Field of the invention This invention relates to a portable, contained, ready-to-use assembly which provides an instant campfire, fireplace burner, cooker or the like which does not require additional fuel nor mixing, pouring, priming, nor set up procedures and which can be lighted to provide relatively long lasting contained, outdoor fire for heat and light with a minimum of hazards.

Background of the Invention Each year in the United States and other countries numerous forest fires are inadvertently set off by those who carelessly and improperly make, maintain, and extinguish campfires. Thus, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a campfire which is contained, does not emit dangerous sparks, provides desirable heat, and is readily extinguished.

In the prior art there are numerous portable devices and fuel compositions which are designed to provide a convenient fire without the problem of gathering wood or other fuel and continuously feeding it to the fire. Such fuel is the common firelog which typically comprises sawdust and a wax binder which has been extruded and then wrapped in a paper starter. However, the typical firelog is heavy, inconvenient to transport, sometimes difficult to light, and requires a supporting grate or fire stand. It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a relatively lightweight fire

assembly which is easy to start and does not require any additional grates or stands or supporting structure.

Another common apparatus in the prior art for providing a portable, relatively quick means of providing a fire is a gas stove or burner. However, these require the transportation of a heavy"bottle"or tank of gas and burner or stove parts, and at least some time and effort in assembling and setting up the burners, tanks, and stove. In addition, besides being bulky, heavy, and time consuming these gas devices are relatively expensive and require regular maintenance to keep them operating satisfactorily. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a campfire and cooker which is lightweight, requires no set-up, and is relatively inexpensive.

Another type of portable heat or fire device is known as"canned Heat" which is an alcohol gel in a can. These often are used as the heat source for chafing dishes or the like where heat with low ash and few obnoxious combustion products is desired within an enclosed area. However, while clean and portable, the alcohol gels do not provide the same heat output, intensity, and ability to remain lighted that is desirable for campfires or cookers. Thus, it is yet another object of the present invention to provide an assembly which produces a flame that has a relatively high heat output and satisfactorily maintains a flame under varied conditions. These and other objects are provided by the invention described below.

The process of making the aforementioned products and devices often requires numerous steps in the production process and expensive extrusion equipment.

Therefore, still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a simple and economical method of producing the assembly of the present invention.

Summary of the Invention It has been surprisingly discovered that a novel combination of a unique fire resistant portable container filled with a novel wick and combustible composition will accomplish the objects set forth above.

In one aspect, the invention is a portable, fueled, assembly for providing an instant and ready-to-use campfire, fireplace burner, or cooker which comprises a portable, heat and flame resistant container which has an upwardly facing open mouth that is configure so that it can be placed in a stable position on the ground or a base support surface or structure. The container is filled with wick means in a combustible composition which will support a flame for an extended and useful period of time.

In another aspect, the composition is disposed in the container so that wick means in a spirally arranged sheet-like form can be embedded in and extend substantially below the upper surface of the composition and terminate near the bottom of the composition. The composition preferably comprises a minor portion of mineral spirits and a major portion of paraffin wax, and optionally combustible cellulose filler may be added so that when the wick means is lighted by a match or other lighters a useful fire is produced generally across the surface of the composition which will give light and substantial warmth.

In a preferred aspect, the container is of metal and is in a truncated cone shape wherein the base is the larger horizontal circular surface or side and the open

mouth is the smaller circular side. The container may be provided with a lower rim which extends below the closed bottom and provides support for the container. This lower portion may be provided with orifices for airflow. Such a configuration provides an exceptionally stable support for the container on a wide variety of surfaces. In addition because the mouth is narrower than the base upward air flow around the container wall as the fire burner tends to be directed inwardly around the mouth and tends to increase somewhat in velocity thereby increasing the air supply to the flame.

In yet another aspect, the present invention is a combustible fuel composition for portable campfire assemblies, fireplace burners, cookers, and the like which comprises a major portion of a paraffin wax which is present in about 80% to 95 % by weight and minor portions comprise mineral spirits and optionally may include cellulose fillers. The mineral spirits are a combustible hydrocarbon napthenic solvent and comprise from about 5 % to 20 % by weight of the composition and the optional cellulose filler is preferably hardwood chips comprising from about 15 % to 35 % by weight. The hardwood chips may be hickory, oak, maple, cherry, pecan, walnut, or like chips which burn with desirable heat intensity and emit a pleasant aroma. Soft wood chips may be also blended in with the cellulose fiber mix. Sawdust could be used but chips are preferable.

