Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SIMULATED FORCIBLE ENTRY OF DOORS USING BATTERING RAMS
Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to devices and methods for the
training of
forcible entry of locked doors, and in particular, devices and methods for
simulated forcible
entry of locked doors using battering ram devices.
Background
In emergency situations, police, firefighters, and other first responders may
need to
forcibly enter a building or dwelling to gain access in order to save lives.
One common
method of forcible entry involves forcibly opening a locked door. To master
the skill of
forcible entry of locked doors, one should have a basic knowledge of various
types and
doors and security devices that can be encountered in emergency situations, as
well as actual
training in the forcible entry of locked doors using various types of tools
that are utilized for
such purpose. One forcible entry technique that is commonly performed in
emergency
situations is forcible entry of locked doors using a battering ram.
For example, FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a conventional battering ram
device
(10). The battering ram (10) is a handheld device comprising a ramming body
(12) and
handles (14). The battering ram (10) can be used to forcibly enter inward
swinging doors by
smashing the ramming body (12) against a portion of the door near the door
locking
mechanism. By applying repeated blows with sufficient force to the face of the
inward
swinging door, a person can break the door and/or lock mechanism to forcibly
open the
inward swinging door.
There are many commercially available forcible entry training door apparatus
(or
training props) that can be utilized to train for forcible entry of locked
doors. However,
these training props are not particularly suited for the training of forcible
entry of locked
doors using battering rams. Indeed, the door(s) of such forcible entry
training door
apparatus can be damaged by repeated blows from a battering ram.
Summary of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention include protective battering plate devices that
are
removably attached to a door of a forcible entry training apparatus to enable
the forcible
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entry training apparatus to be used for simulated forcible entry of locked
doors using a
battering ram, while protecting the door of the forcible entry training
apparatus from
damage.
For example, a protective battering plate device according to one embodiment
of the
invention includes a steel striking plate, and a u-shaped portion disposed on
one end of the
steel striking plate. The u-shaped upper portion of the protective battering
plate device is
configured to slip over the top edge of a door of a forcible entry training
door apparatus and
allow the protective battering plate device to hang on the door. The
protective battering
plate device is configured to be impacted by a battering ram device to
forcibly open the door
of the forcible entry training door apparatus while protecting the door from
damage.
A protective battering plate device according to another embodiment of the
invention
includes a steel striking plate, a beveled edge portion and one side edge of
the steel striking
plate a force limiting plate that extends orthogonal to a surface of the steel
striking plate, and
mounting holes that are configured to be in alignment to mounting holes on a
door of the
forcible entry training door apparatus on which the protective battering plate
device can be
mounted. The protective battering plate device is configured to be impacted by
a battering
ram device to forcibly open the door of the forcible entry training door
apparatus while
protecting the door from damage.
Another embodiment of the invention includes a forcible entry door training
apparatus. The forcible entry door training apparatus includes a base plate
and a door frame
mounted to the base plate, wherein the door frame comprises a first side jamb,
a second side
jamb and a header jamb coupled between upper ends of the first and second side
jambs. The
forcible entry door training apparatus includes a door having a first side
edge and a second
side edge, and at least one hinge attaching the first side edge of the door to
the first side
jamb of the door frame for hingedly mounting the door within the door frame. A
protective
battering plate device is removably mounted to the door. The protective
battering plate
device is configured to enable simulated forcible entry of an inward swinging
locked door
by hitting a battering ram against the protective battering plate device
mounted on the door
of the forcible entry door training apparatus, while protecting the door from
damage.
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Other embodiments will be described in the following detailed description of
embodiments, which is to be read in conjunction with the accompanying figures.
Brief Description of Drawings
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a conventional battering ram device.
FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a front perspective view of a protective
battering
plate device according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a back perspective view of the protective
battering
plate device of FIG. 2, according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a method for using the protective battering
plate
device of FIGs. 2 and 3 with a forcible entry training door apparatus,
according to an
embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a perspective view of a protective battering
plate
device according to another embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 6 illustrates an example embodiment of a forcible entry training door
apparatus, which can be used in conjunction with the device of FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 illustrates the protective battering plate device of FIG. 5 mounted on
a door
of the forcible entry training door apparatus of FIG. 6, according to an
embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the protective battering plate device of
FIG. 5
mounted on the door of the forcible entry training door apparatus of FIG. 6,
according to an
embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a mode of operation of a force limiting
plate
of the protective battering plate device of FIG. 5 when mounted to the door of
the forcible
entry training door apparatus of FIG. 6, according to an embodiment of the
invention.
FIGs. 10A and 10B are schematic views of a protective battering plate device
according to another embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a method of using a forcible entry
training
door apparatus to simulate forcible entry on a right hand inward opening door
using a
Halligan tool with the protective battering plate device of FIG. 5 mounted on
the door of the
forcible entry training door apparatus of FIG. 6, according to an exemplary
embodiment of
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=
the invention.
Detailed Description of Embodiments
Embodiments of the invention will now be described in further detail with
regard to
protective battering plate devices that can be removably attached to a door of
a forcible entry
training apparatus to enable the training apparatus to be used for simulated
forcible entry of
locked doors using a battering ram, while protecting the door of the training
apparatus from
damage. It is to be understood that the various features, elements, and
structures shown in
the accompanying drawings are schematic illustrations that are not drawn to
scale. It is to be
further understood that same or similar reference numbers are used throughout
the drawings
to denote the same or similar features, elements, or structures, and thus, a
detailed
explanation of the same or similar features, elements, or structures will not
be repeated for
each of the drawings. It is to be understood that the terms "about" or
"substantially" as used
herein with regard to thicknesses, widths, diameters, etc., are meant to
denote being close or
approximate to, but not exactly. For example, the term "about" or
"substantially" as used
herein implies that a small margin of error is present, such as 10% or less
than the stated
amount.
FIGs. 2 and 3 schematically illustrate front and back perspective views of a
protective battering plate device (20) according to an embodiment of the
invention. The
protective battering plate device (20) comprises a steel striking plate (22),
a u-shaped upper
portion (24), mounting holes (26), and a plurality of steel strips (28)
disposed on a back
surface of the steel striking plate (22). In one embodiment of the invention,
the various
components of the protective battering plate device (20) can be fabricated
using pieces of
planar steel with a thickness in a range of 1/4 inch to 1/4 inch, for example,
which are welded
together.
As explained in further detail below with reference to FIG. 4, the u-shaped
upper
portion (24) is configured to slip over the top edge of a door of a forcible
entry training door
apparatus (as shown in FIG. 4) and allow the protective battering plate device
20 to hang on
the door. In this manner, a person can forcibly ram the protective battering
plate device (20)
using a battering ram device (such as shown in FIG. 1), as opposed to directly
hitting the
door of the forcible entry training door apparatus, to thereby simulate the
forcible entry of a
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locked door using the forcible entry training door apparatus. During simulated
forcible entry
training, the impact of the battering ram device against the front of the
protective battering
plate device (20) (FIG 2) allows the protective battering plate device (20) to
disperse the
force of impact over a larger area of the door so as to prevent damage to the
door of the
forcible entry training door apparatus.
It is to be understood that the protective battering plate device (20) can be
used in
conjunction with various commercially available forcible entry training door
apparatus such
as the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Patent No 8,408,917, which is commonly
owned and
incorporated herein by reference. In particular, FIG. 4 illustrates the use of
the protective
battering plate device (20) on an inward swinging door (150) of a forcible
entry training
door apparatus (100) as disclosed in U.S. Patent No 8,408,917. As shown in
FIG. 4, the
forcible entry door training apparatus (100) comprises a base plate (101), a
door frame
mounted to the base plate (101), wherein the door frame comprises a first side
jamb (102), a
second side jamb (103), and a header jamb (104) coupled between upper ends of
the first
and second side jambs (102) and (103). The door (150) includes a first side
edge Si and a
second side edge S2. A first hinge device (102-1) and a second hinge device
(102-2) are
attached the first side edge Si of the door (150) and to the first side jamb
(102) of the door
frame, to hingedly mount the door (150) within the door frame.
