Bob Fisher designed the Fisher Stove in the early seventies at Springfield, Oregon. Over the following years, Fisher Stoves became immensely popular, particularly due to the Arab Oil crisis. The Fisher Stove pioneered safety standards at Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and Canadian Standard Association (CSA). The stove manufactured in the U.S. or Canada bore the label UL, CSA, or WH (Warnock Hersey) on the back. The stoves, which were manufactured by Fisher prior to the 1980s, were installed using the building codes. Inside cabins, they were required to be kept 36 inches away from combustible walls.
Bob Fisher discovered that heating wood in the broad fire places then in use was wasteful. So, he welded the iron and sealed up the old fireplace leaving only a six-inch opening in the chimney for an outlet. The A-frame could be entirely heated with these stoves and the flame coming out of the stove could be controlled. The stove could be used for cooking purposes. The stoves were made from heavy steel plates ¼” and 5/16” thick, whereas the doors were made of cast-iron with model names such as “Papa Bear”, “Mama Bear”, “Grandpa Bear”, and “Baby Bear” imprinted on them.
Later in the mid-1980s, the old wood stoves were replaced by clean burning stoves. The earlier wood stove designed by Bob Fisher released about 50 to 80 grams of smoke for every kilogram of wood that was burned. The new clean burning stove, also designed by Bob Fisher, released less than 6 grams of smoke on every one kilogram of wood that was burned. These new clean burning stoves are also known as EPA stoves.
Although stoves designed by Bob Fisher are manufactured no more, they are still sold as vintage goods and have become collectors’ items. |
