Adjustable Chimney Shroud

Abstract

An adjustable chimney shroud and method for installation. The shroud includes a housing with at least one adjustable side. The adjustable side comprises a first panel with an outer telescoping portion that slidably receives an inner telescoping portion of a second panel. This allows the length of the side to be varied to fit a chimney chase of a particular size. The side length can then be fixed using fasteners. The method involves adjusting the shroud to the desired size, fixing the dimensions, and placing it on the chimney. The shroud can be provided in various configurations, including rectangular and cylindrical shapes.

1 . An adjustable chimney shroud, comprising:
 a housing defining a perimeter, the housing comprising a plurality of sides, wherein at least one of said plurality of sides is adjustable in length   said at least one adjustable side comprising:   a first panel comprising an outer telescoping portion; and   a second panel comprising an inner telescoping portion;   wherein the inner telescoping portion of the second panel is slidably received by the outer telescoping portion of the first panel, allowing a length of said at least one adjustable side to be selectively varied.   
     
     
         2 . The adjustable chimney shroud of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of sides is an adjustable side, each comprising a first panel with an outer telescoping portion and a second panel with an inner telescoping portion. 
     
     
         3 . The adjustable chimney shroud of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one fastener configured to secure the first panel relative to the second panel to fix the length of said at least one adjustable side after it has been selectively varied. 
     
     
         4 . The adjustable chimney shroud of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one fastener is selected from the group consisting of a rivet, a screw, and a bolt. 
     
     
         5 . The adjustable chimney shroud of  claim 3 , wherein the outer telescoping portion comprises a plurality of apertures configured to receive the at least one fastener. 
     
     
         6 . The adjustable chimney shroud of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises four sides arranged in a generally rectangular configuration. 
     
     
         7 . The adjustable chimney shroud of  claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of corner members, wherein each corner member comprises:
 a first wall portion forming the inner telescoping portion of a first adjustable side; and   a second wall portion, oriented at a substantially right angle to the first wall portion, forming the outer telescoping portion of an adjacent second adjustable side.   
     
     
         8 . The adjustable chimney shroud of  claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of stabilizing braces, wherein each brace is configured to be attached across an internal corner of the housing to secure a relative angle between two adjacent sides after the length of said sides has been adjusted. 
     
     
         9 . The adjustable chimney shroud of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of legs coupled to a bottom edge of the housing, said legs configured to support the housing above a chimney surface. 
     
     
         10 . The adjustable chimney shroud of  claim 1 , further comprising a roof portion coupled to an upper end of the housing. 
     
     
         11 . The adjustable chimney shroud of  claim 10 , wherein the roof portion is adjustable and comprises a plurality of overlapping panels slidably engaged with one another to allow for an adjustment of a surface area of the roof portion. 
     
     
         12 . The adjustable chimney shroud of  claim 1 , wherein the housing is generally cylindrical, and said at least one adjustable side allows for adjustment of a circumference of the housing. 
     
     
         13 . A method for installing an adjustable chimney shroud on a chimney chase, the method comprising:
 providing an adjustable chimney shroud comprising a housing having at least one side assembly with an adjustable length, said side assembly comprising a first panel slidably engaged with a second panel;   adjusting the adjustable length of the at least one side assembly to correspond to a dimension of the chimney chase;   fixing the adjustable length of the at least one side assembly by securing the first panel relative to the second panel; and   placing the adjustable chimney shroud onto the chimney chase.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the step of fixing the adjustable length comprises inserting at least one fastener through an aperture in the first panel and into the second panel. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one fastener is a rivet or a screw. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the step of fixing the adjustable length is performed prior to the step of placing the adjustable chimney shroud onto the chimney chase. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the housing comprises four adjustable side assemblies, and the step of adjusting comprises adjusting the length of each of the four side assemblies to form a rectangular shroud matching dimensions of the chimney chase. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of attaching a stabilizing brace at each corner of the rectangular shroud after the step of fixing the adjustable length of the side assemblies.