US3378003A - Fireplace screen - Google Patents

Description

April 16, 1968 w. E. SCHERER FIREPLACE SCREEN Filed May :5, 1966 INVENTOR Wallace Earl Scherer FIG.4.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,373,003 FRREFLACE SCREEN Wallace Earl fieherer, 87% Brawner Drive, Richmond, V a. 2322? Filed May 3, 1966, Ser. No. 547,265 1 Claim. (Cl. 126-292) ABSTRACT OF TEE DESCLDSURE A removeable fireplace screen consisting of two mounting elements each having a threaded sleeve integral therewith. A single rod engages the sleeves and is turnable to force the elements apart for frictional engagement with confronting vertical surfaces of a fireplace opening. The mounting elements journal between them a roller bearing a screen of heat-proof material and which, when desired, may be drawn downwardly to obturate the fireplace opening.

This invention relates to a screen or curtain intended more particularly for use in the room opening of a fireplace.

Portable or permanently installed fire screens are commonly used in connection with fireplaces. In the portable type the screen is usually formed in sections hingedly connected together. The device is set aside while building a fire and returned to place across the room opening after the fire is started. In a permanently-installed type the screen consists of a curtain of interconnected open links or meshes. Usually there are two discrete sections both of which are supported along their top edges by a rod emplaced horizontally at and across the top of the fireplace opening. The sections are supported from the rod at and along their top edges, by means of loops slidable along the rod. To build a fire the screen sections are shoved apart in opposite directions to expose the opening, and returned to closed or drawn position after the fire has been started.

The basic purpose of all screens is to prevent sparks and burning embers from popping out into the room and damaging rugs, carpets, clothing, or from starting a confiagration when the fire is left unattended. A secondary purpose is to adorn the room opening and to conceal ashes, unburned fuel, and blackened walls and anirons when no fire is present.

However, all screens commonly in use have the disadvantages that they are easily displaced, fail to afford complete protection against emission of sparks and burn ing embers, and even when properly placed do not fully obscure ashes, unburned fuel, blackened wall, etc., when no fire is extant. Furthermore, with extended use the screens themselves become blackened and unattractive, thus defeating one of their chief purposes. With such screens, complete safety can only be assured by complete dousing of the fire when it is to be left unattended.

It is the chief purpose and object of the present invention to provide a fireplace screen or curtain which, while readily emplaced and adapted to all sizes of fireplace openings, is firmly but releasably held in properly emplaced position within the room opening of the fireplace.

Another object is to provide a fireplace screen or curtain which, when fully drawn, affords complete protection against the projection of sparks and burning embers into the room and may by thus safely left unattended without putting out the fire.

Still another object is to provide a curtain or screen of the type aforesaid, which when rolled, is not affected by heat from the fireplace and which, when drawn, is clean, ornamental, pleasing in appearance, and completely obscures ashes, unburned fuel, and the generally unsightly 3,378,119? Patented Apr. 16, 1968 ice appearance which the interior of all fireplaces eventually acquire.

Yet another object is to provide a curtain which may effectively obturate the fireplace room opening, thus preventing loss up the chimney of heat from other sources when the fireplace is not in use, conserving fuel, and preventing drafts, as when the fireplace damper must be left open after the fire is no longer desired but before it has completely gone out. Ancillary to the foregoing, the obturation of the fireplace opening diminishes the supply of fresh air and thus hastens extinguishment of the fire after it is no longer desired.

Another object is to provide a screen or curtain of the type aforesaid, which is relatively simple and inexpensive to construct and service, or indefinite life, and a general advance in the art.

