Device for carrying electrical resistance elements

Apparatus replaceably carrying an electrical resistance element for a furnace, comprising:

• a block of ceramic fibrous material,
• said electrical resistance element being mounted on said block and being of serpentine configuration having a plurality of adjacent generally U-shaped portions defined by straight shanks and curved segments interconnecting said straight shanks, the end ones of said U-shaped portions terminating in elongated terminals extending toward a common side of said block from which said electrical resistance element is inserted, said U-shaped portions being arranged to open alternately toward and away from said common side,
• at least one plate-shaped carrying element of electrically insulative material mechanically fastened in said block and including a portion protruding from said block, said protruding portion including a plurality of through-passages into which can be slidably inserted said U-shaped portions which open toward said common side,
• said through-passages each including side wall means and transverse wall means, said side wall means of each through-passage being arranged opposite the respective straight shanks of the associated U-shaped portion to restrain movement of said electrical resistance element within its own plane and transversely of the direction of insertion and removal of said electrical resistance element, said transverse wall means extending across the associated through-passages to prevent removal of said electrical resistance element from said through-passages in a direction perpendicular to said plane,
• said at least one plate-shaped carrying element being spaced from the adjacent curved segments of said U-shaped portions.