Electric pipe heater

Claim 1

HEAT TRANSFER APPARATUS, COMPRISING: (A) A PIPE ADAPTED TO BE HEATED; (B) A CHANNEL MEMBER HAVING A PAIR OF LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING EDGES AND A LONGITUDINAL CAVITY FORMED BETWEEN SAID EDGES; (C) A HEAT CONDUCTOR ELEMENT EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY WITHIN SAID CAVITY; (D) HEAT TRANSFER MATERIAL DISPOSED AND FILLING ALL OF THE SPACE IN SAID CAVITY EXCEPT FOR THE PORTION OCCUPIED BY SAID HEAT CONDUCTOR ELEMENT; (E) SAID HEAT TRANSFER MATERIAL AND SAID CHANNEL MEMBER BEING PREFORMED AND DISPOSED AS A UNIT ON SAID PIPE; (F) SAID LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF SAID CHANNEL MEMBER ENGAGING THE CURVED LONGITUDINAL SURFACE OF SAID PIPE; (G) SAID HEAT TRANSFER MATERIAL INCLUDING A HEAT CONDUCTING AGENT FOR INCREASING THE HEAT TRANSFER BETWEEN SAID HEAT CONDUCTOR ELEMENT AND SAID PIPE AS COMPARED TO THE HEAT TRANSFER WITH THE HEAT CONDUCTOR ELEMENT ALONE; AND (H) A PLURALITY OF CLAMPING BANDS ENCIRCLING SAID PIPE AND SAID CHANNEL MEMBER TO HOLD SAID LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF SAID CHANNEL MEMBER IN CONTACT WITH THE EXTERNAL CURVED SURFACE OF SAID PIPE FOR PREVENTING THE FORMATION OF AIR GAPS IN THE HEAT TRANSFER MATERIAL BETWEEN THE HEAT CONDUCTOR ELEMENT AND THE PIPE AND FOR MAINTAINING AN INCREASED HEAT TRANSFER BETWEEN THE HEAT CONDUCTOR ELEMENT AND THE PIPE.