Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TEMPORARY VIEWING PLATFORMS
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to temporary viewing platforms and
modular construction kits for construction thereof.
Background of the Invention
Temporary viewing platforms for the events industry are known in
the art. Such temporary viewing platforms are commonly used at
festivals, such as music festivals, sporting events, such as
horse racing, polo and golf, and corporate events. Temporary
viewing platforms are generally used for short term events where
a permanent structure is not desired.
Temporary viewing platforms are commonly constructed using
conventional scaffolding to support a platform. Alternatively,
scaffolding and platform structures may be provided which have
been adapted for constructing a specific type of structure such
as a tiered seating structure as described, for example, in
FR2585752.
One problem with many such structures is that the supporting
scaffolding forms a cross-linked supporting structure, or at
least a dense field of vertical supporting legs, which cannot
readily be walked through. As such, any temporary viewing
platform constructed using these prior art arrangements provides
a raised viewing platform at the expense of rendering useless
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the area underneath the viewing platform. Furthermore, such
structures provide an obstacle to the flow of people at ground
level which is problematic for events at which large crowds of
people are present.
Another problem with some prior art arrangements stems from the
fact that they are either adapted for one specific type or shape
of structure or alternatively are not adapted for any particular
type or shape of structure. The problem with systems which are
not adapted for any particular type or shape of structure is
that they are usually difficult and time consuming to construct
into a desired structure. Conversely, the problem with systems
which are specifically adapted for a particular type or shape of
structure is that they do not provide much in the way of
flexibility for providing different types and shapes of
structure as desired. For example, for certain uses an elongate
linear viewing platform may be desired, e.g. for a stage. For
other uses a non-elongate viewing platform may be desired, e.g.
to view out in all directions from a specific location. The
required type or shape of final structure may also be determined
by the space available and the contours of the land on which the
temporary viewing platform is to be constructed.
Another problem with some arrangements is that they are adapted
to be mounted to another structure such as a side of a building
rather than being free-standing.
Yet another problem with some prior art arrangements is that
they are not aesthetically pleasing, at least from certain
angles. For example, supporting scaffolding is often visible
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from at least a rear side of a temporary viewing structure which
is unsightly and undesirable, particularly at exclusive events.
Embodiments of the present invention aim to solve the
aforementioned problems. In particular, it is an aim of certain
embodiments of the present invention to provide a modular
construction kit which is readily transportable, quick and easy
to construct into a free-standing temporary viewing platform,
and easy to take apart thereafter for further transport and re-
use. It is a further aim to provide a modular construction kit
which is adapted to construct a specific range of types and
shapes of free-standing temporary viewing platform, and to
provide free-standing temporary viewing platforms which can be
readily walked under by people at ground level and which are
aesthetically pleasing from all angles.
Sununary of the Invention
Having identified the previously described problems associated
with various prior art arrangements for temporary viewing
platforms, the present applicant has developed a modular
construction kit which solves all these problems.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is
provided a modular construction kit adapted to construct both a
hexagonal and an elongate linear shaped horizontal free-standing
temporary viewing platform and combinations thereof, the modular
construction kit comprising a plurality of components adapted to
be attachable and detachable from each other whereby the
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temporary viewing platform can be readily constructed and taken
apart, the plurality of components comprising:
a plurality of support legs, each support leg being at
least six feet (1.829 meters) long;
a plurality of floor plates, comprising at least six floor
plates having an equilateral triangular shape or an isosceles
trapezoid shape;
a plurality of handrail elements adapted to be mounted
around a circumference of the temporary viewing platform for
preventing a user from falling over an edge of the temporary
viewing platform; and
at least one stair frame adapted to be mounted to the
temporary viewing platform whereby a user can climb the stair
frame to access the temporary viewing platform.
The aforementioned modular construction kit is not only capable
of but indeed specifically adapted to produce a particular range
of types and shapes of free-standing temporary viewing platform,
specifically hexagonal and elongate linear shaped horizontal
free-standing viewing platforms and combinations thereof such as
an elongate linear platform with hexagonal viewing platforms at
either end thereof.
