Abstract:
A portable camp stove is provided that is easy to disassemble and collapses to a reduced size for transport, utilizes a recycled wash tube for the stove body, includes a detachable, weighted pedestal base that allows the stove to be free standing and balanced, even when an elongate chimney is attached to an upper region of the stove, and allows heat dissipation through a bottom region of the stove for warming shoes and feet.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of, and claims the benefit of, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/620,517, having the same title as the present application, and filed on Nov. 20, 2000 in the name of the same inventor herein. 
     
    
     
       TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a portable camp stove and, more particularly, to a portable camp stove that is easy to disassemble and collapses to a reduced size for transport, utilizes a recycled wash tube for the stove body, and which includes a detachable, weighted pedestal base that allows the stove to be free standing and balanced, even when an elongate chimney is attached to an upper region of the stove, and which facilitates heat dissipation through a bottom region of the stove for warming shoes and feet.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Outdoor recreation often involves overnight camping where temperatures may drop as much as thirty degrees Fahrenheit or more from midday temperatures. This drastic drop in temperature typically makes nighttime activity at the campsite cold and unpleasant. In order to warm up the campsite, and in some cases to provide heat for cooking, campers have utilized open campfires. These open campfires typically are made within a fire ring of low rocks or bricks and involves stacking wood in the fire ring. The disadvantage of these open campfires is that smoke from the campfire is uncontrolled and typically blows onto the campers, causing an unpleasant, residual smoke odor on the campers skin, clothes, and hair. The smoke may also cause dryness and irritation to the campers eyes. Additionally, open campfires receive an unregulated amount of oxygen, generally resulting in a large amount of wood being burned by the campfire over the course of an evening. Open campfires are also generally difficult to cook over in that the flame height and location typically varies with wind and fuel conditions. Moreover, open campfires emit uncontrolled sparks that may ignite surrounding growth or vegetation. For this reason, campfires typically are banned during dry seasons, leaving campers with a cold campsite at night. Some national parks and private camping facilities have even banned open fires all together.  
           [0004]    In light of the many disadvantages of open campfires, several enclosed camp stoves have been designed. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 358,204 to Ferrier discloses an outdoor fire holder. The fire holder is generally top heavy and unstable, and requires long stakes to be used to secure the unbalanced fire holder to the ground. Accordingly, the stove is not easily portable in that the stakes must be removed from the ground with each move of the stove. The stove, therefore, generally cannot be used on hard surfaces such as rocks, cement pads, brick patios and wooden decks. Moreover, the Ferrier fire holder does not include a lid or a chimney so that the input of oxygen to the fire, and the output of heat, smoke and sparks from the fire is uncontrolled.  
           [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,218,950 to Hait discloses an outdoor cooking unit with foldable components. The cooking unit is foldable in that the lower portion of the cooking unit appears to be removable from the upper portion of the cooking unit. The lower portion, however, is rather large and bulky, even when detached, so that the lower portion does not appear to be able to fit within the upper portion of the cooking unit during transport. Moreover, the lower portion of the cooking unit defines a generally enclosed space such that heat from the cooking unit is directly upwardly toward the cooking space. Accordingly, the Hait stove does not appear to disclose a cooking unit that is reduced in size for transport, or that provides for a space under the heater for warming of shoes or feet.  
           [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,956 to Webber discloses a heater closure attachment for drums. The closure comprises a lid with a chimney that is placed on the upper end of a standard fifty five gallon metal drum which rests on the ground. The Webber device does not appear to disclose a heater that may be collapsed for transport or a heater having an open, pedestal stand that allows one to warm their shoes or feet underneath the heater.  
           [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,290 to Gleichman discloses a detachable drum cover similar to that of Webber.  
