Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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SOIL TILLING AND PLANTING IMPLEMENT
CROSS-REFERENCED TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
I. Field of the Invention
This invention is generally directed to the field of
agriculture machinery, and more particularly, it relates
to a preplanting tillage implement used in combination
with a seed planting device. Specifically, the invention
relates to a rolling basket tillage implement used in
tandem with a seed planting implement in which the
rolling basket may have an independent height adjustment
aspect.
II. Related Art
In the spring, prior to planting, farmers must
prepare their fields for accepting seed. Many tillage
implements have been designed and are used to condition
the soil in preparation for planting. Traditional
farming includes both primary and secondary tillage tasks
to prepare the soil such as plowing, disking, field
cultivating and harrowing. Disking is an example of a
method of primary tillage and harrowing is an example of
a method of secondary tillage.
Primary tillage is a first pass over the soil using
a soil conditioning implement attached to the rear of a
tractor which works deep into the soil. The soil is
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usually worked about four inches deep to break up clods
of soil, remove air pockets, and destroy weeds deep in
the earth. Secondary tillage involves another pass over
the same soil, at a more shallow depth, using implements
which are generally attached to the rear of the primary
tillage unit such that the secondary tillage unit follows
the primary tillage unit. The secondary tillage unit
generally works the soil to a depth of about two inches.
The secondary tillage unit is usually a final
conditioning tool to prepare the soil for planting. Such
units may chop up crop residues, break up soil clods and
break up any crust on the top of the soil, provide weed
control, incorporate chemicals into the soil, and stir
and firm the soil closer to the surface.
Rolling basket seedbed finishers represent an
important type of secondary soil conditioning implement.
Rolling baskets are primarily used as soil leveling
devices to break up and minimize clods of soil and to
remove air pockets from the soil. Farmers obtain great
benefit from using rolling baskets as a means of
secondary tillage to provide a level soil for planting.
The ability to break up clods of soil, remove air pockets
and further incorporate chemicals generally leads to
better crop yields at harvest.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial if a secondary
tillage operation using a rolling basket could
advantageously be combined with a planting operation such
that one could take immediate advantage of soil in
condition for planting by accomplishing the planting
project during the same pass over a field. Thus, the
attachment of rolling basket tillage for use in
conjunction with a seed planting implement would be
desirable.
However, the use and effectiveness of rolling
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baskets or other soil conditioning implements is greatly
limited by the condition of the soil. If the soil is too
wet, rolling basket soil conditioning implements may
become filled and clogged with soil which make them
useless for further soil conditioning until they are
again emptied of soil. When a farmer realizes that areas
of soil in a field are too wet to use such implements, he
will generally forego the use of such soil conditioning
implements entirely for the season. This means that much
of the soil may not be properly treated and an expensive
farming implement will lay idle. This is not a desirable
or economically efficient situation for farmers.
It would, therefore, also be beneficial to provide
an arrangement or mechanism that enables intermittent use
of a soil conditioning implement, particularly a rolling
basket seedbed finisher, and/or a planter in a field
where areas of soil are dry enough for use, but where
there are also areas which are too wet for use. Such a
device would allow a farmer to raise rolling basket
seedbed finishers above the soil and out of use whenever
they reach a section of a field where the soil is too wet
and thereafter enable the rolling basket finisher to be
lowered and reconnect with the soil in areas where the
soil is suitable for use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present concept is related to combining said
conditioning implement in the form of rolling basket
seedbed finishers with planters to accomplish multiple
tasks in a single pass. An aspect of the present concept
relates to mounting rolling basket seed finishers on
planting equipment. A further aspect of the present
concept is related to a mounting assembly for a soil
conditioning implement in the form of a rolling basket
seedbed finisher. The mounting assembly is for
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individual rolling baskets which are a part of a
plurality of such soil conditioning implements generally
arranged in a spaced aligned manner on a multi-row
planter, seed drill or other implement, which is used to
distribute seeds into the soil, hitched to and pulled by
a tractor or other prime mover.
