Wood burning heater

Claim 2

A heater adapted to burn wood, coal or other solid fuel, and comprising: a. a hollow vertically elongated combustion chamber adapted to contain said solid fuel to be burned, and having combustion air inlet and outlet openings both disposed at or closely adjacent the top thereof, but being otherwise Sealed, and b. a blower fan operable to introduce a current of air into said combustion chamber through said inlet opening to supply oxygen for the combustion of said fuel, said fuel being initially ignited by other means.

Claim 3

A heater as recited in claim 1 wherein said air inlet opening is configurated to direct said entering air in a horizontally whirling vortex pattern within said combustion chamber.

Claim 4

A heater as recited in claim 1 with the addition of regulating means operable to vary the quantity of air entering said combustion chamber through said inlet opening.

Claim 5

A heater as recited in claim 3 wherein said regulating means constitutes a damper door operable to adjust the effective area of said inlet opening.

Claim 6

A heater as recited in claim 4 with the addition of an outer heater housing surrounding said combustion chamber with an air space therebetween open to the surrounding atmosphere, and wherein said blower fan is operable to draw air from the surrounding atmosphere and to circulate it through said air space and return it to said atmosphere, a proportion of the air determined by the effective area of said inlet opening being delivered to said combustion chamber through said inlet opening.

Claim 7

A heater as recited in claim 3 wherein said regulating means is manually operable.

Claim 8

A heater as recited in claim 4 wherein said damper door is manually operable.

Claim 9

A heater as recited in claim 1 with the addition of regulating means operable to control said blower fan, and comprising: a. a thermostatic device operable respectively to actuate and deactuate said blower fan as the temperature of the space being heated respectively falls below or rises above the setting thereof.

Claim 10

A heater as recited in claim 8 wherein said regulating means additionally includes a second thermostatic device mounted directly adjacent said combustion chamber so as to be warmed by heat radiating therefrom, and disposed also adjacent said fan and directly in the path of air delivered by said fan, whereby to be cooled thereby, said second thermostatic device being operable, whenever said blower fan is deactuated by said first-named thermostatic device, to overrule said first-named thermostatic device to actuate and deactuate said fan when the temperature thereof respectively rises above or falls below the setting thereof, whereby said fan is alternately actuated by residual heat radiating from said combustion chamber, and deactuated by cooling air delivered by said fan, and hence operates intermittently to maintain minimal combustion in said chamber at all times said fan would normally be deactuated by said first-named thermostatic device.

Claim 11

A heater as recited in claim 9 with the addition of a manually movable damper door operable to vary the effective area of said inlet opening.

Claim 12

A heater as recited in claim 1 with the addition of regulating means operable to vary the quantity of air entering said combustion chamber through said inlet opening, and comprising: a. an adjustable damper door regulating the effective area of said inlet opening, and b. a thermostat device disposed externally of said combustion chamber in the path of air delivered by said fan, and operable to open said damper door wider responsively to a falling air temperature, and to move said door toward a closed position responsively to a rising air temperature.

Claim 13

A heater as recited in claim 11 wherein said damper door has a small aperture formed therethrough, whereby to admit sufficient air to said combustion chamber to maintain minimal combustion therein even when said door is completely closed by said thermostat device.