US4232653A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Wood-burning furnace
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1979-03-08
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Granted: 1980-11-11
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Expires: 1999-03-08
Abstract
Abstract A wood-burning furnace including a combustion chamber having a novel combustion air distribution system including jets whereby air is delivered only to a limited portion of the area of the fire bed, and whereby clogging of the jets by the large quantities of wood ash is prevented, the combustion air being delivered by a thermostatically controlled blower and damper system such that the heat delivered by the furnace may be controlled and regulated with substantially the same degree of accuracy as that obtainable with gaseous and liquid fuels.
Inventors
- 👤 James H. Otterpohl
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 14:47
CPC Classifications
F; F24; F24B; F24B5/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
160 words
A wood-burning furnace comprising: a. a furnace body providing a combustion chamber for receiving wood to be burned, b. an open-work grate forming the floor of said combustion chamber for supporting said wood, c. an ash pit disposed beneath said combustion chamber and communicating therewith through said grate, d. air supply means operable to supply combustion air to said ash pit, beneath said grate, said combustion chamber and ash pit being otherwise sealed against the entry of air, and e. thermostatically actuated control means, responsive to the air temperature in a comfort zone to be heated by said furnace, to regulate said air supply means to supply air at a rate sufficient to support full combustion of said wood when said control means calls for heat, and to regulate said air supply means to supply air at a rate sufficient only to maintain combustion of said wood at a minimum rate when said control means does not call for heat.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
160 words
A wood-burning furnace comprising: a. a furnace body providing a combustion chamber for receiving wood to be burned, b. an open-work grate forming the floor of said combustion chamber for supporting said wood, c. an ash pit disposed beneath said combustion chamber and communicating therewith through said grate, d. air supply means operable to supply combustion air to said ash pit, beneath said grate, said combustion chamber and ash pit being otherwise sealed against the entry of air, and e. thermostatically actuated control means, responsive to the air temperature in a comfort zone to be heated by said furnace, to regulate said air supply means to supply air at a rate sufficient to support full combustion of said wood when said control means calls for heat, and to regulate said air supply means to supply air at a rate sufficient only to maintain combustion of said wood at a minimum rate when said control means does not call for heat.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
A furnace as recited in claim 1 wherein said air supply means is operable to direct air upwardly toward said grate primarily only over a restricted portion of the total horizontal area of said grate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
A furnace as recited in claim 1 wherein said air delivery means is operable to inject air into said ash pit beneath said grate, as horizontally directed jets, and with the addition of deflector members operable to divert said horizontal air jets upwardly toward said grate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
119 words
A furnace as recited in claim 1 wherein said air delivery means comprises: a. a pipe operable to conduct air into said ash pit, beneath said grate and in the upper portion of said ash pit, said pipe having orifices formed therein operable to direct jets of air horizontally outwardly from said pipe, and b. a deflector plate disposed in horizontally outwardly spaced relation from each of said pipe orifices, and curved to divert the air jet emerging from said orifice upwardly toward said grate, the space between each of said pipe orifices and its associated deflector plate being vertically open whereby ashes passing through said grate may fall freely therethrough to the lower portion of said ash pit.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
A furnace as recited in claim 4 wherein said deflector plates are arranged to divert said air jets upwardly toward said grate primarily only over a restricted portion of the total horizontal area of said grate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
85 words
A furnace as recited in claim 1 wherein said control means comprises: a. a conduit interconnecting said air supply means to the exterior atmosphere, b. a blower disposed in said conduit and operable when actuated to impel air through said conduit, and c. thermostatic means responsive to the air temperature in a comfort zone to be heated by said furnace to actuate said blower when said thermostatic means calls for heat, and to deactuate said blower whenever said thermostatic means does not call for heat.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
72 words
A furnace as recited in claim 6 with the addition of damper means disposed in said conduit, and being operable automatically to open, whenever said blower is actuated, to pass air at a rate sufficient to support full combustion of the wood in said combustion chamber, and to close, whenever said blower is deactuated, to pass air at a rate sufficient only to support combustion of said wood at a minimum rate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
71 words
A furnace as recited in claim 7 wherein said damper means comprises: a. a main damper operable to open, and close substantially completely, automatically in response to actuation and deactuation of said blower, and b. a continuously open supplemental damper, of sufficient air capacity only to support minimum combustion of the wood when said blower is not actuated, and operable to admit air to the conduit downstream from said main damper.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
A furnace as recited in claim 8 with the addition of means operable to adjust the air flow capacity of said supplemental damper.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1983-11-11 | 1984-05-12 | 1984-11-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1987-11-11 | 1988-05-12 | 1988-11-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1991-11-11 | 1992-05-12 | 1992-11-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |