Patent ID: 7626143

Claim:
An apparatus for melting solid particulate material to melted material having a final application temperature suitable for immediate dispensing at an application site, comprising: a. a housing; b. an inlet associated with said housing for receiving material to be melted; c. a plurality of heater plates spaced closely together generally within said housing, each heater plate comprising i. an upper portion, ii. a lower portion, iii. at least one first layer comprising a thermally conductive and electrically insulative material, iv. at least one electrical resistance heater element operatively associated with said conductive material, said heater element extends substantially the length and width of said heater plate and maintains substantially the entire exterior surface of said heater plate at substantially the same temperature while either said solid particulate material, said melted material, partially melted material or a mixture of solid, partially melted and melted material passes from said upper portion to said lower portion at a wide range of flow rate and targeted application temperature conditions, and v. at least one second layer comprising a thermally conductive and electrically insulative material, whereby said at least one electrical resistance heater element is substantially disposed between said first and second layers of thermally conductive and electrically insulative material, whereby said heater plates raise the temperature of said melted material to a final recommended temperature suitable for immediate dispensing at said application site.