US3377939A - Pivotable chimney cap having interiorly operating means - Google Patents

Description

April 16, 1968 D. E. SAILORS PIVOTABLE CHIMNEY CAP HAVING INTERIORLY OPERATING MEANS Filed April 3, 1967 INVENTOR DERWARD E SAI LO RS ATTORNEYS United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The flue cover includes a lid having a pair of plates which pivot on an axle. The axle is mounted on an edge of the chimney flue liner by a pair of U-shaped clamps. One or more torsion springs are positioned about the axle to urge the cover to an open position. A bracket is fastened to the interior face of the lid. A cable or wire having a tension spring in its length extends downward from the bracket through the chimney to a fireplace or other accessible location. The cable is attached to a convenient bracket so that the tension spring holds the cover firmly closed. When the cover is to be opened, the cable is released and the torsion springs open the cover.

Background of the invention My invention relates to a chimney flue cover, and particularly to a chimney flue cover that can be easily opened and closed from the interior of a house or dwelling.

A chimney flue cover is desirable in order to prevent heat loss, and in order to exclude rain and animals such as birds and squirrels from the chimney flue. Many chimney flue covers have been devised, but these flue covers have been difficult or inconvenient to open and close. Where such covers have been installed, their difliculty or inconvenience of operation has been such that the covers have been left open. Thus, the eitort and expense of installing the cover have been wasted. Further, such covers have not permitted the flue to be opened sufficiently well so that loss of draft or accumulation of gases has resulted with such covers.

Accordingly, an object of my invention is to provide an improved chimney flue cover that is easily operated from the interior of a house or dwelling.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved chimney flue cover that is easily operated and that provides a tight seal between the chimney flue and the outside.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved chimney flue cover that is easily opened and closed, and that provides a tight seal when closed and that presents no obstruction to the area of the chimney flue when opened.

Summary of the invention Briefly, these and other objects are achieved in accordance with my invention by a cover lid having the desired shape and size to cover the chimney flue liner opening. The lid may be creased to strengthen it and to give it a slight pitch. Two plates are fastened to the cover lid along one edge and are pivoted on a horizontally positioned axle. The axle is mounted in a pair of U-shaped brackets which fit over the edges of the chimney flue liner. The U-shaped brackets are clamped to the flue liner by screws. Two torsion springs are wound about the axle. One end of each torsion spring is held by a respective U-shaped bracket and the other end of each torsion spring is positioned relative to the cover lid so as to urge the cover lid to an open position. The maximum open position is limited by projections on the plates which strike'the U- shaped brackets. A downwardly extending cable bracket is fastened to the interior of the lid. A cable of the desired length has one end attached to the cable bracket and has the other end extending down through the chimney flue liner to a fireplace or other accessible locatron. A tension spring is inserted in the length of the cable so as to provide tension on the cable. The cable length is fixed so that when the lower end of the cable is attached to the bracket, the cover lid is held in a closed position under tension provided by the tension spring. The spring also permits the cable to be attached to a hook or pro ection when the cover is closed. When the cover is to be opened, the lower end of the cable is released so that the two torsion springs cause the cover lid to swing open.

Brief description of the drawing The subject matter which I regard as my invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims. The structure and operation of my invention, together with further objects and advantages, may be better understood from the following description givenin connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a side elevation view of a chimney flue and a flue cover in accordance with my invention;

FIGURE 2 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of the chimney flue and cover of FIGURE 1, FIGURE 2 also being taken along the lines 2-2 in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 3 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of the chimney flue and cover of FIGURE 1 with the cover in an open position;

FIGURE 4 shows a perspective View of the chimney flue cover in accordance with my invention; and

FIGURE 5 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of a typical chimney and flue liner to show how the flue cover is operated.

Description of the preferred embodiment FIGURE 1 shows a side elevation view of a flue cover 10 in accordance with my invention. The flue cover 10 is shown used with a flue liner 12 which is positioned in a chimney 14 (shown in FIGURE 5). In accordance with conventional construction practices, the flue liner 12 extends upwardly beyond the chimney 14 a short distance, and this extension of the flue liner 12 permits easy attachment of my cover 10. As shown in FIGURES 1 through 4, my cover 10 comprises a lid 16 having the size and shape to cover the flue liner 12 which it is intended to cover. As shown in FIGURE 4, the lid 16 may be creased or bent slightly along the diagonal lines 17, 18 in order to strengthen the lid 16, and in order to provide a slight pitch to the lid 16. The lid 16 is pivoted about an axle 20 by two pivot plates 22 which are fastened to the lid 16 by any suitable means, such as screws, along one side. The pivot plates 22 extend beyond the one side and are pivotally fastened to an axle 20 so as to pivot about the axle 20 in hinge-like fashion. A pair of U-shaped mounting brackets 24 are positioned on the axle 20. As shown in FIGURE 4, the brackets 24 are provided with projections or shoulders on each side of their respective plates 22 so that the brackets 24 are held at a fixed location relative to the pivot plates 22.

