U.S. patent number 3,648,680 [Application Number 05/091,128] was granted by the patent office on 1972-03-14 for miniature camp stove.
Invention is credited to Donald L. Hein.
United States Patent |
3,648,680 |
Hein |
March 14, 1972 |
MINIATURE CAMP STOVE
Abstract
This invention relates to a miniaturized camp stove consisting
of a shallow cup-shaped receptacle with a lid that houses a burner
and valved gas fitting in disassembled relation. When assembled,
the receptacle fits atop of a branch of the gas fitting and
provides the support for the cooking vessel when held firmly in
place by the burner functioning as a fastener. Another branch of
the fitting fastens onto the lid which thus provides a
pedestal-type base for the unit. The main stem of the fitting is
disposed horizontally with respect to the aforementioned branches
and one end thereof houses a hollow needle of the type adapted for
insertion into the rubber valve of a fuel canister while the other
end contains a flow control valve.
Inventors: |
Hein; Donald L. (Arvada,
CO) |
Family
ID: |
22226229 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/091,128 |
Filed: |
November 19, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
126/38;
431/344 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24C
3/14 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F24C
3/14 (20060101); F24C 3/00 (20060101); F24c
005/20 () |
Field of
Search: |
;431/344,353
;126/38,44 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
2538538 |
January 1951 |
Stempel et al. |
3405703 |
October 1968 |
Axelsson et al. |
3538907 |
November 1970 |
Bowman et al. |
|
Primary Examiner: Dority, Jr.; Carroll B.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. The camp stove which comprises: a shallow generally cup-shaped
receptacle housing a central opening therein and an upstanding
annular flange containing at least one vent; a lid sized and
adapted to cooperate with the cup-shaped receptacle to define a
covered container; gas fitting means having a stem portion
intersected intermediate its ends by a cross piece, one end of said
stem portion being adapted for connection to the lid so as to
produce an upstanding support with said lid functioning as a base
therefor, the other end of said stem portion being hollow and
terminating in a neck of reduced dimension having an
upwardly-facing shoulder at the base thereof, the cross piece
having an opening therethrough communicating with the hollow
interior of the stem portion to define therewith an inverted
T-shaped passage, said T-shaped passage including a valve seat
located in one branch of the cross piece facing the other branch
thereof; means carried by the branch of the cross piece having the
seat therein connectable to a source of fuel; valve means carried
by said other branch of the cross piece adapted upon actuation into
closed position to engage said valve seat and shut off the supply
of fuel to the stem portion, and said valve upon actuation into
open position being adapted to unseat and permit the flow of fuel
into said stem; and burner means mountable on the neck of the stem
portion, said burner means functioning as a fastener to hold the
cup-shaped receptacle down against the shoulder with the neck
projecting up through the central opening.
2. The camp stove as set forth in claim 1 in which: the vent
comprises at least one circumferentially elongate notch in the rim
of the upturned flange bordering the cup-shaped receptacle.
3. The camp stove as set forth in claim 1 in which: the lid is
bordered by a downturned skirt and has a centrally-located aperture
therein, the portion of the stem resting atop the lid includes a
threaded section, and a threaded fastener attachable to the
threaded section of the stem holds the latter to the lid when one
of said threaded members is passed through the aperture in the
latter, the skirt bordering the lid functioning to raise the
connection between the stem and fastener into a recessed position
therein.
4. The camp stove as set forth in claim 1 in which: the means for
connecting the gas fitting to a source of fuel comprises a hollow
needle of the type adapted for insertion into the self-closing
rubber valve of a pressurized fuel cannister.
5. The camp stove as set forth in claim 1 in which: the subassembly
that includes the gas fitting, the valve means and the means
connectable to a source of fuel is sized to fit inside the covered
container defined by the lid and cup-shaped receptacle.
6. The camp stove as set forth in claim 1 in which: an orificed
fuel-metering jet is located within the hollow stem portion, and
said hollow stem portion contains an aperture downstream of said
jet orifice and upstream of the burner that is open to the
atmosphere, said jet being operative to direct fuel past said
aperture so as to aspirate air therethrough in sufficient volume to
support combustion.
7. The camp stove as set forth in claim 1 in which: the valve means
is of the needle type adapted to cooperate with the valve seat upon
relative movement therebetween to meter the flow of fuel to the
burner.
8. The camp stove as set forth in claim 1 in which: the height of
the upstanding flange bordering the cup-shaped receptacle is such
that the burner lies recessed beneath the rim thereof.
