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[Tvoivozhd <tvoivozd AT infionline.net>]

You don't have to go the fuel-cell route to generate internal 
heat----use a small platinum wire catalyst and a valve to expose 
methanol vapors to it.  The platinum wire will glow red hot as it 
converts the  CH_4 O  methanol  vapors into  CH_2 O formaldehyde.  Turn 
off the methanol valve to turn off heat generation.  Need a (tight) cap 
on the methanol reservoir through which you can pour more methanol as it 
is used up.  No patents to worry about in this quite old application

Another, cheaper catalyst might work to replace expensive 
platinum---haven't looked into it, or cost of small platinum wire either.

Any metal stamping shop could make the two-piece steel stamping per your 
fairly crude hand drawings or a little more explicit written desires.  
Several ways to assemble stampings, might join by resistance-welding, 
spot-welding.  A good shop might do a few trial-and-error runs to get 
something that works and appears reliable, but probably not many.  You 
should conduct your long-term reliability tests before you put a lot of 
them on the market, and product liability insurance would be a very good 
idea in any event.

Good, if very seasonal, home business product.  A note, once you 
accumulate a dealer list it is fairly easy to shove other products 
through it.