US2499156A - Fireplace - Google Patents

Description

P. PAOLELLA Feeb. 2, 1956 FIREPLACE Filed April 11, 1946 Fatented Feb. 28,- 1950 F iE A Philip Paolella, Hamden, Conn lassig ticrete Corporation, Hamden, Conn.,

' tion of Connecticut l 4 Claims.

. L This invention relates to fireplaces, and more particularly to those intended for outdoor use and constructed of blocks of suitable material such as concrete. i i

One object of the invention is to provide a fireplace structure that can be set up very readily and will serve satisfactorily either as a grill or as an incinerator. l

. Another object is to, provide a fireplace thatcan be set up very quicklyand conveniently, no spe-, cial skill being required. i I Another object is to provide an improved form and arrangement of blocks in fireplaces.

,- In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is av perspective view of afireplace embodyingthe invention; a Fig; 2- is a perspective view similar to Fig.1, with certain of the blocks removed; l ,Fig. 3, is an exploded view in perspective, show! ing all parts of the fireplace with the .exception of the screen;

Fig. 4 is a detail section on and Fig. 5 is a detail or grate. i

Inthe form of fireplace selectedforillustration, the structure'is one. in which blocks or elements of suitable material, such as concrete, areiassembled in a predeterminedarrangementwithout requiring the .use of mortar or cement. Mortar perspective view of the screen or cement may, of.course, be used if desired,

but ordinarilythe weight of theelements isisufiicientto hold them against dislocation. In general character the structure is that of a shortrectangular chimney or flue that is open at the topand closed at the bottom except for a draft opening at the lower front portion. A screenor grate element may be set within thebody of thefireplace, as. hereinafter described, the screen being particularly useful when the structure is .usedas an outdoor grill or as a trash incinerator. The body of the structure, having the characterpreviously mentioned, is preferably set on a suitable base or foundation. In the form shown,

the base is made up of a number of tiles or bricks furnished as a part of the fireplace, said tiles or, bricks being set on the ground side by side ,without the use of mortar, and the remaining structure of the unit being erected upon the base bylaying theblocks in prescribed positions and inserting the screen. r v

, ,In the drawings, the base is indicated at ID, the fireplace body at H, the lower front draft opening at l2, the open top portion at l3, and the or to Blasa corpora:

' Application April 11, 194e, Serial No. 661,269 I (cli zsei screen at H. Thebody consists of ablocl: layer orcourse [5, set upon the base Ill, upon which block layer are set additional layers I6, I! and I8. Inthe particularform shown, the screen It is set inctheupper open end portion of the layer [7. In this particular case, the layer [5 is made up of ltwohblocks of special-angular formation, and the layer I6 is made up of twoblocks of anotherand difierent angularform.v The layers I1 and 18 are made up of elements similar to those used in layer lfi. e

The base It] shown in the drawings .consists of four relatively shallow bricks or tiles [9, the same being arranged side by side and in crosswise fashion with respect to the body I I, and being of a length somewhat greater than the width; of the body l l.-. i

Thelayer I5 is made up of two elements or blocks 20, best shown in Fig. 3, the two being identical and of a structure such that when set together they close the lower part of the body H except-for the draft opening 12, which; draft openingnis created between opposing portien of the: blocks.

In the particular form shown, the body II. is 17 inches wide and 24, inches long, the opening l2 being in one of the shorter faces. The courses l5, 16, 1|! andslfl are each of a height of 8 inches, The block elements in these layers all have a wall thicknessiof substantially '2 inches. These, di", mensions'and those hereafter mentioned. are referred tov by way of example only, and it is,un,. derstood that I do not limit myself to any particular dimensions.

The course 16 is made up of two blocks 2i, these blocks being identical. "Similar blocks 2i are used in the upper two courses, the arrangement being clear from Fig. 3. Boththe blocks Zfiand the blocks 2| areof angular form, as will be apparent from the-drawings, each, of the same having a main-portion or body extending along a face of the fireplacethrough out-the length of said face and also having angularly set terminals, the terminals being of unequal length. .The blocksZll have their body portions extending longitudinally of the fireplace body and have long terminals 26*?- at the rearand short terminal'sili at the front. The blocks 2| on the other hand have their body portions disposed at the front and rear faces of the fireplace, and each of said blocks has a long terminal 2!? atone side of the structure and a short terminal 2| at the other side. Referring to Fig.3, it will be noted that the right-handbloclejfl is identical with the left; hand block,but is in inverted relationship. Similarly it, willbe noted that in thecourse next above (measuring to the outer corner), and the terminals 2(l have a length of 3 inches at the outside (measuring to the outer corner). Thus in the case illustrated the draft opening 12 has a width of approximately inches. The terminals 2| have a length of 17% inches in this 01 the block in 4 one place to another as convenience may dictate. The fireplace is also quite inexpensive. In making the fireplaces in quantity it is merely necessary to provide, in addition to the screen having the positioning rods or lugs, blocks of concrete or like material. There are relatively few forms or patterns of blocks required, one being adapted for .use in the base or foundation, one being used-in the bottom course, and a third form or pattern being used in the upper courses. Each course is made up of two blocks only, the two being identical. Manufacture is, therefore, considerably simplified. No particular skill is re- T quired in arranging the blocks in a given course particular case (measuring to the outside corners a of the block), and this dimension, as will be noted, is the same or approximately the same as the outer face dimension of the body of block 2i. The terminals 2i have a length, measuring to the outside corners, of 6 inches.