9. The camp stove as set forth in claim 2 in which: the rim of the
upstanding flange includes at least two circumferentially elongate
notches arranged in angularly-spaced relation to one another, said
notches cooperating with the bottom of a cooking vessel resting
atop said rim to define slots sized to protect the burner flame
from the wind while permitting the heated products of combustion to
escape and admitting air to partially support combustion.
10. The camp stove as set forth in claim 5 in which: the burner is
also sized to fit into the covered container with the stem
subassembly.
11. The camp stove which comprises: a shallow generally cup-shaped
receptacle housing a central opening therein and an upstanding
annular flange containing at least one vent; a lid sized and
adapted to cooperate with the cup-shaped receptacle to define a
covered container; gas fitting means having a stem portion joined
intermediate its ends by a projecting leg, one end of said stem
portion being adapted for connection to the lid so as to produce an
upstanding support with said lid functioning as a base therefor,
the other end of said stem portion being hollow and terminating in
a neck of reduced dimension having an upwardly-facing shoulder at
the base thereof, the projecting leg having an opening therethrough
communicating with the hollow interior of the stem portion to
define therewith an L-shaped passage, means carried by the
projecting leg connectable to a source of fuel; and burner means
mountable on the neck of the stem portion, said burner means
functioning as a fastener to hold the cup-shaped receptacle down
against the shoulder with the neck projecting up through the
central opening, said gas fitting means, means connectable to a
source of fuel, and burner means being sized to fit inside the
covered container defined by the lid and cup-shaped receptacle.
12. The camp stove as set forth in claim 11 in which: the vent
comprises at least one circumferentially elongate notch in the rim
of the upturned flange bordering the cup-shaped receptacle.
13. The camp stove as set forth in claim 11 in which: the lid is
bordered by a downturned skirt and has a centrally-located aperture
therein, the portion of the stem resting atop the lid includes a
threaded section, and a threaded fastener attachable to the
threaded section of the stem holds the latter to the lid when one
of said threaded members is passed through the aperture in the
latter, the skirt bordering the lid functioning to raise the
connection between the stem and fastener into a recessed position
therein.
14. The camp stove as set forth in claim 11 in which: an orificed
fuel-metering jet is located within the hollow stem portion, and
said hollow stem portion contains an aperture downstream of said
jet orifice and upstream of the burner that is open to the
atmosphere, said jet being operative to direct fuel past said
aperture so as to aspirate air therethrough in sufficient volume to
support combustion.
15. The camp stove as set forth in claim 11 in which: the height of
the upstanding flange bordering the cup-shaped receptacle is such
that the burner lies recessed beneath the rim thereof.
16. The camp stove as set forth in claim 12 in which: the rim of
the upstanding flange includes at least two circumferentially
elongate notches arranged in angularly-spaced relation to one
another, said notches cooperating with the bottom of a cooking
vessel resting atop said rim to define slots sized to protect the
burner flame from the wind while permitting the heated products of
combustion to escape and admitting air to partially support
combustion.
Description
The present increased emphasis on physical fitness has caused
ever-increasing numbers of people to take up hiking as a form of
recreation in contrast to the more sedentary activities which do
little to promote good health. Advocates of this type of physical
activity range all the way from people walking a gentle "nature
trail" through the woods to explorers and mountain climbers
challenging the most formidable objectives nature has to offer. In
either of the above cases, and all in between, the common problem
shared by each is having to carry all of the necessities of life on
one's back. That medium-sized can of fruit in heavy syrup that
seemed so tempting on the grocer's shelf can become an intolerable
burden on a high country wilderness trail through the brush, across
boulder fields and climbing over fallen logs. Accordingly, there
has been an increasing effort made to reduce both the size and
weight of the food, shelter, clothing and related gear carried by
back-packers, especially by the makers of mountaineering equipment
where these factors achieve prime importance.
While the warmth problem is taken care of quite satisfactorily by
down-filled outerwear and sleeping bags coupled with a one-man tent
for inclement weather, the problem of food and how to cook it is
not so easily disposed of. A fair variety of dried and powdered or
pelletized foods have been developed that provide excellent
nourishment and are even fairly palletable if not truly appetizing.
The difficulty is that many of these foods must be reconstituted
with water and heated before they can be eaten. Since one cannot
rely on finding firewood available in many sections of the country
and in most wilderness areas of the type frequented by
back-packers, open fires are prohibited altogether, some type of
stove becomes a necessity.
Over the years there have been many attempts made to develop a
truly compact and lightweight stove that will still put out
sufficient heat over a long enough period of time to do the
necessary cooking and also makes provision for supporting the
vessel containing the food. Many such units exist in the prior art
and each seems to possess certain advantageous features along with
enough poor ones to prevent its being generally accepted by those
who have need of same.
