Tutco, Inc.

Keith Howard

Jimmy Lee Sherrill

Ike Walker

Michael Danko

Robert L Kirby

James Lee Sherrill

Jim Sherrill

Bill A Malone

A heater having a frame rail and clips, attached to the rail, for securing insulators for supporting a heater coil. Each clip has a main body having a structural member for securing to the rail, and having a pair of flanges symmetrical about a central axis. Each flange has a cut-out for supporting an insulator, the cut-out having an open end, a back abutment edge and a pair of side abutment edges. A bendable tab is located at either side of the open end, each having a first and a second position. In the first position an insulator is insertable into the cut-out, and the insulator is secured by bending the tabs to their second position. Optionally the main body has a cross-section that accommodates the cross section of the rail and the rail is welded to the channel. Alternatively, a plurality of clinching flaps extend from the main body, the flaps shaped and dimensioned for bending around and clinching the rail.

Methods of assembling open coil electrical resistance heaters involving butt welding of rails and using welded insulator support clips with bendable tabs

A conductive metal jumper strap has a plate portion with a pair of connection legs forming a u-shape. The connection legs are adapted to connect to terminals to make an electrical connection between two components of a heating device. The plate portion has a bend in it to allow flexing so that the connection legs can make a jumper connection between terminals where the terminal spacing may vary between heating devices.

Conductive U-shaped jumper strap and method of use

Support apparatus for resistive coils and insulators in electric heaters

A heater having an insulating terminal mounting block, a thermostat and a terminal bushing mounted to a frame. The insulating terminal mounting block supports a plurality of removable terminal members. Each terminal member has a crimping structure at one end and a connection structure at its other end. A temperature sensitive fuse is crimped within the crimping structure of a first and a second of the terminal connection members. A unitary jumper strap connects between the connection structure of the second and a third of the terminal members. A fourth terminal member is supported by the terminal bushing. A second unitary jumper strap connects between the connection structure of the fourth terminal member and a terminal of the thermostat. One terminal of a resistive heating wire is crimped within the crimping structure of one of the terminal connection members supported by the terminal mounting block. Another terminal of the resistive heating wire is crimped within the crimping structure of the fourth terminal connection member.

Method and apparatus for mounting a heater thermostat and temperature sensitive fuse

A clip for connecting one or two insulators to a rail (preferably a T-bar member) of an electric heater including at least one bendable metal clinching member, where the clip is securable to the rail by bending the clinching member around the rail. Preferably, the clinching member is one or two T-shaped end members disposed on transverse ends of the clip. Opposite end sections of the ridge of the T-shaped end member constitute clinching flaps which, in use, are clinched around a stem of a T-bar of an electric heater.

Support clips and insulators for use in electric heaters and electric heaters containing same

A heating device, such as a heating coil for use in apparatus to be heated, has a removable flexible strip carrier which enables the coil, already supported on ceramic insulators and carried by brackets, to be readily installed in the apparatus. The disposable or reusable strip carrier is notched for supporting the insulators and is easily removed after installation of the device.

Growing community of inventors

Cookeville, TN, United States of America

Keith Howard