As explained in further detail in U.S. Patent No 8,408,917, the hinge devices
(102-1)
and (102-2) include springs that bias the hinge devices (102-1) and (102-2)
away from the
inner surface of the first side jamb (102) to maintain a gap distance D
between the side edge
Si of the door (150) and the inner surface of the vertical jamb (102). The
springs are
configured to resist compression with sufficient force to simulate forces that
are encountered
when attempting to wedge a pry tool (e.g., Halligan tool) between the second
edge S2 of the
door (150) and the second side jamb (103) during simulated forcible entry
operations. The
hinge devices (102-1) and (102-2) comprises a U-shaped brackets comprising a
front plate
that is disposed adjacent to the inner surface of the first side jamb (102),
and side plates that
are disposed on each side of the first side jamb (102). The side plates of the
U-shaped
brackets are slidably disposed between guide rails (105) that are formed on
the surfaces of
the first side jamb (102). When a tool is wedged between the second edge S2 of
the door
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(150) and the second side jamb (103), the bias springs of the hinge devices
(102-1) and
(102-2) are compressed, causing the U-shaped brackets of the hinge devices
(102-1) and
(102-2) to slide along the guide rails (105) towards the first side jamb
(102), thereby
decreasing the gap distance D between the side edge Si of the door (150) and
the inner
surface of the first side jamb (102).
As shown in FIG. 4, the protective battering plate device (20) is hung on a
top
portion of the door (150) by slipping the u-shaped top portion (24) of the
device (20) over
the top of the door (150), allowing the device (20) to hang down from the top
of the door
(150) with the striking plate (22) disposed adjacent to a portion of the front
side of the door
(150). FIG. 4 shows the outline of the steel striking plate (22) in phantom
(as dashed lines)
on the front side of the door, while FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the back
side of the door
(150). The device (20) can be temporarily secured to the door (150) using
mounting bolts
(30) that are inserted through the mounting holes (26) of the steel striking
plate (22), and
corresponding holes which are formed in the door (150) in alignment with the
mounting
holes (26).
As shown in FIG. 3, the steel strips (28) arranged on the backside surface of
the steel
striking plate (22) serve various purposes. When the device (20) is mounted to
the door
(150), the steel strips (28) make contact with the surface of the door (150).
The steel strips
(28) serve to distribute ramming forces to the surface of the door (150) as a
battering ram is
slammed against the front side of the steel striking plate (22). Moreover, the
steel strips (28)
serve as an offset to provide voids/spaces between the back surface of the
steel striking plate
(22) and the surface of the door (150) to provide room for any bolt heads or
other protruding
structures that may exist on the surface of the door (150).
As shown in FIG. 4, to simulate forcible entry of a locked door, a strip of
wood (40)
(e.g., 1 inch x 2 inch furring strip) is inserted through a pair of brackets
(152) and (131)
which are disposed in alignment on the back side of the door (150) and a side
jamb (103) of
the forcible entry training door apparatus. The strip of wood (40) is
configured to simulate a
locking mechanism of the door (150) (e.g., dead bolt lock) and maintain the
door (150) in a
fixed position during simulation training. A battering ram device (such as
shown in FIG. 1)
can be used to repeatedly strike the front side of the steel plate (22)
(disposed against the
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front side of the door (150) opposite the back side of door (150) shown in
FIG. 4), which
results in applying a force to the strip of wood (40). Through multiple
repeated blows to the
protective battering plate device (20), the strip of wood (40) will
incrementally crack until it
finally breaks completely, thereby simulating the forces that are encountered
when forcibly
breaking through a locked inward swinging door. Although the example
embodiment of
FIG. 4 shows the use of a strip of wood (40) to simulate the breaking forces
needed to
mechanically break open a locked inward swinging door with a battering ram,
the protective
battering plate device (20) can be used with other types of forcible entry
training door
apparatus which utilize other mechanisms (e.g., spring mechanisms, etc.) to
simulate locked
inward swinging doors.
FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a front perspective view of a protective
battering plate
device (50) according to another embodiment of the invention, which can be
removably
attached to a door of a forcible entry training door apparatus to enable the
forcible entry
training door apparatus to be used for simulated forcible entry of a locked
door using a
battering ram, while protecting the door from damage. As shown in FIG. 5, the
protective
battering plate device (50) comprises a steel striking plate (51), a plurality
of mounting holes
(52), a beveled edge portion (53), a visual striking target (54), an optional
force limiting
plate (55), and a handle (56). The protective battering plate device (50)
further comprises
one or more holes 51A which are formed to accommodate certain features (e.g.,
bolt heads,
etc.) that protrude from the surface of a training prop door, and allow the
protective battering
plate device (50) to lay flat against the surface of the training prop door.
In one embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in FIGs. 6, 7, 8, 9, and
11, and as
discussed in further detail below, the protective battering plate device (50)
can be used in
conjunction with a forcible entry training door apparatus such as disclosed in
the above-
incorporated U.S. Patent No 8,408,917. For example, FIG. 6 illustrates an
example
embodiment of a forcible entry training door apparatus (60), which has a
framework that is
based on a forcible entry training door apparatus as disclosed in U.S. Patent
No 8,408,917,
and similar to the forcible entry training door apparatus (100) as discussed
above with
reference to FIG. 4.
In particular, FIG. 6 illustrates a portion of the forcible entry training
door
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apparatus (60) which is used to simulate forcible entry of a right hand inward
opening door
(61). FIG. 6 illustrates a front side of the right hand inward opening door
(61). The door
(61) comprises a plurality of mounting holes (62) that are aligned with
corresponding
mounting holes (52) of the protective battering plate device (50) of FIG. 5.
As in the
exemplary forcible entry training door apparatus discussed above with
reference to FIG. 4,
the door (61) may include a thin steel plate (151) that wraps around the
front, side and back
portion of the door (61) to provide added strength and protection and
structural integrity to
the door (61) (in embodiments where the door (161) is a hollow steel door).
Moreover, in
one embodiment of the invention, when the door (61) is a hollow steel door,
cylindrical steel
collets can be utilized which pass through the door (61) between corresponding
mounting
holes (62) on the front and back sides of the door (61), wherein the ends of
the cylindrical
steel collets are welded to the front and back panels of the door (61) and/or
plate (151), In
this regard, the cylindrical steel collets would provide added structural
integrity to prevent
the front surface of the door (61) (or other portions of the door (61)) from
being crushed,
bent, or otherwise damaged by battering forces that are applied to the
protective battering
plate device (50) mounted to the door (61) during simulated training.
The door (61) further comprises a cleat (63) which is used as a support when
mounting the protective battering plate device (50) to the door (61). In
particular, to mount
the protective battering plate device (50) to the door (61), an individual
could grab and lift
the protective battering plate device (50) using the handle (56), rest a
bottom edge (51B) of
the steel striking plate (51) on top of the cleat (63), and then push the
battering plate device
(50) against the surface of the door (61) (e.g., against the steel plate
(151)). The individual
can then slidably adjust the battering plate device (50) to the left or right,
as needed, to align
the mounting holes (52) of the device (50) to the corresponding mounting holes
(62) of the
door (61), and then insert bolts of suitable length and width through the
aligned mounting
holes (52)/(62), and screw a wing nut or regular nut on the end portion of the
bolt sticking
out of the backside of the door (61) to securely bolt the protective battering
plate device (50)
in place on the door (61).
