US3842721A - Combination insulated flue and thermosyphon chimney - Google Patents

Abstract

A combination insulated flue and thermosyphon chimney having an inner flue conduit, a first liner member surrounding the conduit to form an air inner annulus therebetween, and a second liner member surrounding the first liner member to form an air outer annulus between the first and second liner. An insulation is connected to the inner fluid conduit to insulate the inner air annulus from the flue conduit. A shell member surrounds the insulation to separate the air inner annulus from the insulation. Brackets are provided to connect the shell member with the first liner, and the first liner with the second liner.

Description

United States Patent [19] Cardiff COMBINATION INSULATED FLUE AND THERMOSYPHON CHIMNEY [75] Inventor: George H. Cardiff, Santa Cruz,

Calif.

[73] Assignee: Metal Fab Inc., Wichita, Kans.

[22] Filed: June 25, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 373,000

[52] US. Cl 118/60, 138/155, 285/133 R [51] Int. Cl E04h 12/28 [58] Field of Search 98/58, 60; 110/184; 138/155; 285/133 R, 361, 396, 402

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 796,084 8/1905 Orr 285/396 1,128,634 2/1915 Talbot ..,285/402 X 1,615,909 2/1927 Nance 98/58 2,130,385 9/1938 Flour et a1. 98/42 2,275,902 3/1942 Hasenburger et a1 285/133 R [451 Oct. 22, 1974 Primary Examiner-William F. ODea Assistant Examiner--Peter D. Ferguson Attorney, Agent, or Firm-John H. Widdowson [5 7 ABSTRACT A combination insulated flue and thermosyphon chimney having an inner flue conduit, a first liner member surrounding the conduit to form an air inner annulus therebetween, and a second liner member surrounding the first liner member to form an air outer annulus between the first and second liner. An insulation is connected to the inner fluid conduit to insulate the inner air annulus from the flue conduit. A shell member surrounds the insulation to separate the air inner annulus from the insulation. Brackets are provided to connect the shell member with the first liner, and the first liner with the second liner.

3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures a r a.

PAIENTEDBBIZZISH K A 3 W. 7. Z 11 P COMBINATION INSULATED FLUE AND THERMOSYPHON CHIMNEY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention is related to a chimney. More specifically, this invention provides for a combination insulated flue and thermosyphon chimney.

2. Description of the Prior Art Conventional chimneys generally fall into two classes. One class is known as the fully insulated class and utilizes an insulation of a predetermined thickness to protect the inner hot flue conduit from surrounding combustible materials. The second class of conventional chimneys is the thermosyphon type which uses the thermal effect of the inner hot flue conduit to set up convective forces of air by drawing cool air through an outer air annulus and exhausting it back into the atmosphere through an inner air annulus encompassing the inner hot flue conduit.

Both classes of conventional chimneys have a major deficiency which requires the enclosing structure surrounding the chimney to have a minimum clearance of at least one to two inches from the chimney walls, or the insulation or thermosyphonic action become ineffective and contiguous combustible materials become endangered. This is especially true where flue products reach temperatures of l,00()F during normal operations and up to 1700F during short periods of unusual firing. I

Therefore, what is needed and what has been invented is a novel chimney which is not taught or suggested by any prior art that utilizes the desirable effects of both classes of conventional chimneys without their foregoing deficiencies SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention accomplishes its desired objects by broadly providing a combination insulated flue and thermosyphon chimney comprising an inner flue conduit, a first liner member surrounding the conduit forming an air inner annulus therebetween, a second liner member surrounding the first liner member to form an air outer annulus between the first and the second liner, and means for insulating the inner flue conduit from the air inner annulus. A shell member is additionally included to enclose the means for insulating to separate the air inner annulus therefrom. Means for attaching the first liner to the shell member, and means for attaching the second liner to the first liner are also included.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a chimney that is safe to use even when placed in contact with combustible building materials.

It is another object of this invention to provide a chimney including a cooling effect which is synergistic when compared to the combination of the cooling effects of the insulated and thermosyphon class of conventional chimneys.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a chimney that is relatively economical to manufacture and which may be used for gases and any liquid or solid fuel-fired commercial or residential appliances which produce flue products of temperatures of l,0OOF continuously, and for occasional limited 'periods up to 1700F.

