Electrical heating element

Abstract

An improved electrical heating element for a high-temperature furnace including a support structure and an electrical-heating assembly. The support structure includes a plurality of thin, flat, non-conductive plates each having a plurality of spaced apertures therethrough and a plurality of non-conductive spacers smaller than the plates with one spacer interposed between each pair of adjacent plates. The electrical-heating assembly includes a plurality of elongated electrical conductors, preferably U-shaped, each leg extending through one aperture in each plate radially outwardly of the spacers. The conductors are supported by and extend between the plates and the ends of the conductors are interconnected so that the conductors as interconnected define a single tortuous electrical path radially outwardly of the spacers. The .[.interconnection.]. .Iadd.interconnections .Iaddend.between the conductors maintain the support structure in assembly.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In a high temperature closed radiant tube furnace, the improvement of an electrical heating element positioned in said closed radiant tube, said radiant tube operable at temperatures in excess of 1500° F. comprising: a support structure having (a) a plurality of thin, flat, non-conductive plates, each plate having a .[.plurality.]. .Iadd.pair .Iaddend.of spaced .Iadd.apart rows of .Iaddend.apertures therethrough parallel to the axis of the plate, and (b) a plurality of non-conductive spacers of a size smaller than said plates, one of said spacers being positioned between each pair of adjacent plates, and   an electrical heating assembly having a plurality of elongated rigid electrical conductors, each extending through at least one aperture in each plate radially outwardly of said spacers, each conductor being straight between adjacent plates, each of said conductors being supported by and extending between said plates; said straight rigid conductors being free of contact with said radiant tube; the ends of the conductors being interconnected so that the interconnected conductors define a single tortuous electrical path radially outwardly of said spacers; the conductors as interconnected maintaining said support structure in assembly.   
     
     
       2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said conductors has two elongated legs joined by a base; each leg extending through one aperture of .Iadd.a corresponding row of .Iaddend.each plate; and the bases of the conductors being positioned beyond the end plate to form said interconnections at one end of said assembly. 
     
     
       3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said spacers are longitudinally aligned on a common axis and said electrical conductors are parallel to said axis. 
     
     
       4. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the apertures in each plate are arranged in adjacent spaced-apart rows. 
     
     
       5. The invention as defined in claim 4 wherein said rows are circular and radially spaced apart, and wherein the apertures are angularly offset between adjacent rows. 
     
     
       6. The invention as defined in claim 1 and further including an additional non-conductive plate spaced apart from and secured to the plate at one end of said support structure axially away from said conductors for isolating said conductors from contacting said radiant tube. 
     
     
       7. An improved electrical heating element for a radiant tube heater in a high temperature furnace or the like, comprising: at least three axially spaced insulating discs each having a .[.plurality.]. .Iadd.pair .Iaddend.of .Iadd.rows of .Iaddend.spaced apertures parallel to the axis of the disc;   a plurality of insulating spacers interposed between adjacent discs and spacing the discs from one another;   a plurality of conductive metal rods each having elongated straight legs and a base bight portion, the straight rod legs being inserted through aligned apertures in each of the discs to extend axially of the disc-spacer assembly and radially outwardly of the spacer and the bight portion of each rod lying beyond the confines of the end most disc; and   conductive means retaining the rods, the discs and the spacers in assembly and interconnecting the rods to provide a single continuous electrical flow path through each of said rods.   
     
     
       8. The invention as defined in claim 7 wherein said conductive means includes a plurality of jumper rods, each jumper rod interconnecting the free end of each rod leg with the free end of the leg of a different rod and with two legs of different rods remaining free of jumper rod interconnection and being adapted for connection to an electrical power source. 
     
