Solar still with floating wick

Claim 1

A SOLAR STILL WHICH COMPRISES A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PRIMARY TROUGH CLOSED AT THE BOTTOM AND AT ITS RESPECTIVE ENDS, SAID STILL HAVING A TALL SIDE WALL ON SAID AND A SHORT SIDE WALL ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE AND A PARTITION NEAR THE SHORT SIDE WALL FORMING A SECONDARY TROUGH OR CHANNEL FOR DISTILLED WATER, A SHEET OF RIGID TRANSLUCENT MATERIAL MOUNTED ON SAID TALL AND SHORT SIDE WALLS IN AN INCLINED POSITION WHEREBY THE STILL IS CLOSED BY SAID RIGID SHEET, A SOURCE OF SALT OR OTHER CONTAMINATED WATER TO BE DISTILLED, CONNECTED TO SUPPLY SALT WATER TO THE PRIMARY TROUGH OF THE STILL MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY MAINTAINING THE SALT WATER AT A PREDETERMINED LOW LEVEL, A FLOAT LARGELY COVERING THE BOTTOM OF THE STILL AND FLOATING ON THE SALT WATER THEREIN, A MAT OF WATER ABSORBENT MATERIAL MOUNTED ON THE FLOAT AND EXTENDING OVER ITS EDGES AND DIPPING INTO THE WATER IN THE BOTTOM OF THE STILL TO KEEP THE MAT MOISTENED WITH SALT WATER BY WICKING ACTION, AN OVERFLOW TO PERMIT THE SALT WATER TO REACH A HIGH LEVEL IN THE STILL FOR THE PURPOSE OF WASHING THE MAT WITHOUT OVERFLOWING INTO THE SECONDARY DISTILLED WATER TROUGH, MEANS FOR LIMITING THE UPWARD MOVEMENT OF THE FLOAT ARRANGED TO PERMIT THE QUANTITIES OF WATER TO FLOW OVER THE MAT ON THE FLOAT DURING THE WASHING PERIOD, AND MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING DISTILLED WATER FROM THE SECONDARY TROUGH INTO WHICH FLOWS CONDENSATE FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TRANSLUCENT TOP SHEET.