Apparatus for and method of securing a heating element

Abstract

An elongate electrical resistance heating element of coiled material is secured to a support of insulating material by means of staples driven into the support. A jig is employed having an elongate slot open to a face of the jig for receiving the heating element. A movable elongate base member is provided in and co-operating with the slot, the base member having projections extending in a direction towards the face of the jig, the projections being arranged in predetermined spaced relationship along the base member. Grooves are provided at opposite sides of the slot for receiving staples, bridge members first, into the elongate slot from the face of the jig with the legs of the staples slidably received in the grooves. The grooves are positioned such that the bridge members of the staples are contactable by the projections on the base member. In this way, the heating element can be inserted into the slot in the jig from the face of the jig to contact the base member with the staples and the projections on the base member entering between adjacent turns of the heating element with the staples straddling the material of the heating element. The base member is urged in the slot towards the face of the jig so as to drive the legs of the staples into a support of insulating material in contact with the face of the jig.