Electrically operated steam heater

Claim 1

An electrically operated steam heater comprising: an elongated metal cylinder open at both ends; a longitudinal cyclical spiral corrosion resistant wire wound heating element, having an axial bore therethrough, disposed in said cylinder, the individual turns of said heating element being substantially polygonal in shape; a ceramic tube positioned within and attached to said metal cylinder encircling said heating element and electrically insulating said heating element from said metal cylinder; a ceramic rod having an axial hole therethrough disposed within the bore of said heating element said ceramic rod being externally threaded and said heating element being threaded onto said ceramic rod; two electrical connecting means attached to said metal cylinder for connecting said heater to an external source of electrical power, the end of said heating element that is more distant from said electrical connecting means being connected to one of said electrical connecting means by a wire passing through the axial hole of said ceramic rod, the other end of said heating element being directly connected to the other electrical connecting means each of said electrical connecting means comprising a ceramic and metal feed through and a metal feed through insert; two means to longitudinally position said glass tube in said metal cylinder, said feed through inserts are one of the means for longitudinally positioning said glass tube in said metal cylinder; and means to connect said heater to a source of steam.