The wick means of the present invention constitutes a unique aspect thereof.

The wick means comprises a sheet-like combustible material and the sheet can be in a curvilinear segment to form a helix, or spiral, or coil-like configuration to be disposed in the combustible composition of the invention or, as preferred, the wick means include sheet-like materials which may be annularly arranged as a series of concentrically

disposed cylinders of different diameters. Further, the sheet-like material may be in linear, planar segments and arranged in the form of a cross or"X"or in a"W"shape or in a series of parallel, spaced apart sheets. These shapes are those forms that appear as the wick means assembly is viewed from above and the portion of the linear or curvilinear segment extending above the surface can be observed as they traverse the surface of the composition.

In yet another aspect, the present invention is a method of making a portable, fueled, assembly for an instant, contained campfire which comprises the steps of providing a container with an open upwardly facing mouth, positioning a helical or concentric corrugated paperboard wick within the container and filling the container with a mix of melted paraffin wax and mineral spirits so that a portion of the wick extends about the paraffin/mineral spirit composition.

In still another aspect, the present invention is a new and unique combination of ingredients that produce a reliable, portable, ready-to-use campfire.

Description of the Drawings The invention set forth above and which will be described in greater detail hereinafter can be better appreciated by reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferred container which contains a cylindrical wick means arrangement embedded in the combustible composition of the invention; Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the container of Figure 1 along lines 2-2 showing the wick means arrangement, the composition, and the container; and,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention showing the flame distribution across the top of the wick means and composition arrangement.

Description of a Preferred Embodiment Turning now to Figure 1, the portable assembly 1 of the present invention is shown in perspective and it comprises container 2 with carrying means or tote ring 13. In this preferred embodiment of the invention, the container 2 is a truncated cone with the open mouth 8 being circular and having a diameter of about 6-1/2"in the preferred embodiment shown. This diameter may practically vary from as low as 2"or 3"to as wide as 8"to 10"or more. The limits on size are a matter of choice for the size of the fire and desired burning time. The support surface or support means 9 also being circular has a diameter in this preferred embodiment of about 8"although this can vary from 5"or lower to 12"or greater. The distance between the opening 8 and support surface 9 which represents the height of the container in this embodiment is about 6"but can be between 4"or lower to 8"to 12"or greater.

Looking now a Figure 2, the vertical cross-section of the assembly is shown.

The wick means 5 extends above the upper surface of the composition 4 and is embedded in the composition with the upper edges 11 in a position where they may be readily lighted with a match. In this embodiment the wick means extends about 1/2" above the upper surface of the composition. The wick means 5 may be corrugated paperboard or heavy kraft paper or a woven fabric. In this embodiment the wick means is formed from corrugated paperboard and is in a series of concentric circular cylinders.

As shown there are four circular cylinders and they advantageously can have diameter

of 2", 3", 4", and 5"respectively. In an alternate preferred embodiment, a single corrugated sheet in the form of a helix can be employed instead of concentric circular cylinders. The helical or spiral arrangement can geometrically be described generally as a cylinder. The helix would also have about four turns with about an average of an inch separating the turns.

The preferred composition fills the container to within about 1"of the rim of the mouth 8 in the embodiment being described. This volume of the composition 4 will provide a useful fire for up to eight hours. The corrugated sheet-like wick forms the function of lighting the composition across the entire upper surface of the composition so that the flame is not confined to the wick.

In Figure 3, an embodiment 31 is shown with the flame 33 across the entire upper surface 34 of the composition. A steady flame at 8"to 12"can usually be maintained during consumption of the composition.

The process for making the assembly according to the present invention comprises the steps of providing a container which is flame and heat resistant. Typically metal is the most readily available and steel is generally the lowest cost suitable metallic material. Steel, the type that is commonly used in paint buckets, fruit juice and coffee cans and the like, is preferred because of its availability and low cost. This steel is usually low carbon type and its cost is such that the container can be readily disposed of after the composition has completely burned up. Disposal presents no environmental hazard and these containers may be placed in the trash disposal receptacles found in parks and other outdoor areas.

Special features of the truncated cone shape of the container is that first, the wider base lowers the center of gravity as compared with a"bucket"or right circular cylinder shape thus making the container inherently more stable. Second, air flow is more advantageously directed to support and shape the flame. As the flame burns and the heated air above the flame rises, the rising air draws in replacement air from around and below the container mouth. The inward shape of the container thus tends to funnel this air towards the flame as it rises along the container wall. The inward momentum of the air flow tends to shape the flame.