By providing a modular construction kit which is adapted to form
a specific range of types and shapes of free-standing temporary
viewing platform, the modular kit is more readily constructed
than, for example, systems which are not adapted for any
particular type or shape of structure. Furthermore, the
hexagonal and linear structures provided by the modular
construction kit allows a degree of flexibility that is absent
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from systems which are specifically adapted for one particular
type or shape of structure.
An essential feature of the present invention in order to
provide this specific adaptability is the provision of floor
plates which have an equilateral triangular shape and/or an
isosceles trapezoid shape. Such floor plates are ideally adapted
for constructing both hexagonal and linear shaped viewing
platforms.
According to one arrangement, at least six floor plates having
an equilateral triangular shape are required to form a hexagonal
shaped viewing platform. However, providing only six floor
plates having an equilateral triangular shape requires that the
floor plates are relatively large to form a hexagonal shaped
viewing platform of sufficient size. A larger number of smaller
triangular floor plates can be advantageous because it allows
for narrow elongate viewing platforms to be readily constructed
using the same elements. Furthermore, the smaller elements are
easier to handle during construction and more readily
transportable.
Thus, according to one embodiment at least twenty four floor
plates having an equilateral triangular shape are provided to
form a hexagonal shaped viewing platform, six forming a central
hexagonal structure with the remaining eighteen disposed around
the central hexagonal structure in an alternating orientation to
form a larger hexagonal structure for the hexagonal viewing
platform.
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One problem with this arrangement is that a relatively large
number of floor plates are required and all these floor plates
must be arranged and supported to form the viewing platform
which can be relatively time consuming.
Accordingly, in one particular advantageous embodiment the
eighteen triangular floor plates disposed around the central
hexagonal structure can be replaced with six isosceles
trapezoids. Each isosceles trapezoid has a base twice as long
as its top with sides of equal length, the sides also being
equal in length to the top of the trapezoid. As such, each
isosceles trapezoid has an area three times the area of each
central equilateral triangular floor plate. Thus the number of
floor plates required for a hexagonal viewing platform is
reduced from twenty four to twelve. According to this
embodiment the modular construction kit comprises at least six
equilateral triangular floor plates and at least six isosceles
trapezoid floor plates. This has been found to be a good
compromise between the required size for the floor plates and
the required number of floor plates to construct viewing
platforms having a suitable size. The trapezoid floor plates
have also been found to be useful in forming long thin platforms
such as walkways without requiring as many joints as with their
triangular shaped counterparts.
Yet another option to further reduce the number of floor plates
is to replace the six central triangular floor plates with a
single hexagonal central floor plate. According to this
embodiment the modular construction kit may comprise at least
one hexagonal floor plate and at least six isosceles trapezoid
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floor plates. The hexagonal floor plate should have a side
length equal to the top of each isosceles trapezoid.
Alternatively, the central hexagonal floor plate may be
surrounded by eighteen triangular floor plates in order to
construct a hexagonal viewing platform.
Yet another option is to use two isosceles trapezoid floor
plates to form the central hexagonal structure with six further
isosceles trapezoid floor plates disposed around the central
hexagonal structure. According to this embodiment the modular
construction kit may comprise at least eight isosceles trapezoid
floor plates.
According to certain embodiments, the modular construction kit
further comprises a plurality of floor frame elements which are
adapted to be coupled to an upper portion of the support legs in
order to form a floor frame which is hexagonal or linear in
shape, the floor frame elements being adapted to receive the
floor plates when constructed into a hexagonal or linear shape
in order to form hexagonal and elongate linear shaped horizontal
free-standing viewing platforms and combinations thereof. The
plurality of handrail elements may be adapted to be mounted to
the floor frame elements around a circumference of the floor
frame for preventing a user from falling over an edge of the
temporary viewing platform. The at least one stair frame may be
adapted to be mounted to the floor frame whereby a user can
climb the stair frame to access the temporary viewing platform.
According to other embodiments the plurality of floor frame
elements are not required. In this case, the floor plates must
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be adapted to be coupled to each other in order to form a floor
structure which is self supporting such that a further
supporting floor frame structure is not needed. For example, the
floor plates may be adapted so as to be attachable to each other
using nuts and bolts, snap-fit type connections, or
complementary male and female type connections. While such
arrangements increase the complexity of the floor plates
themselves, eliminating the need for the floor frame elements
reduces the overall number of components required for the
modular construction kit. Further still, the weight of the
floor structure is reduced.