     
       9. In an electrical heating element for a radiant tube heater or the like comprising a plurality of hollow, non-conductive, longitudinally aligned spacers; a series of thin, flat, non-conductive plates each having a plurality of apertures extending axially therethrough, the apertures in each plate being arranged in a plurality of rows; said plates being maintained in a parallel, spaced apart relationship by the spacers interposed therebetween with the apertures in the plates being axially aligned; the improvement of: a plurality of elongated electrically conductive rods each formed in a U-shaped configuration with a short base and parallel elongated legs; each leg of each rod being inserted axially through the aligned apertures in the series of plates to lie radially outwardly of the spacers; the bases of the rods extending beyond the end plate; said end plate including a central axial bore radially interiorly of the spacer; and   an additional non-conductive plate identical to said end plate, and an additional spacer for further supporting the heating element and for isolating the bases of the rods from contacting the radiant tube, the additional plate being positioned away from said end plate and secured thereto by an axial pin extending through said spacer and the central axial bore of the end plate and the additional plate, said axial pin secured inwardly of the end plate and outwardly of the additional plate; and   means for electrically interconnecting the free end of each rod leg, with the exception of two legs of different rods, to the free end of a leg of a different rod at a first end of the heating element, to form the rods into a single electrical path, the remaining two rod legs being adapted for connection to an electrical power source.   
     
     
       10. The invention as defined in claim 9 wherein the short base of each of said U-shaped rods is integrally joined to each of said parallel legs. 
     
     
       11. In a high temperature closed radiant tube furnace, the improvement of an electrical heating element positioned in said closed radiant tube, said radiant tube operable at temperatures in excess of 1500° F. comprising: a support structure comprising a plurality of plate-spacer units, each plate thereof being thin, flat, non-conductive and having a .[.plurality.]. .Iadd.pair .Iaddend.of spaced .Iadd.rows of .Iaddend.apertures therethrough parallel to the axis of the plate, and each spacer thereof being non-conductive and of a size smaller than said plates, said plate-spacer units being positioned so that a spacer thereof is between each pair of adjacent plates, and   an electrical heating element assembly having a plurality of elongated rigid electrical conductors, each extending through at least one .Iadd.corresponding .Iaddend.aperture in each plate radially outwardly of said spacers, each conductor being straight between adjacent plates, each of said conductors being supported by and extending between said plates; said straight rigid conductors being free of contact with said radiant tube; the ends of the conductors being interconnected so that the interconnected conductors define a single tortuous electrical path radially outwardly of said spacers; the conductors as interconnected maintaining said support structure in assembly.   
     
     
       12. The invention as defined in claim 11 wherein each plate-spacer unit includes a plate and a separate discrete spacer. 
     
     
       13. The invention as defined in claim 11 and further including an additional non-conductive plate spaced apart from and secured to the plate-spacer unit at one end of said support structure, axially away from said conductors, for isolating said conductors from contacting said radiant tube. 
     
     
       14. An improved electric heating element for a radiant tube heater in a high temperature furnace or the like comprising: at least three insulating disc-spacer units each disc thereof having a .[.plurality.]. .Iadd.pair .Iaddend.of spaced apart .Iadd.rows of .Iaddend.apertures extending therethrough parallel to the axis of the disc;   the disc-spacer units being positioned so that a spacer thereof is interposed between adjacent discs thereof to space the discs from one another;   a plurality of conductive metal rods each having a pair of elongated rigid legs interconnected by a rigid base portion, the rigid legs being inserted through .Iadd.corresponding .Iaddend.aligned apertures in each of the discs of the disc-spacer units to extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the discs thereof and radially outwardly of the spacers thereof, and the rigid base portion of each rod lying beyond the confines of the disc of the end most disc-spacer unit; and   conductive means retaining the rods and the disc-spacer units in assembly and interconnecting the rods to provide a single continuous electrical flow path through each of said rods.   
     
     
       15. The invention as defined in claim 14 wherein each of said disc-spacer units includes a thin, flat insulating disc and a separate insulating spacer. 
     
     
       16. The invention as defined in claim 14 wherein each pair of rigid legs and the rigid base interconnecting them are of integral one piece construction. 
     
