Patent Application
20050110289
This invention relates to fireplace implements. More particularly, it relates to a dual-function fireplace poker, whose dual-function, includes the ability to manipulate logs within a fireplace as well as the ability to deliver air from the lungs of the user to embers contained within the fireplace, to enhance the burning of the wood or other fuel contained within the fireplace.
Fireplaces within various dwellings have been known since ancient times as being the location within which fires are contained and maintained, in order to provide a source of heating for the dwelling when external temperatures have dropped to less than comfortable levels, such as during the winter season. A fireplace is typically made of stone or other masonry, but may also comprise a cast iron shell, such as in the case of pot bellied stoves and other like contrivances. Typically wooden pieces, logs, or coal are used alone or in combination with one another as the fuel source for fireplaces, and the fuel may either reside on a flat floor portion within the fireplace, or may reside on a fireplace grate, andirons, or other supportive fixtures.
Owing to the non-uniform shape of most fireplace fuels, during the combustion process it is quite common for only one side of a log or piece of coal to be consumed, and it is often desirable from time to time to turn the log or other fuel to enable more complete combustion of the fuel. Since fires are in general very hot, it is common practice to use a rod like device to assist in turning or otherwise rearranging the configuration of the fuel in a fireplace. Thus, over the ages a great number of tools have been designed for this purpose, and one of the most common fireplace tools is known simply as a “poker”.
A typical fireplace poker is a rod-shaped instrument having a first end portion and a second end portion, wherein the first end portion is adapted to be grasped by the user's hand, and wherein the second end portion of the poker is adapted to move the logs and other fuel items around. Often, the second end portion of the fireplace poker is equipped with a hook portion to assist in giving the user added leverage over the movement of the fuel source as controlled by the user. Such fireplace pokers according to the aforesaid prior art are quite common.
Another tool which has found great utility over the years is known as the fireplace bellows. A bellows is a device for delivering quantities of air to embers in a fireplace for purposes of aiding in the combustion rate, for example during the starting of a fire, and they function to increase the amount of oxygen present at the embers. The use of bellows have also found common usage in forges, to increase the temperature of the fire to enable iron to be more readily wrought during the metalworking process, such as in the manufacture of swords, horseshoes, chains, body armor, and other metallic wares. A common bellows comprises two halves, which may be two pieces of wood or other material which are hingedly attached to one another and which have a bladder bag that is often comprised of leather disposed between the two halves. The bladder bag is provided with a one-way valve which admits air while the two halves are pulled apart, and which closed when the two halves are put together again. The air contained within the bladder bag is expelled through an opening in the bladder bag upon closure of the two halves upon their being forced towards one another. This is well known to those skilled in the art.
Thus, the fireplace bellows and the fireplace poker have historically been two separate implements, which require two separate locations and provisions for their storage in and about a fireplace setting, and associated movements on behalf of the users of these devices.
The present invention provides a fireplace poker, which has the dual function of also being able to provide increased amounts of air to embers within a fireplace by the user, delivered from the user's lungs in a single fast and easy motion, and thus alleviating the necessity for having two separate implements for providing adjustment of the location of fuel stock within the fireplace and for providing increased amounts of air to the embers.
The present invention provides a fireplace poker which comprises a substantially linear hollow shaft portion, which has a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion includes a handle means, and the second end portion comprises a hook means, for manipulating logs and other solid fuel within the fireplace. A fireplace poker according to one form of the invention also includes an opening disposed at the first end portion and an opening disposed at the second end portion. According to one form of the invention the cross sectional diameter of the opening disposed at the second end portion is less than the cross sectional area of the opening disposed at the first end portion. According to one form of the invention, the shaft portion comprises two tubular sections which are connected to one another by means of a connector. It is preferable that the handle means includes a material selected from the group consisting of: a ceramic material, wood, or metal.
In the annexed drawings:
Referring to the drawings, and initially to
Also shown in
The portion of the handle means comprising element 5 and 7 in one form of the invention are a hollow spherical bead comprising a bore. When the handle means comprises individual beads 3, 5, and 7 disposed about the shaft 29, they may be held in place by any conventional means, including adhesives. However, according to one preferred form of the invention the beads 5 and 7 are rigidly attached to the shaft and the inner beads 3 are slidably mounted on the shaft and are held in place by the beads 5 and 7 which are sandwiched therebetween, and one method for accomplishing such an arrangement is shown in the exploded view of
In
An alternate form of the invention includes a shaft portion 9 which comprises a hollow tube having threads on each of its ends to which a hollow handle having a bore disposed through its entire length is screwed on to one end of the shaft portion 9, and also includes a flow restrictor 11 screwed onto the remaining end portion of the shaft portion 9, which flow restrictor 11 includes an opening having a cross section that is less than the cross section of the hollow portion within the shaft 9, to enable the air that is blow into the shaft 9 to have a greater velocity when exiting the flow restrictor 11 than it does when it is traveling through the shaft 9.
Consideration must be given to the fact that although this invention has been described and disclosed in relation to certain preferred embodiments, obvious equivalent modifications and alterations thereof will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in this art upon reading and understanding this specification and the claims appended hereto. The present invention further includes all possible combinations of the features recited in any one of the various claims appended hereto with the features recited in any one or more of each of the remaining claims. Accordingly, the presently disclosed invention is intended to cover all such modifications, alterations, and combinations.
