Automatic Chimney Cap

The well known "chimney effect" is the cause of considerable heat loss from heated buildings, particularly residences having a conventional wood-burning fireplace with a masonry or other similar chimney that is blocked off by a manually operable flue damper. When the fireplace is in use, the damper is of course open. A difficulty arises that when the fire dies out, the damper must remain open as long as there is any partial burning or smoking, which means that the damper may very easily be left in its open position long after there is no need for it to be open. Even when closed, the conventional chimney damper does not provide a particularly tight seal, and if a fire is started without first opening the damper, the dwelling space may be quickly filled with smoke before the damper may be opened.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above-noted disadvantages of a conventional fireplace chimney damper arrangement, specifically and in general provide for the closure of a flue that discharges smoke and combustion products from a combustion area in an automatic manner. It is a further object to perform such a function in an efficient, low maintenance, low cost and reliable manner, with built-in safety features.

Specifically, a frame is designed to be inserted into a conventional chimney top for mounting various power devices and automatic controls that will sense the presence of smoke or heat indicating combustion in a lower combustion area so as to raise a ceiling chimney cap to vent the chimney for a fixed period of time, during which the sensing device will be shielded. After this fixed time, the cap will automatically close and seal the chimney and at the same time open up the detector to the environment within the chimney, so that if combustion products or heat are still present, the chimney cap will immediately be again moved to its open position for the fixed period of time. Specific structure that is low in cost, reliable and easy to maintain and operate is further provided for such advantages.

Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more clear from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dwelling, partially broken away, employing the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross sectional view through a conventional fireplace and chimney that is within the dwelling of FIG. 1, and showing the apparatus of the present invention installed;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of the electrical controls for the apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 1, a residential dwelling 1 is provided with a conventional roof 2, through which passes a conventional masonry chimney 3. The upper end 4 of the chimney 3 is provided with a closure chimney cap 5, which is shown in its vent position. While the present invention may be used with different types of chimneys and different types of buildings, in its preferred form it is associated with a conventional dwelling and a chimney leading to a conventional wood-burning fireplace 6 such as that shown in FIG. 2 for the burning of a wood 7 in the combustion area 8 of the open hearth fireplace 6 for the production of heat and combustion products that will at least partially rise up through the chimney 3. With the cap 5 in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it is seen that the heat and smoke produced in the combustion area 8 will rise up through the chimney 3 and be discharged through the upper terminal end 4 of the chimney.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the apparatus includes a rigid frame comprising parallel vertical corner metal straps 9 welded, riveted or otherwise fixedly secured at their upper and lower ends to respective four-sided rigid metal ring members 10 and 11. The frame 12 composed of the members 9, 10, 11 is of a shape to fit telescopically within the upper end 4 of the chimney. Securement of the frame to the chimney is provided by inverted U-shaped securement members 13 that will extend outwardly from their rigid attachment to the ring member 10 to overlap the upper end 4 of the chimney and extend along the outside of the chimney. The outermost legs of the members 13 are provided with threaded apertures 14 that threadably receive screws 15 that may be used to clamp the frame to the upper end of the chimney. The securement members 13 function as brackets for suspending the frame within the chimney.

Four tubes 16 are fixedly secured to the frame 12 so as to extend vertically and parallel to each other. Four rods 17 are respectively telescopically and slidably received within the tubes 16. At their upper end, the rods 17 are rigidly each secured to the cap 5, so as to support the cap 5 for movement between a first position engaging the upper end of the chimney and a second position spaced upwardly from the first position so as to vent the chimney. In this manner, the cap functions as a movable valve member. The cap is specifically constructed of sheet metal formed into an upwardly convex shape that completely overlies the terminal end of the chimney above the entire frame. The cap 5 has a lower downwardly projecting peripheral sealing surface for engaging the uppermost end of the chimney upper end 4 in the first position to seal the chimney against the escape of gases as shown in FIG. 3.

while the above structure is specifically designed for rectangular chimneys, it is to be understood that the frame and cap may be also constructed so as to be received within round flues. The frame is preferably constructed of 1/8 inch flat metal stock, which is cut, bent and welded into the illustrated configuration. Different size caps and frames can be constructed for different size flues, with the remaining structure being common to all such sized caps and frames. It is also contemplated that the frame could be adjustable to fit different size flues and either different size caps could be provided with such an adjustable frame or a very large cap could be provided that would be suitable for the full range of flue sizes. It is also contemplated that some type of electrical ground wire (not shown) may be provided between the frame and the ground, in a manner that is well known with respect to conventional lightening rods.