These, together with various ancillary objects and features which will become apparent to those artisans possessing ordinary skill in the art and as thefollowing description proceeds, are obtained by this novel chimney, a preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the chimney flushed against wood members;

FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged vertical sectional view of the chimney additionally including a front elevational view of the brackets used to connect the various liners of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top plan view looking along the direction of line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view disclosing the bottom of the chimney;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial vertical sectional view illustrating the top of the chimney according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of two cylindrical members of the outside liner of the chimney; and

FIG. 7 is a horizontal sectional view looking along the plane and in direction of the arrows of line 7 7 in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring in detail now to the drawings wherein similar or like parts of the invention are identified by like and insulates inner flue conduit 24 from inner air annulus 28. A shell member 36 is attached to inner conduit 24 and encloses insulation 34 to separate air annulus .28 therefrom. Shell member 36 has at least one end attached to the inner flue conduit 24 such as to prevent communication with the outside atmosphere (see FIGS. 1 and 5). Brackets 38 connect liner 26 with shell member 36 and with liner 30. Liner 26 is concentrically positioned with respect to inner flue conduit 24 and is shorter than liner 30 to enable air outer annulus 32 to be in communication with air inner annulus 28. Liner 26 generally traverses the entire length of inner conduit 24 Liner 30 is essentially also concentrically positioned with respect to flue conduit 24 and includes a plurality of cylindrical members wherein, for illustration purposes, two of the plurality of cylindrical members are included in the partial perspective view of FIG. 6 which discloses cylindrical members 40 and 42. Cylindrical member 40 illustrates a male end of a typical member and cylindrical member 42 shows a female end. Each member of the plurality has the male end on one end and the female end on the opposite end.

Member 40 has a plurality of elongated elliptical (or rectangular) protrusions 44 situated on the internal circumferential area and in proximity to an end. Member 42 includes a plurality of channels, each generally illustrated as 46 having a top 48 whose width is essentially the length of protrusions 44, and a base 50 whose width is essentially that of protrusions 44. Channels 46 essentially cause and delineate L-shaped protrusion on the interior surface of member 42 directly opposite the exterior surface thereof.

In operation of the invention, inner flue conduit 24 is initially placed over a combustion chamber of a residential or commercial appliance, or similar installations which conduct high temperature liquid or exhaust products. Insulation 34 is connected thereto and enclosed by shell member 36. First liner 26 has a diameter larger than flue conduit 24 and shell member 36 so that when brackets 38 connect liner 26 to shell member 36,

air inner annulus 28 is formed. Second liner 30 can be in direct contact with combustible material 22 and, as was previously mentioned, has a plurality of cylindrical members, such as members 40 and 42. Each of the plurality of members has a diameter larger than the diameter of first liner 26 and connect with each other by inserting each of the plurality of protrusions 44 of one member, for example member 44,'into the top 48 of channels 46 of another member, such as member 42. When each protrusion 44 of one member is aligned with the base 50 of channels 46 of another member, a twist lodges and locks each of the protrusions 44 into each of the bases 50 of channels 46 to thereby lock a pair of cylindrical members together. This can be clearly seen in FIG. 7 which is a horizontal sectional view looking along the plane and in direction of the arrows of line 77 in FIG. 1. The plane of line 77 cuts a plurality of protrusions 44 of one cylindrical member while lodged and locked within the bases 50 of channels 46 of another cylindrical member.

Liner is longer than first liner 26 such'that when all of the plurality of the cylindrical members of line 30 are hooked up and attached to liner 26 by brackets 38, air outer annulus 32 is formed and is in communication with airinner annulus 28. This enables cool air to be convectivel'y forced down annulus 32 and up into inner annulus 28 wherein the cool air leaves the top thereof in the form of hot air resulting from heat being conducted and radiated, in order stated, from flue conduit 24, insulation 34, and shell member 26. This also enables chimney 20 to be flushed against wood members 22 without having to be concerned about their being ignited due to heat.

While the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth.

