Importance

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Abstract

An apparatus and method for controllably generating smoke from a simulating smoke-generating fluid. A container holds a supply of simulating smoke-generating fluid. A generally vertically-disposed, hollow, elongated, tubular member having inside walls surmounts the container with a lowermost opening thereof in fluid communication with the container and an uppermost opening thereof capable of being placed in fluid communication with an area into which the smoke is to be introduced. Preferably, gas is moved into the tubular member at a portion thereof near the lowermost end and in a direction generally tangential to a radius of the inside walls such that the gas flows upwardly in a generally spiral-like manner. Smoke generating fluid is moved from the container to a portion of the tubular member near the uppermost end, where the fluid is distributed along the inside walls such that the fluid flows by gravity downwardly toward the container but is also flowed in a generally spiral-like manner by action of the gas passing upwardly in the tubular member. The tubular member is heated such that the inside walls are at temperatures sufficient to vaporize substantial amounts of the fluid, mix the vaporized fluid with gas flowing upwardly in the tubular member and produce the smoke.

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First Claim