Abstract:
A gutter dumping assembly is actuatable to rotate a gutter from an initial, upright position to a downwardly-facing dumped position in order to dump debris from the gutter. The actuator is coupled to the gutter support by a flexible structure so that, after the actuator positively forces the gutter to an over-center position, the gutter falls to a dumped position under only the force of gravity. The gutter is supported by a number of spaced brackets, each of which includes an upper leg that is inclined downwardly and forwardly from the rear of the bracket so as to be hidden from view and to channel rainwater falling into the bracket into the gutter as opposed to against the building or outside of the gutter.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation-in-part application of presently co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 12/062,172, filed Apr. 3, 2008, and entitled “Motorized Rotating Gutter,” the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention generally relates to gutters and gutter assemblies for houses and commercial buildings. More particularly, the invention relates to a motorized gutter dumping assembly configured to rotate a gutter from an initial upright position to a dumped position to clear the gutter of collected debris such as leaves, debris, mud and the like. 
     2. Discussion of the Related Art 
     Gutter systems for use with dwellings or other such buildings are used to channel water flowing off of a roof. Such systems generally comprise horizontal gutters for receiving the water, brackets for securing the gutters to the dwelling, and a downspout for channeling collected water from the gutters to a drainage system leading away from the dwelling to a storm sewer or other discharge area. 
     Over the course of time, such gutters commonly become obstructed by the accumulation of debris such as leaves, twigs, snow, ice, and the like. Unless such debris is periodically removed, water that is normally easily drained by way of the downspout will either overflow or be prevented from flowing into the gutter. In either case, the water will often flow down the side of the dwelling and cause significant structural damage and the collection and growth of mildew. Further, water which is prevented from flowing down the roof and into the gutter will often accumulate on the roof and leak therethrough, causing damage to the inside of the dwelling. 
     Gutters may be manually cleaned by climbing onto the roof of the dwelling and removing accumulated debris by hand or by use of a hose or a manual tool such as a rake. However, this method is quite time consuming, strenuous, and potentially dangerous. 
     Accordingly, a number of methods of preventing the collection of debris or removing collected debris are known. For example, a commonly used method for preventing the build up of debris utilizes a screen or guard designed to overlie the opening of the gutter. However, while such systems prevent the collection of debris in the gutters, they tend to clog and make the cleaning of the gutter substantially more difficult. 
     In order to overcome the various disadvantages associated with the aforementioned methods of preventing debris collection or removing collected debris, rotatable gutter systems have been designed to aid in the removal of collected debris. Such systems typically rotate the gutter from an initial, upright position, to a downwardly-facing, dumped position to cause any collected debris to fall to the ground under the force of gravity or to allow for easier access to the gutter such that the debris may be more easily cleaned out by hand or with a tool such as a hose or rake. Typically, however, such gutter systems require custom-built gutter assemblies or relatively complicated pivoting mechanisms. The systems are dumped by complex and relatively unreliable chain driven arrangement. Such systems are typically quite conspicuous and therefore detract from the appearance of the dwelling. In addition, such systems generally cannot be used on relatively flat roofs. 
     The need therefore exists to provide gutter dumping assembly that is relatively simple to maintain and is robust enough to withstand the rigors associated with operation of such systems. The need also exists for a gutter dumping assembly that can be quickly and efficiently assembled and maintained. Further, the need also exists for a gutter dumping assembly that may be installed on existing gutters. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, at least one of the above-identified needs is met by providing a gutter dumping assembly having a relatively simple design and configured to be used with existing gutters. The gutter may be selectively rotated from an initial, upright position to a downwardly-facing dumped position by driving a simple roof-mounted actuator system to engage a bracket assembly configured to receive and retain a portion of the gutter. Similarly, the gutter dumping assembly may selectively rotate the gutter back to its upright position after the contents have been dumped or otherwise cleaned out. 
     The gutter dumping assembly may include a bracket assembly mounted to a dwelling and configured to receive and retain a gutter. The bracket assembly and gutter are rotatable and rotate from an initial, upright position, to an over-center position at which point the gutter falls to a dumped position under only the force of gravity. An actuator may provide for rotating the bracket and gutter. The actuator may be manually or power operable. If desired, for longer gutter sections, more than one actuator may be employed. In such assemblies, a support member may be provided to link the bracket assemblies to one another for simultaneous rotation thereof. 
