A portable outdoor stove/heater for use by outdoorsmen. The heater has a container for containing solid combustible fuel and a seat top which is heat conductive for sitting. The seat top does not extend fully across the open top to permit access to heat for the warming of hands. A pair of arms are mounted to the container to support a fishing pole for ice fishing. A grate may be located in position within the container for heating or cooking food.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
I. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to stove/heater devices and, more 
particularly, to stove/heater devices for winter outdoorsmen 
II. Description of the Prior Art 
Frequently, winter outdoorsmen such as ice fishermen and hunters spend a 
considerable amount of time in a particular location during cold weather. 
Ice fishermen in particular spend a considerable amount of time in one 
spot on the ice holding a fishing rod. Containers for building fires for 
cooking food and heating the body while outdoors are well known. 
Disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,314 is a portable heater having a 
symmetrical, cylindrical body which utilizes sterno and/or charcoal as a 
fuel for heating. The portable heater has a lid which may be snuggly fit 
about the top portion of the body for extinguishing the fire. 
It would be advantageous to have a heating device which would act as a 
heater for both the body and hands of the outdoorsman, simultaneously heat 
and cook the outdoorsman's food, as well as act as a seat and support for 
equipment, such as fishing poles. 
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
The present invention thus provides a compact and easily transportable 
stove/heater device for use by winter outdoorsmen, particularly ice 
fishermen. A container having an elongated cylindrical body with an 
opening at a top end and a closed bottom portion is provided for 
containing a solid fuel fire. The fire is supported within the cylinder on 
a secondary bottom. Holes are formed in a lower portion of the cylinder 
for supplying air to the fire. 
A seat top is adapted to extend partially over the opening of the 
cylindrical body. The seat top is heat conductive to provide heat, and is 
adapted to permit the outdoorsman to sit on the cover for warming. The 
remainder of the opening not closed by the seat top permits heat to rise 
out of the cylinder to permit warming of the hands. The seat top is 
dimensioned to be received within the container during storage or 
relocation of the heater device. 
A grate is provided for the heating and cooking of food within the 
container. The grate is movable between a lower position for cooking and 
an upper position for heating or warming of food. A pair of arms are 
formed on the body to support a fishing rod so that the fisherman is not 
required to continuously hold the rod while fishing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
As best shown in FIG. 2, a stove/heater according to the invention includes 
a container 10, a secondary bottom plate 12, a grate 14, and a seat top 
16. The container or bucket has an elongated body 18 having a solid bottom 
20 and arm 21 defining an open top 22. The container may be of any 
suitable configuration such as cylindrical frustroconical and is formed of 
a suitable rigid material capable of withstanding the heat from a fire, 
such as steel. The elongated body 18 has a maximum length sufficient to 
support the seat top 16 at a level for supporting a person in a sitting 
position. The container has a plurality of holes 24 extending about a 
bottom portion of the cylindrical body to permit the passage of air into 
the heater for combustion. Two standoffs 28 are formed in opposing sides 
of the body to accept a conventional handle 26. 
A downward opening arm 30 and an upwardly opening arm 32 extend from an 
upper portion of the body 18 to support a fishing pole 34, as shown in 
FIG. 1. The arms 30 and 32 are spaced apart and are of a suitable shape, 
such as L-shaped or curved, to firmly support the fishing rods. The arms 
30 and 32 are affixed to the body in a satisfactory manner, such as 
welding. 
As shown in FIG. 2, the secondary bottom plate 12 is formed of a circular 
disk of metal having a plurality of apertures 36 and legs 38. As best 
shown in FIG. 3, the bottom plate 12 is positioned within the container 10 
to support combustible material 38. In the preferred embodiment, solid 
combustible material such as charcoal is utilized. The bottom plate 12 is 
spaced apart from the bottom 20 of the container by the legs 38 to permit 
air from the plurality of holes 24 to pass through the apertures 36 of the 
bottom plate for combustion. 
The seat top 16, as best shown in FIG. 2, extends partially over the open 
top 22 of the container 10. The seat top 16 may be formed of any suitable 
rigid heat conducting material, such as aluminum or steel, which is 
suitable for supporting the weight of a person and withstanding the heat 
of combustion. 
In the preferred embodiment, the seat top 16 as shown in FIG. 8, is formed 
of a top sheet 39 and a bottom sheet 40 which are spaced apart by a 
W-shaped intermediate layer 41 to form a corrugated cross-section to 
support the weight of the user. A flange 42 extends downwardly from the 
bottom sheet 40 to engage the cylinder 18 to maintain the seat top in 
position. The seat top may be of any shape suitable for partially covering 
the open top and comfortably seating a person, such as semi-circular or 
trapezoidal. Extending from the bottom sheet 40 of the seat top are a pair 
of tabs 44 or hooks accepting the grate 14, as will be set forth more 
fully below. As shown in FIG. 1, the seat top 16 has a peripheral edge 47 
defining an opening 46. The opening 46 remains at the top of the container 
when the seat top is in position. Heated air from the combusted fuel 38 
heats the seat top and exits the opening 46 for warming the hands of the 
user. Thus, the outdoorsperson or ice fisherman may sit on the seat top or 
stand to the side of the container to warm the hands with the heat 
escaping from the opening 46. When the heater is not in use, the seat top 
16 may be stored inside of the container, as shown in FIG. 4. 
As shown in FIG. 2, the grate 14 has six circumferentially spaced legs 48 
and a pair of hangers 50. The legs 48 extend downwardly normal from the 
grate to support the grate above the combustible fuel in a cooking 
position as shown in FIG. 4. In the cooking position, food is supported in 
the normal fashion for cooking over the charcoal. The grate may be 
suspended in a heating position by the pair of hangers 50. Each of the 
pair of hangers has a rod extending normally to the grate with a free end 
bent to extend generally normal to the rod. The free ends of the hangers 
are formed to be accepted in the tabs 44 of the seat top, as best shown in 
FIG. 5. In the heating position, food 56 is supported further from the 
combustible material 38 than the cooking position when the grate 14 is 
supported on the legs 48. In the higher heating position, food may be kept 
warm. 
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7, an alternative embodiment of a grate 60 
is provided with three legs 62, extending normally in directions from the 
grate. The grate 60 is positioned approximately a third of the distance 
between the ends of the legs 62. The grate may be located in two different 
positions relative to the combustible material by inverting the grate. 
With a short portion of the legs extending downwardly towards the bottom 
of the container, the grate is positioned in a cooking position. Inverting 
the grate such that the longer portion of the legs extend downwardly to 
the bottom of the container positions the grate further from the 
combustible material for the warming of food. 
As shown in FIG. 6, an alternative embodiment of the container is shown. 
There a container 70 is formed by joining two symmetrical semi-circular 
halves 72 and 74 along flanges 76 extending outwardly from each side edge 
78 of the halves 72 and 74. Each half 72 and 74 is provided with a bottom 
portion 75 at one end. The flanges 76 are joined by use of conventional 
fasteners, such as a nut 80 and bolt 82, which extend through apertures 84 
formed in the flanges 76. Arms 30 and 32 are mounted on one semi-circular 
bolt 72. The container is identical to the container 10 in other respects, 
and is provided with air holes 24 and mounts 28 for a handle 26. This 
embodiment of the invention may be easily assembled and disassembled for 
shipping, transportation and storage. 
Thus is disclosed a compact, portable outdoor stove/ heater having a 
warming seat and fishing pole support. Having described my invention, many 
modifications thereto will become apparent to those skilled in the art to 
which it pertains without deviation from the spirit of the present 
invention, as defined by the scope of the appended claims.