Patents by Inventor Michael Danko

Michael Danko 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).

  • Patent number: 6723968
    Abstract: A conductive metal jumper strap has a plate portion with a pair of connection legs forming a u-shape. The connection legs are adapted to connect to terminals to make an electrical connection between two components of a heating device. The plate portion has a bend in it to allow flexing so that the connection legs can make a jumper connection between terminals where the terminal spacing may vary between heating devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Tutco, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Danko, Jimmy L. Sherrill, Keith Howard
  • Publication number: 20030192877
    Abstract: A heater having an insulating terminal mounting block, a thermostat and a terminal bushing mounted to a frame. The insulating terminal mounting block supports a plurality of removable terminal members. Each terminal member has a crimping structure at one end and a connection structure at its other end. A temperature sensitive fuse is crimped within the crimping structure of a first and a second of the terminal connection members. A unitary jumper strap connects between the connection structure of the second and a third of the terminal members. A fourth terminal member is supported by the terminal bushing. A second unitary jumper strap connects between the connection structure of the fourth terminal member and a terminal of the thermostat. One terminal of a resistive heating wire is crimped within the crimping structure of one of the terminal connection members supported by the terminal mounting block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2003
    Publication date: October 16, 2003
    Inventors: Michael Danko, Jimmy L. Sherrill, Keith Howard
  • Patent number: 6600141
    Abstract: A heater assembly includes a mounting assembly, a conducting structure, a thermostat structure, a first terminal structure and a second terminal structure, and an insulator support structure including a terminal receiving opening formed therethrough. The conducting structure and the insulator support structure are releasably and fixedly secured to the mounting assembly. The terminal receiving opening of the insulator support structure cooperates with the first terminal structure to secure the first terminal structure to the mounting assembly. The second terminal structure is releasably and fixedly secured to the mounting assembly. The thermostat structure is connected to the first terminal structure and to the second terminal structure. The first terminal structure is then connected to a power delivering structure to receive power to be used by the heater assembly, and to deliver power, through the thermostat structure, to the conducting structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Tutco, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Danko, Jimmy L. Sherrill, Ike D. Walker
  • Patent number: 6593554
    Abstract: A heater having an insulating terminal mounting block, a thermostat and a terminal bushing mounted to a frame. The insulating terminal mounting block supports a plurality of removable terminal members. Each terminal member has a crimping structure at one end and a connection structure at its other end. A temperature sensitive fuse is crimped within the crimping structure of a first and a second of the terminal connection members. A unitary jumper strap connects between the connection structure of the second and a third of the terminal members. A fourth terminal member is supported by the terminal bushing. A second unitary jumper strap connects between the connection structure of the fourth terminal member and a terminal of the thermostat. One terminal of a resistive heating wire is crimped within the crimping structure of one of the terminal connection members supported by the terminal mounting block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Tutco, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Danko, Jimmy L. Sherrill, Keith Howard
  • Publication number: 20020185491
    Abstract: A heater having an insulating terminal mounting block, a thermostat and a terminal bushing mounted to a frame. The insulating terminal mounting block supports a plurality of removable terminal members. Each terminal member has a crimping structure at one end and a connection structure at its other end. A temperature sensitive fuse is crimped within the crimping structure of a first and a second of the terminal connection members. A unitary jumper strap connects between the connection structure of the second and a third of the terminal members. A fourth terminal member is supported by the terminal bushing. A second unitary jumper strap connects between the connection structure of the fourth terminal member and a terminal of the thermostat. One terminal of a resistive heating wire is crimped within the crimping structure of one of the terminal connection members supported by the terminal mounting block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2002
    Publication date: December 12, 2002
    Inventors: Michael Danko, Jimmy L. Sherrill, Keith Howard
  • Patent number: 6433318
    Abstract: A heater having a frame supporting a heater element resistance wire and an in-line thermostat. The in-line thermostat has substantially flat connection terminals or terminals, each having a though hole. A substantially flat blade connects to each thermostat terminal by a single screw. The end of each blade distal from the screw is crimped to an end of the resistive wire or another conducting element. An insulating support mounts each blade to the frame. The blade may have bendable tabs for securing it to the insulating support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Inventor: Michael Danko
  • Publication number: 20020017518
    Abstract: A heater having a frame supporting a heater element resistance wire and an in-line thermostat. The in line thermostat has substantially flat connection terminals or terminals, each having a though hole. A substantially flat blade connects to each thermostat terminal by a single screw. The end of each blade distal from the screw is crimped to an end of the resistive wire or another conducting element. An insulating support mounts each blade to the frame. The blade may have bendable tabs for securing it to the insulating support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2001
    Publication date: February 14, 2002
    Inventor: Michael Danko
  • Patent number: 4628189
    Abstract: An insulator for a coil-type electric resistance heater is disclosed in which the insulator has inclined side faces forming the outer end of the insulator angling inwardly toward one another with side notches in the insulator at the base of the inclined side faces and a central notch in the outer end of the insulator between the two inclined side faces. The distance between the center notch and the outer ends of the inclined side faces is less than the spacing of the adjacent convolutions of the heater element coils so that upon aligning one convolution with the central notch and upon moving the insulator inwardly toward the axis of the coil, the one convolution will be received in the center notch and the adjacent convolutions will be wedgingly engaged by the side faces of the insulator so as to resiliently spread the convolutions such that the adjacent convolutions will snap into the side notches.A method of installing an electrical resistance heater on a plurality of insulators is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1986
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventor: Michael Danko