Humidifier having floating heating means

Claim 1

IN A HUMIDIFIER, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A CONTAINER FOR HOLDING A BODY OF WATER, A RING-LIKE FRAME, FLOAT MEANS ON SAID FRAME FOR FLOATING SAID FRAME FOR FREE VERTICAL MOVEMENT ON THE SURFACE OF SAID BODY OF WATER IN SAID CONTAINER, THE AREA SURROUNDED BY SAID FRAME BEING COMPLETELY FREE AND UNOBSTRUCTED TO PERMIT WATER TO FLOW FREELY UPWARDLY FROM SAID CONTAINER INTO SAID AREA AND TO PERMIT STEAM TO FLOW UPWARDLY FROM SAID AREA, A PLURALITY OF EXPOSED HEATING ELEMENTS, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID HEATING ELEMENTS ON SAID FRAME IN SAID UNOBSTRUCTED AREA IN POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE SURFACE OF THE WATER WITH A PORTION ONLY OF SAID HEATING ELEMENTS EXPOSED AND WITH THE GREATER DIMENSION OF SAID HEATING ELEMENTS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY, WHEREBY WHEN THE HEATING ELEMENTS ARE ENERGIZED THE WATER IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT THE HEATING ELEMENTS IS HEATED AND VAPORIZED AND PASSES UPWARDLY TO THE ATMOSPHERE IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDING THE HEATING ELEMENTS AND WATER PASSES FREELY FROM BENEATH SAID HEATING ELEMENTS TO SAID HEATING ELEMENTS.