Certain embodiments of the mounting assembly include
a height adjustable mounting arrangement for each of the
rolling basket soil conditioning implements. Each height
adjusting mechanism includes an actuator for adjusting
the relative height of a corresponding rolling basket
individually, and an associated control system for
operating the height adjusting mechanism. The actuator
preferably includes a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder,
which may be single or double acting. It is also an
aspect of the present invention for the mounting
assemblies and associated implements to be combined with
a planter and arranged such that rolling basket soil
conditioning takes place in front of each individual seed
planting unit on a planter.
In a preferred embodiment, each mounting assembly
for each rolling basket soil conditioning implement may
be controlled from a central control system that includes
control switches or a control pad, or the like, having a
control device associated with each rolling basket
located in the cab of an associated tractor. In this
manner, a user is able to adjust the height of each
mounting assembly individually and therefore the height
of each associated soil conditioning rolling basket
0 implement may be adjusted individually as needed.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art
that a plurality of actuator devices such as pneumatic or
hydraulic cylinders, or the like, together with the
necessary controls can be connected to be operated from
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the cab of a tractor or other farm implement device prime
mover by conventional means in a well known manner.
In other embodiments, the rolling basket devices may
be fixed to the planter and other mechanical devices may
be used to apply varying degrees of force to the soil
being processed. These include compression or torsion
springs, inflatable air bags, shock absorber devices
which may be spring loaded, or the like.
Air bag systems may be single or double acting and
an embodiment is shown with dual air bags.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing features and advantages of the
invention will become apparent to those skilled in the
art from the following detailed description of one or
more preferred embodiments, especially when considered in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a mounting
assembly using a shell-type assembly to attach to a
rolling basket;
Figure 2 shows a side view of the mounting assembly
of Figure 1;
Figure 3 shows a perspective view of an alternative
mounting assembly attaching a rolling basket;
Figure 4 shows a side view of the mounting assembly
of Figure 3;
Figure 5 illustrates the mounting assembly of
Figures 3 and 4 attached to the front of a planting
implement with the soil conditioning rolling basket shown
in a raised position;
Figure 6A is a view similar to Figure 5 showing the
soil conditioning rolling basket implement in a lowered
ground engaging position;
Figure 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line
B-B of Figure 6A;
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Figure 7A is a schematic perspective view showing a
rolling basket attached to a main frame member of a
planter implement;
Figure 7B is a view similar to Figure 7A with a
S
double acting air bag as the actuator;
Figure 8 is a front view of the mounting assembly of
Figures 3-7 attached to a farming implement;
Figures 9A-9F depict other embodiment of rolling
baskets similar to those of Figures 1 and 3 using other
types of actuating or force-applying devices;
Figure 10 is a block diagram of a pneumatic control
system for controlling mounting assemblies and a
schematic drawing of a rolling basket soil conditioning
system combined with a multi-row planter;
Figure 11A is a side elevation view of an alternate
embodiment of the invention using a dual air bag
deployment/retraction system shown with the lower
assembly and rolling basket in the down or deployed
position;
Figure 11B is a view taken along section lines 11B-
11B in Figure 11A;
Figure 12A is a side elevation view of the
embodiment of Figure 11A shown with the rolling basket in
the raised or retracted position;
Figure 12B is a sectional view taken along line 129-
-12B in Figure 12A;
Figure 13A is a front elevation view of the
embodiment of Figure 11A shown with the rolling basket in
the raised or retracted position;
Figure 139 is a sectional view taken along line 13B-
-13B of Figure 13A;
Figure 14A is a top plan view of the embodiment of
Figure 11A showing the rolling basket in the up or
retracted position;
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Figures 14B and 14C are opposed sectional views
