Fuel-saving fireplace screen unit

Claim 1

A portable fireplace screen unit comprising imperforate central panel means including a transparent glass pane, said panel means having a top, a bottom and opposite sides, the top being spaced sufficiently above the bottom and the sides spaced sufficiently apart so that said imperforate panel means will close the opening of a conventional fireplace when placed in a confronting position thereagainst, said bottom constituting an uninterrupted straight edge for contacting the hearth of a fireplace, first and second perforate wing panel means, each having a top, a bottom and opposite sides, first hinge means pivotally connecting one side of said perforate panel means to one side of said imperforate panel means so that said first perforate panel means can be freely pivoted into angular relationships to either side of a planar relationship with said imperforate central panel means, and second hinge means pivotally connecting one side of said second perforate means to the other side of said imperforate panel means so that said second perforate panel means can be freely pivoted into angular relationships to either side of a planar relationship with said imperforate central panel means, the bottoms of said first and second wing panel means also constituting uninterrupted straight edges for contacting the hearth of a fireplace and being at the same general elevation as the edge of the bottom of said central panel means, whereby with the bottom edge of said central panel means resting on said hearth both of said perforate panel means can be swung into angles extending toward the fireplace so as to maintain said imperforate panel means away from the fireplace to permit a substantial flow of air through the fireplace opening and swung into angles extending away from the fireplace so as to maintain said imperforate panel means in its said confronting position with the fireplace to prevent substantial flow of air through said opening.