. Because channel 828 is C-
shaped it
lpreferably forms a snap fit with axle pin 814.
Axle lock 824 is attached by first inserting C-shaped channel 828 into the
void of hollow
leg member 98. The C-shaped channel is aligned and brought into contact with
securing portion
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830 of axle 814. As increased force is applied to axle lock 824 to urge
securing portion 830 into
channel 828, resilient edges 832 of channel 828 part to permit securing
portion 830 to enter
channel 828. Resilient edges 832 then return to their initial position to
retain securing portion
830 within channel 828. To further inhibit movement of axle pin 814 along its
longitudinal axis,
securing portion 830 may be provided with a groove in the nature of a
circumferential groove
834 that receives a stop in the nature of an arcuate rib 836 of channel 828.
Axle lock 824 is preferably constructed from a resilient plastic or metal. If
axle lock 824
is made of a plastic them body 826 may have a cross-section marginally larger
than the cross-
section of the void in leg member 98 so that axle lock 824 may be better
retained therein. As the
marginally larger axle lock 824 is inserted into the void of leg member 98,
edges 832 of the void
entrance preferably engage and peel back or otherwise remove peripheral
portions of body 826
before it is able to enter the void. While this installation may require added
force to be applied to
axle lock 824, it may lead to a more precise mating of the axle lock 824 and
the void.
As illustrated in Figures 43A arid 43B, alternative axle locks, such as axle
lock 824', may
be configured to fit voids in legs 98, 100 having alternative cross-sections
such as a rectangular
cross-section.
If wheel 94 is attached to a leg member 98 or 100 which also supports tank
base 92, then
axle pin 814 is installed in a manner similar to that described above for
attachment of the leg
c;xtension 114 and caster plug 804. In particular, axle pin 814 is inserted
additionally through
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conduit entry hole 174a and exit hole 17~4b to also retain conduit 170 about
leg member 98 or
100.
Wheel bore 818 may be protectc:<i to some degree from dirt and other matter
that may
interfere with the rotation of wheel 94 about axle pin 814. For example, a
cover in the nature of
a~ circular hub cap 838 may be attached to head 822 of axle pin 814 to inhibit
passage of matter
t~etween axle 814 and bore 818. Head 8'?2 may have a circumferential flange
840 for
c,ngagement by a hub cap clip 842 having two or more arms 844 which protrude
from a side of
hub cap 838. Arms 841 extend in the same general direction, normal to the
plane of hub cap
838, and may have protrusions 846 at their distal or free ends 848 for
engaging flange 840 of
head 822. Arms 844 may be located to engage flange 840 while being generally
equidistant
from one another and generally equidistant from the axis of hub cap 838. Free
ends 848 are
preferably resilient to permit grasping of flange 840, as described below.
Hub cap 838 may be attached to head 822 by bringing free ends 848 into
alignment with
the periphery of pin head flange 840. The protrusions 846 extend from free
ends 848 generally
toward the axis of hub c:ap 838, and inhibit passage of flange 840
therebetween. In this
orientation the axes of axle pin 814 and hub cap 838 are generally collinear.
A force may be
applied to hub cap 838 in the direction of axle pin 814 and along its axis to
cause free ends 848
to bend away from each other as protrusions 846 pass over flange 840. Once
protrusions 846
clear flange 840, resilient ends 848 return to their initial shape and
protrusions 846 are adjacent
to or abut a side of flan,~e 840 to inhibit hub cap 838 from being separated
from axle 814. To
further inhibit passage of matter betwecw axle pin 814 and bore 818, hub cap
838 may have at
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least one circumferential flange 850 for engagement by a corresponding
circumferential groove
852 of wheel 94.
All components of barbeque fi0, as described above, are preferably made of
weather
resistant material and/or heat resistant material, as appropriate.
Assembly
The following generally describes the preferred steps that a consumer would be
required
to follow to assemble a barbeque 60. In many cases the order of these steps
may be varied from
that described, but to substantially the same effect as the preferred order.
Particular details
regarding the assembly of components may be found in the appropriate
descriptions above. To
minimize the skill required for assembly and to eliminate the need for any
tools, a number of
components may be pre-assembled b~;f~re they are made available for purchase
by consumers.
For example, bridging members 102 and 104 may be welded to legs 98 and 100,
and beam
connection members, such as beam cormection member 116, may also be pre-
assembled to legs
~)8 and 100 to form ladder-like supports 62 and 64. Control valves 730 and 356
may be installed
within console body 734, handle 582 m.ay be attached to upper casting 76, and
wheels 94 and
casters 96 (or leg extensions 114) may be attached to legs 98 and 100. While a
partially pre-
assembled barbeque 60 may occupy a greater volume than a conventional
unassembled
barbeque, the potential corresponding increase in labour and shipping costs,
will generally be
nominal.
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In the preferred method of assembly of barbeque 60, the ladder-like supports
62 and 64
~~re placed on a generally level surfacewith free ends 204 and 206 of
supporting portion 340 and
1.98 pointing generally upwards. Shelves 68 and 70 may then be assembled
thereon in the
manner described above to form a snap fit. A snap fit may be achieved by
manually exerting a
force in a generally downward direction at an edge of the shelves 68, 70
opposite the direction of
insertion D. If applicable, shelf frame :I72 and or burner frame 436 may be
similarly installed.