along lines 14B--14B and 14C-140, respectively of Figure
14A;
Figure 15A is a top plan view similar to Figure 14A
with the rolling basket in the down or deployed position;
Figures 15B and 15C are opposed sectional views
along 15B--1513 and 15C-15C, respectively of Figure 15A;
Figure 16 is a front perspective view of the
embodiment of Figure 11A showing the rolling basket in
the raised or lowered or deployed position;
Figure 17A shows a schematic view of a five-port air
valve assembly in accordance with the invention shown in
a first position that enables the down force air bag to
inflate and the up force air hag to collapse;
Figure 17B is a perspective sectional view of the
air valve assembly of Figure 17A taken half way through
the valve body or block;
Figure 18A depicts a schematic view of the valve
assembly of Figure 17A in a second position that enables
the up force air bag to inflate and the down force air
bag to collapse; and
Figure 18B is a perspective sectional view of the
air valve assembly of Figure 18A taken half way through
the valve body or block.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
This description of the preferred embodiments is
intended to illustrate representative examples of
inventive concepts and is not intended to be limiting as
to the scope of the concepts. The examples are to be
read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which
are to be considered part of the entire written
description of this invention. In the description,
relative terms such as "lower", "upper", "horizontal",
"vertical", "above", "below", "up", "down", "top" and
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"bottom" as well as derivatives thereof (e.g.,
"horizontally", "downwardly", "upwardly", etc.) should be
construed to refer to the orientation as then described
or as shown in the drawings under discussion. These
relative terms are for convenience of description and do
not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated
in a particular orientation. Terms such as "connected",
"connecting", "attached", "attaching", "join" and
"joining" are used interchangeably and refer to one
structure or surface being secured to another structure
or surface or integrally fabricated in one piece, unless
expressively described otherwise.
An aspect of the invention is directed to an
adjustable mounting bracket assembly for attaching a soil
conditioning implement in the form of a rolling basket
device, particularly to the frame of a planter.
As shown in the embodiment of Figures 3-8, the
mounting assembly 2, for a rolling basket soil
conditioner 10 comprises at least three parts, a height
adjustable mounting 4, a height adjusting mechanism or
actuator, which may be in the form of a hydraulic (6A in
Figure 9E) or pneumatic cylinder 6, and an associated
control system (Figure 10) for operating a plurality of
such height adjusting mechanisms to adjust the height of
a plurality of spaced associated connected rolling
baskets as normally used in tandem with a planter as
towed by a tractor.
As illustrated in Figure 3, the height adjustable
mounting 4 is composed of several parts including an
attachment plate 12 and a pair of spaced parallel side
plate members 16 and attachment arms 18 for coupling the
rolling basket soil conditioning implement to the
attachment plate 12. The attachment plate 12 is adapted
to be fixed to the frame of a farming implement in the
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form of a conventional planter along with the attachment
plates of other units such that the soil ahead of each
planting unit is conditioned.
Each mounting assembly includes spaced arms 18 which
extend away from an associated rolling basket soil
conditioning and leveling implement 10 which is journaled
for rotation between the arms 18 as at 20. The arms 18
connect to the members 16 fixed to the attachment plate
12. The arms 18 are connected to each other by a common
crossbar 24 which also supports one end of a cylinder or
actuator 6.
As illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the arms 18 and
the members 16 of the attachment plate 12 are designed
such that they pivotally connect to each other. Any
manner known in the art which connects and enables the
arms 18 to pivot at 22 relative to the members 16, such
as bearings, bushings, etc., can be employed so that the
adjustable mounting 4 is able to move towards and away
from the surface of the ground with the operation of
cylinder 6 which may be attached using a clevis
arrangement as at 26 to attach the rod end and a bracket
arrangement as at 28 to attach the blind end of the
cylinder 6 to the attachment plate 12.
