GB2234756A

GB2234756A - A fire lighting aid

Info

Publication number: GB2234756A
Application number: GB9017543A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nicholas Augustine Taaffe
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-08-11
Filing date: 1990-08-10
Publication date: 1991-02-13
Also published as: IE892585A1; GB9017543D0

Abstract

A fire lighting aid comprises a flammable cage structure adapted to support fuel in a grate about an air space within the cage, whereby the flammable cage, when ignited, is allowed to catch fire so as to initiate combustion of the fuel. In a preferred embodiment a flammable base (1) is impregnated with a flammable wax and a cage structure disposed about the flammable base and the cage structure (4) supports fuel laid on the aid above and about an air space under the cage structure. A fire can be lit by placing a lighted match into the aid to lie on the base (I), then placing fuel about the burning aid. The cage structure may be wooden kindling sticks. <IMAGE>

Description

A FIRE LIGHTING AID The present invention relates to a device for use in the lighting of a fire in a domestic hearth or the like.

Paper, wooden sticks, and firelighters, or a combination of these, are frequently used as readily flammable materials to serve as kindling in the lighting of domestic fires in open hearths, solid fuel appliances and the like. Use of these materials presents a number of problems. Firstly, their use is tedious and can be dirty. Secondly, difficulties can arise in providing sufficient draught to the fire to allow it to catch while at the same time providing kindling sufficient to stay alight until the main fuel begins to burn. It is a common difficulty to find that the kindling burns and collapses onto itself, thereby choking off the oxygen supply, before the main fuel is properly ignited.

It is an object of the present invention to seek to overcome the above disadvantage.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fire lighting aid comprising a flammable cage structure adapted to support fuel in a grate about an air space within the cage, whereby the flammable cage, when ignited, is allowed to catch fire so as to initiate combustion of the fuel.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of kindling a fire, the method comprising laying a fire lighting aid onto the area where the fire is required, applying a flame to the flammable base of the fire lighting aid and placing solid fuel over and about the fire lighting aid.

Advantageously, the cage structure comprises a plurality of flammable elements which serve as kindling.

Conveniently, the cage structure is provided with a flammable base for retaining a burning match or the like in the air space within the cage.

Preferably, the flammable material includes a base which is provided with a plurality of perforations to allow passage of air through the base.

Conveniently, the flammable base comprises a readily ignitable material such as cardboard, thin plywood or the like.

Advantageously, the flammable base is coated or impregnated with a flammable substance, comprising a flammable wax, such as candle wax, or a mixture of a flammable wax and a volatile fuel, such as paraffin.

Preferably, the flammable elements of the cage structure comprise a) one or more flammable upright members, the or each of said members comprising an end piece, and b) a plurality of elongate, flammable fuel support members, each member having a groove at either end thereof for engagement with the end pieces.

Alternatively, the flammable elements of the cage structure comprise (a) one or more flammable ribs, the or each rib comprising an end piece, and (b) a plurality of elongate, flammable fuel support members, for engagement with the upper surfaces of the end pieces.

Preferably, the fuel support members are attached to the or each end piece by adhesive.

Advantageously, the end pieces are composed of a material such as plywood or fibreboard and the horizontal members are composed of any wooden sticks or offcuts suitable as kindling.

Conveniently, two end piece members are provided and the base is disposed between the two end piece members, and generally parallel to the fuel support members.

Preferably, the base is fixed at one side thereof to one of the fuel support members and the other side thereof is free to slide between adjacent fuel support members whereby in a first storage position the base assumes a shape which conforms generally to the shape of the internal surface of the cage structure and in a second operative position the base lies substantially flat beneath the cage structure so as to define, with the cage structure, an air space surrounded by flammable material.

The invention will now be described more particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings, which shows by way of example only, embodiments of a fire lighting aid according to the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a cut-away perspective view from the left and above of a first embodiment of a fire lighting aid; and Figure 2 is a cut-away perspective view from the right and below of a second embodiment of a fire lighting aid.

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings, the embodiment of a fire lighting aid shown comprises a base 1 having a plurality of holes 2 punched therein, two upright, half circular rigid members 3 and several horizontal, rigid fuel support members 4. Each member 4 has a groove 41 cut into one side of either end thereof. The aid is assembled by pushing the grooves 41 of each member 4 over the bowed surface of the members 3. The base 1 is inserted into and held in place in the spaces between the two members 4a and 4b located at the lower areas of either side of the bow of the member 3.

The base 1 is prepared by dipping a piece of standard cardboard into a molten mixture of candle wax containing paraffin, for example a mix of 4 oz of wax to 3 eggcupfuls of paraffin, for approximately 5 seconds. Alternatively, when using corrugated cardboard, sufficient impregnation of wax into the cardboard may be achieved to allow the addition of the paraffin to be dispensed with. It has been found that this sufficient impregnation is not achieved when the cardboard is moved through the molten wax in a direction parallel to the flutes of the cardboard, as the entrances to the flutes appear to become blocked quickly, preventing further penetration of wax into the flutes of the cardboard. It has further been found that this difficulty is overcome by moving the cardboard through the molten wax in a direction which is at right-angles to the flutes.In this way, wax penetrates the flutes from both ends and in sufficient quantity to maintain steady combustion until the members 4 catch light.

In a preferred embodiment, the base 1 is impregnated with wax prior to punching of the holes 2. The effect of punching the holes after the wax impregnation step is to produce holes which are somewhat ragged on the side at which the punch-tool exists the cardboard. When the base 1 is inserted into the aid with these ragged edges facing upwards into the air space under the cage formed by the members 4, ignition of the aid is facilitated as the ragged cardboard edges catch fire more easily than the smooth, waxed surfaces.