Each of the mounting brackets 24 comprises a pair of oppositely opposed jaws (which form the U) that fit over the rim or edge of the flue liner 12 as shown in FIG- URES 2 and 3. The rim or edge of the flue liner 12 that receives the brackets 24 is notched so that the lid 16 will be horizontal in the closed position. The jaws of the brackets 24 are clamped to the flue liner 12 by a screw 26 (preferably an Allen head type) which threads through one jaw and bears against the flue liner 12. Other fastening means may also be used.

A cable bracket 28 is fastened to the lid 16 by any suitable means so that it extends downwardly and inwardly of the lid 16 when the cover 10 is closed, as shown in FIGURE 2. The backing plate shown for the bracket 28 may be omitted if desired. The cover is normally urged to an open position as shown in FIGURE 3 by a pair of torsion springs 30. The torsion springs 30 have one end held against rotation by being fastened to or clamped by a respective U-shaped bracket 24, and have the other end positioned under the lid 16 as shown in FIGURE 4. The torsion springs 30 are held in the desired position on the axle by collars 32 clamped around the axle 20, or by other suitable means.

When the cover 10 is installed, it is mounted on the flue 12 as shown in FIGURE 5 and a cable 36 is attached to the cable bracket 28. The cable 36 is provided with a tension spring 38 positioned at any suitable point in its length. The cable 36 is attached to a suitable hook or bracket 40 positioned at an accessible location, such as along the side of the fireplace. It is preferable that the cable 36 be positioned so that it does not interfere with the operation of the fireplace damper (not shown) when the damper is opened and closed. With the cover 10 installed, it normally tends to remain in an open position as shown in FIGURE 3. When the cover 10 is to be closed, the cable 36 may be pulled down and hooked over the hook 40, the spring 38 permitting the cable 36 to be pulled down sufliciently to pass over the hook 40. When the cable 36 is fastened, the tension of the spring 38 holds the cover 10 firmly closed. When the cover 10 is to be opened, the cable 36 is pulled downward and released from the hook 40 and the torsion springs cause the cover 10 to pivot open. The maximum open position of the cover 10 may be limited in any suitable fashion, as by shoulders or projections 42 on each of the pivot plates 22 as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. These shoulders or projections 42 butt against or strike the mounting brackets 24 and limit the open position of the cover 10 to any desired angle. A suitable angle of opening for the cover 10 is approximately 120 degrees with the horizontal, the angle at which the cover 10 is positioned in FIGURE 3.

It will thus be seen that my flue cover provides an improved structure which permits the flue cover to be easily opened and closed. When the cover is open, there is no obstruction to the chimney flue. When the cover is closed, the chimney flue is tightly sealed or closed. My cover can be easily installed on a chimney flue at any time, either when the chimney is completed or during construction of a chimney. Thus, my cover protects the chimney flue against rain, and animals such as birds and squirrels, and permits the chimney flue to be completely uncovered when desired. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that modifications may be made to my invention. For example, the cover may be made of any suitable material such as aluminum or steel. Various mounting brackets may be provided. Therefore, while my invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment, it is to be understood that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or from the scope of the claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An improved cover for a chimney flue liner and the like comprising:

(a) a lid having the desired size and shape to cover said flue liner;

(b) a pair of pivot plates attached to said lid along one said thereof, said pivot plates extending beyond said one side;

(c) an axle pivotally mounted in said pivot plates to permit said pivot plates and lid to pivot thereabout;

(d) a pair of U-shaped mounting brackets pivotally mounted on said axle adjacent said pivot plates, said mounting brackets each having a pair of opposed jaws for sliding over the edge of said fiu'e liner and each having means for clamping said brackets to said flue liner;

(e) at least one torsion spring positioned about said axle, said spring having one end fixed relative to one of said mounting brackets and having the other end positioned relative to said lid to normally urge said lid in a predetermined direction to open said cover when mounted on said flue liner;

(f) and means fastened to said lid for pulling said lid against the force of said torsion spring to close said cover.

2. The improved cover of claim 1 wherein each of said U-shaped mounting brackets is held by a respective one of said pivot plates in a predetermined location along the length of said axle.

6. The improved cover of claim 1 wherein each of said pivot plates has a shoulder that engages its respective mounting bracket to limit the open angle of said cover.

4. The improved cover of claim 1 wherein each of said U-shaped mounting brackets is held by a respective one of said pivot plates in a predetermined location along the length of said axle, and wherein each of said pivot plates has a projecting shoulder that engages its respective mounting bracket at a predetermined angular position to limit the angle of opening of said cover.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 776,642 12/1904 Budd 98-59 XR 2,311,915 2/1943 Tummel 9859 2,704,502 3/1955 Rainey 98-59 2,856,839 10/1958 Soderberg 9859 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

M. A. ANTONAKAS, Assistant Examiner.

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