In the aforementioned arrangements in which no floor frame
elements are required, the floor plates may be further adapted
to receive the plurality of handrail elements around a
circumference of the floor structure for preventing a user from
falling over an edge of the temporary viewing platform. One or
more of the floor plates may also be adapted to receive a stair
frame whereby a user can climb the stair frame to access the
temporary viewing platform.
The modular construction kit is also specifically adapted to
provide a temporary free-standing viewing platform which can be
readily walked under by members of the public. As such, they do
not provide an obstacle to the flow of people at ground level
which would otherwise be problematic for events at which large
crowds of people are present. Alternatively, the space
underneath the temporary free-standing viewing platform may be
used, for example, as a bar or the like.
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An essential feature of the present invention in order to ensure
that the temporary viewing platform can be readily walked under
by members of the public is the provision of support legs at
least 6 feet (1.829 meters) long which can be orientated in a
vertical direction for supporting a raised hexagonal or linear
platform comprising floor frame elements with triangular floor
plates mounted thereto. More preferably, the support legs are
at least 7, 8 or 9 feet (2.134, 2.438 or 2.743 meters) long.
The support legs may be extendable to at least 6, 7, 8 or 9 feet
(1.829, 2.134, 2.438 or 2.743 meters) in length. For example,
the support legs may be telescopic. Such telescopic support
legs may be adapted to be extendable and fixed at a number of
different lengths according to a desired use.
The support legs and the floor frame and/or floor plates must be
strong enough such that the platform can be supported with a
relative small number of support legs. A dense field of
vertical supporting legs must be avoided as this would render
the space underneath the platform relatively useless and provide
an obstacle to the flow of people at ground level. For example,
according to one preferred arrangement a hexagonal viewing
platform is provided with seven support legs, one at each point
of the hexagon and one in the centre of the hexagon. Preferably
the support legs are at least 6 feet (1.829 meters) apart to
allow people to walk under the temporary viewing platform
without being unduly impeded by the support legs.
The free-standing temporary viewing platforms of the present
invention are more aesthetically pleasing than previous
arrangements using, for example, conventional scaffolding or the
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like. The pleasing aesthetic quality of the present invention
is achieved by providing the combination of features described
previously. The triangular, trapezoid, hexagonal, and linear
shaped structural components of the platforms in combination
with a relatively disperse supporting structure has been found
to be particularly aesthetically pleasing.
Embodiments of the present invention can be used to create a
wide variety of different temporary viewing platform structures
comprising hexagonal decks, elongate linear stages, and
combinations thereof. This is advantageous when compared with
prior art systems which are not adapted to produce any specific
type/shape of structure or are adapted to form a single
structure or variants of the single structure such as a shorter
or longer stage of the same shape. The components of the
present modular construction kit are adapted to be readily
attached and taken apart in order to allow easy construction and
transportation which is required for such temporary structures
as opposed to more permanent building structures. For example,
the components may be adapted so as to be attachable using nuts
and bolts, snap-fit type connections, or complementary male and
female type connections rather than using, for example, nails,
screws, welds, adhesive or cement as in more permanent
constructions.
If present, the floor frame elements are preferably elongate
elements with a plurality of joining points along their length
such that the elements can be joined in an array of different
combinations of hexagonal and linear shaped platform
configurations. The floor frame elements may also comprise one
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or more holes therethrough in order to provide elements which
are lighter in weight for ease of construction and support on
the support legs. An elongate beam having a number of openings
therein with cross connections in order to strengthen the beam
provides an ideal floor frame element which is both light and
strong and which can form a floor frame structure which can be
supported by a relatively small number of support legs. Each of
the floor frame elements is preferably a beam having a length
which is a multiple n of the length of the sides of the
equilateral triangular floor plates, n being an integer greater
than or equal to 1. The plurality of floor frame elements may
comprise a first set of beams comprising at least twelve beams
of equal length for constructing a hexagonal floor frame
comprising six side beams and six radial beams. The plurality
of floor frame elements may further comprise a second set of
beams comprising at least six beams of equal length which are
shorter than the beams of the first set for constructing a
hexagonal ring of cross beams within the hexagonal floor frame.
