US1615661A - Terminal for electric heating units - Google Patents

Description

E. E. SUTHERLANIS TERMINAL FOR ELECTRIC HEATING UNITS Filed March 24, 1924 Jan. 25, 1927.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR flow. Ernesf 51/ Mar/00a,

Patented Jan. 25, 1927.

UNITED sTA Es PATENT OFFICE; .v

ERNEST SUTHEBLAND, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELEG- TBIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

TERMINAL FOBELECTBIC HEATING UNITS.

Appllcation flled March 24, 1924. Serial No. 701292.

My invention relates to electric heating units and particularly to terminal members therefor.

The object of my invention is to provide 8 a relatively small, compact and efiicient terminal member for an encased heating unit.)

.In practicing my invention, I provide an encased, elongated heating unit comprising a heatin element, a metal gib and a cover strip, with a plurality of refractory terminal supporting members. Each of the terminal-supportmg members are located between the cover strip and the gib, in

pockets formed in the latter member adjacent to the ends thereof and have one face in operative engagement with the surface of the cover strip and have another portion extending through an o ening in the gib.

A suitable terminal mem r is mounted on the su porting member. In t e single sheet of drawings,

, Figure 1 is a top plan viewof a heater embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of an i end portion thereof,

.Fig. 3 is a view of the portion illustrated in Fig. 2, partially in side elevation and partially in longitudinal section,

Fig. 4 is a view, in side elevation, of an end rtion of a modified form of unit embodylng my invention, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, bottom plan view of the portion illustrated in Fig. 4.

A heating unit 11, of the encased type,

comprises an elongated, sheet metal cover member 12 and a sheet metal gib 13 that is substantially co-extensive with the cover member12.

A heating element that is located between 4 the gib and the cover member, comprises a pair of strips 14 and 15, of a suitable electrio-insulating material, such as mica, between which is located a strip 16, of a suitable resistor member, that may be provided with a plurality of oppositely extending lateral slots to increase the length of the current path provided thereby, in a manner well known in the art.

The width of the cover member 12 is by providing also a good heat path between the heating element and the outer surface of the heating unit, and at the same time providing an encased heating unit.

Referring more particularly to the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, the metal cover member extends a short distance beyond the end of the resister strip 16 and still further beyond the ends of thestrips 14 and 15 of insulating material.

An opening 19 is provided in the cover strip 12, for a purpose to be hereinafter specified, and a second opening 21 is provided adjacent to each of the outer ends of the cover strip to permit of mounting the heating unit in its proper operative position relatively to a surface or a member to be heated thereby.

The metal gib 13 is provided at each of its ends with a two-part opening 22 extending therethrough and comprising a substantially circular portion and an elongated portion extending from the circular portion inwardly toward the heating unit proper.

The circular portion of the opening 22 is located co-axially with the opening 19 in the cover member.

A. refractory terminal-supporting member 23, of suitable electric-insulating material, comprises a base portion 24 that is substantially square in lateral section and a top portion 25 that is substantially circular in lateral section. The bottom surface of the base portion 24 operatively engages the inner surface of the cover strip 12 and the top portion 25 is located in and extends through the circular portion of the 0 ening 22. The metal gib is bent away cm the inner surface of the end portion of the cover, member 12 in order to rovide a pocket within which the base portion of the member 23 may be located as is illustrated more particularly in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The outer end portions of the metal gib are bent at substantially right angles to the cover strip 12 and are provided, at the extreme ends, with relatively narrow tongue portions 26 that extend through suitable openings 27 in the cover strip and are then bent against the outer surface of the cover strip, as is illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. This construction clamps the respective terminal supporting members tightly in their proper operative positions in the pockets formed in the metal gib and between the opposing surfaces of the end portions of the gib and of the cover member.

A terminal member for each end of the heating unit is constituted by a suitable bolt 28 and a co-operating nut 29, a washer 31 being provided underneath the nut 29 and the outer perforated end of the resistor member 16, to effect electrical connection between the end of the resistor member and the terminal member. The ends of supply circuit conductors (not shown) may be suitably connected to the terminal member 28 in any manner well known in the art.

The outer end of the resistor member 16 is made relatively narrow as is illustrated more particularly in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and extends away from the cover member and through the rectangular portion of the opening 22, as is illustrated more particularly in Fig. 3 of the drawings, in order that the outer end of the resistor member may be located adjacent to the outer surface of the top portion 25 of the terminal supporting member.

In Fig. 4.- of the drawings, I have illustrated a modified form of construction, the essential difference consisting in that the outer end of the metal gib is substantially co-extensive with the cover strip 12 and extends substantially parallel thereto and in operative engagement therewith, after having been bent at right angles to the cover strip. An opening 32 is provided in the gib, co-axial with the opening 21 in the cover member, and any suitable securing means, such as a machine screw or bolt, employed to hold the heating unit in its proper operative position against a surface or material, is effective also to secure the outer end of the metal gib against the cover member, thereby holding the terminal-supporting member 23 in its proper operativeposition in the pocket in the gib.

It may be noted that the heating unit proper comprises two interfitting and elongated sheet metal members, one of which is substantially fiat and the other of which is provided with side-flanges bent therearound to hold a heating element therebetween. (The inner surfaces of the gib and of the cover member are in operative engagement with one side of an extended heating element.) It may also be noted that the tcrmiHal-supporting member is located in a pocket formed in the metal gib and held therein by the cover member, the form of the pocket being such, in co-operation with the refractory terminal supporting member, as to prevent any turning movement thereof, when once installed.

Various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and I desire that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A terminal structure for an electric heater having an insulated, extended heating element, a metal gib substantially c0- extcnsive with and operatively engaging one side of said heating element, and a sheet metal member operatively engaging the other side of said heating element and having side portions folded over said gib to enclose said heating element, said structure comprising a refractory terminal-supporting memb;r operatively engaging the inner surface of said sheet metal member and extending through an opening in said gib, and a termmal member secured to said supporting member.

"2. A terminal structure for an' encased electric heater having an insulated, extended heating element, a metal ib substantially (o-extensive with said heating element and having an opening therethrough at each end thereof, and a folded metal cover strip substantially co-extensive with said gib, said structure comprising terminal-supporting members, of refractory electric-insulating material, operatively engaging the inner surface of said cover strip adjacent to each end thereof and projectingthrough the-re spective openin in the gib, and terminal members extendlng through said refractory members and operatively engaging the re spective ends of the heating element, said ends extending through the openings in the gib.

3. A terminal structure for an electric heater having an extended heating element, ametal gib in operative engagement with one side of said h ating element and having pockets formed therein beyond the ends of said heating element, and a sheet metal cover member operatively engaging the other side of saidheating element and having side flange portions bent over said metal gib, said structure comprising terminalsupporting members located in said pockets in the metal gib, and terminal members extending through the respective supporting members and electrically connected to the respective ends of the heating element.

4. A terminal structure for an electric a heater having-an extended heating element, terminal-supporting member located in said a metal gib in operative engagement with pocket and extending through said opening 10 one side thereof, having a pocket formed and held therein by'an integral portion of therein adjacent one end thereof and an said cover member. 1

5 opening therethroug'h at said pocket, and a In testimony whereof, I have hereunto sheet metal cover member 0 rativelyensubscribed my name this fourteenth day of gaging the other side of sai heating ele- March 1924. ment, said structure comprising a refractory ERNEST E. SUTHERLAND.

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