Apart from the previously-mentioned obvious requirements that an
acceptable unit for this purpose must be both light and small, some
of the other more serious shortcomings of the prior art units are
their inability to stay lit under windy conditions, insufficient
and inefficient utilization of the available heat, instability, and
hazardous to use and pack. All of the foregoing, on the other hand,
are absolutely necessary in a well designed back-pack stove. For
instance, since one is obligated to carry a supply of fuel as well
as the stove, the latter must be so designed as to transfer as much
as possible of the heat being generated directly to the cooking
food rather than allowing substantial losses thereof to the
atmosphere. Stability becomes important when one considers that
generally a minimum amount of food is available and spilling any at
all means a loss of much needed nourishment and energy occasionally
needed for survival itself. The weather conditions under which a
back-packer's stove is used are seldom ideal and may even be
extremely adverse so that it becomes imperative that the unit
function properly in bad weather where hot food is most needed.
It has now been found in accordance with the teaching of the
instant invention that these and other shortcomings of the prior
art back-pack stoves have been substantially eliminated while
providing a unit that is even smaller, lighter and more compact
than other stoves for the same purpose that still have one or more
serious disadvantages of the type aforementioned. The present stove
weighs but a few ounces and in stored condition is easily small
enough to be carried in a pant or jacket pocket. The design is such
that it is virtually wind and weather proof because, with a cooking
vessel in place atop the burner, only narrow combustion air intake
slits remain open to the elements. Even when the burner is
uncovered, the cup-shaped receptacle defines a protective
windshield surrounding same that is quite effective. Also, the
diameter of the receptacle and lid is preferably selected to be
between approximately 4 and 5 inches so that the unit stands
upright on a relatively broad stable base while, at the same time,
providing ample support for wide cooking vessels such as skillets
and the like. The controls are simple as is the connection to the
fuel cannister which calls for nothing more than the insertion of a
needle into a rubber valve in the same manner as is used to inflate
most air filled athletic equipment. The LP gas as used for fuel
comes pre-packaged in a lightweight pressurized cannister and is
already in wide use for lanterns, the larger two-burner camp stoves
and tent heaters.
It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to
provide a novel and improved miniaturized camp stove.
A second objective of the invention herein disclosed and claimed is
to provide a unit of the type previously mentioned that is
virtually wind and weatherproof when in use.
Another object is to provide a camp stove ideally suited for
back-packers because it is not only extremely lightweight and
compact, but it can also be repacked almost immediately after being
used because the burner element is housed inside a covered
receptacle and the latter dissipates its residual heat very
quickly.
Still another objective is to provide a camper's stove of the type
described that uses readily available pre-packaged LP gas as fuel,
a pint can of which will last about 6 hours.
An additional object is the provision of a lightweight stove in
which the burner flame is so confined and directed at the bottom of
the cooking vessel that the heat losses are minimal with the result
that the unit is both fast and efficient to use.
Further objects of the invention are to provide a camp stove that
is easy to operate, inexpensive, of simple construction, rugged,
versatile, easily serviced, safe to use and even decorative in
appearance.
Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out
specifically hereinafter in connection with the description of the
drawings that follows, and in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view looking down and slightly to the left
at the camp stove in assembled relation ready for use;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view from the same vantage point as FIG. 1
except that the unit has been completely disassembled and stored in
the container formed by the cup-shaped receptacle and lid
therefor;
FIG. 3 is still another perspective view from the same position as
FIGS. 1 and 2 that differs from the latter view in that the lid has
been removed and set off to one side so as to reveal the manner in
which the burner, gas fitting and fastener for the base are stored
inside the cup-shaped receptacle;
FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the stove without a gas cannister
attached thereto;
FIG. 5 is a top plan view thereof; and,
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation to an enlarged scale,
substantial portions of which have been broken away and shown in
diametrical section, revealing the internal construction of the gas
fitting together with the connecting portions of the cup-shaped
receptacle, lid and burner.
Referring next to the drawings for a detailed description of the
present invention and, initially, to FIGS. 1-5, inclusive, for this
purpose, reference numeral 10 has been selected to broadly
designate the stove and numeral 12 to similarly denote the fuel
cannister used therewith. The latter element comprises nothing more
than a commercially-available can of LP gas wherein the container
14 is of the pressurizable aerosol type fitted with a rubber valve
16 in the neck 18 of the self-closing kind that accepts a hollow
needle 20. One need only insert the needle 20 into the valve 16 in
the manner used to inflate footballs and the like equipped with the
same type of rubber valve to release the gas under pressure into
the gas fitting 22 when the flow thereof is controlled by
flow-control valve 24.