           [0008]    There is a need, therefore, for a portable camp stove that may be manufactured of recycled metal components, that allows for collapse and reduction in size of the camp stove for transport to and from a campsite, and that includes a pedestal stand which facilitates heat to be directed downwardly from the body of the stove so that campers may warm their shoes and feet underneath the stove.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    The present invention provides a portable camp stove that is easy to disassemble and collapses to a reduced size for transport, utilizes a recycled wash tube for the stove body, includes a detachable, weighted pedestal base that allows the stove to be free standing and balanced, even when an elongate chimney is attached to an upper region of the stove, and allows heat dissipation through a bottom region of the stove for warming shoes and feet. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the portable camp stove;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the portable camp stove;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a top view of the portable camp stove showing internal components of the stove;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a front view of the portable camp stove; and  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a side view of the portable camp stove. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a portable camp stove  10  of the present invention including a chimney  12  having a damper  14  therein. Damper  14  typically comprises a flat plate having an outer shape that matches the cross sectional shape of chimney  12 , such as a square or a round cross sectional shape. A handle is attached to the flat plate and is pivotally secured within the chimney walls so that manipulation of the handle acts to regulate air flow through the chimney, as is known in the art. Chimney  12  is secured within a chimney support  16  which in turn is secured to a stove lid  18 . The chimney typically has a height above the lid of at least four feet. Lid  18  includes a front, opening portion  20  secured to a stationary rear portion  22  by fastening means  24 , which typically comprise hinges. Rear portion  22  of lid  18  may include a warming stand  26 , which in the preferred embodiment includes a horseshoe  28  secured to the lid by two spacers  30 . Front portion  20  of the lid may include a handle  32  for opening the front portion of the lid, wherein the handle preferably comprises a horseshoe welded to front portion  20 .  
         [0016]    Lid  18 , in combination with chimney  12  and damper  14 , allow one to control the flow of oxygen to the fire within the stove body so that a reduced amount of wood or pellet fuel is required to be fed to the stove during the course of an evening. Moreover, chimney  12  may be manufactured of any height so that sparks are not discharged to surrounding vegetation. Accordingly, the portable camp stove is safe for use in the outdoors, even during the dry, high-fire-danger season. Additionally, the lid and chimney direct smoke away from campers so after an evening by the stove, camper&#39;s hair and clothes do not retain the unpleasant odor of residual smoke and the camper&#39;s eyes and skin are not irritated.  
         [0017]    Lid  18  is secured to a stove body  34  which, in a preferred embodiment, comprises recycled materials, such as a washing machine tub. Body  34  typically includes a plurality of apertures  36  around a circumference of the body so as to facilitate the dissipation of heat outwardly from the stove throughout the full  360  degree angle surrounding the stove. In this manner, the stove provides for a full circle of heat around the stove. Body  34  typically includes a flat, bottom surface  38  which is exposed, i.e., not placed on the ground or enclosed by a stand, so that the body also dissipates heat downwardly toward a shoe or foot region  40 . In other words, due to the presence of exposed bottom surface  38 , one may place their shoes or feet underneath the stove in foot region  40  for warmth. Accordingly, the camp stove of the present invention provides heat for cooking, outwardly radiating heat for body warmth, and downwardly radiating heat for foot warmth.  
         [0018]    Still referring to FIG. 1, stove  10  further comprises a base  42  including a stove support plate  44  (shown in FIG. 2) secured to an underside of stove body  34 , a vertical base element  46  and a base plate  48 . Base plate  48  typically comprises a thick, solid steel plate having a weight sufficient to balance stove  10 , even when chimney  12  is attached thereto. For example, base plate  48  typically has a weight the same as or more than a weight of tub  34 . Accordingly, base plate  48  is not required to be bolted or otherwise fastened to the ground to secure the stove in a stable and balanced position. The stove, therefore, can be used on hard surfaces such as on rocks, cement pads, brick patios, wooden decks, and on hard, compacted ground. Moreover, the stove is easy to set up, disassemble and slightly adjust a position thereof, because the user need not remove long stakes from the ground in order to move the stove.  
         [0019]    For ease of transportation, chimney  12  typically is friction fit within chimney support  16  so that the chimney is easily removed from stove body  34  when desired. The chimney may also comprise several segments so that the chimney itself can be broken down and, therefore, reduced in size for transport. Moreover, vertical base element  46  and base plate  48  typically are each of a size that will fit within body  34  so that the stove may be reduced in size by approximately fifty percent for transport. In particular, stove  10  has a height  47  when assembled, and a height  49  when disassembled, wherein height  49  is at least fifty percent smaller than height  47 . In the case where the base plate and the vertical base element do not fit within an interior of stove body  34 , removal of the vertical base element will nevertheless result in a reduction in size of the stove by approximately fifty percent for transport. To further increase the ease of transport of the stove, body  34  typically includes handles  50  positioned on each side of the stove.  
