Ash disposal damper for barbecue kettle

Abstract

A barbecue kettle has radially aligned slots in the hemispheroidal bottom thereof. A disc is mounted immediately above the center of the bottom for rotation about a vertical axis and has three arms secured thereto. A handle below the bottom is secured to the disc. The arms are generally triangular in cross-section and have distal edges fitting closely to the bottom. In one position, the arms cover the bowl openings, but may be rotated back and forth to push ash along the bottom of the bowl to the openings where it will fall out. The disc, arms and handle are designed to be assembled without using any tools.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application heereinafter hereinafter described, as well as manufacturing and wear considerations. The distal edges 33a and 34a should be sufficiently far apart so as to straddle the two sides 18c of the respective opening. Thus, when the arms are in registry with the openings (as illustrated in FIG. 2), each arm will envelope the upper surface of the bowl about the opening to thereby block the movement of air through the opening to the interior of the kettle, thereby acting as an adjustable damper.

As explained above, the various components are initially produced and packaged for shipment. The damper components are purchased unassembled with instructions for assembly. In this respect, the respective arms are numbered consecutively to indicate which arm is to be telescoped over center post 23. This is necessary since there are different offsets between washers or enlarged portions 32a and the lower edges of the respective blades to insure that they are in close contact with the inner surface of the bottom or bowl. The hexagonal configuration of the center post assures that the three arms are spaced apart by 120° to insure that they will have the same spacing as the three air intake openings.

The center post is then inserted into opening 24 so tht the arms are located inside the bottom or bowl and the free end of center post 23 extends below the bottom and diametric aperature aperture 26 is exposed below the bottom. A friction washer 29 is then telescoped over the lower end of the center post and inner end 27a of handle 27 is inserted into diametric aperture, which is retained therein by tightening set screw or thumb screw 28.

The exact angular relationship between the flat surfaces of hexagonal post 23 and the diametric aperture 26 is important when taken in conjunction with the angular postion of the legs. It will be noted in FIG. 2 that the three legs 12 are each angularly offset by approximately 60° from the three air intake openings 18. Thus, the diametric aperture must be perpendicular to one of the six flat surfaces which does not have an arm extending therefrom.

With the components assembled and positioned as illustrated in FIG. 2, the handle will butt against a leg when the arms 32 cover the air intake openings 18. Also, the handle can be rotated almost 120° until it abuts the next adjacent leg 12. This insures that the entire bottom is scraped when the handle is rotated between extreme positions.

In using the kettle, to provide air for the burning of the fuel 17 in the kettle, the user would grasp looped end 27b of the handle 27 and rotate the handle and arms a small amount about axis 19 sufficiently to uncover a desired portion (or all) of the openings 18. When it is desired to get rid of accumulated ash from the burning fuel, which ash has accumulated in the bottom of the bowl, the handle 27 is rotated back and forth about axis 19. For example, handle 27 is rotated back and forth between its limits of movement. This causes the sides 33 and 34 of the arms to push the ash along the bottom of the bowl and as the accumulated ash is pushed to the openings, it falls tthrough through the openings to be caught below the bottom of the bowl (as by means of a tray or the like, as previously mentioned). Thus, referring to FIG. 5, as the arm 32 is moved from the full line position to the dotted line position (from left to right), the ash 37 on the bottom of the bowl will accumulate against face 33 and be pushed by that face to the opening 18 where it can fall out of the bowl.

It should be noted that the inverted V-shaped configuration of the arms prevents accumulation of ashes on top of the arms.

As can be appreciated from the above description, the novel dampening system performs a dual function and most of the components are located inside the grill where they are completely enclosed during storage. Of course, numerous modifications come to mind without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the hexagonal configuration could take other forms of polygonal configurations and could be triangular. If four equally spaced air intake openings are desired, the center post could be rectangular. Also, retaining means, other than thumb screw 28, could be used, such as a cutter pin.

While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. In a kettle-type barbecue grill having a generally hemispheroidal bottom extending around a center vertical axis and having a plurality of air intake openings equally circumferentially-spaced around said bottom with damper means for covering said air intake openings, the improvement of said damper means including a post rotatable about said vertical axis and having a removable radial arm for each of said openings retained thereon and extending therefrom, said removable arms being maintained at a predetermined angular orientation on said post, said bottom having an aperture aligned with said vertical axis and said post being received into said aperture, and a handle secured to said post below said bottom, and releasably retained on said post to retain said post in said aperture, so that said arms can be telescoped on said post, and said post can be inserted into said aperture and retained therein by said handle without the use of any tools.

2. A kettle-type barbecue grill as defined in claim 1 in which said post is hexagonal in cross-section and each radial arm has a hexagonal opening at its inner end telescoped over said hexagonal post.

