Float-type humidifier

Claim 1

A HUMIDIFIER COMPRISING, A TANK WHICH IS TO BE POSITIONED WITHIN A HOT AIR CHAMBER WITH ONE SIDE WALL AT ONE SIDE OF THE CHAMBER, MOUNTING PLATE MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID TANK IN CANTILEVER FASHION WITHIN THE HOT AIR CHAMBER, AN ELECTRICAL TANK HEATING ELEMENT OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID TANK, MEANS CONSTITUTING A SUPPLY OF WATER TO SAID TANK AND INCLUDING A WATR SUPPLY PIPE AND A SOLENOID VALVE WHICH IS NORMALLY CLOSED AND WHICH HAS A SOLENOID WHICH IS ENERGIZED TO OPEN THE VALVE, WATER-LEVEL SENSING MEANS TO SENSE THE LEVEL OF WATER THEREIN COMPRISING A FLOAT UNIT FORMED BY A FLOAT ROCKABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID TANK UPON A FLOAT ARM AND MOUNTING MEANS AT SAID SIDE WALL OF SAID TANK WHEREBY A CHANGE IN THE WATER LEVEL IN SAID TANK ROCKS SAID FLOAT ARM, A MERCURY SWITCH MECHANICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID FLOAT ARM AND EXTERIOR OF SAID TANK AND ADAPTED TO BE OPENED AND CLOSED BY THE ROCKING MOVEMENT OF SAID FLOAT ARM RESULTING FROM CHANGES IN THE WATER LEVEL WITHIN SAID TANK, AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CONNECTING SAID SOLENOID IN SERIES WITH SAID MERCURY SWITCH AND THENCE TO A PAIR OF ELECTRICAL SUPPLY LINES TO SWITCH ASSOURCE OF ELECTRICITY IS CONNECTED, SAID ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT INCLUDING A NORMALLY-CLOSED ELECTRICAL TIMING SWITCH ASSEMBLY FORMED BY A BIMETALLIC STRIP WHICH MOVES TO A CLOSED-SWITCH POSITION WHEN AT AMBIENT TEMPREATURES AND WHICH MOVES TO AN OPEN-SWITCH POSITION AT A PREDETERMINED ELEVATED TEMPREATURE, SAID BIMETALLIC STRIP HAVING THE CHARACTERISTIC THAT IS DOES NOT MOVE TO ITS CLOSED-SWITCH POSITION BECAUSE OF A RECUDTION IN ITS TEMPREATURE BELOW SAID PREDETERMINED ELEVATED TEMPREATURE, MEANS TO MOVE SAID BIMETALLIC STRIP FROM ITS OPEN-SWITCH POSITION TO ITS CLOSED-SWITCH POSITION, A HEATER ELEMENT CONNECTED IN PARALLEL WITH SAID SOLENOID AND POSITIONED ADJACENT SAID BIMETALLIC STRIP TO HEAT THE SAME SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE ENERGIZATION OF SAID SOLENOID, SAID ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT FURTHER INCLUDING MEANS CONNECTING SAID ELECTRICAL TANK HEATING ELEMENT TO SAID ELECTRICAL SUPPLY LINES, SAID SWITCH ASSEMBLY AND SAID HEATER ELEMENT BEING SO RELATED THAT SAID BIMETALLIC STRIP IS HEATED TO SAID PREDETERMINED ELEVATED TAMPREATURE ONLY WHEN SAID HEATER ELEMENT HAS BEEN ENERGIZED FOR A PREDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME WHEREBY SAID BIMETALLIC STRIP REMAINS IN ITS CLOSED-SWITCH POSITION DURING NORMAL OPERATION AND MOVES TO ITS OPEN-SWITCH POSITION ONLY UNDER ABNORMAL CONDITIONS WHICH CAUSE SAID HEATER ELEMENT TO BE ENERGIZED FOR AN EXECSSIVE PERIOD OF TIME.