Other objects and advantages will be obvious to those skilled in the art, after a study of the following detailed description, in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a fireplace equipped with the invention and with the curtain drawn to obscure the opening;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view to an enlarged scale, of the assembled device ready for installation;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view to a still further enlarged scale, and partly in section, of the assembled device;

FIGURE 4 is a cross section taken in a plane indicated byline 44, FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a detail perspective view of a portion of a modified form of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, F, FIGURE 1, shows a fireplace equipped with the invention generally identified at 1. The screen or curtain is shown drawn. At FIGURE 2, 2 and 3 identify essentially allochirally duplicate hollow boxlike end members whose edges may be serrated as indicated at 4, to provide a better grip upon the bricks or other material of the fireplace opening. The end members each include an integral hollow threaded collar, that for item 2 being identified at 5, and that for item 3 at 6. One collar is internally threaded with right-hand threads, the other with left-hand threads. The threads may be of the same pitch.

A rod 7 is correspondingly threaded at its ends to that when engaged with the threaded collars and turned in one direction, as by grasping the central enlargement 8 integrally connected with the rod, or applying a wrench thereto, the end members are separated; and when turned in the other direction, are brought closer together. The overall length of the assembled rod and end members when the parts are substantially in the positions shown upon FIGURE 3, is a little less than the width of the fireplace opening. Hence, when positioned within and at the top of the opening, and rod 7 is turned in the proper direction, the end members are separated and forced into contact with the fireplace surfaces and the assembly is firmly fixed within the opening, with rod 7 horizontal and adjacent to the top of the opening.

A spring roller 9 of metal or other heat-resisting material, is normally journaled by and between end members 3 and Although for clarity of illustration, FIGURES 2 and 3 show this roller below rod 7, in actual use, the end members are preferably, but not necessarily, disposed and collocated so that their longitudinal axes are parallel and in a common horizontal plane, with the roller in front. Of course it is one advantage of my inventio i that the end members may be so located that the common plane of the axes may be inclined at any angle between horizontal and vertical.

At one end, roller 9 has the usual pivot pin 10, journaled in a hole in the end of member At its other end the roller is provided with a fiat trunnion 11 connected in the usual way with one end of the coil spring, not shown, within the roller. If desired the roller may also be provided with the conventional centrifugally-operated release latch. As shown upon FIGURE 4, this trunnion fits a rectangular opening 12 in end member 3 and is thereby prevented from turning.

A screen or curtain 13 is of flexible non-combustible, heat-resistant material such as woven fiberglass, asbestos fiber, fine metal wire or high-temperature plastic in Woven or sheet form. The screen is attached along its top edge to roller 9. Its lower edge is secured to and about a small tube of metal. The ends of this tube are open and a rod such as 14, FIGURES 2 and 3, having an enlarged friction head 15 attached to its outer end, is mounted within the tube for axial sliding therealong. Likewise, the other end of the tube has a second rod 16 slidable therein, with attached friction head 17. Springs, not shown, mounted within the tube urge the rods axially apart. These may take the form of coil springs each surrounding its respective rod within the tube and abutting at one end, a collar fixed to the rod and at the other end an abutment within the tube and fixed therewith. Alternatively a single spring may be used urging the rods apart at their ends adjacent the center of the tube.

These inner ends carry respective finger pieces 18, 19, FIGURES 2 and 3, which project through apertures in the tube and curtain so that they may be grasped and pressed together. The construction and arrangement are such that when the device is mounted within a fireplace and fingerpieces 18, 19 are released, the friction heads 15 and 17 are urged into engagement with the bricks or other material of the fireplace opening and thus act to releasably hold the curtain in any position to which it has been drawn or lowered. FIGURE 1 shows the curtain fully lowered, in which position it practically completely obturates the fireplace opening.

The installation and operation of the invention will be clear from the foregoing description and is briefly resumed as follows: Rod 7 is turned to drawn the end members 3, 4 together so that they slip easily into the fireplace opening with small clearance. The members are held in desired position at the top of the opening, with the rod horizontal. The rod is then turned to force the members apart until their serrated or friction edges firmly grip the bricks or other material lining the opening.