The screen It in the case illustrated ismade up of a sheet of wire screen material attached to and supported by two underlying metal rods 22. In the case shown these rods have end portions which are extended beyond the sheet and are received in seats or notches provided in the blocks of the course I! adjacent the upper edges of those blocks. In this case the upper edge of each of the two blocks 2| is cut away to provide notches 23 that receive the ends of the rods 22. Therefore the screen may be set detachably in the blocks in the manner indicated in Fi 4.

It will be noted from Fig. 3, that, in the form shown, only two notches 23 areprovided in each block 2 I, these being in the longer leg or terminal and being associated with one lateral edge of the leg or terminal. As the two blocks of the next to the top course are reversed with respect to each other in a lateral direction, this brings the four notches into a horizontal plane adjacent the upper edge of the course. In the assembly shown in Fig. 1, the notches 23 provided in the top course and in the third course'from thetop are not used for screen positioning purposes, but obviously they can be so used if this is desired. Moreover, the illustrated construction permits a screen to be used in association with the upper edge of the bottom course, for which purpose the blocks are provided in their bodies with notches 24 similar to the notches 23. In the assembled position shown, the notches 24 are in line with the notches 23 of the upper courses. Moreover, each of the blocks'20- is provided with two notches at the lower edge as well as two notches at'the upper edge, as shown in Fig. 3, so that a block 20 can have a screen seated therein whether the block be in the lefthand position of Fig. 3 or the right-hand position. Thus it is possible to shift the screen from the position shown in Fig. 1 to a position in which it is located in or adjacent the upper portion of the bottom course. Manifestly other arrangements of the screen will also be possiblesothat avariety of conditions can be met.

It will be seen from the previous description that I have provided a fireplace structure that will serve satisfactorily as an outdoor grill or as an incinerator, various arrangements of the blocks being possible to meet different conditions of' use. The structure can be set up v'eryreadily and conveniently, no cementing of' the joints being required, and it can be moved readily from or in'arran'ging the courses with respect to each other, and the fireplace can be erected by the casual purchaser in a very quick and easy manner. Manifestly also it is not always necessary to have four courses in the body of the fireplace.

The described construction is byway of example only, and it will be evident that various changes may be made without departing from the principles of the invention or the scope of the claims;

What I claim is:

l. A fireplace structure comprising a base, a body and a grate-like member, the body being substantially rectangular and having an open top and a lower draft opening in oneof the shorter sides, the base'being wider than the body and comprising a number of elements arranged crosswise with respect to the body and disposed side by side, the body comprising four layers or courses of blocks of angular formation and the grate-like element being arranged adjacent the juncture of the top course and the next underlying course and within a flue provided by the blocks, the lowermost course comprising two identical angular blocks providing a portion of theafiue and providing between them the aforesaid draft opening, said draft opening being between opposing angularly set terminal portions of said blocks, the course next above being comprised ,of two identical angular blocks each having a body portion extending throughout the width of the body of the fireplace and provided with'angularly set terminals of unequal length, said terminals .being located at the longer sides of the fireplace body, and the remaining. courses of. the body comprising blocks identical with those of the second-mentioned course, the second, third and fourth courses having their blocks arranged so that the. meeting edges of the terminals are in staggered relation.

2. A fire place structure adapted to be setup without mortar and moved from place to place; comprising a body and a grate-like membemthe body being substantially rectangular and having a flue communicating with-an open top and a. lower draft-opening in one of the sides, the body having a lowermost course of two angular blocks thatprovide the aforesaid draft opening and close in'the flue at the remaining sides, thebo'dy also comprising upper courses of angular blocks'having terminals of unequal length and arranged in staggered relation in successive vertical courses providing the remainder of the flue, allof the blocks of the body being free of connection with each other andmaintaining their assemblage by theirweight, the grate-like member being removably set within the structure between two adjacent courses and heldin placeby the weight of the :block's,'said grate-like member when set in between the lowermost course and the next course providing-above it a flue portionor chamber'o! considerable depth and when placed between higher courses providing a shallower chamber.

3. A fireplace structure intended for outdoor use and for erection by the casual purchaser at the place of use without the employment of mortar or cement, comprising a body of rectangular shape having a fiue communicating with an open top and a lower draft opening in one of the shorter sides, said body having a lowermost course formed of two identical angular blocks providing a portion of the flue and providing between them the aforesaid draft opening, the body also comprising upper courses each formed of two identical angular blocks, the last-named blocks having body portions extending across the width of the body and also having angularly set terminals of unequal length and being in staggered relationship in said upper courses, the terminals being in abutting relation at the longer sides of the body so as to close the flue along the longer sides, allof the blocks being freeof connection with each other and maintaining their assemblage by their weight. 4. A fireplace structure comprising a lower course of two blocks each having an elongated body and angularly set terminals of unequal length, the bodies of said blocks closing in a flue at two sides, the terminals which are shorter being arranged to provide a draft opening between them at a third side of the flue, and the terminals which are longer being arranged to close the flue at the side opposite said draft opening, and superposed courses of two blocks each, set on the first blocks and providing a flue portion closed in on all sides but open at the top, the blocks of said superposed courses each having a body portion extending throughout the Width of the fireplace body and having terminals of unequal length, and the terminals of one block meeting those of the other at the edges of the terminals, and the meeting edges being in staggered relationship in said superposed courses, the blocks of the structure being free of connection with each other and being held in position by their own weight, the structure also including a screen member adapted to be held in position between any two courses by the weight of the blocks.

PHILIP PAOLELLA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 797,856 Keith et a1. Aug. 22, 1905 1,778,330 Mayer et a1 Oct. 14:, 1930 D. 139,230 Lormor Oct. 24, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 545,402 France July 20, 1922 608,569 France Apr. 24, 1926

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