Thermopile apparatus

Claim 1

IN A THERMOPILE, FIRST AND SECOND SETS OF METALLIC HEAT CONDUCTING MEMBERS, SAID MEMBERS EACH HAVING AN UPRIGHT SHEET-LIKE FIN PROVIDING AN EXTENDED HEAT TRANSFER SURFACE, THE FINS OF THE MEMBERS IN EACH SET BEING ARRANGED IN SPACED, PARALLEL AND ALIGNED RELATIONSHIP, THE FINS OF ONE SET OF MEMBERS BEING PARALLEL TO BUT LATERALLY SPACED FROM THE FINS OF THE OTHER SET OF MEMBERS, THE MEMBERS OF EACH SET HAVING TONGUES PROJECTING FROM THEIR FINS TOWARD AND INTERDIGITATING WITH THE TONGUES OF THE OTHER SET OF MEMBERS, SAID TONGUES HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY LESS SURFACE AREA THAN SAID FINS, A SERIES OF BODIES ALTERNATELY FORMED OF TWO MATERIALS HAVING DISSIMILAR THERMOELECTRIC PROPERTIES, SAID SERIES OF BODIES BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID TONGUES IN THE OVERLAPPING REGIONS OF THE TONGUES WITH ONE BODY ELECTRICALLY AND THERMALLY CONNECTED TO EACH ADJOINING PAIR OF TONGUES FROM THE TWO SETS OF MEMBERS, AND MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE FINS OF AT LEAST ONE OF SAID OF MEMBERS TO EACH OTHER COMPRISING A TUBULAR SPACER DEVICE FORMED OF ELECTRICAL INSULATING MATERIAL, SAID SPACER HAVING A PLURALITY OF SLOTS DISPOSED IN SPACED RELATION WITH EACH OTHER AND DISPOSED IN PLANES TRANSVERSE TO THE AXIS OF SAID SPACER, THE FINS OF SAID ONE SET OF MEMBERS BEING RECEIVED THEREIN, AND A STAYBOLT EXTENDING AXIALLY THROUGH SAID SPACER AND CLAMPING SAID FINS TO SAID SPACER.