The height adjusting actuator 6 may be a hydraulic
or pneumatic cylinder, or other devices, as illustrated,
those skilled in the art will recognize that any
mechanical mechanism able to raise and lower the soil
conditioning implement 10, as shown in Figures 5 and 6,
may be used. Thus, in some embodiments, height adjusting
depends on raising the planter with the rolling baskets
attached. In those embodiments, downward force may be
provided by a spring-operated mechanism, an inflatable
air spring, or any similar system known in the art, such
as are shown in Figures 9A-9D. As indicated, several
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preferred embodiments utilize pneumatic cylinders as
compressed air is generally available on tractors to
connect to and operate farm implements. It will be
recognized, however, that hydraulic systems are also
commonly used in these types of applications.
The rolling basket units 10 further include a pair
of side plates 30 connected by a plurality of spaced
steel bars 32 which may be internally or externally
attached to the plates 30. A central spindle or axle 34
is also provided.
Figures 5, 6A, 6B, 7A and 7B also depict a planting
implement 35 having a seed distributing arrangement 36
(Figure 68) and a connecting frame 37 including a main
structural member 38 that connects together a plurality
of similar units 35.
As shown in Figures 5 and 6A, the operation of the
actuator 6 serves to raise and lower the soil
conditioning rolling basket implement 10 in accordance
with the operation of a control system. It should be
noted that in an implement carrying a plurality of soil
conditioning rolling baskets 10, as shown in Figure 10,
an associated control system enables the raising and
lowering of the soil conditioning implements individually
as desired by the operator in the tractor or other towing
vehicle. It may also enable the soil conditioning
implement 10 to be positioned in a floating mode riding
the soil surface or lowered with applied force as needed.
An alternate embodiment of the mounting bracket
assembly is shown generally at 102 in Figures 1 and 2 and
also includes a height adjustable mounting 104. That
system utilizes a shell or shroud 114 covering the upper
portion of the rolling basket 110. Pivotally connected
members 116 and arms 118 are shown together with mounting
bracket 120 and clevis attachment 122. The actuating
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cylinder or other such device is not shown.
Figure 10 is a schematic drawing of a soil
conditioning system used with a multi-row seed planter so
that a field may be properly leveled and thereafter
receive seeds from the planter modules. In this
schematic drawing, a tow bar 40 is connected to a trailer
tongue 42 that is adapted to be connected by a clevis
(not shown) to a towing work vehicle, such as a farm
tractor. Secured to the tow bar are a plurality of
rolling basket tillage devices 44.
Primary tillage devices (not shown) may, for
example, comprise disk harrows or rake harrows of
conventional design known in the art may be used prior to
employing the rolling baskets. As previously explained,
the primary harrows are arranged to dig deeper into the
soil and typically produce clumps depending on soil type
and moisture content. It is preferable that the clumps
become crushed and broken up and the soil leveled by the
action of the secondary rolling basket devices 44 leaving
the field prepared to receive seed at the time of seeding
and the seed distributed by planter modules 46.
The user or driver of the tractor or other prime
mover determines whether the soil is too wet for the soil
conditioning implements 2 to effectively work or not. If
the soil is too wet, the user sends a signal via the
control system, to activate the height adjusting
mechanism 4. In a preferred embodiment, the height
adjusting mechanism is connected to a pneumatic system
which has an air compressor 52 for maintaining a
predetermined pressure in an accumulator 50. At least
one pneumatic solenoid valve 58 is connected between the
accumulator and each actuator 6 to control the
application of the pressure supplied to the actuator 6.
A manifold 58 in Figure 10 is shown as supplying
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pressurized air, via solenoid valves 56, to one or more
actuators 6 under control of electrical signals from an
operator's controller module which includes a key pad
control (which may be remote) at 60. A combined
electrical and pneumatic connection is shown at 62 and a
manifold controller is shown at 64. The system may
incorporate a pressure regulator (not shown) to adjust
the amount of force (from the pressurized air) applied to
raise the soil conditioning implement.