         [0020]    In the preferred embodiment, stove  10  typically is manufactured of the following materials, however, any materials suitable to withstand the excessive temperatures of a flame would be acceptable for use. Body  34  typically is manufactured of a recycled, i.e., used, commercially produced metal washing machine tub. The tub may have any dimensions as is suitable for the particular stove being manufactured, such as an outer diameter of approximately two to three feet and a height of approximately one to three feet. Handles  50  typically are manufactured of heavy duty metal wire and typically are welded to the sides of the wash tub. The underside of the wash tub typically is relatively flat and may be slightly concave. Support plate  44  typically comprises a one quarter inch thick steel or cast iron plate that is bolted or welded to the bottom of the tub. The outer dimension of support plate  44  typically is slightly smaller than the outer dimension of the tub but may be of any size as is suitable for a particular application. Vertical base element  46  typically comprises a steel or iron pipe having a hollow interior. The pipe may be of any outer diameter, and typically will have a diameter in a range of three to four inches. Such a diameter is sufficient to provide stability and balance to the stove but also provides for foot region  40  under the stove body. In other words, due to the relatively small outer diameter of pipe  46  compared to the outer diameter of stove body  34 , i.e., typically at least fifty percent smaller (two times smaller), and preferably seventy five percent smaller, foot region  40  extends generally throughout the space under the stove body. Vertical base element  46  may be of any height as is desired, and typically will have a height ranging from six to twenty four inches. Lid portions  20  and  22  typically comprise one quarter inch thick steel or cast iron plates. Chimney support  16  typically comprises a material that matches the material of lid  18 . The support typically comprises a band of material welded to lid  18 . Chimney  12  typically comprises sheet metal that is bent into a tube and secured along a seam. The diameter of chimney  12  may be any size suitable for a particular application, but typically will be in a range of three to twelve inches. Chimney support  16  typically has an inner diameter approximately the same size as the outer diameter of chimney  12  so that the chimney is friction fit within the chimney support.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the portable camp stove showing the individual elements. Damper  14  is shown comprising a flat plate  52  and a handle  54 . Rear portion  22  of lid  18  is secured to stove body  34  by fasteners  56  such as rivets or bolts. Hinges  24  typically are welded to the front and rear portions of the lid but may also be fastened with fasteners such as rivets or bolts. Horseshoe  28  of warming stand  26  typically is welded to metal spacers  30  which in turn are welded to rear portion  22  of lid  18 . Chimney  12  is shown above chimney support  16 , which is welded to rear portion  22  of lid  18 , and around an aperture  58  in lid portion  22 .  
         [0022]    Stove support plate  44  is shown having a nut  60  welded thereto, wherein a first end of an all-thread fastener  62  is secured within nut  60 . The all-thread fastener  62  is placed through vertical base element  46  wherein a second end of the fastener is secured within a second nut  64  welded to a topside of base plate  48 . All-thread fastener  62  typically has a length slightly less than a length of vertical base element  46  so that as base plate  48  is rotated, fastener  62  is tightened within nuts  60  and  64 , thereby pulling plates  44  and  48  together against pipe element  46 . In this manner, a stable and balanced base is provided, wherein the base is easily disassembled for transport by merely rotating the base plates in an opposite direction to release the all-thread fastener from the nuts. Of course, other attachment means such as wing nuts and the like may also be used.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 3 is a top view of the portable camp stove showing internal components of the stove. In this embodiment, support plate  44  comprises a round plate and base plate  48  comprises an octagon shaped plate. In this view damper  14  is not shown.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 4 is a front view of the portable camp stove. In this embodiment, support plate  44  is shown having a size similar to that of bottom surface  38  of tub  34 .  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 5 is a side view of the portable camp stove. In this embodiment, support plate  44  is shown having a size similar to that of bottom surface  38  of tub  34 .  
         [0026]    In other embodiments, base plate  48  may comprise a plurality of outwardly extending legs, rather than a single plate of material. Additionally, a grate may be provided which fits over the top opening of the stove body when front lid  20  is in a raised position. The grate allows direct flame cooking of food similar to a barbecue.  
         [0027]    In the above description numerous details have been set forth in order to provide a more through understanding of the present invention. It will be obvious, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced using other equivalent designs.