Humidifiers

Claim 1

A HUMIDIFIER ADAPTED FOR USE WITH A FORCED AIR HEATING SYSTEM HAVING A CASING WITH DUCTS THEREIN COMPRISING: (A) A FIREPOT POSITIONED IN THE CASING; (B) A BASE PAN IN PROXIMITY WITH SAID FIREPOT, SAID PAN BEING OF THIN WALL CONSTRUCTION OF A MATERIAL HAVING A HIGH THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY AND FURTHER HAVING A BOTTOM CONTOUR COMPLEMENTARY TO THE FIREPOT ON WHICH IT IS IN PROXIMITY WITH; (C) A HOLLOW TUBE MEANS EXTENDING FROM A CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID BASE PAN, SAID TUBE MEANS FORMING A SUPPORT FOR A PLURALITY OF EVAPORATOR PANS POSITIONED THEREABOVE; (D) A PLURALITY OF EVAPORATOR PANS POSITIONED ALONG SAID TUBE MEANS IN SPACED APART RELATIONSHIP AND EXTENDING FROM SAID TUBE MEANS IN A STACKED ARRANGEMENT WHEREBY THE PAN ABOVE ANY RESPECTIVE PAN IS SMALLER IN OVERALL PERIPHERY THAN THE PAN LOCATED BENEATH IT; (E) MEANS TO SUPPLY WATER TO A TOPMOST EVAPORATOR PAN COMPRISING A WATER DISCHARGE LINE DISPOSED ABOVE THE SAID EVAPORATOR PAN; AND, (F) MEANS FOR LIMITING THE AMOUNT OF WATER IN SAID BASE PAN TO A MAXIMUM OF ONE-EIGHT OF AN INCH, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A FLOAT CHAMBER IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID BASE PAN, A FLOAT MEMBER IN SAID CHAMBER HAVING A STEM EXTENDING THEREFROM, A SWITCH ATTACHED TO SAID FLOAT CHAMBER, A SOLENOID ACTUATED VALVE FOR CONTROLLING SAID WATER SUPPLY MEANS, AND, MEANS TO ACTUATE SAID SWITCH TO THEREBY OPEN SAID VALVE TO ALLOW WATER TO BE DEPOSITED IN SAID EVAPORATOR PANS.