While the apparatus has an automatic system for raising and lowering the cap between its two positions, which will be described hereinafter, it is important that there be provided a manual override, so that the cap may be raised and lowered manually, if desired, or in the event of emergencies, or in the event of failure of the automatic system.

The lower ends of the rods 17 are rigidly connected together by means of two cross metal straps 19, which are welded or otherwise joined together where they cross at the center line of the chimney opening or flue. At this cross point, there is secured by any suitable means, a chain, cable or other similar flexible connector, which has a lower portion 20 that extends downwardly adjacent the combustion area to a manual handle in the form of a ring 21. By pulling on this ring 21, the lower portion 20 of the flexible connector will pull downwardly on the cross straps 19, rods 17 and thus the cap 5 to move the cap 5 to its closed first position. The upper portion 22 of the flexible connector, which is secured to the cross straps 19, extends upwardly and around the left-hand portion (FIG. 4) of a pulley 23, around the pulley 23, and downwardly from the right-hand portion of the pulley 23 to adjacent the combustion area where it is connected to a counterweight 24. The counterweight 24 is sufficiently heavy to bias the cap into its second or vent position. If it is manually necessary to move the cap to its vent position, a person reaching from the combustion area may grasp the counterweight 24 and pull downwardly on the portion 22 to rotate the pulley 23 and lift upwardly on the portion 22 that is connected to the cross straps 19, to in turn upwardly lift the cross straps 19, rods 17 and cap 5. The ring 21 and counterweight 24 are of different shapes, so that they may be distinguished by touch. The pulley 23 is mounted on a shaft 25 that is rotatably mounted, for rotation about a horizontal axis, in the frame 12, particularly the upper ring member 10.

If desired, the ring member 10 may be covered with a screening 26, so as to prevent the entry of animals into the chimney when the cap 5 is in its second vent position.

An electric motor 27 is drivingly secured to the pulley shaft 25. The motor 27 is reversable so that it may drive the pulley in a direction to lower the cap 5, or drive the pulley 23 in the opposite direction to raise the cap 5. As mentioned above, rotation of the pulley in one direction will lift up that portion of the flexible connector 22 secured to the cross straps 19 and thereby raise the cap. The left-hand portion (as seen in FIG. 4) of the pulley 23 has a cable 28 secured to it at 29; the opposite end of the cable 28 is secured to the cap (not shown in FIG. 4), so that rotation of the pulley 23 in the opposite direction (counterclockwise as shown in FIG. 4) will positively pull the cap downwardly against the upward bias of the weight 24. In this manner, the cap may be raised or lowered selectively by actuation of the motor 27 or manually by actuation of the ring 21 or counterweight 24. Of course, the motor 27 is suitably mounted to the frame 12.

Actuation of the motor is accomplished with the following structure. A rectangular shaped tube 30 is secured by means of a strap 31 fixedly to the frame, particularly by being clamped to the tubes 16. The opposite ends of the tube 30 are open. As seen in FIG. 3, a deflector plate 32 is secured to the frame 12, with a passage 33 for the flexible connectors 20, 22, and functions to direct upwardly traveling smoke, heat and combustion products to the lower end of the tube 30, so that they will travel upwardly through the tube 30 where they will be sensed by a detector 34 that will operate a relay 35, which in turn will actuate a reset timer 36 for control of the electric motor 27. When the cap moves to its open vent position, that is when the cap raises, a resilient (preferably synthetic resin sponge block) plug 37 will move upwardly, by reason of its attachment to the cross straps 19, to engage and tightly seal off the bottom opening of the tube 30, so that no further combustion products may enter the tube 30. In this manner, when the cap is in its vent position, the combustion products will not enter the tube 30 and thereby the life of the detector 34 and relay 35 will be greatly extended.

To automatically determine the position of the cap, a switch actuator 38 is rigidly secured to the cap 5 to depend from and travel with the cap 5. The actuator 38 has a first cam or switch operator 39 to actuate a single switch operator 40 for a double-throw switch when the cap is in its illustrated lowered position, and a second actuator 41 that will move the switch operator 40 in the opposite direction when the cap is raised to its vent position.

In FIG. 4, the cap and actuator 38 have been removed so as to permit viewing of the structure beneath them.

