Wood and coal burning heating method and apparatus

Claim 3

The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of providing separate primary and secondary air supply paths to said fuel combustion chamber for burning wood, and restricting said air flow in said primary path to said fuel combustion chamber according to said inserting step, to less than one-third of the otherwise available air flow from said inlet port for burning wood.

Claim 4

A heating apparatus for burning wood and for burning coal comprising a heat conducting frame member having front, side, and back vertical wall panels, a top panel, and a bottom panel for enclosing a defined volume, a fireback, at least one removable plate for defining in combination with said fireback and at least one of said wall panels a first air supply network for providing air from an inlet port in said frame member to a fuel holding combustion chamber, said air supply network having a first enclosed enlongated path for supplying air at a first side of the apparatus to said fuel holding combustion chamber, said frame member having a flue gas exit aperture in gaseous communication with said fuel holding combustion chamber, and removable restriction means having in an operating position structural connection with said removable plate and with at least one wall of said frame member and having a slot therein, said restriction means interfering in said first enclosed elongated path at a position which is interior of said frame member, and prior to supplying air to said fuel holding chamber, for restricting at said position along said first enclosed elongated path the available cross-sectional area of said enclosed elongated path for controlling the air flow volume through said first path.

Claim 5

A heating apparatus for burning wood and for burning coal comprising a heat conducting frame member having front, side, and back vertical wall panels, a top panel, and a bottom panel for enclosing a defined volume, a fireback, at least one removable plate for defining in combination with said fireback and at least one of said wall panels a first air supply network for providing air from an inlet port in said frame member to a fuel holding combustion chamber, said air supply network having a first enclosed enlongated path for supplying air at a first side of the apparatus to said fuel holding combustion chamber, said frame member having a flue gas exit aperture in gaseous communication with said fuel holding combustion chamber, and removable restriction means having in an operating position structural connection with said removable plate and with at least one wall of said frame member and having a slot therein, said restriction means interfering in said first enclosed elongated path at a position which is interior of said frame member, and prior to supplying air to said fuel holding chamber, for restricting at said position along said first enclosed elongated path the available cross-sectional area of said enclosed elongated path for controlling the air flow volume through said first path.

Claim 6

The heating apparatus of claim 3 wherein said removable restriction means comprises an element for controlling the flow through said first elongated path and wherein said element is integral with said plate.

Claim 7

The heating apparatus of claim 4 wherein said air supply network further comprises a second enclosed path defined by and between a said second removable plate, said fireback, a substantially horizontally directed baffle element, and said frame member, for supplying air from said inlet port to a second side of said apparatus, a second removable restriction means for controlling passage of air in said second enclosed path, and said second restriction means have a first element integral with said second plate and a second element integral with said baffle element.

Claim 8

The heating apparatus of claim 4 wherein said first elongated path at said first restriction means has a cross-sectional area less than one-third the cross-sectional area of said inlet port.

Claim 9

The heating apparatus of claim 6 wherein said first elongated path has a cross-sectional area, at said first restriction means, less than two square inches.

Claim 10

The heating apparatus of claim 7 wherein said first elongated path has a cross-sectional area, at said first restriction means, of about 0.8 square inches.

Claim 11

The heating apparatus of claim 6 wherein said second elongated path at said second restriction means has a cross-sectional area less than one-half the cross-sectional area of said first elongated path at said first restriction means.

Claim 12

The heating apparatus of claim 9 wherein said second enclosed path has a cross-sectional area at said second restriction means of approximately 0.25 square inches.

Claim 13

A heating apparatus for burning wood and for burning coal comprising a heat conducting frame member having front, side, and back vertical wall panels, a top panel, and a bottom panel for enclosing a defined volume, an inlet port in said frame member, a fireback, at least one removable wear plate for defining, in combination with said fireback and said frame member, in a first wood burning operating condition, a primary combustion chamber, and further for defining with said fireback and at least one wall panel of said frame member, a primary air supply path to said primary combustion chamber, said primary air supply path being an enclosed elongated path for supplying air from said inlet port to the primary combustion chamber at a first side of the apparatus, said frame member having a flue gas exit aperture for combusted gases, and first removable restriction means having in one operating position structural connection with said wear plate and with at least one wall of said frame member and having a slot therein, said restriction means having, an interference relationship with said enclosed primary air supply path at a position interior of said frame member, and prior to supplying air to said primary combustion chamber, for restricting the quantity of air flow through said enclosed primary air supply path, whereby, in said first position, said apparatus operates to burn wood and whereby with said restriction means removed from the interfering relationship, said heating apparatus operates to burn coal.