The next step in the process of making the ready-to-use campfire assembly of the present invention requires the preparation of the combustible composition. The composition comprises a major portion of the paraffin wax which is preferably a petroleum derived hydrocarbon wax which may be described as a white crude scale wax preferably having a melt temperature range from about 117°F to about 130°F. A particularly suitable wax is 6433 wax from the National Wax Division of the Dussek Campbell Company.

The mineral spirits or naphtha which is an aliphatic hydrocarbon fraction of petroleum evolved in the distillation range of about 150°C to about 200°C. A particularly suitable form is the paraffinic napthlanic solvent sold by Lamplight Farms of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin under the brand name"Lamplight Farms Lamp Oil" which has a specific gravity at 60°F of about 0.806.

The third ingredient of the composition, which is preferred but may be optional, is wood chips which are preferably hardwood chips of oak, hickory, maple, cherry, walnut, or the like. Sawdust or mulch from any one of these woods can be

used. Also, pine chips or pine sawdust or other soft wood could be used. The chips or preferably relatively fine ground or they can be chips 1/16"to 2"to 3"in length, 1/16" to 1/2"in width, and 1/16"to 1-1/2"to 3"in height. In addition to sawdust or wood chips non-toxic, environmentally compatible aromatics may be used to provide various scents as desired. While it is a desirable feature of the invention and within its scope, the composition of the invention will perform its function satisfactorily without wood chips and will burn with the mineral spirits/wax composition.

The step in the process which requires the positioning of the wick within the container can be accomplished either before or after the composition melt is poured into the container. The wick is preferably helical or it can be concentric cylinders or annular in shape. As mentioned above, paper, such as corrugated paperboard or kraft paper, may be used or a woven fabric of cotton or other natural fiber may be used for the wick.

Corrugated paperboard is also satisfactory and provides a desirably large amount of surface area in contact with the composition as it fills in the flutes and spaces between the flutes and paperboard outer walls. Once the wick arrangement is positioned in the container the composition is then poured in to fill the container to within about 1"of the upper rim of the container. Sufficient wick material about 1/2"to 1"is left to extend above the upper surface of the composition so that the edge of the wick can be readily lighted by a match. The important function of the wick arrangement is that it lights the entire upper surface of the composition and providing points at which to re-light the surface. A cord or string-like wick of the typical candle may have a tendency to burn only in a localized area around the string-like wick and not spread across the

composition surface. Thus, the wick arrangement of this invention provides a way to light and re-light the entire surface of the composition.

Continuing with the process, the paraffin wax is melted and the mineral spirits are blended there within a preferred ratio of about 1 ounce of mineral spirits to about 1 pound of wax or about 7 % by volume. If wood chips are to be used, they can be preferably placed into the container prior to pouring the melt into the container or the chips can be mixed or stirred into the melt before pouring.

In the preferred method the chips in particulate or mulch form are first placed in the container and then the melted paraffin/mineral spirits blend is poured into the container. The wood chips are less dense than the blend and rise and float within the blend resulting in a substantially uniform distribution when the melt solidifies.

In this process an annular or helical wick means is inserted into the container and positioned prior to pouring in the paraffin wax. Alternately the annular or helical wick means can be inserted into the melt before it solidifies and be properly spaced.

Best Mode The best mode of the invention for which preferred embodiments have been presented above comprises a container of the shape shown in Figures 1 and 2 having a mouth 8 with a diameter of about 6-1/2", a height of about 6"of steel construction. The composition comprises 7 % of the aforementioned"lamp oil", the remainder being"scale wax". The container is filled to the brim and has a wick assembly 5 as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The container is filled about 3/4"below the brim and the assembly weighs approximately 5 pounds and will burn up to 8 hours.

The campfire assembly, when lighted, provides a flame which will resist being blown out by moderate to even relatively strong winds. Also, the fire can be snuffed out by covering the mouth of the container with lid 12 which is attached by connecting ring 13. The lid 12 may be hot after the fire has burned for a long period but it can be readily lifted into place by a stick or similar object. If, after initial use, the wick is difficult to light because it has burned below the re-hardened composition surface, the flame may be readily rekindled by crumpling a piece of paper, placing it on and pressing it against the composition surface and lighting it.

Many other embodiment configurations of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure. The scope of the invention is only limited by the claims appended hereto.