Multi-chambered barbecue grill

• US 5,099,821 A
• Filed: 07/15/1991
• Issued: 03/31/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Frank J. Ceravolo
• Original Assignee: Frank J. Ceravolo
• Inventors: Ceravolo, Frank J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Larry
• Application Number:
  US07/729,643
• Time in Patent Office: 260 Days
• Field of Search: 126/25 R, 126/25 A, 126/25 AA, 126/26, 126/38, 126/151, 126/242
• US Class Current: 126/25.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 2037/0795 Adjustable food supports, e.g. for height adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/07 Roasting devices for outdoor use; Barbecues
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/0704 with horizontal fire box

Abstract

A multi-chambered barbecue grill having a main chamber, a cooking grill located in the main chamber, a fire source located in the main chamber below the cooking grill, an ash chamber attached to the main chamber below the fire source for catching ashes, and a reversible top chamber located above the main chamber, adapted for receiving the cooking grill in its reversed position. Various mechanisms are provided for raising and lowering the cooking grill to desired elevations above the fire source.

Claims

1. A multi-chamber barbecue grill comprising a main chamber, a cooking grill disposed in said main chamber, a fire source disposed in said main chamber below said cooking grill, an ash chamber attached to said main chamber below said fire source for catching ashes, a reversible top chamber disposed above said main chamber, adapted for receiving said cooking grill in its reversed position, and first cooking grill support means disposed in said reversible top chamber for supporting said cooking grill in its reversed position.

2. A barbecue grill according to claim 1, wherein said fire source is a grate for supporting burning coals.

3. A barbecue grill according to claim 1, wherein said fire source has two sections, each for supporting burning coals.

4. A barbecue grill according to claim 2, including a divider atop said grate for dividing said grate into at least two sections, each for containing burning coals.

5. A barbecue grill according to claim 1, including second cooking grill support means for rotatably supporting said cooking grill.

6. A barbecue grill according to claim 5, wherein said cooking grill support means include height-adjusting means for adjusting the height of said cooking grill above said fire source.

7. A barbecue grill according to claim 5, wherein said cooking grill support means include a support bracket disposed above said cooking grill rigidly attached thereto and having a threaded hole therein with an axis perpendicular to said cooking grill, an elongate threaded member having a lower end threadedly receivable in said threaded hole, an upstanding post, aligned with said threaded hole, attached to said fire source for rotatably supporting said lower end of said elongate threaded member.

8. A barbecue grill according to claim 5, wherein the fire source is a grate for supporting burning coals and the ash chamber has an underside, additionally comprising a tubular member attached to the grate and extending upward perpendicular to the grate for supporting the cooking grill in its lowest position and a push rod member slidably contained within the tubular member, which bears against the underside of the cooking grill, for raising and lowering the cooking grill, said push rod member extending through a hole in said ash chamber, and supported at any of several elevations by support means attached beneath the ash chamber.

9. A barbecue grill as in claim 8, wherein the support means comprises a lever member pivotally mounted on fulcrum means secured to the underside of the ash chamber, one end of the lever member extending under and supporting the push rod member and the other end forming a handle for pushing the lever member down or up to raise or lower, respectively, the push rod member, the lever member being adjustably secured in any of several positions by adjustment means.

10. A barbecue grill as in claim 8, wherein the support means comprises a lever member, one end of which is pivotally mounted on fulcrum means secured to the underside of the ash chamber, extending under and supporting the push rod member, and the other end of which forms a handle for pivoting the lever member down or up to raise or lower, respectively, the push rod member, the lever member being adjustably secured in any of several elevations by adjustment means.

11. A barbecue grill as in claim 10, wherein the push rod member is attached to the cooking grill.

12. A barbecue grill as in claim 8, additionally comprising an inverted cup member having a lip and a closed end, wherein a hole is cut in the center of the cooking grill and the lip of the inverted cup member is attached to the cooking grill so that the lip surrounds the hole, and the push rod extends through the hole and into the inverted cup member and presses against its closed end to support and to raise and lower the inverted cup member and the cooking grill.

13. A barbecue grill as in claim 12, wherein the push rod member is attached to the cup member.

14. A barbecue grill as in claim 8, wherein the support means comprises a vertical support member which is cylindrical and has external threads and upper and lower ends, and passes through a hole in the bottom the main chamber having corresponding internal threads, such that the internal threads engage the external threads, and the upper end of said vertical support member is attached to the cooking grill, for rotating and for raising and lowering the cooking grill by rotating the lower end of the vertical support member.

15. A barbecue grill as in claim 14, wherein the lower end of the vertical support member is fitted with a knob for gripping when rotating.