A shallow cup-shaped receptacle 26 forms the bottom of a covered
hollow cylindrical container broadly designated by numeral 28 in
FIG. 2, the cover for which is provided by lid 30. It has been
found that by making the container 28 with a diameter of between
approximately 4 and 5 inches and a depth of around 1-1/2 inches
more or less, the interior thereof will easily accommodate the gas
fitting 22, the burner 32 and the fastener 34 used to hold the
base-forming lid 30 onto the lower upright branch 36 of the gas
fitting as revealed most clearly in FIG. 3. These same dimensions
result in the extremely compact unit shown in FIG. 2 which will fit
easily into a back-pack or even a pant or jacket pocket.
Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the stove in assembled
relation provides a broad stable base defined by the lid, an almost
equally broad and stable support for the cooking vessel in the form
of the cup-shaped receptacle 26, and a relatively low center of
gravity aided by the cannister which provides a sort of outrigger
type boom or anchor that steadies the entire assembly.
The cup-shaped receptacle 26 has a central aperture 38 (FIG. 6)
therein sized to loosely receive the externally-threaded neck 40 of
upstanding branch 42 of the gas fitting 22. The interally-threaded
control aperture 44 in the plate 46 that forms the bottom of the
burner screws down onto the neck of the upstanding branch 42 and
functions as a fastener holding the cup-shaped receptacle in place
on top thereof, all of which is most clearly revealed in FIG.
6.
Also shown in FIG. 6 is the fact that the lower branch 37 of the
gas fitting is provided with an internally-threaded socket 48
adapted to receive the screw fastener 34 that passes through the
control aperture 50 in the lid 30 and releasably mounts the latter
in base-forming position. The lid 30 is bordered by a
circumferential skirt 52 that rests upon the ground and provides
the space necessary to accept the head of the fastener 34. This
screw fastener may, of course, take many forms, the particular one
illustrated consisting of a simple slotted head with opposed flats
54 (FIG. 3) ground on opposite sides so that it can be removed with
the thumb and forefinger in the absence of a bladed tool. A knurled
head or even a wing nut could easily be substituted for the
fastener illustrated.
In FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, it will be seen that the cup-shaped receptacle
is bordered by an integrally-formed upstanding annular flange 56
that is generally cylindrical and of substantial height, preferably
at least an inch so as to project well above the surface of the
burner 32 and provide a shield for the flame eminating therefrom.
The upper margin of this flange is provided with at least one, and
preferably two or more circumferentially elongate notches 58 which
cooperate with a cooking vessel (not shown) resting on top of the
stove to define slots of sufficient area to permit effective escape
of the heated products of combustion and admit enough air to
partially support combustion. This flange also confines and directs
the flame against the underside of the cooking vessel thus
preventing heat losses and conserving the fuel.
Finally, with particular reference over again to FIG. 6, the
remaining details of the gas fitting 22 will be set forth. The main
section 60 of this fitting extends horizontally atop integrally
formed upstanding lower branch 36 which intersects the latter at a
point intermediate the ends thereof and defines a post upon which
the remainder of the assembly is supported. The main section 60 has
an axial bore 62 therethrough, one end 64 of which is enlarged and
internally threaded to receive the valve needle 20. As is common
with all such needles, it is hollow and has a port 66 (FIG. 4) in
the side thereof through which fuel enters and is conducted on into
the axial passage 62. The opposite end of the axial passage is,
likewise, enlarged, internally threaded as at 66 and 68 as well as
being provided with shaft packing 70 for the stem 72 of flow
control valve 24. This valve 24 is nothing more than an
axially-operated needle valve that closes against a frustoconical
seat 74 formed in axial passage 62 immediately upstream of branch
passage 76 that opens through the top of the main fitting section
opposite lower branch 36. Branch passage 76 extends vertically into
an externally and internally-threaded tubular neck or collar 78
that is integrally formed atop the main section 60 of the fitting
in axial alignment with lower branch 36. Upstanding branch 42
actually comprises a separate tubular member in the particular form
illustrated which screws onto collar or neck 78 and provides ready
access to fuel jet 80 that screws into the interior of said collar.
Since the port 82 in jets such as this is quite small and rather
easily plugged, it is wise to provide for the removal of tubular
upright 42 in order to service the jet. Two opposed holes 84 are
provided in the tubular upstanding branch 42 to admit air therein
and mix with the fuel exiting from the jet port 82. The upper
portion of tubular branch 42 thus forms a mixing chamber for the
air and fuel.
* * * * *