Pressurized air is then supplied to the pneumatic
cylinders 6 in a well known manner to the mounting
assembly, which, in turn, will raise the soil
conditioning implement if the user has determined the
soil in that location is too wet for use, or lower the
soil conditioning implement if the soil is suitable to
use the soil conditioning implement. It will be
appreciated that the cylinders 6 may be single or double
acting with single acting cylinders used to raise the
soil conditioning implements on the power stroke and
allow the basket to float under its own weight when the
pressure is released. Double acting cylinders can be
used to fix the implement in a lowered position.
As also shown in Figure 10, each of the plurality of
rolling basket soil conditioning assemblies may be placed
in front of each of a plurality of seed distribution
units of a planter as at 46 to ready the soil to receive
the seeds. Each of the mounting assemblies for the soil
conditioners may be controlled individually or
simultaneously with others. Also, groups of mounting
assemblies may be controlled. If the mounting assemblies
are controlled individually, the manifold 58 (either
pneumatic or hydraulic), may supply pressurized air
through the use of solenoid valves 56. The operator is
able to control the height adjustment and so the
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application of one soil conditioning implement, a
specific group of soil conditioning implements, or all of
the soil conditioning implements using the control pad 60
in the cab of the tractor. As indicated, the control pad
60 may be any kind known in the art for sending control
signals to solenoid or other pneumatic or hydraulic
valves.
The system allows for maximum efficiency of the soil
conditioning implements, for if one row or a few of the
rows in a field are too wet, but the remaining rows are
dry, the user may selectively apply the soil conditioning
rolling basket implements to suitable rows. The user,
therefore, is able to maximize the effect of using
rolling basket soil conditioning devices in a field.
Figure 7A depicts a rolling basket device 10 in
accordance with the invention fixed to the main
structural member 38 of a planting implement, a unit of
which is shown at 35 in which the attachment plate 12 is
attached to the member 38 by an additional framework 70.
A similar arrangement is shown in Figure 7B in which the
actuator is a double acting air bag system as at 72.
Figures 9A-9E depict alternative actuator devices
used in combination with the rolling baskets. They
include a pair of torsion springs as at 80 in Figure 9A
which are used to provide an amount of downward force on
the rolling basket 10. Similarly, Figure 9B utilizes a
compression spring 82 connected between mounting plate 12
and cross member 24. A spring and shock absorber
arrangement 84 is shown in Figure 9C and a single acting
air bag or air shock absorber is shown in Figure 9D.
It should be noted that rolling baskets having
mounting arrangements with devices providing downward
force only are normally raised manually when they need to
be out of contact with the soil. They are held in a
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raised position using a manually-operated latch system
such as is at 88 shown in Figure 9F.
Another embodiment is shown in the several views of
Figures 11A-16 in which dual air bags or inflatable
pneumatic actuators are used to lower or deploy and raise
or retract the rolling basket. This rolling basket
system is shown generally at 200 and includes a rolling
basket 202, which is mounted to a height adjusting
mechanism 204 using a pair of spaced parallel side plate
members 206 and 206, which are fixed to a lower assembly
210, which includes a main member 212, which may be in
the form of a heavy tube member, and which connects to
the side plate members 206 and 208. The lower assembly,
with the side plate members 206 and 208, in turn, pivots
around a pair of spaced, shoulder bolts 214, which
connect it to a mounting structure including shaped
members 216 fixed to or are part of attachment or
mounting plate 218, which, in turn, can be fastened to a
main implement such as a multi-row planter, as shown in
Figure 10, at a plurality of places 220 using
conventional bolts, or the like, as at 221.
The rolling basket system further includes a down
force or deployment air bag arrangement that includes a
down force or deployment air bag 222 mounted between a
bottom pedestal 224 and a fixed upper bracket 226. The
bottom pedestal is mounted to the lower assembly by
spaced members 228 and spaced fulcrum members 230 which
are fixed to member 212 and members 228 and 230 connected
by opposed shoulder bolts 232 such that the pedestal can
pivot freely on the shoulder bolts.