     
       17. In an electrical heating element for a radiant tube heater or the like comprising a plurality of non-conductive plate-spacer units, each spacer thereof being hollow, each plate thereof being thin, flat and having a plurality of apertures extending axially therethrough, the apertures in each plate thereof being arranged in a plurality of rows; said plates thereof being maintained in a parallel, spaced apart relationship by the spacers thereof with the apertures in the plates being aligned; the improvement of: a plurality of pairs of elongated electrically conductive rigid rods, each rod being inserted axially through the aligned apertures in the plates to lie radially outwardly of the spacers; each pair of rods interconnected by a base, the bases extending beyond the end most plate-spacer unit, said end most plate including a central axial bore radially interiorly of its spacer; and   an additional non-conductive thin flat apertured plate having a central axial bore and being spaced apart from said end most plate for further supporting the heating element and for isolating the bases from contacting the radiant tube, the additional plate being positioned away from said end most plate and secured thereto by an axial pin extending through its spacer and the central axial bore of said end most plate and of said additional plate, said axial pin secured inwardly of the end most plate and outwardly of the additional plate; and   means for electrically interconnecting the free end of each rod, with the exception of two rods of different pairs of rods, to the free end of a rod of a different pair of rods at a first end of the heating element, to form the rods into a single electrical path, the remaining two rods being adapted for connection to an electrical power source.   
     
     
       18. The invention as defined in claim 17 wherein each plate-spacer unit comprises a plate and a discrete spacer. 
     
     
       19. The invention as defined in claim 17 wherein each pair of rigid rods and their associated base are of an integral, one piece construction. 
     
     
       20. The invention as defined in claim 17 wherein each plate-spacer unit comprises a plate and a discrete spacer and wherein each pair of rigid rods and their associated base are of an integral, one piece construction. .Iadd. 
     
     
       21.  The invention as defined in claim 7 wherein each straight rod leg is inserted through the aligned apertures of a corresponding row of each plate. .Iaddend. .Iadd.22. The invention as defined in claim 9 wherein each leg of each rod is inserted through the aligned aperture of a corresponding row of each plate. .Iaddend. .Iadd.23. The invention as defined in claim 17 wherein each rod of each pair of rods is inserted axially through aligned apertures of a corresponding row in each of the plates. .Iaddend. .Iadd.24. An electrical radiant heating element having a longitudinal axis and a plurality of thin, flat, non-conductive plates which are spaced axially apart along said longitudinal axis, each plate having a plurality of spaced apertures therethrough which are parallel to and are spaced laterally outwardly from said longitudinal axis, the apertures in each plate being arranged in a pair of laterally spaced apart circular rows, each of said rows of said plates having an equal number of apertures, the apertures of each row of each plate being respectively longitudinally aligned with the apertures in the corresponding row of the other plates, a plurality of longitudinally aligned non-conductive spacers located on said longitudinal axis and laterally inwardly of said apertures, each of said spacers abutting and engaging the opposing faces of a pair of adjacent plates for maintaining said plates parallel and spaced apart, and a plurality of elongated straight rigid electrical conductors extending parallel to said longitudinal axis and extending axially through the longitudinally aligned apertures in said plates and being supported thereby, and means at each end of the heating element for interconnecting the ends of said conductors to define a single continuous 
     
     
        electrical flow path through said conductors. .Iaddend. .Iadd.25.  The invention as defined in claim 24 wherein said pair of circular rows of apertures including an inner circular row and an outer circular row, with the apertures in the inner row being located closer together than the apertures in the outer row, and with the apertures in each row being equally spaced apart. .Iaddend. .Iadd.26. The invention as defined in claim 25 wherein each of said conductors are provided with two elongated legs joined by a base, each leg of each conductor extending through one aperture in each row of each plate, and the base of each conductor being positioned beyond an end plate to form at one end of the heating element said interconnecting means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.27. The invention as defined in claim 26 wherein the interconnecting means at the other end of the heating element includes a plurality of jumper rods, each jumper rod interconnecting the free end of each conductor leg with the free end of a different conductor leg and with two conductor legs of different conductors remaining free of jumper rod interconnection and being adapted for connection to an electrical power source. .Iaddend. .Iadd.28. The invention as defined in claim 24 wherein each spacer is separate from the plates, the opposing faces of adjacent plates being provided with circular grooves, with the end portions of each spacer being received in the 
     
