Surface condenser

Claim 1

IN A SURFACE CONDENSER COMPRISING A BANK OF HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING WATER CIRCULATING TUBES, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING STEAM GENERALLY PERIPHERALLY TO SAID TUBE BANK FOR HEAT EXCHANGE CONTACT WITH SAID TUBES, AND HOTWELL MEANS BENEATH THE TUBE BANK FOR RECEIVING CONDENSATE THEREFROM, SAID TUBE BANK BEING DIVIDED INTO A PLURALITY OF SECTIONS, SAID SEVERAL SECTIONS BEING SPACED FROM ADJACENT SECTIONS BY SPACES EXTENDING GENERALLY RADIALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE TUBE BANK TO FORM GENERALLY SECTORAL SHAPED SECTIONS, SAID SECTIONS HAVING GENERALLY V-SHAPED PERIPHERAL INDENTATIONS TERMINATING WITHIN THE SAME AND DEVOID OF TUBES WHEREBY THE TUBES AT THE MARGINS OF SAID INDENTATIONS HAVE INITIAL CONTACT WITH STEAM ENTERING SAID INDENTATIONS, AND A SERIES OF SUPPORT PLATES SPACED LONGITUDINALLY ALONG SAID TUBES, SAID SUPPORT PLATES HAVING OPENINGS THEREIN IN LONGITUDINAL REGISTRY WITH SAID INDENTATIONS WHEREBY THE INDENTATIONS AND THE SUPPORT PLATE OPENINGS FORM SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS LONGITUDINAL STEAM DISTRIBUTION PASSAGE MEANS.