The system further includes an up force or
retraction air bag arrangement that includes an up force
or retraction air bag 234 that is mounted between a
moving upper U-shaped bracket 236 and a bent flange
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member 238. As best seen in Figure 12B, spaced legs of
bracket 236 are also fixed to the lower assembly 210 by
spaced fulcrum plates 240 which are fixed to member 212
and the spaced legs of bracket 236 are connected
pivotally to fulcrum plates 240 by opposed shoulder bolts
242 on which the bracket 236 can pivot freely.
Air lines 244 and 246 are connected respectively to
down force and up force air bags 222 and 234 and to a
conventional supply of pressurized air not shown. The
system is configured so that, when high pressure air is
introduced to inflate one bag, the other bag can deflate.
Figures 11A, IIB and 15A-15C show the lower assembly
210 and basket 202 in the deployed or down position with
the down force air bag fully inflated. As the down force
bag 222 inflates, it causes the lower assembly to pivot
downward and deploy the basket 202 downward. The act of
the lower assembly moving downward causes the bracket 236
connected to lift bag 234 to be displaced downward
forcing air out of and collapsing the lift bag, as shown
in Figure 11B. Conversely, as shown in Figures 12A, 12B,
13B and 14A-C, to raise or retract the lower assembly 210
and basket 202, the lift bag 234 is fully inflated, which
causes the bracket 236 to move upward and the lower
assembly to rotate upward about shoulder bolts 232 and
214, which, in turn, causes the bottom pedestal 224 to be
displaced upward and this collapses or deflates down
force air bag 222. The lifting force of the air bag 234
is transferred to the lower assembly 210 through bent
flange 238. Shoulder bolts 242 connect the legs of
bracket 236 with fulcrum members 240.
It will become apparent that each of the shoulder
bolts that transfer force from the air bags to the lower
assembly travel pivotally about a fulcrum, as best shown
at 230 and 242 in the figures. The fulcrums, in turn
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produce an arcuate motion of the side plate members 206
and 208, as they raise and lower member 212 and the lower
assembly. In that manner, the lower assembly travels
along the arc of a circle when deployed and retracted
with the main shoulder bolts 214 as pivots.
Figures 17A-17B and 18A-18B depict a five-port air
valve assembly in two alternate positions. The assembly,
generally at 300, includes ports 302, 304, 306, 308 and
310 and cylinder 312, housing axially adjustable cylinder
valve 314. The valve body or block is depicted at 316.
Ports 302 and 306 are connected to receive air from a
high pressure air source such as a conventional
compressor system (not shown). Ports 308 and 310 connect
respectively to the up force air bag and the down force
air bag. Finally, port 304 is a vent port for venting
air from either the up force air bag or the down force
air bag.
In Figures 17A and 1713, the port receiving high
pressure air 306 is connected through the valve block
with down force bag 222 through outlet port 310 with the
central valve 312 shifted to the left in cylinder 314 in
a first position. shifted to the left. With the central
cylinder in this position, up force air bag 234 is
connected to the vent port 304 via port 308 so that up
force air bag 235 is enabled to collapse while down force
air bag 222 inflates. This deploys the rolling basket
against the ground.
Figures 18A and 183 show the valve 312 in an
alternate position with the central cylinder moved to the
right. With the central in this position, port 302 is
connected through the central cylinder to port 308 and
port 310 is connected to the central cylinder to port 304
and port 306 is deadheaded. With the valve in this
position, the source of high pressure air is connected
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through ports 302 and 308 to the up force air bag and the
down force is connected to vent through ports 310 and
304. This will enable the up force air bag to inflate
and the down force air bag to collapse in accordance with
raising the rolling basket to an up or stowed position.
This invention has been described herein in
considerable detail in order to comply with the patent
statutes and to provide those skilled in the art with the
information needed to apply the novel principles and to
construct and use such specialized components as are
required. However, it is to be understood that the
invention can be carried out by specifically different
equipment and devices, and that various modifications,
both as to the equipment and operating procedures, can be
accomplished without departing from the scope of the
invention itself.
What is claimed is:
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