FIG. 7 illustrates the protective battering plate device (50) of FIG. 5
mounted on
the front side of the door (61) of the forcible entry training door apparatus
(60). As shown
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in FIGs. 6 and 7, the forcible entry training door apparatus (60) comprises a
removable jamb
plate (70) including a door stop (72), which is mounted to a vertical jamb
(65) of the forcible
entry training door apparatus (60). The protective battering plate device (50)
is sized and
shaped such that the surface of the door (61) can make contact to the inner
edge of the door
stop (72) when the door (61) is closed, even with the protective battering
plate device (50)
mounted to the door (61). Moreover, as explained below with reference to FIG.
11, the
beveled edge (53) of the protective battering plate device (50) enables an
individual to use
the forcible entry training door (60) to simulate forcible entry on a right
hand inward
opening door using a Halligan tool even with the protective battering plate
device (50) is
mounted on the door (61).
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the protective battering plate device
(50)
mounted on the front side of the door (61), wherein the force limiting plate
(55) is shown to
wrap around the side edge of the door (61) and protrude past the back side of
the door (61).
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the back side of the door (61) with the
protective
battering plate device (50) mounted on the front side of the door (61),
wherein the force
limiting plate (55) is shown to protrude from between the vertical jamb (65)
and the side
edge of the door (61) and extend past the back side of the door (61). The
force limiting plate
(55) is an optional feature that may be included to limit the size of a
resistance bar (90), such
as a wood strip (as shown in FIG. 9), which is used to maintain the door (61)
in a simulated
"locked" position (e.g., simulate a locked inward swinging door). Similar to
the simulated
locking mechanism as discussed above with reference to FIG. 4, the resistance
bar (90)
shown in FIG. 9 is configured to simulate the physical resistance of a locked
door when
using battering ram to hit the battering plate device (50) mounted on the
front side of the
door (61) and simulate the forcible entry of a locked inward swinging door by
cracking/breaking the resistance bar (90).
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a mode of operation of the force limiting
plate (55) of the protective battering plate device (50) when mounted to the
door (61) of the
forcible entry training door apparatus (60), according to an embodiment of the
invention. As
shown in FIG. 9, the forcible entry training door apparatus (60) comprises
retaining brackets
(132) and (152) fixedly disposed (e.g., welded) on outside surfaces of the
vertical door jamb
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(65) and protective steel plate (151), respectively. As further depicted in
FIG. 9, for
example, the retaining bracket (132) comprises different sized first and
second channels
(132A) and (132B), and the retaining bracket (152) comprises different-sized
first and
second channels (152A) and (152B). When the door (61) is shut, the first
channels (132A)
and (152A) are aligned, and the second channels (132B) and (152B) are aligned.
In one embodiment, the first channels (132A) and (152A) can be sized and
shaped to
insertably receive a smaller-sized resistance bar (e.g., a length of a 1" x 2"
wood furring
strip, which is actually 3/4" x 1.5") and the second channels (132B) and
(152B) can be sized
and shaped to insertably receive a larger-sized resistance bar (e.g., a length
of a wood stud
that is 1.5" x 1 3/16" (i.e., a 2"x3" wood stud ripped in half)). The
different sized resistance
bars serve to simulate a locking device to keep the door (61) from opening,
and to simulate
different magnitude resistive forces that are encountered when trying to force
open a locked
door by breaking a lock or driving the lock (e.g., deadbolt) off the door
using a Halligan bar,
for example, using the techniques as disclosed in the above-incorporated U.S.
Patent No
8,408,917.