Claim 14

A heating apparatus for burning wood and for burning coal comprising a heat conducting frame member having front, side, and back vertical wall panels, a top panel, and a bottom panel for enclosing a defined volume, an inlet port in said frame member, a fireback, at least one removable wear plate for defining, in combination with said fireback and said frame member, in a first wood burning operating condition, a primary combustion chamber, and further for defining with said fireback and at least one wall panel of said frame member, a primary air supply path to said primary combustion chamber, said primary air supply path being an enclosed elongated path for supplying air from said inlet port to the primary combustion chamber at a first side of the apparatus, said frame member having a flue gas exit aperture for combusted gases, and first removable restriction means having in one operating position structural connection with said wear plate and with at least one wall of said frame member and having a slot therein, said restriction means having, an interference relationship with said enclosed primary air supply path at a position interior of said frame member, and prior to supplying air to said primary combustion chamber, for restricting the quantity of air flow through said enclosed primary air supply path, whereby, in said first position, said apparatus operates to burn wood and whereby with said restriction means removed from the interfering relationship, said heating apparatus operates to burn coal.

Claim 15

The heating apparatus of claim 11 wherein said removable restriction means comprises a plate-like element integral with said wear plate, and wherein said apparatus further comprises a secondary air supply path substantially defined by a second wear plate, said fireback, and said frame member, said secondary air supply path having an enclosed elongated path for supplying air from said inlet port to a second side of said apparatus, a second restriction means for restricting passage of air in said secondary air supply path, and said second restriction means being at least partially integral with said second wear plate.

Claim 16

The heating apparatus of claim 12 wherein said primary air path at said first restriction means has a cross-sectional area less than one-third the cross-sectional area of said inlet port.

Claim 17

The heating apparatus of claim 13 wherein said primary air path has a cross-sectional area, at said first restriction means, less than two square inches.

Claim 18

The heating apparatus of claim 14 wherein said primary air path has a cross-sectional area, at said first restriction means, of about 0.8 square inches.

Claim 19

The heating apparatus of claim 13 wherein said secondary air path at said second restriction means has a cross-sectional area less than one-half the cross-sectional area of said primary air path at said first restriction means.

Claim 20

The heating apparatus of claim 16 wherein said secondary air path has a cross-sectional area at said second restriction means of approximately 0.25 square inches.

Claim 21

A heating apparatus for burning wood and coal comprising a heat conducting frame member having front, side, and back vertical wall panels, a top panel, and a bottom panel for enclosing a defined volume, an inlet port in said frame member back panel, a removable fireback, a plurality of removable wear plates having an operative condition within the defined volume and an inoperative condition outside the defined volume, said wear plates, in said operative condition, defining, in combination with said fireback and at least one of said wall panels, an air supply network for providing air from said inlet port in said frame member to a fuel holding combustion chamber, said air supply network having a first enclosed elongated path for supplying air at a first side of said apparatus to said fuel holding combustion chamber and a second enclosed elongated path for supplying air at a second side of said apparatus to said fuel holding combustion chamber, said frame member having a flue gas exit aperture in gaseous communication with said fuel holding combustion chamber, each said wear plate further having integral therewith a restriction element extending, when said wear plates are in said operative condition, into said first and second elongated paths respectively for controlling and reducing an otherwise available flow of air through said first and second elongated paths respectively, whereby said plate-like elements control the flow of air from said inlet port to said fuel holding combustion chamber when said wear plates are in an operative condition.

Claim 22

A heating apparatus for burning wood and coal comprising a heat conducting frame member having front, side, and back vertical wall panels, a top panel, and a bottom panel for enclosing a defined volume, an inlet port in said frame member back panel, a removable fireback, a plurality of removable wear plates having an operative condition within the defined volume and an inoperative condition outside the defined volume, said wear plates, in said operative condition, defining, in combination with said fireback and at least one of said wall panels, an air supply network for providing air from said inlet port in said frame member to a fuel holding combustion chamber, said air supply network having a first enclosed elongated path for supplying air at a first side of said apparatus to said fuel holding combustion chamber and a second enclosed elongated path for supplying air at a second side of said apparatus to said fuel holding combustion chamber, said frame member having a flue gas exit aperture in gaseous communication with said fuel holding combustion chamber, each said wear plate further having integral therewith a restriction element extending, when said wear plates are in said operative condition, into said first and second elongated paths respectively for controlling and reducing an otherwise available flow of air through said first and second elongated paths respectively, whereby said plate-like elements control the flow of air from said inlet port to said fuel holding combustion chamber when said wear plates are in an operative condition.