A receiver for irregularly shaped bricks cast from non-volatile bituminous material includes a receiver with a specialized storage chamber that can receive viscous bituminous material and a concave lid preferably modified with a radiant heating system that can accept and melt or soften arriving bricks. The lid includes multiple openings or other delivery routes that funnel the melted bituminous material to the chamber below. The radiant heating system can be electrical where cables or grids are embedded in the lid or where conductive materials coat or are distributed throughout the lid. Alternatively, the radiant heating system can be hydronic where channels or conduits are embedded in the lid to circulate heated liquid such as water or water mixed with propylene glycol. The receiver can also include blenders, skimmers, and additional heaters to further skim, blend, or process the bituminous material collected in the chamber.

Provided is a multi-shank heater to be mounted on a support substrate, wherein, with a normal direction relative to the support substrate, which is a direction from the heater side toward the support substrate side, as a basis, the multi-shank heater has U-shaped pieces in which an angle θ of a planar direction of the U-shaped pieces, which is a direction from the heater side toward the support substrate side, is ±10° or more and ±60° or less. An object of the present invention is to provide a multi-shank heater capable of considerably improving the energy output even when the U-shaped pieces are arranged in a high density and have the same pitch.

Provided is a multi-shank heater to be mounted on a support substrate, wherein, with a normal direction relative to the support substrate, which is a direction from the heater side toward the support substrate side, as a basis, the multi-shank heater has U-shaped pieces in which an angle θ of a planar direction of the U-shaped pieces, which is a direction from the heater side toward the support substrate side, is ±10° or more and ±60° or less. An object of the present invention is to provide a multi-shank heater capable of considerably improving the energy output even when the U-shaped pieces are arranged in a high density and have the same pitch.

A device having: an article having a flat surface and a lower surface opposed to the flat surface; a cavity formed in the lower surface forming a complete loop surrounding a central portion of the article; a heating element having the same shape as the complete loop in the cavity and positioned to warm a portion of the flat surface adjacent to the heating element when the heating element is activated; a cooling device positioned to cool a portion of the flat surface in the central portion; and a release layer on the flat surface. A device having: an article having an upper surface; a heating element on the upper surface forming a complete loop surrounding a central portion of the article; and an electrically insulating material on the upper surface within the central portion.

A device having: an article having a flat surface and a lower surface opposed to the flat surface; a cavity formed in the lower surface forming a complete loop surrounding a central portion of the article; a heating element having the same shape as the complete loop in the cavity and positioned to warm a portion of the flat surface adjacent to the heating element when the heating element is activated; a cooling device positioned to cool a portion of the flat surface in the central portion; and a release layer on the flat surface. A device having: an article having an upper surface; a heating element on the upper surface forming a complete loop surrounding a central portion of the article; and an electrically insulating material on the upper surface within the central portion.

A sample encapsulation system includes a fixture, a base, a chamber having an inlet and a chamber housing. The housing has inner and outer housings. The chamber is mounted in the inner housing. The base, chamber and housing are affixed to one another and movable in the fixture. A cap has a first ram operably mounted thereto for engaging the chamber inlet. A second ram in the chamber opposite the inlet moves toward and away from the first ram. A heating assembly is positioned in the inner housing and a cooling assembly including a cooling jacket defined in part by the inner and outer housings includes a manifold. The chamber, housing and base are movable toward and away from the cap for engaging and disengaging the first ram with the chamber during and after the encapsulation cycle, respectively. The cooling system includes a vacuum breaker to self-drain following cooling.

A sample encapsulation system includes a fixture, a base, a chamber having an inlet and a chamber housing. The housing has inner and outer housings. The chamber is mounted in the inner housing. The base, chamber and housing are affixed to one another and movable in the fixture. A cap has a first ram operably mounted thereto for engaging the chamber inlet. A second ram in the chamber opposite the inlet moves toward and away from the first ram. A heating assembly is positioned in the inner housing and a cooling assembly including a cooling jacket defined in part by the inner and outer housings includes a manifold. The chamber, housing and base are movable toward and away from the cap for engaging and disengaging the first ram with the chamber during and after the encapsulation cycle, respectively. The cooling system includes a vacuum breaker to self-drain following cooling.

According to the present invention, provided is a heater including a heat generating member being conductive and configured to radiate heat rays by being fed with electric power, a tubular member constituted by a metal and accommodating the heat generating member, and an intermediate member arranged between the heat generating member and the tubular member and constituted by an electrically insulating material, wherein the intermediate member is arranged and/or configured to allow, among the heat rays radiated from the heat generating member, at least light having a wavelength of from 1 m to 2 m to pass through the intermediate member to reach the tubular member.

According to the present invention, provided is a heater including a heat generating member being conductive and configured to radiate heat rays by being fed with electric power, a tubular member constituted by a metal and accommodating the heat generating member, and an intermediate member arranged between the heat generating member and the tubular member and constituted by an electrically insulating material, wherein the intermediate member is arranged and/or configured to allow, among the heat rays radiated from the heat generating member, at least light having a wavelength of from 1 m to 2 m to pass through the intermediate member to reach the tubular member.

Provided is a multi-shank heater to be mounted on a support substrate, wherein, with a normal direction relative to the support substrate, which is a direction from the heater side toward the support substrate side, as a basis, the multi-shank heater has U-shaped pieces in which an angle of a planar direction of the U-shaped pieces, which is a direction from the heater side toward the support substrate side, is 10 or more and 60 or less. An object of the present invention is to provide a multi-shank heater capable of considerably improving the energy output even when the U-shaped pieces are arranged in a high density and have the same pitch.