Heating accessory for use with fireplaces

Claim 1

A forced air heating system for placement within and forwardly adjacent a conventional fireplace opening, said fireplace having a pair of side walls, a bottom wall and a back wall, said system comprising, an elongate heat exchanger for placement lengthwise along the back wall of a fireplace rearward of a heat source, said heat exchanger defining a plenum therewithin for the reception of a pressurized flow of air, a heat exchanger base plate for the reception of a superimposed fireplace grate, an upright heat exchanger wall integral with said base plate and partially defining said plenum, an air intake structure disposed exteriorly adjacent the fireplace opening and including a fan and motor assembly, a collar located adjacent one end of the air intake structure, an air exhaust structure also disposed exteriorly adjacent the fireplace opening oppositely from the air intake structure, a collar located adjacent one end of the air exhaust structure, said air intake and exhaust structures having corresponding external wall members of identical configuration and appearance rendering the structures identical in appearance, and air duct means extending intermediate said intake structure and heat exchanger and intermediate the latter and the air exhaust structure in detachable connection to the collars of each said structures whereby the air duct means may be detached from the air intake and air exhaust structures permitting the latter to be interchanged for one another to reverse the flow of heated air therethrough for optimum room heating without altering the appearance of the heating system.