Catalytic combustor type heating devices

Claim 1

A CATALYTIC COMBUSTOR HEATING DEVICE COMPRISING: (A) A CONTIUOUS HOUSING HAVING A FLOWER FUEL CHAMBER AND AN UPPER GAS CHAMBER CONNECTED BY MEANS DEFINING AN OPEN PASSAGE THEREBETWEEN; (B) A POROUS CATALYST BED FOR CAUASING COMBUSTION OF A GASEOUS MIXTURE OF REACTANTS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAT, SAID BED LOCATED IN SAID UPPER GAS CHAMBER AND COVERING THE UPPER EXTREMITY OF SAID PASSAGE MEANS SO AS TO REQUIRE THAT ALL REACTANTS ENTERING SAID UPPER GAS CHAMBER PASS THROUGH SAID BED; (C) EXHAUST GAS OUTLET MEANS IN AN UPPER EXTREMITY OF SAID UPPER GAS CHAMBER; (D) MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A FUEL INTO SAID FUEL CHAMBER, AND LEAST MENTIONED MEANS INCLUDING A FUEL LEVEL REGULATING MEANS; (C) MANIFOLD MEANS SURROUNDING A PORTION OF SAID HOUSING AND ADAPTED FOR INTRODUCING OXYGEN INTO SAID HOUSING SO AS TO MIX WITH VAPORS EMANATING FROM SAID FUEL IN A MANNER TO SUPPORT COMBUSTION WHEN SUCH MIXTURE IS PASSED THROUGH SAID CATALYST BED; (F) MECHANICAL REGULATING MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID PASSAGE FOR REGULATING THE QUANTITY OF REACTANT MIXTURE PASSED THROUGH SAID PASSAGE TO SAID CATALYST BED; (G) SEPARATE ELECTRICALLY OPERATED HEATER MEANS RESPECTIVELY LOCATED IN SAID CATALYST BED FOR HEATING SAID CATALYST BED AND IN HEAT TRANSFER CONTACT WITH A PORTION OF SAID LOWER FUEL CHAMBER WITH WHICH SAID FUEL MAINTAINS DIRECT CONTACT FOR HEATING SAID FUEL; AND (H) SEPARATE THERMOSTATICALY CONTROLLED SWITCH ELEMENTS RESPECTIVELY LOCATED IN SAID CATALYST BED AND SAID LOWER FUEL CHAMBER TO CONTROL SAID HEATING ELEMENTS, SAID THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED SWITCH WITHIN SAID LOWER FUEL CHAMBER BEING LOCATED SO AS TO BE COVERED BY FUEL.