Referring now to Figure 2, an alternative and most preferred embodiment of the fire lighting aid is shown.

The aid comprises a base 10 having a plurality of holes 20 punched therein, two arcuate end members 30 and several horizontal, fuel support rigid members 40. The aid is assembled by gluing the members 40 in parallel spaced apart relationship onto the upper surface of the arcuate members 30 using any suitable heat-resistant adhesive, such as a two-part epoxy resin glue. The base 10 is held in place by means of two pins 11 which attach one side of the base 10 to the underside of one of the lowermost rigid members 40a.

The other side of the base 10 is inserted into and held in place in the space between the two members 40b and 40c. In this preferred embodiment, the base 10 is manufactured from flexible corrugated cardboard. Thus, the free side of the base 10 can slide between the members 40b and 40c. To assist the sliding, the holes 20 stop short on the side of the base 10 which slides between members 40b and 40c so that the rough edges of the perforated holes 20 do not catch or snag on member 40c. It will be appreciated that the ability of the base 10 to slide between the members 40b and 40c, together with the flexible nature of the base 10 itself, provide a means by which a number of the aids may be packaged together with great efficiency of space utilization.A number of the aids may be nested one into another, which is possible as each base 10 can slide at its free side to ride into the space under the cage formed by its own members 40. This nesting is further facilitated by providing the cage structure itself with some lateral flexibility. This is achieved by tapering the arcuate end members 30 so that their depth at the top of the arc is greater than that at the ends of the arc, as shown in Figure 2. When an individual aid is removed from a package, its base 10 can be pushed downward from the arch of the cage structure to slip back to a position at which a greater portion of its free end is disposed between members 40b and 40c. In this position the aid is ready for use.

In use, the aid is laid on the clean fire grate. A struck match is dropped into the aid, between the members 4 and onto the base 1. The flame of the match sets fire to the exposed cardboard at the ragged edges of the holes 2, which in turn causes the flammable material impregnating the base to catch light, fed by oxygen circulating through the holes 2 of the base 1. As the base smoulders and catches fire, the flames then ignite the members 3, 4. It has been found that on average the time taken for the aid to come to blazing is 3 minutes. As soon as the match has been placed into the aid, solid fuel such as briquettes, coal or the like may be placed above and about the aid. The members 3, 4 will burn for a sufficiently long time so that the solid fuel will catch fire before the aid burns out and collapses inwardly.

While use of the aid as embodied in Figure 1 has been described, it will be appreciated that the aid as embodied in Figure 2 is utilised in an identical fashion.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A fire lighting aid comprising a flammable cage structure adapted to support fuel in a grate about an air space within the cage, whereby the flammable cage, when ignited, is allowed to catch fire so as to initiate combustion of the fuel.

2. A fire lighting aid according to Claim 1 wherein the cage structure comprises a plurality of flammable elements which serve as kindling.

3. A fire lighting aid according to Claim 1, in which the cage structure is provided with a flammable base for retaining a burning match or the like in the air space within the cage.

4. A fire lighting aid according to Claim 3 wherein the flammable base is provided with a plurality of perforations to allow passage of air through the base.

5. A fire lighting aid according to Claim 4 wherein the flammable base comprises a readily ignitable material such as cardboard, thin plywood or the like.

6. A fire lighting aid according to Claim 5 wherein the flammable base is coated or impregnated with a flammable substance.

7. A fire lighting aid according to Claim 6 wherein the flammable substance comprises a flammable wax.

8. A fire lighting aid according to Claim 6 wherein the flammable substance comprises a mixture of a flammable wax and a volatile fuel.

9. A fire lighting aid according to Claim 7 or Claim 8 wherein the flammable wax is candle wax.

10. A fire lighting aid according to Claim 8 wherein the volatile fuel is paraffin.

11. A fire lighting aid according to any of the preceding claims wherein the flammable elements of the cage structure comprise a) one or more flammable upright members, the or each of said members comprising an end piece, and b) a plurality of elongate, flammable fuel support members, each member having a groove at either end thereof for engagement with the end pieces.

12. A fire lighting aid according to any of Claims 1 to 10 wherein the flammable elements of the cage structure comprise (a) one or more flammable ribs, the or each rib comprising an end piece, and (b) a plurality of elongate, flammable fuel support members, for engagement with the upper surfaces of the end pieces.

13. A fire lighting aid according to Claim 12 wherein the fuel support members are attached to the or each end piece by adhesive.

14. A fire lighting aid according to any of the preceding claims wherein the end pieces are composed of a material such as plywood or fibreboard and the fuel support members are composed of any wooden sticks or of cuts suitable as kindling.

15. A fire lighting aid according to Claim 14 wherein two end piece members are provided and the base is disposed between the two end piece members, and generally parallel to the fuel support members.

16. A fire lighting aid according to Claim 15 wherein the base is fixed at one side thereof to one of the fuel support members and the other side thereof is free to slide between adjacent fuel support members whereby in a first storage position the base assumes a shape which conforms generally to the shape of the internal surface of the cage structure and in a second operative position the base lies substantially flat beneath the cage structure so as to define, with the cage structure, an air space surrounded by flammable material.

17. A method of kindling a fire, the method comprising laying a fire lighting aid according to any of the preceding claims onto the area where the fire is required, applying a flame to the flammable base of the fire lighting aid and placing solid fuel over and about the fire lighting aid.

18. A package containing two or more fire lighting aids according to any of Claims 1 to 16, in which said aids are nested together.

19. A fire lighting aid substantially in accordance with either of the embodiments herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

20. A method of kindling a fire substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

21. A package according to Claim 18 substantially as herein described.