Fire and Method of installing a fire in a fireplace in connection with a flue liner

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for use in installing a gas fire (11) in a fireplace. The apparatus comprises an adaptor member (1,3) in the form of a planar plate (1) from which a flue spigot (3) projects upwardly, the flue spigot (3) in use, being connected with a flue liner. The planar plate (1) has a rearward end section (5) which is interengageable with a rearward part (9) of the fire whereby the planar plate (1) can subsequently be pivoted to a position wherein a front section (18) of the planar plate (1) can be secured to the fire. Said rearward end section (5) and said front section (18) of the planar plate (1) are thus secured to the fire, holding the planar adaptor member flat against the upper surface (13) of the fire with the flue spigot (3) aligned with a flue passage in the fire.

Description: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for use in installing a fire in a fireplace in connection with a flue liner. In particular the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for use in installing a gas fire in a fireplace. Certain known gas fires have a flue spigot which projects generally upwardly from the rear region of the upper surface of the gas fire. During installation the gas fire is moved rearwardly into the fireplace until the flue spigot is nearly underneath the flue liner which extends up the flue/chimney. The flue liner is then flexed and/or moved generally vertically and located over the flue spigot and a clamp such as a jubilee clip is used to tighten the liner around the spigot. The gas fire can then be moved the final small distance to the fully installed position. As will be appreciated there must be a considerable amount of space available between at least the upper surface of the gas fire and the top of the fireplace opening to both allow the upstanding spigot to move with the gas fire into the fireplace opening and to allow the arms and hands of the person installing the fire to reach the spigot to make and tighten the connection between the spigot and liner. Such a large clearance has to be aesthetically closed in the completed installation and sometimes the size of the gas fire is optimised requiring the gas fire to be a relatively close fit in the fireplace opening. In the latter case an adaptor such as disclosed in US Patent Specification No. 4,924,850 can be used to simplify the connection with the flue liner. The adaptor of US Patent Specification No. 4,924,850 comprises a generally rectangular planar plate from one end region of which a cylindrical flue spigot projects. In use the spigot is first secured to the flue liner and then as the fire is introduced into the fireplace opening and moved rearwardly, the planar plate is engaged in and slid along elongate guides provided in the upper surface of the fire. When the gas fire attains its fully installed position the planar plate or a projection thereof can be secured to the body of the gas fire, the spigot then being aligned with a flue passage in the gas fire, which flue passage opens in the upper surface of the fire between said elongate guides. Due to manufacturing tolerances the planar plate can be a relatively loose fit in the elongate guides and thus combusted gases may be able to escape into the fireplace opening and thus through the front of the fire, rather than pass into the flue liner. Also during installation, the planar plate may become angled to the elongate guides and jammed in the guides, thus hampering and delaying the completion of installation. FR-A- 2649473 discloses an apparatus for use in installing a fire in a fireplace opening, the apparatus comprising an adaptor member, part of which adapter member forms a flue spigot which, in use, can be secured to an upper surface of the fire and connect with a flue liner. The adaptor is a rectangular platelike member, one end region of which is, in use, secured to a support located at the rear of the fireplace opening with the flue spigot secured to the flue liner. The adaptor extends towards the front of the fireplace opening and its front end region is provided with a V-shaped transverse profile. As the fire is inserted and pushed backwards onto the fireplace opening, the V-shaped profile engages the rear of the fire causing the adaptor to flex and pivot upwardly about said support. The V-shaped profile then slides over the upper surface of the fire until the flue spigot is correctly aligned with the upper surface of the fire. The aim of the present invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for installing a fire in a fireplace opening, which provides a close fit with the body of the gas fire whereby the fire can be simply though efficiently connected with a flue liner. According to the present invention there is provided a fire comprising having an adaptor member for use in installing the fire, part of which adaptor member forms a flue spigot which, in use, can be secured to an upper surface of the fire and connected with a flue liner, characterised in that the adaptor member has a section which is adapted to be interengageable with a rearward part of the fire, whereby the adaptor member can be subsequently pivoted about said rearward part of the fire, to a position wherein a further section of the adaptor member can be secured to the fire, said section and said further section of the adaptor member then being retained so as to hold the adaptor member flat against the upper surface of the fire with the flue spigot aligned with a flue passage in the fire. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the adaptor member comprises a rectangular planar plate with a cylindrical flue spigot projecting upwardly therefrom. In use the flue spigot is secured to a flue liner by a clamp such as a jubilee clip. The gas fire is then located in the fireplace opening and moved rearwardly until the spigot of the adaptor member is substantially over a flue passage in the body of the gas fire, the adaptor member and flue liner being pushed upwards slightly to allow the fire to enter the fireplace opening easily. By pulling the adaptor member downwards and forwards, and tilting the planar plate, a section of the adaptor member in the form of a tongue provided on the rear end edge region of the planar plate, can be engaged in an opening in an upstanding flange provided at the rear of the upper surface of the body of the fire. The planar plate is then effectively pivoted down into engagement with the upper surface of the body of the fire, the tongue and aperture being preferably tapered to hold the rear end region