Patents by Inventor James L. Sherrill

James L. Sherrill has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Open coil electric resistance heater with offset coil support and method of use
    Patent number: 7947932
    Abstract: An open coil electrical resistance heater uses a number of offset insulators to support the coil of the heater. The offset insulators configure the run of coil in a sinusoidal shape to hold the insulators in a more secure manner and reduce vibration and noise generation during heat operation. The sinusoidal configuration of the coil also reduces the problem of shadowing of portions of the resistance wire coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Tutco, Inc.
    Inventors: James L. Sherrill, R. Devin Ridley
  • OPEN COIL RESISTANCE HEATER WITH RIGHT AND LEFT HAND INSTALLATION CAPABILITY
    Publication number: 20100059504
    Abstract: An open coil resistance heater assembly is made for universal mounting between left and right hand installations in an appliance or other equipment. The heater assembly has its coils arranged symmetrically about a bisecting plane of the heater assembly and/or a center line of its terminal assembly aligned with the bisecting plane. The symmetrical coil arrangement and/or bisected terminal assembly allow the heater to be used in right hand or left hand installations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Inventors: James L. Sherrill, H. Keith Howard
  • Open coil electric resistance heater with offset coil support and method of use
    Publication number: 20090139984
    Abstract: An open coil electrical resistance heater uses a number of offset insulators to support the coil of the heater. The offset insulators configure the run of coil in a sinusoidal shape to hold the insulators in a more secure manner and reduce vibration and noise generation during heat operation. The sinusoidal configuration of the coil also reduces the problem of shadowing of portions of the resistance wire coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Inventors: James L. Sherrill, R. Devin Ridley
  • Method of using open coil resistance heater in appliances with right and left hand installation capability
    Patent number: 7154072
    Abstract: An open coil resistance heater assembly is made for universal mounting between left and right hand installations in an appliance or other equipment. The heater assembly has its coils arranged symmetrically about a bisecting plane of the heater assembly and/or a center line of its terminal assembly aligned with the bisecting plane. The symmetrical coil arrangement and/or bisected terminal assembly allow the heater to be used in right hand or left hand installations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Tutco, Inc.
    Inventors: James L. Sherrill, H. Keith Howard
  • Standoff for use with uncoiled bare wire and insulated runs of an open coil electric resistance heater, method of use, and an open coil resistance heater using the standoff
    Patent number: 7075043
    Abstract: An open coil resistance heater uses one or more standoffs to engage and support the generally straight or uncoiled run of bare or insulated wire that is part of the resistance wire of the heater. The standoff has slots, which are sized to engage the bare or insulated wires for support purposes, and is removably mountable to the heater frame for supporting the run of uncoiled wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Tutco, Inc.
    Inventors: H. Keith Howard, James L. Sherrill
  • Open coil electric resistance heater using twisted resistance wires and methods of making
    Patent number: 6737616
    Abstract: An open coil resistance heating apparatus uses a pair of twisted wires having a particular gauge and pitch as the resistance heating wire. Using the twisted pair of wires in the selected gauge and pitch results in significant cost reductions; less wire is needed to achieve the same heating capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Tutco, Inc.
    Inventor: James L. Sherrill