Apparatus for Igniting Charcoal Briquettes

The present invention relates to apparatus for kindling fuel and more particularly to a housing and flue assembly for use in rapidly igniting charcoal briquettes.

Needless to say, man has been burning fuel and starting fires since the beginning of time. The patent art is indicative of this, there are a multitude of structures and apparatus to accomplish efficient kindling and rapid burning of all sorts and types of materials.

Presently modern man engages in a ritual generally referred to as the home barbeque and this practice has resulted in a huge industry involving the supply of grills and charcoal briquettes.

The outdoor preparation of food with charcoal is an experience which is widely shared and enjoyed in the United States and elsewhere. The prior art cognizant of the problems inherent in starting and maintaining an efficient charcoal fire includes many patents which attempt to expedite the task. It would be correct to state that a great majority of such fires are started by the use of a liquid igniting material. The user would form a pyramid like pile of charcoal briquettes, saturate the same with the liquid and light the saturated pile with a match or otherwise. This approach besides being dangerous, was and is inefficient while further causing unpleasant fumes and odors due to the characteristics of the liquid starters. Furthermore such liquid starters are made from petroleum by-products and are becoming increasingly more expensive.

Other approaches in the patent art involved the use of pre-packaged containers including charcoal and an igniting scheme. The theory behind such structures were that a consumer could purchase a single package, place the same on his grill and ignite the package to thereby, hopefully, ignite the charcoal contents. Such packages were and are commercially unsuccessful due to many reasons as they did not operate properly, would fail to ignite, did not contain enough charcoal, required a consumer to engage in complicated assembly procedures and so on. While such prepackaged products attempted to eliminate the use of a starter fluid, they had disadvantages and hence were not accepted by the public.

There are, of course, electric starters and other electrical devices which do not provide reliable and uniform ignition of charcoal fuel.

The problem of efficiently and reliably starting a charcoal fire without a fluid still exists.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for starting a charcoal fire without employing a starting fluid, while further providing to the consumer the capability of using as much or as little charcoal as desired, while further assuring a rapid and complete ignition of the charcoal briquettes.

Apparatus for igniting charcoal briquettes or similar fuel comprises a plurality of spaced rings secured relatively coaxially to one another to form a longitudinal tubular housing symmetrically disposed about an axis, a smaller ring coupled to said housing is coaxially positioned at a top end and a combustible flue comprising a tubular member of a combustible material is positioned within, and encircled by said smaller ring and extends vertically toward the bottom end of said housing, said housing is adapted to accomodate a plurality of charcoal briquettes positioned within the space between said rings and said flue to cause said briquettes to ignite when said flue is burned mainly due to regenerative hot air currents circulating through said flue.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a briquette igniting apparatus according to this invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are perspective views showing the formation of a tubular flue according to this invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view useful in explaining the use and operation of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a housing 10 for accomodating a plurality of charcoal briquettes, 21 to be ignited. The housing 10 is generally a longitudinal cylindrical member symmetrically disposed about axis 17.

The housing 10 includes a right and a left vertically extending frame members 12 and 13. The vertical members 12 and 13 are of an inverted "L" configuration with the ends of the "L" facing each other. Disposed about the frame members 12 and 13 are a series of ring members 11, relatively equally spaced and coaxially retained about axis 17, by a weld to secure each ring 11 to the vertical frame members 12 and 13. Each ring as 11 is formed from a steel wire stock and is formed into a circular or other pattern and welded at opposing ends 35 to form a ring. Secured to the top end of the "L" members 12 and 13 is a central ring member 14. The ring member 14 is also relatively coaxial with the members 11 and has its center about axis 17. The ring member 14 is secured to the brackets 12 and 13 by suitable welds as 22 and 23. Positioned above the bottom end of the housing 10 and relatively along a diameter of a ring member 11 is a horizontal bar 15 having a centrally depending "V" shape projection 16. The projection 16 faces the ring 14 and has two sloping sides depending from the main axis 17. The entire housing thus depicted consists of two vertical "L" shaped frame members 12 and 13 having welded thereto a series of horizontal, coaxial ring members 11. A smaller but coaxial ring member 14 is secured to the facing ends of the "L" brackets. The ring is located above a horizontal bar 15 with a projecting center region 16. The entire housing 10 is fabricated from a suitable metal such as steel and so on, and each of the components depicted are welded one to the other to form a rigid and strong structural assembly capable of being used many times over for the ignition of charcoal or similar fuels.

Shown encircled by the top ring 14 and surrounding the projection 16 of bar 15 is a combustible flue member 20. The flue member 20 is a tubular member of a combustible material such as cardboard, paper and so on. Particularly member 20 is formed from a sheet of suitable material such as a corrugated cardboard which may be impregnated or coated with a wax or other substance to facilitate burning. In any event ordinary untreated cardboard will suffice. The sheet 25 as in FIG. 4A is rolled upon itself to form member 20. It is noted that the sheet 25 is of a sufficient length to allow one to provide a layered wrap having more than one turn. The multiple turns permit the "V" shaped projection 16 associated with bar 15 to assure that the flue 20 will not unravel or uncoil during burning of the flue.

FIG. 2 depicts a top view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 with the same reference numerals depicting similar parts. The spacing between the rings 11 is such that a plurality of charcoal briquettes 21 can be retained within the bottom of housing 10 or between the central flue 20 and the outer rings 11. The user, of course, can emplace as many charcoal or fuel elements as desired in order to accomodate a particular grill or location. Essentially as seen from the above figures, one has an enclosure for containing fuel briquettes 21 with a combustible, vertically extending central flue 20. The ring 11 and frame arrangement allow for efficient air circulation for the contained briquettes and permit efficient operation as will be explained.

Shown in FIG. 5 is a preferred use of the apparatus depicted. A user would place the housing 10 on the surface of a grill 30 or elsewhere and then by means of a match 31 or other flame light the cardboard flue 20. The flue 20, which as indicated, is combustible and proceeds to burn. As soon as burning of the flue commences a strong draft of heated air is induced by the combustion. As noted, the bar 15 is supported above the bottom of housing 10 and hence an air space is present beneath projection 16. The heated air is rapidly conducted upwards through the central passageway of the flue 20. Once the process commences it is regenerative and the air forced through the flue is heated to higher and higher temperatures. The charcoal briquettes, which have their edges about the central flue 20 rapidly ignite. As the flue continues burning the ignition of the fuel spreads outwardly toward the rings 11.

It is noted that as the flue burns or decomposes the central area occupied by the flue is still present due to the tendency of the briquettes 21 to key or melt together based on the intense heat.

When the flue is sufficiently burned one can then lift the housing 10 with a suitable tool and spread the briquettes over the surface of the grill or over a suitable surface desired.

It is noted that the housing 10 can be used over and over with additional flue members rolled as desired. The housing 10 permits one to select a desired amount of charcoal only limited by the volume of the housing 10. It is understood that other embodiments as well as different forms can be achieved without departing from the scope of the invention. It is understood that different configuration rings could be employed in lieu of the circular ones depicted as well as different techniques for supporting the same about the vertical frame members. The advantages of the structure enable one to ignite fuel such as briquettes rapidly and reliably without a liquid ignition and to reuse the housing as often as desired solely by replacing the corrugated cardboard flue, which is simple and rapid to construct and inexpensive in cost.