Support members 62 acrd 64 may then be oriented on the .flat surface with base
ends 110 and 112
pointing upwards with support members 62 and 64 supported by shelves 68 and
70. Beam
receptacles 84 and 86 may then be oriented towards each other. Ends 92 of
cross beam 66 may
be inserted into the respective receptacles 84 and 86 with the threaded
bushings 102 of cross
team 66 aligned with holes 100. Holes 100 receive screws 96, which may be
inserted in a
generally downward direction, and which may be manually tightened to secure
beam ends 92 to
receptacles 84 and 86, i:n the manner described above. The rigid three-sided
structure, having
two ladder-like supports 62 and 64, ancf a cross beam 66, may be re-oriented
so that the support
members 62 and 64 rest on their base ends 110 and 112 (or wheels 94, casters
96, and/or leg
extensions 114, if pre-assembled). If'shelves 68' and 70' are configured with
removable tray
members 370, the removable members 370 may be placed within frames 372 and
encouraged to
frictionally or snap fit within frame 372 by application of a downward force
thereon when they
~u-e aligned within frame 372. If a gravity fit is used, the removable members
370 need only be
placed within frame 372 in a downward direction.
Front panel 72 may then be assembled between support members 62 and 64. In the
present state of assembly, there may be some play in supports 62 and 64. This
play permits
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bridging members 102 and 104 to be moved away from one another. The
displacement of
bridging members 102 and 104 permits mounting pins 546 to be consecutively
mounted into
their respective mounting holes 550 in the leg members 98 and 100. Support
members 62 and 64
may then be returned to their original position to retain pins 546 in holes
550. Once the pins 546
acre located, panel 72 may be pivoted about pins 546 into position as mounting
clips 552 are
<.snapped in place onto their respective legs 98 and 100.
Alternatively, front panel 72 may be installed by concurrently sliding both
clips 552 onto
legs 98 and 100. Clips 552 may then be slid into place and mounting pins 546
can then be
inserted into their respective holes 550. This mounting method for panel 72
may be preferable
over the former method if the clip 552 is mounted at a mid-point of clip 552,
making it difficult
to bend a free ends 556 of clip 552 sufficiently to permit passage of leg
member 98, 100 into clip
'.i 52.
The next step in assembling barbeque 60 is attaching console 86 to the
bridging members
'.102 and 104 in the manner described above. In particular, the console 86 is
placed onto tabs 750
and 752 so that slots 764 receive a corresponding tab '750 and 752. Bolt 774
may then be
secured by manually inserting it into hale 772 and tightening it in threaded
bore 770. In the
preferred orientation of bore 770, bolt '~ 74 may be installed horizontally.
This step may be
alternatively be completed after installation of the lower casting 68, or any
of the components
thereof.
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Tapered guide posts 620 of lower casting 68 may then be aligned with and
inserted into
guide bores 622. The lower casting (i8 may be retained by a generally downward
insertion and
manual tightening of bolts 254 through casting bores 258 and into threaded
bores 256. If post
612' is used then nut 610' is tightened an to post 612' in a generally
downward direction. Burner
80 may then be installed in the manner described above. In particular, burner
80 may be placed
within lower casting 68, and free ends 6'74 of each duct 672 are inserted
through separate burner
duct passages 316 and 318. Support members 646 are then inserted and secured
within openings
~i58 by applying a generally downward farce to form a snap fit with lower
casting 68.
If not pre-installed, the components of the ignition assembly may be installed
by
i°astening, for example with bolts or screws, the igniter activation
assembly 690 to the concave
side of console 86. Igniter activation knob 692, is attached to igniter
activation assembly 690
from the convex side of console 86. Tlie igniter activation assembly 690 is
then connected to
igniter 688 via igniter wire 694. Igniter 694 may be clipped or otherwise
attached to burner 80.
In the next step of assembly of lbarbeque 60, support struts 704 are placed
onto fins 706,
and one or more openings 702 of angled bars 88 are placed over locating tabs
346 of the support
struts 704. One or more grill plates 82 may then be placed to be supported by
ledges 718. The
hinge bolts 572 of upper casting 76 are aligned and slidingly engaged with
receiving members
574 and 576 of the lower casting 68, and may then be retained by clip 578.
Cantilevered
warming rack 84 may then be installed by inserting mounting pins 722 into
mounting pin holes
'l24 located in upper casting 76. Once the pins 722 are inserted, toes 726 of
warming rack
support legs 408 may be inserted into toe holes 728 or may rest in rebates
(not shown) located in
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edges 240 of lower casting 68. If not pre-installed, handle 582 may be
attached through holes
>90 in upper casting 7E1, using hand tightened bolts 588, and temperature
gauge 594 may be
attached through holes 595 in upper casting 76, using hand tightened wing nuts
592. If
applicable, shelf tray 3'70, shelf slats 4(18, and/or the elements of burner
222 or 222' may be
attached in the manner described above;. Finally, tank 90 may be placed in
base 92, and attached
t:o a fuel connector, which is tightened manually. If an alternate fuel source
is used, this may be
attached to control valves 730, 732.
As will be noted from the abovt~ description, the method of assembly described
above
permits most of the barbeque components to be conveniently installed from a
generally top down
or horizontal direction. Installation of components requiring fastening from a
bottom up
direction is limited.
It will be understood by those. skilled in the art that this description is
made with
reference to the illustrative embodiments and methods, and that it is possible
to make other
embodiments and to make use of other methods, while employing the principles
of the invention
1 S ~Nhich fall within the spirit and scope thereof: For example, various
embodiments of a barbeque
of the present invention may include different combinations of the alternative
embodiments of
i:he component parts thereof.
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