The automatic electrical controls will be described with respect to FIG. 5. The detector 34 may be of any of the well known types known and particularly used in fire detectors, which may, for example, be either a smoke detector or an incipient particle detector. In any event, the smoke detector 34 will produce a low-voltage output signal on output terminal 42, to travel through line 44 to the input terminal 43 of a conventional relay 35. A low-voltage signal in line 44 will produce a high-voltage signal at output terminal 45 of the relay 35. The signal at terminal 45 is split at junction 46 so as to first travel to the terminal 47 of a motor operated reset timer 36, and also travel through line 48 to contact 49 of a double-pole, double-throw, toggle switch 50 that has actuator 40. The reset timer 36, for example, is of the type wherein there is automatic reset, synchronous motor-driven, plug-in timing control for a controlled period of time, actuated by an external signal, for example, the series G P "Plug-In Automatic Reset Interval/Delay Timer", described in Bulletin 312 manufactured by Industrial Timer Corporation of New Jersey and sold by Technical Distributors, Incorporated, 5115 Franconia Rd., Arlington, Va. At the end of the timing interval, for example, four hours, the reset timer 36 will have internal contacts that will close thus allowing current flow from its input terminal 47 to its output terminal 51; that is, four hours after receipt of a signal at its input terminal 47, the reset timer will produce an output signal at its output terminal 51. The output signal of the reset timer 36 travels from its output terminal 51 through line 52 to the contact 53 of switch 50. The electric motor 27 has a terminal 54, which when excited will rotate the motor so as to raise the cap 5, and a down terminal 55, which when excited will rotate the motor to lower the cap. The motor also has a common power terminal 56, which in this case leads to ground.

Although most of the operation is clear from the above description, portions of the operation will be briefly described below.

Assuming that the cap 5 is in the down closed position wherein it seals the upper end of the chimney 3, the switch 50 will be in the position illustrated in FIG. 5. When combustion takes place in the combustion area 8, combustion gases, including hot gases and smoke will rise in the chimney 3, and as shown by the arrows in FIG. 3, they will enter the open tube 30 where heat, smoke or incipient particles will be detected by the detector 34, to produce a low-voltage output signal at the output terminal 42 of the detector 34. This signal, received at the input terminal 43 of the relay 35, will produce a high-voltage signal at the output terminal 45 of the relay 35. This output signal will simultaneously be applied to the input terminal 47 of the reset timer and to the terminal 49 of the switch 50. The receipt of the signal at the input terminal 47 of the reset timer will start the timing cycle of the reset timer. The signal at the terminal 49 of the switch 50 will be fed through contact 57 to the up terminal 54 of the motor to raise the cap. After the cap reaches its upper vent position, the actuator 41 will strike the switch operator 40 to move the contact 57 to neutral terminal 58 and move the contact 59 from a neutral terminal 60 to the terminal 53. At this point, the motor will stop, the cap will remain in its vented position, and no current will flow through the motor, because the internal contacts of the reset timer 36 are open. After the passage of the fixed timing period of the reset timer 36, for example, four hours, the internal contacts of the reset timer 36 will close and permit the signal from the input terminal 47 to pass to the output terminal 51, through line 52, from contact 53 through switch contact 59 to the down terminal 55 of the motor, to actuate the motor 27 to drive the cap to its lower position. Upon reaching its lower position, the actuator 39 will strike the switch actuator 40 to again move the contacts 57, 59 to their position illustrated in FIG. 5. As noted previously, the detector will be shielded by the shielding tube 30 and closure plug 37 when the cap is in its vented position, so that when the above-mentioned controls again close the cap, the detector will detect the presence of any smoke, incipient particles, or heat, as desired, and if the same is present, the cycle will be repeated to again open the cap; on the contrary, if smoke, incipient particles or heat is not present, the cap will remain closed. The relay 35 has a built-in hold circuit, which will operate as follows: When a signal is being received at input terminal 43, the relay 35 will, of course, remain closed to provide a high-voltage output at its output terminal 45, which condition will exist until shortly after the cap has reached its vented position. After there are no longer combustion products in the chimney or conceivably even if combustion products are present and the detector 30 no longer produces a signal because of the shielding produced by the tube 30 and plug 37, the detector will not provide a signal at input terminal 43, but the relay 35 will continue to produce an output 45 due to a conventional hold circuit so that current will continue to pass to the reset timer even though the contacts 57, 59 have moved away from their illustrated position in FIG. 5; after the reset timer closes at the expiration of its fixed timing period, current will continue to flow through the relay, reset timer, contacts within reset timer 36, contact 59 and motor until such time as the cap 5 reaches its lower position. At this time, the switch 50 will have its contacts moved to the position illustrated in FIG. 5, which will momentarily break the circuit through the relay and drop the hold, so that the relay contacts will open and they will not close again until such time as a signal is received from the detector 34 at the input terminal 43 of the relay 35.

While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated in detail for the basic principles of the present invention and the advantages of the specific structure, further embodiments, variations and modifications are all contemplated within the broader aspects of the present invention, all as determined by the spirit and scope of the following claims.