The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 24, 1985
Filed:
Apr. 26, 1982
Donald M Cunningham, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Emerson Electric Co., St. Louis, MO (US);
Abstract
An electric metallic sheathed immersion heating element adapted to be mounted on the metal wall of a fluid tank with the active heating portion of the element extending through an opening in the tank wall into the contents thereof includes a rigid plastic mounting member fixed to the terminal portion of the heating element and adapted to be connected to the tank wall at the opening to operatively support the heating element on the tank. The rigid plastic mounting member may be formed as a molded plastic plug having an exterior screw thread adapted to engage a cooperative screw thread on the tank wall or as a flat plate adapted to be bolted to the exterior surface of the tank wall. In order to reduce corrosive erosion of the heating element sheath, the sheath is grounded to the metal tank wall by a U-shaped grounding member formed of a thin-gauge cold-rolled steel. The bight of the member overlies the outer surface of the mounting member and is electrically connected to the heating element sheath by crimping, while the legs of the member extend in the direction of the tank wall on opposite sides of the grounding member and are of sufficient length to resiliently electrically engage the tank wall when the heating element is operatively mounted in the tank opening by the mounting member. To limit galvanic current flow, the bight and legs of the grounding member are electrically isolated and a current limiting resistor is interposed in series therebetween. The grounding member is formed of thin-gauge cold-rolled steel and is of a U-shape. The bight of the member is electrically connected to the sheath of the heating element and the legs are adapted to be pressed against a metal ring welded to the tank to electrically connect the sheath to the tank, the latter in customary manner being grounded. To limit flow of galvanic current, the bight and legs of the grounding member are electrically isolated and a current limiting resistor is interposed in series therebetween.