| Whole timber firelog impregnated with combustible material -> Monitor Keywords |
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  Whole timber firelog impregnated with combustible materialRelated Patent Categories: Fuel And Related Compositions, Fuel Product Of Defined Shape Or Structure, Cylindrical (e.g., Log, Etc.)The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060230673. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims priority from the provisional application with Ser. No. 60/671,667, which was filed on Apr. 15, 2005. The disclosure of that provisional application is incorporated herein by reference as if set out in full. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The invention relates to producing flammable compositions in the form of fireplace logs, designed to be used principally in household fireplaces, outdoor fire pits, chimneys etc. The invention utilizes whole timber logs impregnated with any suitable combustible material, to form a firelog for use either singly or in multiples. Also claimed are processes for producing said firelog. [0004] 2. General Background [0005] Fireplaces are a commonly occurring household fixture built into homes for centuries, generally for the sole purpose of providing heat but sometimes used for cooking and even aesthetics. Indeed, the use of wood as a fuel source for home heat is as old as civilization itself. The traditional fuel source, firewood, is derived from trees or timber and provides a renewable energy resource provided the consumption rate is controlled to sustainable levels. [0006] While wood, coal, or peat have traditionally been the primary fireplace fuel source, they are being replaced by other, alternative fuels such as natural gas, propane, fuel oil, and manufactured synthetic or artificial fireplace firelogs. [0007] The amount of combustible energy in typical firewood is dependent upon the dryness of the wood. "Green" wood is roughly 10 MJ/kg, air-seasoned wood is approximately 16 MJ/kg and kiln dried wood is about 19 to 20 MJ/kg. The amount of energy per kilogram is largely independent upon wood variety. Thus, in a single cord of wood (128 cubic feet), the more dense the wood (i.e. oak, hard maple, hickory) the more energy the cord provides, and the less dense the wood (i.e. willow, aspen, or poplar), the less energy the cord provides. For reference coal provides generally between 25 and 35 MJ/kg. [0008] In the past, techniques have been used to increase wood density, such as pelletizing the wood or compressing wood pulp into molded `logs` of high density. These techniques increase the heat content per unit volume but do not necessarily change the heat content per unit weight. [0009] Other techniques are now used to manufacture synthetic or artificial fireplace firelogs. These are generally produced by combining a particulate carrier material, usually of cellulosic origin, such as sawdust, with a combustible binder/fuel such as a mineral wax and then formed to size and shape through the use of in-line extruding equipment, or ram compaction equipment to form the firelog. Such synthetic firelogs can achieve up to 34 to 36 MJ/kg [0010] Over the years there have also been several attempts to use a variety of agricultural and industrial waste products as the carrier material. Examples include sawdust splinters, cotton linter, charcoal powder, and other materials and techniques as described below: [0011] U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,419 discloses the use of rice hulls or shredded paper as partial or total replacements for sawdust. [0012] U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,843,336 and 3,880,611 disclose the use of reclaimed pulp and Northern Kraft paper beater stock respectively as sawdust substitutes. [0013] U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,796 describes an artificial firelog comprising ground bark and peanut shells, further comprising a groove filled with gelled starter fuel along the length of the firelog. [0014] U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,765 discloses the use of crushed nutshells, straw, paper pulp, and cotton waste as suitable substitutes for sawdust in an artificial firelog. [0015] U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,666 discloses firelog formulations in which sawdust is substituted with shredded newsprint. As stated in the patent's abstract, "The logs are produced by continuously compacting shredded paper into one end of a compaction chamber, injecting hot molten wax into the compacted paper in the compaction chamber, cooling and hardening the wax, and continuously extruding finished logs from the opposite end of the compaction chamber with means for cutting the continuously extruded log into convenient lengths." [0016] U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,854 discloses the use of byproducts such as molasses, various waste oils or pitches and sulphite lye. [0017] U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,738 discloses a synthetic firelog comprising wood fibers or sawdust, coal liquid, molasses and paraffin wax. The resulting mixture is poured into a mold and compressed to form a stable, solid, compacted mass. [0018] U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,637,355 and 4,062,655 disclose a sawdust and wax firelog further comprising pyrogenic coloring matter distributed throughout the log mix, wherein the pyrogenic coloring matter produces flames of varying colors. [0019] U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,384 discloses a synthetic firelog comprising primarily paper waste sludge material. This waste sludge material is mixed with a suitable wax and is pressed into a fireplace log having a plurality of longitudinally arranged bores that define passages for air to flow from one end to the other. [0020] While each of the prior disclosed compositions would increase the energy density of the fireplace fuel beyond that of dried wood, the increased cost of mineral waxes and the decreasing availability of these waxes has led to an increased need to produce a high energy yield synthetic firelog not dependent upon wax. [0021] An additional problem in the prior art is the high cost and complex production process currently involved in producing a synthetic firelog. [0022] All these prior art disclosures for the manufacture of synthetic firelogs rely exclusively on the single technique of extrusion to compact and form the manufactured firelog. This manufacturing technique by definition restricts the choice of binder wax or blends of binder wax that are suitable to form and hold the form of extruded firelogs. Not all waxes will form compositions of saw dust/wax firelogs that will extrude adequately to form firelogs capable of subsequent handling during packing and distribution without collapse or fracturing. This manufacturing restriction therefore reduces the number of binder waxes that can be utilized and hence, restricts options for introducing cost reductions. Continue reading... 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