16. A barbecue grill according to claim 5, wherein the fire source is a grate for supporting burning coals, additionally comprising an upstanding post member attached to the grate and extending upward perpendicular to the grate for supporting the cooking grill in its lowest position, and an inverted cup member having a lip and a closed end, wherein a hole is cut in the center of the cooking grill and the lip of the inverted cup member is attached to the cooking grill so that the lip surrounds the hole, and the upstanding post member extends through the hole and into the inverted cup member to guide the cooking grill when the elevation of the cooking grill is changed, and elevation means for raising and lowering the cooking grill.

17. A barbecue grill as in claim 16, wherein the elevation means comprises a lever member located between the cooking grill and the grate, pivotally attached to the main chamber wall and extending essentially diametrically across the interior of the main chamber and through a port in the main chamber wall to form a handle end of the lever member, for changing the elevation of the cooking grill, a tubular member which surrounds the upstanding post member and extends between the lever member and the cooking grill, for transmitting the movements of the lever member to the cooking grill, and ratchet and pawl means for maintaining the lever member and the cooking grill at more than one elevation.

18. A barbecue grill as in claim 16, wherein the elevation means comprises a fulcrum member mounted on the grate and extending upward toward the cooking grill, having an essentially vertical edge with at least two teeth cut into the edge having and a horizontally projecting fulcrum pin, and a lever member with an axial slot for slidably receiving the fulcrum pin, and a horizontally projecting securing pin which can slide between the teeth when the lever member is slid axially in one direction and out from the between the teeth when the lever member is slid axially in the opposite direction, one end of the lever member being located adjacent the upstanding post and supporting the cooking grill, and the other end extending through a port in the main chamber wall and serving as a handle for pivoting the lever member and thereby changing the elevation of the cooking grill.

19. A barbecue grill as in claim 16, wherein the elevation means comprises a fulcrum member mounted on the ash chamber and extending upward toward the cooking grill, having an essentially vertical edge with at least two teeth cut into the edge having and a horizontally projecting fulcrum pin, and a lever member with an axial slot for slidably receiving the fulcrum pin, and a horizontally projecting securing pin which can slide between the teeth when the lever member is slid axially in one direction and out from the between the teeth when the lever member is slid axially in the opposite direction, one end of the lever member being located adjacent the upstanding post and supporting the cooking grill, and the other end extending through a port in the main chamber wall and serving as a handle for pivoting the lever member and thereby changing the elevation of the cooking grill.

20. A barbecue grill according to claim 16, wherein the elevation means comprises a fulcrum member mounted on the ash chamber and extending upward toward the cooking grill having a horizontally projecting fulcrum pin, and a lever member with a pin hole for receiving the fulcrum pin, one end of the lever member being located adjacent the upstanding post and supporting the cooking grill, and the other end extending through a port in the main chamber wall and serving as a handle for pivoting the lever member and thereby changing the elevation of the cooking grill, said other end having a ratchet pivotally suspended therefrom for engaging a fixed pawl attached to the ash chamber.

21. A barbecue grill according to claim 1, including cooking grill support means, disposed in said reversible top chamber for supporting said cooking grill in its reversed position.

22. A barbecue grill according to claim 21, including a plurality of upward facing legs circumferentially attached to said reversible top chamber for supporting said top chamber in the reversed position.

23. A barbecue grill according to claim 21, including a plurality of resilient leg holders attached to said reversible top chamber for detachably receiving said legs.

24. A barbecue grill according to claim 1, wherein said reversible top chamber includes an upward facing projection for supporting said top chamber in its reversed position.

25. A barbecue grill according to claim 1, wherein the main chamber has a top rim and the reversible top chamber has an essentially circular top edge which is beveled to fit against the top rim of the main chamber when the top chamber is inverted.

26. A barbecue grill according to claim 25, including at least one hinge attached to said peripheral wall of said main chamber for hingedly attaching at least one of said top chamber and said ash chamber to said main chamber.

27. A barbecue grill according to claim 1, wherein the ash chamber is attached to the main chamber.

28. A barbecue grill according to claim 27, wherein said main chamber and said ash chamber have peripheral walls, wherein said peripheral wall of the chamber is inward spaced from the peripheral wall of said main chamber for forming an air access to said fire source.

29. A barbecue grill according to claim 28, including a plurality of legs, and an equal plurality of leg holders peripherally attached to said peripheral wall of said main chamber for receiving said legs.

30. A barbecue grill according to claim 28, wherein the ash chamber has an underside, including a plurality of legs, and an equal plurality of leg holders attached to the underside of the ash chamber for receiving said legs.