Heating coil support and insulation mechanism

In an electrical heater incorporating heating coils for heating by means of electrical resistance and being supported and electrically insulated by coil support insulators, the support insulators having an insulator body with opposed front and back faces and coil engagement means attached to the insulator body for engaging the convolutions of the heating coil, the improvement comprising:

• a pair of support rods, at least one of which has at least one locking projection extending from the longitudinal surface thereof, said support rod pair extending longitudinally of said front and back faces of said insulator body, with a plurality of said insulator bodies disposed in longitudinal array on said pair of support rods;
• each said insulator body having a pair of support rod apertures extending therethrough, at least one of said pair of support rod apertures having support rod locking projection accomodation means therein for initially receiving passage therethrough of said at least one locking projection of said at least one support rod, said support rods extending longitudinally of said front and back faces of each said insulator body and disposing a plurality of insulator bodies thereon in longitudinal array;
• and
• said at least one locking projection on said at least one support rod initially upon insertion matingly disposed with respect to said at least one support rod locking projection accommodation means for passage therethrough and thereafter for disposition at a radial angle rotationally therefrom to prevent relative longitudinal movement between said each insulator body and said at least one support rod in at least one longitudinal direction, and
• wherein said at least one locking projection is disposed as pairs of locking projections in longitudinally spaced array on said at least one support rod, for respective disposition adjacent the front face and the back face of said each insulator body, whereby relative longitudinal movement between said insulator bodies and said at least one support rod is prevented in both longitudinal directions.