ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 28 -- United States Patent no. 12,535,217, issued on Jan. 27, was assigned to Merediths' Inc. (Richmond, Ind.).
"Fireplace retrofit construction" was invented by John E. Meredith (Richmond, Ind.) and Christopher C. Prior (Middle Grove, N.Y.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A retrofit firebox assembly includes a frame, a floor, and sidewalls. The frame has a plurality of vertically extending spaced apart tube members to which solid masonry units are mounted. The back wall has a metal plenum member with a lower vertical portion, a lower angled portion, a central vertical portion, an upper angled portion, and an upper vertical portion, positioned to form a smooth, symmetrical...