of the adaptor member in this position. The other end region of the planar plate can then be secured, e.g. screwed, to the front region of the upper surface of the gas fire body, thus securing the planar plate tightly and closely to the upper surface of the fire. If required a gasket may be provided between the planar plate and the upper surface of the gas fire body around the aligned flue passage/flue spigot connection to further seal the planar plate to the upper surface of the fire. Thus a simple positive connection is achieved. As opposed to providing the tongue in the planar plate and an aperture in a flange of the gas fire body, the converse or any other suitable male/female interconnection may be provided between the rear end region of the adaptor member and the gas fire body. For example, the rear end region of the planar plate may have a downwardly and forwardly projecting tongue which can be engaged in an aperture in the rear face of the gas fire. According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of installing a fire in a fireplace opening comprising the steps of providing an adaptor member, part of which takes the form of a flue spigot, connecting the flue spigot with a flue liner, locating the fire in a position wherein a flue passage opening in the upper surface of the gas fire body is located generally under the flue spigot, moving the adaptor member towards the front of the fire and engaging a rearward part of the adaptor member with part of the body of the fire, effectively pivoting the adaptor member to a position wherein the adaptor member is flat against the upper surface of the fire with the flue spigot aligned with the flue passage, and securing the forward region of the adaptor member to the body of the fire. If required a gasket may be provided between the adaptor member and the upper surface of the fire body to further seal the adaptor member to the body of the fire to ensure that all of the combusted gases flowing along the flue passage enter the flue liner. The present invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig.1 is a perspective view of a fire suitable for incorporating the apparatus of the present invention; Fig.2 is an enlarged perspective view of part of the upper surface of the fire of Fig.1, incorporating one embodiment of the present invention; Fig.3 is a further enlarged view of part of the upper surface shown in Fig.2, illustrating the assembly of the apparatus of the present invention; Fig.4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the fire of Figs. 1 and 2, installed in a fireplace opening and connected with a flue liner; Fig.5A is a side view of a further embodiment of the present invention; and Fig.5B is a side view of a still further embodiment of the present invention. A preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and comprises an adaptor member in the form of a planar plate 1 of generally rectangular configuration. A cylindrical flue spigot 3 projects upwardly from one end region of the planar plate 1, and opens through the planar plate 1. The end edge section of the planar plate 1 nearest to the flue spigot 3 is formed as a tongue 5 - see Fig.3, - which can be engaged in a slot 7 formed by an upstanding flange 9 provided at the rear of a gas fire body 11, the lower edge of the slot 7 being formed by the upper surface 13 of the gas fire body. In use, as best seen in Fig.4, the adaptor member 1 is first located in a fireplace opening 15 with the flue spigot 3 located over and secured to the end region of a flue liner 17. The gas fire body 11 is then moved rearwardly into the fireplace opening 15, the flue liner 17 usually being flexible and having a limited amount of vertical movement available so that the adaptor member 1 can be pushed clear of the upstanding flange 9 at the rear of the gas fire body 11. With the gas fire body 11 virtually in the fully installed position, the planar plate 1 can be manually pulled from its other end edge region 18 which is adjacent the front of the fire, so that the tongue 5 is located in front of the upstanding flange 9. With the planar plate 1 tilted slightly the tongue 5 can be slid along the upper surface 13 of the gas fire body 11 into the slot 7. Then the planar plate 1 can be pivoted downwards to lie flush along the upper surface 13 of the gas fire body. As best seen in Fig.3 the tongue 5 has tapered side edges 5' and the slot 7 has tapered side edges 7' which interengage to force the tongue 5 and thus the planar plate 1 down against the upper surface 13 of the gas fire body 11, with the spigot 3 and thus the flue liner 17, coaxially aligned with the flue passage in the gas fire body 11. The planar plate 1 is secured in this gas-tight manner by the other end edge region of the planar plate 1, which is near to the front of the fire, being secured to the gas fire body 11 by screws 19 which can be readily located and tightened from the front of the fire. To ensure a gas-tight seal between the planar plate 1 and the upper surface 13 around the aligned flue liner 17 and the flue passage in the gas fire body 11, a gasket 21 can be provided between the planar plate 1 and upper surface 13. In such a case the bottom edge of the slot 7 need not be flush with the upper surface 13. In a modified embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Fig.5A of the accompanying drawings, a tongue 23 projects from the rear region of the gas fire body 11, and a complementary slot 25 is provided in an upstanding flange 27 of the planar plate 1. Otherwise this modified embodiment functions exactly as for the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 4, described hereabove. In a still further embodiment of the present invention the rear edge of the planar plate 1 is provided with a downwardly and forwardly projecting tongue 29 which, in use, engages in an aperture 31 provided in the rear face 33 of the gas fire body 11. To hold the rear end region of the planar plate 1 against the upper surface 13 of the gas fire body 11 the tongue 29 is angled so that the further it engages in the aperture 31 the tighter the planar plate engages the surface 13 or gasket 21. As an alternative to the above described planar plate, planar tongue and slot configurations, the adaptor member can have any desired configuration, with any required male/female interengaging connection being provided to the rear of the upper part of the gas fire body. The present invention thus provides a simple but efficient apparatus and method for use in connecting a gas fire to a flue liner, the apparatus being simply and positively installable without the possibility of the adaptor becoming jammed.

