Patent Application
20140187135
This invention relates generally to chimneys and in particular, to chimney caps.
Chimney caps are commonly used on chimneys to prevent the ingress of rain, snow, birds, rodents, leaves and other foreign objects. They are further used to prevent down-drafts and to reduce the deterioration of mortar in the chimney. Multi-flue caps are used as a single chimney cover on multiple flu chimneys. These multiple flue chimneys typically contain two to five flues. Instead of covering each flue with a separate cap a multi-flue cap is used so that only one cap is required.
Multi-flue caps are typically fairly large making them expensive to ship, unwieldy to carry, and dangerous to hold while climbing a ladder. In response to these shortfalls, knockdown chimney caps were developed. Knockdown chimney caps have the ability to transport flat then be assembled to a three dimensional final form at the chimney flue.
Known knockdown chimney cap designs consist of one of two styles. The most common is for the multi-flue chimney cap to ship in 5 pieces consisting of four sides and a lid. The four separate sides bolt together to form a cage and then the lid is added before attachment to cover the chimney flue(s).
The second style ships in three pieces consisting of two cage sections and a lid. Each cage section consists of a side wall hinged to an end wall. The hinging allows the end wall to lay flat against the side wall for transport. Before attachment to the chimney each cage section must be transported to the chimney, expanded, fastened together, and locked to one another to form the cage. The lid is then added to the assembled cage.
Known knockdown chimney cap designs all require some job site assembly of the cage. Accordingly, there is still a continuing need for improved knockdown chimney cap cage designs. The present invention fulfills this need and further provides related advantages.
The novel design of the present invention does not require any job site cage assembly. Once the folded cage is expanded only the lid has to be added. The fully assembled cage itself folds flat for transport.
The cage comprises side, end, and mounting portions hingably affixed to one another in a manner that allows the cage to fold flat for transport.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more detailed description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention. These drawings are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the present invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more detailed description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
As required, detailed embodiments are disclosed; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various forms. The figures are not necessary to scale, and some features may be exaggerated to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. Where possible, like reference numerals have been used to refer to like parts in the several figures described herein.
Turning now to the figures,
First side 6, second side 8, first articulating end section 16 and second articulating end section 18 each are attached to a mounting strip 22 at their roof edge, preferably, hingably attached, for example, through mounting strip hinge 24. The cage 4 is attached to the roof using the mounting strip 22. Having the mounting strip 22 hingably attached allows the mounting strip 22 to be positioned either inside or outside the fully formed cage 4 to suit various job site demands. It also allows the mounting strip 22 to lie flat when the cage 4 is collapsed for transport.
A smoke permeable material 26, for example, screening, is attached at its roof edge to the mounting strip hinge 24 and at its lid edge to a cage rail 28. Each cage rail 28 preferably comprises a horizontal 30 and vertical 32 section. The cage rail sections 30, 32, preferably form about a ninety degree angle to one another. The cage rail 28 adds support to the fully expanded cage 4 and also provides a better cosmetic final product in that the smoke permeable material 26 is attached to the inside of the vertical cage rail section 32, thereby hiding the unfinished cut of the smoke permeable material 26.
Optionally, one articulating end section 16, 18 of each end 10, 12 has an extended cage rail section 34. Although the figures show the extended cage rail section 34 as a separate member fixedly attached to the main cage rail section 44, alternatively it may be an extension of a single, homogeneous cage rail 28.
Preferably, one cage end 10, 12 has its extended cage rail section 34 extending from its first end section 16 and its opposite cage end 10, 12 has its extended cage rail section 34 extending from its second end section 18 making them contralateral to one another. When the cage 4 is fully expanded, each extended cage rail section 34 stops and “locks” the two articulating end sections 16, 18 to form the cage ends 10, 12.
Turning to
When a force is directed as shown by arrows B and C of
Conversely, an opposite force expands the cage 4. Vertical cage rail section 34 of the two extended cage rail sections 34 create a positive stop for the expanding first and second articulating end sections 16, 18, thereby creating a generally planar single end, 10, 12.
Upon attachment of cap lid 36 to lid attachment member 38 a stable, structurally sound chimney cap 2 is formed, shown in
Although the present invention has been described in connection with specific examples and embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention is capable of other variations and modifications within its scope. These examples and embodiments are intended as typical of, rather than in any way limiting on, the scope of the present invention as presented in the appended claims.