The beams of the second set are preferably shorter than the
beams of the first set by an amount equal to the length of the
sides of the equilateral triangular floor plates. The plurality
of floor frame elements may also comprise a third set of beams
comprising at least six beams of equal length which are shorter
than the beams of the second set for constructing a hexagonal
ring of cross beams within the hexagonal floor frame. The third
set of beams is preferably shorter than the second set of beams
by an amount equal to the length of the sides of the equilateral
triangular floor plates. Each of the beams may comprise a
raised ridge extending along a centre of an upper side thereof
for receiving and aligning the equilateral triangular floor
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plates. According to one preferred arrangement the beams have
an I-shaped cross-section.
Components of the modular construction kit may be made of metal,
wood, carbon fibre, glass fibre or any combination thereof.
Metallic components may be made of steel, iron, or aluminium. if
metal components are used, aluminium is preferred due to its
strength and light weight although this material is more
expensive than steel or iron. As such, for certain low cost
products, steel or iron may be preferred.
A particular preferred material for components of the present
modular construction kit is a composite comprising a mixture of
carbon and glass fibre. This material has been found to be
strong enough for the present invention whilst also being very
low weight (lower weight than aluminium). At the same time, it
has been found that it is cheaper to manufacture the components
of the present modular construction kit using such a composite
material rather than, for example, aluminium. The present
applicant has found that techniques used for constructing boats
using carbon and glass fibre composites can readily be utilized
for constructing the components of the present modular
construction kit. These techniques can be used for
manufacturing any or all of the major components of the
construction kit. For example, one particularly preferred
technique for the support legs is to form them of a carbon and
glass fibre composite in which the fibres are wound to increase
the strength of the legs.
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According to another aspect of the present invention the
previously described modular construction kit is used to
construct a free-standing temporary viewing platform comprising
a hexagonal viewing platform, an elongate linear viewing
platform, or a combination thereof.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is
provided a free-standing temporary viewing platform constructed
using the previously described modular construction kit and
comprising a hexagonal viewing platform, an elongate linear
viewing platform, or a combination thereof.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention there
is provided a connector for the previously described modular
construction kit, the connector comprising two complementary
parts: a first part comprising a plate having a protrusion
extending from a side thereof and a hole disposed over, and
spaced apart from, the protrusion; and a second part comprising
a plate having a complementary hook for engaging the protrusion
of the first part and a hole disposed over, and spaced apart
from, the hook, whereby when the hook is engaged with the
protrusion it forms a rotatable linkage which can be rotated to
align the holes in the first and second parts such that a pin
can be inserted through the first and second parts to couple the
first and second parts in a fixed orientation.
In accordance with one embodiment of the connector, the first
part comprises six plates extending radially outwards from a
central connection at 60 angles. Such a connector may be
disposed at the centre of a hexagonal viewing platform for
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connecting radial beams of the floor frame. The central
connection may be formed by a central support leg or may be
mounted to a central support leg.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention there
is provided a twisted, or so called trapezoidal spiral,
staircase. The staircase comprises opposing straight side
panels which are evenly spaced apart with a plurality of steps
disposed therebetween. The straight side panels are inclined at
different angles relative to each other such that the staircase
has a twisted, or so called trapezoidal spiral, arrangement
which differs from both the standard straight staircase, in
which the side panels are inclined at the same angle, and the
standard curved spiral staircase, in which the side panels are
curved. The twisted, trapezoidal spiral, staircase arrangement
has been found to be advantageous over standard straight or
curved spiral staircases. The trapezoidal spiral stair fits
into a viewing platforms natural shape and forms a simple spiral
design which can be incorporated inside the viewing platform
structure. Furthermore, the trapezoid stair design strengthens
the viewing platform structure. The trapezoid stair design also
provides a more open structure when compared to, for example, a
standard curved spiral staircase, to allow better crowd flow
around and under the structure.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The present invention will now be described in further detail by
way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings
in which:
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Figures 1 to 8 show various free-standing temporary viewing
platforms in accordance with embodiments of the present
invention;
Figures 9 to 15 show technical drawings illustrating various
components of a modular construction kit in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention;
Figures 16 to 18 show schematic drawings of a connector for
connecting components of the modular construction kit;
Figure 19 shows the method steps involved in constructing a
hexagonal free-standing temporary viewing platform in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention;
Figures 20 to 22 show various views of a triangular steps
construction for accessing a hexagonal free-standing temporary
viewing platform in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
Figure 23 shows an alternative embodiment of a free-standing
temporary viewing platform in which both triangular and
trapezoid floor plates are utilized and no floor frame elements
are required;
Figure 24 shows technical drawings illustrating various
components of a modular construction kit for constructing the
free-standing temporary viewing platform shown in Figure 23;
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Figures 25 to 29 show various views of a twisted, or so called
trapezoidal spiral, staircase arrangement according to another
aspect of the present invention; and
Figure 30 shows an embodiment of a free-standing temporary
viewing platform in which both straight and trapezoidal spiral
staircases are disposed.
Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments
Figures 1 to 22 show embodiments comprising triangular floor
plates and floor frame elements for supporting the floor plates.
Figure 1 shows a hexagonal free-standing temporary viewing
platform in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention. The two people illustrated in Figure 1 are
approximately 6 feet (1.829 meters) high and thus it is evident
that the viewing platform is approximately 8 to 9 feet (2.438 to
2.743 meters) in height in order to ensure people can readily
walk beneath the viewing platform.
Figure 2 shows the same hexagonal free-standing temporary
viewing platform as illustrated in Figure 1 but with an ornate
covering made of fabric or plastic material. The covering
functions to protect viewers from rain and/or sunshine and/or
for providing surfaces on which advertisements and the like can
be disposed. The covering is removably attachable to the
viewing platform such that different coverings can be used
according to a desired use. Attachment points for the covering
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can be provided on the hand rail elements, the support legs,
and/or the stair frame.
Figure 3 shows another embodiment of the present invention
comprising two hexagonal type viewing platforms joined together.
Figure 4 shows yet another embodiment comprising three hexagonal
type viewing platforms joined together. Also illustrated in
this embodiment is an opening provided in the viewing platform
for accommodating an obstruction, in this case a tree. The
opening is provided simple by building the floor frame around
the obstruction and not covering a portion of the floor frame
with triangular floor plates.
Figure 5 shows a multi-level arrangement in which the viewing
platform has been expanded in both the vertical and horizontal
directions. In this case, a first hexagonal viewing platform
has a second hexagonal viewing platform attached to a side
thereof in a horizontal direction and a third hexagonal viewing
platform mounted thereover in a vertical direction.
Figure 6 illustrates a further multi-level arrangement forming a
pagoda-like structure. Such pagoda-like structures may be
provided to reflect an oriental sponsor or theme.
Figure 7 shows various single level viewing platform
arrangements which may be constructed using the modular
construction kit of the present invention. Figure 8 shows
various multi-level viewing platform arrangements which may be
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constructed using the modular construction kit of the present
invention.
Figures 9 to 15 show technical drawings illustrating the
individual components of a modular construction kit in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention and how
these components are connected together in order to form a
temporary viewing platform. It will be understood that the
detailed configuration of the individual components and
connections may take various forms. However, there are some
generally preferred structural configurations for the components
which may be applicable to a number of different embodiments.
For example, the floor frame of a hexagonal viewing platform
preferably comprises radial beams extending from a central point
of the hexagonal structure and cross beams extending between the
radial beams as illustrated in Figure 9. The radial beams are
preferably attachable to an upper portion of a central support
leg. The cross beams between the radial beams function to
strengthen the floor frame structure and also provide mounting
points for mounting the triangular floor plates thereon.
Preferably, the cross beams also form a hexagonal shaped ring
structure. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 9, it can be
seen there are two inner hexagonal shaped rings of cross beams
in addition to the beams forming the outer edge of the hexagonal
platform. For ease of construction, it is preferred that the
triangular floor plates are smaller in size than the six
triangular shaped areas defined by the radial beams of the floor
frame. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in the
technical drawings, nine floor plates are provided for each of
the six triangular areas defined by the radial beams of the
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floor frame. This number and size of floor plates is
complementary with the number and position of the cross beams
for mounting the floor plates thereon. In particular, the
distance between parallel cross beams is substantially equal to
the height of the triangular floor plates such that rows of
triangular floor plates can be mounted between each set of
parallel cross beams. Of course, six larger triangular floor
plates could be provided in order to cover the entire hexagonal
platform illustrated in Figure 9. However, providing smaller
triangular floor plates as illustrated in Figure 9 can be
advantageous because it allows for narrow elongate viewing
platforms to be readily constructed using the same elements.
