Stovepipe Damper System

Abstract

A wood stove damper assembly includes a damper plate, a through shaft, and a cross shaft. The damper plate includes a plurality of risers and a plurality of through shaft guides. The through shaft includes a bore and the cross shaft is configured to engage the bore and the risers. The cross shaft is inserted through the bore in the through shaft such that the cross shaft engages the risers when installed. The damper assembly also includes a fastener applied to the end of the through shaft. When installed in a chimney pipe, the fastener is tightened to pull the through shaft, which pulls the cross shaft against the risers, which pulls the edge of the damper plate against the interior of the chimney pipe to hold the damper plate in any position. Methods for manufacturing and installing a damper assembly are also disclosed.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A damper assembly comprising:
 a damper plate;   a through member configured to be removably coupled to said damper plate along an axis;   a cross member configured to removably engage said through member; and   at least one coupling configured to removably couple said cross-member to said damper plate when said cross member is engaged with said through member and is moved along said axis.   
     
     
         2 . The damper assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said coupling includes at least one riser fixed to said damper plate on a first side of said axis. 
     
     
         3 . The damper assembly of  claim 2 , wherein said coupling includes a second riser coupled to said damper plate on a second side of said axis opposite said riser. 
     
     
         4 . The damper assembly of  claim 3 , wherein each of said riser and said second riser includes a channel formed in a lateral face thereof, said channel configured to receive and seat a portion of said cross member therein. 
     
     
         5 . The damper assembly of  claim 4 , wherein each of said riser and said second riser includes a retainer near an end of said channel furthest from said axis, said retainer being configured to prevent movement of said cross member beyond said retainer along a second axis substantially perpendicular to said axis. 
     
     
         6 . The damper assembly of  claim 5 , wherein said retainer comprises a weld puddle. 
     
     
         7 . The damper assembly of  claim 3 , wherein said riser and said second riser are configured to seat said cross member above a surface of said damper plate. 
     
     
         8 . The damper assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said through member defines at least a portion of a handle for rotating said damper plate; and   said coupling retains said through member and said at least said portion of said handle in a fixed position relative to said damper plate when said cross member is coupled to said damper plate by said coupling.   
     
     
         9 . The damper assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said through member defines a bore; and   said bore is configured to receive said cross member therethrough.   
     
     
         10 . The damper assembly of  claim 9 , wherein said bore defines a second axis perpendicular to said axis. 
     
     
         11 . The damper assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said through member includes at least a portion of a retaining mechanism at a distal end of said through member. 
     
     
         12 . The damper assembly of  claim 11 , wherein said retaining mechanism includes:
 a threaded distal end of said through member; and   a fastener configured to engage said threaded distal end.   
     
     
         13 . The damper assembly of  claim 12 , wherein said fastener comprises a flex lock locknut. 
     
     
         14 . The damper assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one guide coupled to said damper plate, said guide configured to removably engage said through member along said axis. 
     
     
         15 . The damper assembly of  claim 14 , further comprising a second guide coupled to said damper plate. 
     
     
         16 . The damper assembly of  claim 14 , wherein said at least one guide permits said cross member to be engaged with said through member after said through member is engaged with said at least one guide. 
     
     
         17 . The damper assembly of  claim 14 , wherein said at least one guide is tubular. 
     
     
         18 . The damper assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said damper plate is free of perforations. 
     
     
         19 . The damper assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of said damper plate, said through member, and said cross member is made from stainless steel. 
     
     
         20 . The damper assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a chimney pipe. 
     
     
         21 . The damper assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the components of said damper assembly are assembled such that said through member is coupled to said damper plate and said cross member is engaged with said through member and is coupled to said damper plate via said coupling. 
     
     
         22 . A damper system comprising:
 a damper plate;   a through member configured to be removably coupled to said damper plate along an axis;   a cross member configured to removably engage said through member; and   means for removably coupling said cross member to said damper plate when said cross member is engaged with said through member and is moved along said axis.   
     
     
         23 . A damper system comprising:
 a chimney pipe including an interior, a first opening, and a second opening;   a damper plate disposed within said interior of said chimney pipe, said damper plate including a plurality of guides directly mounted to a surface of said damper plate along an axis and a plurality of risers directly mounted to said surface of said damper plate on different sides of said axis, each of said risers defining a channel in a lateral face thereof;   a through shaft disposed through said first and second openings of said chimney pipe and through each of said guides of said damper plate, said through shaft including a handle portion at a first distal end, a thread set at a second distal end, and a bore defining a second axis perpendicular to said axis, said handle portion and said thread set being at least partially disposed outside said chimney pipe;   a cross shaft disposed through said bore of said through shaft and seated in said channel of each of said risers; and   a fastener engaging said thread set; and wherein   tightening said fastener pulls said through shaft such that said cross shaft is pulled into said channel of each of said risers and an edge of said damper plate is pulled into contact with said interior of said chimney pipe; and   when said through shaft is rotated about said axis via said handle, said through shaft causes said cross shaft and said damper plate to also rotate about said axis.