Towel heater and dispenser

Apparatus for moistening and heating a towel preparatory for placement against the skin of a user, the combination comprising:

• a support frame of box-like construction having a continuous sidewall carried about the periphery of a bottom so as to define an open cavity between the opposing wall surfaces of said sidewall;
• a water tray removably carried within said support frame open cavity and havving a continuous sidewall carried about the periphery of a bottom and said tray bottom arranged in spaced apart relationship with respect to said support frame bottom;
• an electrical heating element disposed in said space defined between said tray bottom and said support frame bottom;
• a perforated table removably disposed in said water tray having a perforated surface elevated about a quantity of water carried on said tray bottom;
• control means operably coupled to said electrical heating element for energizing said element for heating said water in said tray so as to create steam about said perforated table;
• a vented lid detachably carried on the exposed edge of said support frame sidewall to close said open cavity whereby steam is maintained under said lid;
• the height of said tray continuous sidewall is substantially greater than the height of said support frame continuous sidewall;
• said water tray includes a plurality of legs arranged at the respective corners thereof for supporting said tray on said support frame and for defining said space between said support frame bottom and said water tray bottom;
• said perforated table, said water tray and said support frame are of respective diminishing size so as to provide a nested relationship one within the other;
• said water tray further includes mounting means downwardly suspending said heating element from said water tray bottom within said defined space;
• said perforated table is on U-shaped cross section incorporating a pair of legs downwardly depending from the opposite side edges of said perforated surface;
• said control means further includes a thermocouple connected in series with said switch operable in response to steam temperature to interrupt said circuit;
• and
• a light coupled in said circuit for visually indicating energization of said circuit.