As shown in FIG. 9, the resistance bar (90) (e.g., a length of a 1" x 2" wood
furring
strip) is inserted through the first channels (132A) and (152A) of the
retaining brackets
(132) and (152). However, when the protective battering plate device (50) is
mounted to the
door (61) and the door (61) is placed in a closed position, the blocking
portion (55A) of the
force limiting plate (55) is disposed between the second channels (132B) and
(152B) of the
retaining brackets (132) and (152). In this regard, the blocking portion (55A)
of the force
limiting plate (55) serves to block a thicker resistance bar from being
inserted through the
second channels (132B) and (152B). This prevents the thicker resistance bar
from being
used for simulated forcible entry using a battering ram, which can result in
damage to one or
more components of the forcible entry door training prop (60). Indeed, it has
been
determined from experimentation that the use of the smaller resistance bar
(which fits
through the first channels (132A) and (152A) of the retaining brackets (132)
and (152)) is
sufficient to simulate the forces that are encountered with a lock door when
training in the
techniques of forcible entry using a battering ram device with the forcible
entry door
training apparatus (60) shown in the accompanying figures.
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In other embodiments of the invention, the force limiting plate (55) can be
sized and
shaped in other ways to block the use of certain channels of the retaining
brackets (132) and
(152) and thereby limit the size of the wood resistance bars that can be used
in conjunction
with the battering ram plate device (50). For instance, FIGs. 10A and 10B
schematically
illustrate a perspective view of a protective battering plate device according
to another
embodiment of the invention. In particular, FIGs. 10A and 10B illustrate a
modified
embodiment of the protective battering plate device (50) in which the blocking
plate (55A) is
disposed at an offset position using an extended portion (55B) to position the
blocking plate
(55A) adjacent to the opening to the channel (152B) of the retaining bracket
(152). As
compared to the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the offset positioning of the
blocking plate
(55A) would allow for more room to accommodate the bending and cracking of the
wood
resistance bar (90) along the length of the resistance bar (90) between the
retaining brackets
(132) and (152) during simulated forcible entry, while still serving to block
the opening to
the channel (152B) of the retaining bracket (152) and prevent the use of
thicker resistance
5 bars.
As noted above, the beveled edge (53) of the protective battering plate device
(50)
enables an individual to use the forcible entry training door (60) to simulate
forcible entry on
a right hand inward opening door using a Halligan tool even with the
protective battering
plate device (50) mounted on the door (61). For example, FIG. 11 is a
perspective view
showing a method of using the forcible entry training door (60) to simulate
forcible entry on
a right hand inward opening door (61) using a Halligan tool (200) with the
protective
battering plate device (50) mounted on the door (61).
As shown in FIG. 11, an initial step in a method of forcing the inward
operating door
(61) with a Halligan tool (200) may begin with using an ADZ end (202) of the
Halligan tool
(200) to "gap" the door and create a "purchase" between the stop (72) and the
door (61).
With this process, an individual would forcibly insert the ADZ end (202) of
the Halligan
tool (200) between the edge of the door (61) and the door stop (72) and the
individual would
push down on the Halligan tool (200) causing the ADZ end (202) to rotate and
thereby
forcibly create a "gap" between the edge of the door (61) and the stop (72).
This "gapping"
causes the door (61) to forcibly push against (and slightly bend or slightly
crack) the
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resistance bar (90) on the back side of the door (61). In practice, the use of
the Halligan tool
(200) for "gapping" a locked door would actually bend and crush the door edge
or stop to
create a purchase (or gap). With a forcible entry simulation using the
Halligan tool (200),
the beveled edge (53) of the protective battering plate device (50) provides
sufficient room
to allow the ADZ end (202) (or a forked end) of the Halligan tool (200) to be
inserted
between the edge of the door (61) and the door stop (72) when the battering
plate device
(50) is mounted to the door (61). During simulated forcible entry using a
battering ram
device, the Halligan tool can be initially used as discussed above to slightly
crack the
resistance bar (90) on the back side of the door (61), followed by ramming the
battering ram
device against the protective battering plate device (50) to further
crack/break the wood
resistance bar and force open the inward swinging door (61). In this regard,
the Halligan
can be initially used to weaken the resistance bar so that less battering
force can be applied
to the door using the battering ram device to completely crack the resistance
bar and,
thereby, forcibly open the inward swinging door.
Although illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been described
herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood
that the invention
is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various other changes
and
modifications may be affected therein by one skilled in the art without
departing from the
scope or spirit of the invention.
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