Claims: A fire (11) comprising an adaptor member (1) for use in installing the fire in a fireplace opening, part of which adaptor member (1) forms a flue spigot (3) which, in use, can be secured to an upper surface (13) of the fire (11) and connected with a flue liner (17), characterised in that the adaptor member (1) has a section (5;27;29) which is adapted to be interengageable with a rearward part (9) of the fire (11), whereby the adaptor member (1) can be subsequently pivoted about said rearward part (9) of the fire (11), to a position wherein a further section (18) of the adaptor member (1) can be secured to the fire, said section (5;27;29) and said further section (18) of the adaptor member (1) then being retained so as to hold the adaptor member (1) flat against the upper surface (13) of the fire (11) with the flue spigot (3) aligned with a flue passage in the fire (11). A fire as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adaptor member comprises a planar plate (1) with a cylindrical flue spigot (3) projecting upwardly therefrom. A fire as claimed in claim 2, wherein the planar plate (1) is rectangular. A fire as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the said section of the adaptor member is in the form of a tongue (5) which, in use, engages in a aperture (7) provided in the fire. A fire as claimed in claim 4, wherein the tongue (5) has tapered lateral edges (5'). A fire as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said section (27) of the adaptor member (1) is provided with an aperture (25) through which, in use, a tongue (23) provided on the fire extends. A fire as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, in which said section (29) of the adaptor member (1) has a downwardly and forwardly directed tongue (29) which, in use, can be engaged in an aperture (31) in a rear face (33) of the fire (11). A fire as claimed in claim 5, in which the said upper face (13) of the fire is planar and a flange (9) projects upwardly from the rear region of said upper surface (13), the flange (9) incorporating said aperture (7) which has tapered lateral edges (7'), the tapered edges (5') of the tongue (5) engaging with the tapered edges (7') of the aperture (7) as the tongue (5) passes through the aperture (7), to cause said section (5) of the adaptor member to be forced into contact with the upper face (13) of said fire (11). A fire as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, in which said further section (18) of the adaptor member (1) is secured to the fire (11) by a screw (19). A fire as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a gasket (21) is provided on the adaptor member (1) to, in use, provide a seal around the connection of the flue spigot (3) with the said flue passage. A method of installing a fire (11) in a fireplace opening, comprising the steps of providing an adaptor member (1), a part of which adaptor member (1) takes the form of a flue spigot (3), connecting the flue spigot (3) with a flue liner (17), locating the fire in a position wherein a flue passage opening in the upper surface (13) of the fire (11) is located generally under the flue spigot (3), moving the adaptor member (1) towards the front of the fire (11) and inter-engaging a rearward section (5;27;29) of the adaptor member (1) with part (9;27;31) of the fire (11), effectively pivoting the adaptor member (1) to a position wherein the adaptor member (1) is flat against the upper surface (13) of the fire (11) with the flue spigot (3) aligned with the flue passage, and securing a forward section (18) of the adaptor member (1) to the fire (11). A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein a gasket (21) is located between the adaptor member (1) and the upper surface (13) of the fire (11) to seal around the connection between the flue spigot (3) and flue passage.

Inventors: WHITEHOUSE DONALD, WHITEHOUSE, DONALD
Applicants: VALOR LTD, VALOR LIMITED
Application year: 1992
Main classification: F24B1
IPC codes: F24B1