Furthermore, the smaller elements are easier to handle during
construction and more readily transportable. Alternatively, or
additionally, in order to make the triangular floor plates
lighter they may be made of a meshed structure rather than a
solid plate. The triangular floor plates may be made of a
combination of materials such as a metallic (e.g. aluminium)
supporting structure, a triangular plastic and/or wood floor
piece, and optionally a fine wood finish thereover to make the
floor look ascetically pleasing.
Figures 16 to 18 show schematic drawings of a connector for
connecting components of the modular construction kit. The
connector comprises two complementary parts which fit together
to form a connection. A first part comprises a plate having a
protrusion extending from a side thereof and a hole disposed
over, and spaced apart from, the protrusion. The second part
comprises a plate having a complementary hook for engaging the
protrusion of the first part and a hole disposed over, and
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spaced apart from, the hook. When the hook is engaged with the
protrusion it forms a rotatable linkage which can be rotated to
align the holes in the first and second parts such that a pin
can be inserted through the first and second parts to couple the
first and second parts in a fixed orientation.
The connector is advantageous because it allows components of
the modular construction kit to be joined together initially in
a flexible manner with the rotatable hook and protrusion
connection. This initial rotatable connection aids in lifting
the components when constructing the raised platform before
fixing the connection by aligning the holes and pinning the two
parts of the connector together in a fixed orientation.
The first part may comprise six plates extending radially
outwards from a central connection at 600 angles as shown in the
top right corner of Figure 16. Such a connector may be disposed
at the centre of a hexagonal viewing platform for connecting
radial beams of the floor frame as shown in the top right corner
of Figure 18. The central connection may be formed by a central
support leg or may be mounted to a central support leg.
Alternatively, the connector may comprise a T-shaped first part
as shown more centrally in Figure 16. The back plate of this T-
shaped part may be adapted for connection to a beam of the floor
frame. For example, the back plate may be inserted within a
side opening of a floor frame beam having an I-shaped cross-
section as illustrated in Figure 17 and the left hand side of
Figure 18.
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The modular construction kit preferably comprises both the
aforementioned connector types. It will be understood that the
protrusion and hook of the two connector parts may be
interchanged between the two parts while still retaining the
same functionality.
Figure 19 shows the method steps involved in constructing a
hexagonal free-standing temporary viewing platform in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention.
Finally, Figures 20 to 22 show various views of a triangular
steps construction for accessing a hexagonal free-standing
temporary viewing platform in accordance with an embodiment of
the present invention. As can be seen from the Figures, the
steps comprise three sets (flights) of stairs arranged at
approximately 60 angles relative to each other such that the
stairs have an approximately triangular shape when viewed from
above. This triangular arrangement for the stairs follows the
triangular theme of the floor plates and is aesthetically
pleasing. In addition, it provides a compact arrangement and
may provide intermediate view sites between each flight of
stairs.
Figure 23 shows an alternative embodiment of a free-standing
temporary viewing platform in which both triangular and
trapezoid floor plates are utilized and no floor frame elements
are required. In this case, the floor plates are adapted to be
coupled to each other in order to form a floor structure which
is self supporting such that a further supporting floor frame
structure is not needed. The floor structure comprises six
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equilateral triangular floor plates forming a central hexagonal
portion which is surrounded by six floor plates having an
isosceles trapezoidal shape.
Figure 24 shows technical drawings illustrating various
components of a modular construction kit for constructing the
free-standing temporary viewing platform shown in Figure 23.
Figures 25 to 29 show various views of a twisted, or so called
trapezoidal spiral, staircase arrangement according to another
aspect of the present invention while Figure 30 shows an
embodiment of a free-standing temporary viewing platform in
which both straight and trapezoidal spiral staircases are
disposed.
While this invention has been particularly shown and described
with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be
understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in
form and details may be made therein without departing from the
scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