I claim:

1. A combination insulated flue and thermosyphon chimney comprising an inner flue conduit, afirst liner member surrounding said conduit forming an air inner annulus therebetween, a second liner member surrounding said first liner member to form an air outer annulus between said first and said second liner and means for insulating said inner flue conduit from said air inner annulus, a shell member attached to said inner conduit and enclosing said means for insulating and separating said air inner annulus therefrom, means for attaching said first liner to said shell member, means for attaching said second liner to said first liner, said inner flue conduit being essentially cylindrical and said insulating means substantially covering the circumferential exterior surface of said inner conduit, said first liner being substantially cylindrical and concentrically positioned with respect to said inner conduit and said first liner generally traversing the entire length of said inner conduit, said second liner being essentially concentrically positioned with respect to said inner flue conduit and including a'plurality of cylindrical members, each cylindrical member including a structure defining a plurality of elongated generally rectangular protrusions positioned on the internal circumferential area thereof and in proximity to one end and a plurality of channels positioned on the exterior surface thereof at the opposite end, said channels including a top whose width is essentially the length of said rectangular protrusions and a base whose width is essentially that of said protrusions, said rectangular protrusions and said channels enabling each of said cylindrical members to lock with each other when said rectangular protrusions of one cylindrical member is inserted into said tops of said channels of another cylindrical member and twisted when said protrusions are aligned with said base to lodge and lock said rectangular protrusions of one of said cylindrical member into said base of said channels of another cylindricalmember, said channels delineating essentially L-shaped protrusions situated on the interior surface of each of said cylindrical members, said first liner being shorter than said second liner enabling said air outer annulus to be in communication with said air inner annulus, at least one end of said shell member being attached to said inner conduit such as to prevent communication with the outside atmosphere, and a combustible material in direct contact with said second liner.

2. The combination insulated flue and thermosyphon chimney of claim 1 wherein said insulating means includes granulated mineral wool fiber.

3. The combination insulated flue and thermosyphon chimney of claim 1 wherein said means for attaching said first liner to said shell member, and means for attaching said second liner to said first liner are bracket members.

Claims (3)

1. A combination insulated flue and thermosyphon chimney comprising an inner flue conduit, a first liner member surrounding said conduit forming an air inner annulus therebetween, a second liner member surrounding said first liner member to form an air outer annulus between said first and said second liner and means for insulating said inner flue conduit from said air inner annulus, a shell member attached to said inner conduit and enclosing said means for insulating and separating said air inner annulus therefrom, means for attaching said first liner to said shell member, means for attaching said second liner to said first liner, said inner flue conduit being essentially cylindrical and said insulating means substantially covering the circumferential exterior surface of said inner conduit, said first liner being substantially cylindrical and concentrically positioned with respect to said inner conduit and said first liner generally traversing the entire length of said inner conduit, said second liner being essentially concentrically positioned with respect to said inner flue conduit and including a plurality of cylindrical members, each cylindrical member including a structure defining a plurality of elongated generally rectangular protrusions positioned on the internal circumferential area thereof and in proximity to one end and a plurality of channels positioned on the exterior surface thereof at the opposite End, said channels including a top whose width is essentially the length of said rectangular protrusions and a base whose width is essentially that of said protrusions, said rectangular protrusions and said channels enabling each of said cylindrical members to lock with each other when said rectangular protrusions of one cylindrical member is inserted into said tops of said channels of another cylindrical member and twisted when said protrusions are aligned with said base to lodge and lock said rectangular protrusions of one of said cylindrical member into said base of said channels of another cylindrical member, said channels delineating essentially L-shaped protrusions situated on the interior surface of each of said cylindrical members, said first liner being shorter than said second liner enabling said air outer annulus to be in communication with said air inner annulus, at least one end of said shell member being attached to said inner conduit such as to prevent communication with the outside atmosphere, and a combustible material in direct contact with said second liner.

2. The combination insulated flue and thermosyphon chimney of claim 1 wherein said insulating means includes granulated mineral wool fiber.

3. The combination insulated flue and thermosyphon chimney of claim 1 wherein said means for attaching said first liner to said shell member, and means for attaching said second liner to said first liner are bracket members.

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