When a fire is to be built, fingerpieces .18, 19 are pressed together to retract and release friction heads 15', 17, following which the curtain is allowed to rise to its position fully Wound on roller 9, in which position the fireplace is essentially completely open. After the fire is no longer desired or when no fire is present, the curtain is drawn down to the position shown upon FIGURE 1 and held in this position by friction heads 15, 17, to thus completely obturate the opening, prevent sparks from flying out into the room, prevent loss of room heat up the chimney, obscure ashes and unburned fuel, blackened walls, etc., and provide an ornamental closure of the opening. In this latter regard it will be understood that the curtain may have its outwardly-facing surface ornamented with any design or emblem and in colors, by printing, painting or other process.

While I have described the construction and arrangement of parts presently preferred by me, numerous changes of shape, form, disposition and relations of parts will be obvious to those skilled in the art, after a study of the foregoing disclosure. In one modification shown at FIG- URE 5, two rollers 9a and 9b, both constructed as described, may be located between two end members one of which is identified at 3a. These rollers are preferably one behind the other as shown and with their axes in a common horizontal plane. The rear or first roller 9a may mount a screen 13a such as fiberglass, of open mesh similar in size to that of an ordinary firescreen, While the second or forward roller 91: may mount a closely-woven opaque screen 13b of like material. During use of the fire- 4 place, the first screen only will be lowered and will thus enable the emission of heat and provide view of the flames, while preventing sparks and burning embers from being thrown into the room. When the fireplace is no longer to be used, the first screen may be raised and the second drawn downwardly to obturate the opening, with all the attendant advantages previously described. Of course, as an alternative use, the first screen may be left down, thus protecting the second or ornamental curtain. It is also contemplated that the rollers may be journaled in lugs integral with but laterally offset outwardly from the respective end members 2, 3, so that the edges of the curtain or screen, when drawn, are almost in contact with the walls of the fireplace opening. It is also contemplated that end member 3 may be provided with a slot opening into the aperture for pivot 11, so that the roller may be emplaced after the ends caps 2 and 3 have been fixedly located within the fireplace opening.

Thus the disclosure is to be taken in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense; and all modifications, substitutions of equivalents and materials, alteration, and

rather than a limiting sense; and all modifications, subjoined claim, are reserved.

Having fully disclosed the invention, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a screen for detachable connection with the confronting side walls of a fireplace opening, first and second wall-engaging members, each comprising a hollow boxlike structure having bottom, side, and end Walls, and an open top, the free edges of said Walls defining an open top lying essentially in a first plane, said edges being adapted for frictional engagement with the Walls of a fireplace opening, the bottom wall of each said member being parallel with said first plane, first and second hollow internally-threaded sleeves each integrally connected at one end with a respective one of said bot-tom walls, and having its central axis normal to said first plane thereof, said sleeves having threads of opposite hand, a rod having its ends threaded with threads of opposite hand, each adapted to threadedly engage within a respective one of said sleeves to vary the separation of said members by and in response to turning of said rod, there being first and second aligned apertures in each respective one of the bottom walls of said members, in offset relation With the sleeve thereof, a roller having aligned trun nions projecting from respective ends thereof each adapted to fit a respective one of said apertures to journal said roller horizontally by and between said members, in olfset parallel relation with said rod, a flexible screen of heat-resistant material having its top edge secured to and along said roller throughout the length thereof, and adapted to be drawn downwardly to obturate a fireplace opening when said wall engaging members are forced apart by rotation of said rod, to engage the free edges thereof with the opposed walls of the fireplace opening, a second roller journaled between the bottom Walls of said end members in contiguous parallel coextensive relation with said first roller, said second roller being spring-wound, a second screen secured along one edge to and windable upon said second roller, said second screen being of flexible fire-resistant material, one said screen being of open mesh, the other said screen being opaque and impervious to smoke and flame.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,759,619 5/1930 Hutchinson 126-202 2,015,485 9/1935 Lindberg 126202 2,803,241 8/1957 Capla 126-202 2,941,591 6/1960 Meyer 126--202 X 3,153,256 10/1964 Stark et al. .Q 126202 X FREDERICK L. MATIESON, 1a., Examiner. E. G. FAVORS, Assistant Examiner.

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