     
        grooves of adjacent plates. .Iaddend. .Iadd.29.  An electrical heating element for a radiant tube heater comprising a plurality of hollow, non-conductive, longitudinally aligned spacers; a series of thin, flat, non-conductive plates each having a plurality of apertures extending axially therethrough, the apertures in each plate being arranged in a pair of circular rows; said plates being maintained in a parallel, spaced apart relationship by the spacers interposed therebetween with the apertures in the plates being axially aligned; a plurality of elongated electrically conductive rods each formed in a U-shaped configuration with a short base and parallel elongated legs; each leg of each rod being inserted axially through the aligned apertures in the series of plates to lie radially outwardly of the spacers; each leg of a rod inserted through a different row of apertures than the other leg of said rod; the bases of the rods extending beyond the end plate; said end plate including a central axial bore located radially interiorly of the spacer; an additional non-conductive plate identical to said end plate, an additional spacer for further supporting the heating element and for isolating the base of the rods from contacting the radiant tube, the additional plate being positioned away from said end plate and secured thereto by an axial pin extending through said spacer and the central axial bore of the end plate and the additional plate, said axial pin being secured inwardly of the end plate and outwardly of the additional plate; and means for electrically interconnecting the free end of each rod leg, with the exception of two legs of different rods, to the free end of a leg of a different rod at a first end of the heating element, to form the rods into a single electrical path, the remaining two rod legs being adapted for connection to an electrical power source. .Iaddend. .Iadd.30. The invention as defined in claim 29 wherein the short base of each of said U-shaped rods 
     
     
        is integrally joined to each of said parallel legs. .Iaddend. .Iadd.31. The invention as defined in claim 29 wherein said pair of circular rows of apertures including an inner circular row and an outer circular row, with the apertures in the inner row being located closer together than the apertures in the outer row, and with the apertures in each row being equally spaced apart. .Iaddend. .Iadd.32. The invention as defined in claim 29 wherein each spacer is separate from the plates, the opposing faces of adjacent plates being provided with circular grooves, with the end portions of each spacer being received in the grooves of adjacent 
     
     
        plates. .Iaddend. .Iadd.33.  An electrical heating element for a radiant tube heater comprising a plurality of non-conductive plate-spacer units, each spacer thereof being hollow, each plate thereof being thin, flat and having a plurality of apertures extending axially therethrough, the apertures in each plate thereof being arranged in a pair of circular rows; said plates thereof being maintained in a parallel, spaced apart relationship by the spacers thereof with the apertures in the plates being aligned; a plurality of pairs of elongated electrically conductive rigid rods, each rod being inserted axially through the aligned apertures in the plates to lie radially outwardly of the spacers; each pair of rods interconnected by a base, the bases extending beyond the end most plate-spacer unit; said end most plate including a central axial bore radially interiorly of its spacer; an additional non-conductive thin flat apertured plate having a central axial bore and being spaced apart from said end most plate for further supporting the heating element and for isolating the bases from contacting the radiant tube, the additional plate being positioned away from said end most plate and secured thereto by an axial pin extending through its spacer and the central axial bore of said end most plate and of said additional plate, said axial pin secured inwardly of the end most plate and outwardly of the additional plate; and means for electrically interconnecting the free end of said rod, with the exception of two rods of different pairs of rods, to the free end of a rod of a different pair of rods at a first end of the heating element, to form the rods into a single electrical path, the remaining two rods being adapted for connection to an electrical power source. .Iaddend. .Iadd.34. The invention as defined in claim 33 wherein each plate-spacer unit 
     
     
        comprises a plate and a discrete spacer. .Iaddend. .Iadd.35.  The invention as defined in claim 33 wherein each pair of rigid rods and their associated base are of an integral, one piece construction. .Iaddend. .Iadd.36. The invention as defined in claim 33 wherein each plate-spacer unit comprises a plate and a discrete spacer and wherein each pair of rigid rods and their associated base are of an integral, one piece construction. .Iaddend. .Iadd.37. The invention as defined in claim 33 wherein said pair of circular rows of apertures including an inner circular row and an outer circular row, with the apertures in the inner row being located closer together than the apertures in the outer row, and with the apertures in each row being equally spaced apart. .Iaddend. .Iadd.38. The invention as defined in claim 33 wherein the opposing faces of adjacent plates are provided with circular grooves, with the end portions of each spacer being received in the grooves of adjacent plates. .Iaddend.