3. A kettle-type barbecue grill as defined in claim 2 in which said post has a transverse opening below said bottom and said releaseable retaining means includes a handle extending substantially perpendicular to said vertical axis and having an inner end received into said transverse opening.

4. A kettle-type barbecue grill as defined in claim 1 in which each of said arms has a spline which extends radially from said vertical axis and defines an approximate chord with respect to an inner surface and a lower edge which conforms generally to the configuration of an inner surface of said bottom.

5. A kettle-type barbecue grill as defined in claim 4 in which each of said arms is substantially V-shaped in cross-section with a base of said V-shape defining said spline and free edges of V-shape defining said lower edge and being spaced by a circumferential dimension which is greater than the circumferential dimension of an air intake opening.

6. A kettle-type barbecue grill as defined in claim 5 in which each of said air intake openings is an elongated slot extending generally radially of said vertical axis.

7. A kettle-type barbecue grill as defined in claim 1 in which said post is hexagonal and has an enlarged upper end and each of said arms has an enlarged inner end having an opening telescopingly receiving said post, said post having an axially threaded opening extending from its lower end and an aperture aperture extending diametrically across said threaded opening and in which said releasable means includes a handle having an inner end received into said aperature and a set screw received in said threaded opening having a free end engaging said inner end of said handle.

8. A kettle-type barbecue grill as defined in claim 7 in which said bottom has a plurality of legs extending therefrom with said handle engaging one of said legs when said arms cover said air intake openings.

9. In a kettle-type barbecue grill for use with a solid fuel which produces ashes and having a bottom which is generally hemispheroidal about a vertical axis, said bottom having a plurality of air intake openings and cover means for said openings, the improvement of said air intake openings being defined by elongated slots extending substantially radially from said axis and having inner ends spaced from said axis, and said cover means including a plurality of arms equal in number to said slots and supported on a center post with said bottom having an opening receiving said center post for rotation therein and releasably retained therein, each of said arms being generally inverted V-shaped in cross-section and having free edges spaced by a dimension greater than a transverse dimension of said elongated slots, said post having a diametric aperture adjacent a lower end, and an elongated handle having an inner end received in said diametric aperture with retaining means engaging said inner end, said post, arms and handle being rotatable to move any accumulated ashes toward

said openings. 10. A kettle-type barbecue grill as defined in claim 9 In a kettle-type barbecue grill for use with a solid fuel which produces ashes and having a bottom which has a vertical axis, said bottom having a plurality of air intake openings and cover means for said openings, the improvement of said air intake openings being defined by elongated slots extending substantially raidally from said axis and having inner ends spaced from said axis, and said cover means including a plurality of arms equal in number to said slots and supported on a center post with said bottom having an opening receiving said center post for rotation therein and releasably retained therein, each of said arms being generally inverted V-shaped in cross-section and having free edges spaced by a dimension greater than a transverse dimension of said elongated slots, said post having a diametric aperture adjacent a lower end, and an elongated handle having an inner end received in said diametric aperture with retaining means engaging said inner end, said post, arms and handle being rotatable to move any accumulated ashes toward said openings, and in which said center post is hexagonal in peripheral configuration and has an enlarged upper end, and in which each arm has a hexagonal opening telescopingly receiving said post with a washer means between an outer surface of said bottom and said inner end of said handle.

1. A kettle-type barbecue grill as defined in claim 10 in which said outer surface has legs extending therefrom and said handle engages one of said

legs when said air intake openings are covered by said arms. 12. In a kettle-type barbecue grill having a bottom which is generally hemispheroidal about a vertical axis with a plurality of air intake openings circumferentially-spaced around vertical axis and a circular opening aligned with said vertical axis, and a movable cover means mounted on said bottom for closing said air intake openings, the improvement of said movable cover means including a polygonal center post having an enlarged end inside said bottom and a diametric aperture adjacent an opposite end, a plurality of elongated arms, each having a polygonal opening at one end receiving said polygonal post and located between an inner surface of said bottom and said enlarged end, and an elongated handle having an inner end received in said diametric aperture with retaining means for releasably retaining said inner end in said diametric aperture, said polygonal post and polygonal openings cooperating to maintain a predetermined angular orientation between said arms and

corresponding to the angular orientation of said air intake openings. 13. A kettle-type barbecue grill as defined in claim 12 in which each of said arms has an arcuate lower edge conforming generally to said inner

surface and opposed inclined surfaces. 14. A kettle-type barbecue grill as defined in claim 12 in which there are three equally-spaced air intake openings and arms, and in which said polygonal post is hexagonal.