     The bracket assembly may comprise a first bracket rigidly mounted to the dwelling and a second bracket hingedly mounted to the first bracket. The second bracket is operably engaged by the actuator to cause rotation of the bracket assembly and gutter. Further, the second bracket may comprise a lower leg coupled to a downwardly-angled upper leg. The upper leg further includes a retainer configured to receive and retain a flange of the gutter therebetween. 
     The actuator assembly may be actuated manually or, alternatively, may comprise a motor configured to selectively drive the actuator assembly to move the gutter from the upright position to the dumped position or from the dumped position to the upright position. 
     In one embodiment of the motor-driven version, the motor moves with the gutter and drives a pinion, and further comprises a rack that is mounted on the building. The rack is operatively engaged by the pinion to drive the second bracket to pivot relative to the first bracket. The rack may be formed in a cantilevered bar extending from the building, and wherein the pinion is configured to travel along the rack from a first position corresponding to the initial upright position of the gutter to a second position corresponding to the over-center position of the gutter, wherein the second position is located outwardly with respect to the first position, and wherein the gutter is free to fall by gravity once it reaches the over-center position. A strap may be coupled between the motor and the building so as to unwind from the motor as the second bracket pivots away from the front bracket to limit a falling rate of the gutter once it reaches the over-center position. 
     In another embodiment of the motor-driven version, the motor is mounted on a roof of the building. In this case the actuator assembly further comprises, an actuator bar that is driven by the motor to extend and retract, a strap coupled to the actuator bar and extendible therefrom, and a kicker bracket coupled to the strap and the second bracket. Driving of the actuator bar causes the strap to extend therefrom and causes the kicker bracket to rotate along with the second bracket and gutter. 
     In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of rotating a gutter from an upright position to a downwardly facing position to allow for dumping or otherwise cleaning out the gutter includes driving a roof-mounted actuator assembly so as to operably engage a bracket assembly configured to retain the gutter thereby rotating the bracket and gutter to a over-center position. Once reaching the over-center position, the bracket assembly and gutter may freely fall to a downwardly facing position under the force of gravity. Accordingly, the contents of the gutter are dumped or otherwise easily manually removed therefrom. The gutter dumping assembly may likewise rotate the gutter back to its initial upright position. 
     Various other features, embodiments and alternatives of the present invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description taken together with the drawings. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration and not limitation. Many changes and modifications could be made within the scope of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a gutter equipped with a gutter dumping assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a portion of the gutter dumping assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3A  is an end elevation view of the gutter dumping assembly of  FIGS. 1 and 2  in an initial upright position; 
         FIG. 3B  is an end elevation view of the gutter dumping assembly of  FIGS. 1-3A  in a rotated, over-center position; 
         FIG. 4  is an end elevation view of the gutter dumping assembly of  FIGS. 1-3B , showing the rotation of the gutter dumping assembly rotated from its initial upright position and a downwardly facing dumped position in shadow; 
         FIG. 5  is an end elevation view of the gutter dumping assembly of  FIGS. 1-4  in the downwardly-facing dumped position; 
         FIG. 6  is an end elevation view of a portion of the gutter dumping assembly of a second embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  is a partially exploded perspective view of the actuator assembly of the gutter dumping assembly of  FIGS. 1-5 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a top plan view of a gutter equipped with a gutter dumping assembly according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a top plan view of a portion of the gutter dumping assembly of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a portion of the gutter dumping assembly of  FIGS. 8 and 9 ; 
         FIG. 11  is an end elevation view of the gutter dumping assembly of  FIGS. 8-10  in an initial, upright position; 
         FIG. 12  is an end elevation view of the gutter dumping assembly of  FIGS. 8-11  in a rotated, over-center position; and 
         FIG. 13  is an end elevation view of the gutter dumping assembly of  FIGS. 8-12 , in the downwardly-facing dumped position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A gutter dumping assembly constructed in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention is described below in connection with a standard gutter assembly for a dwelling. It should be understood that the illustrated assembly and others constructed in accordance with the invention could be used with other such gutter systems for buildings including those with substantially flat roofs. In addition, the gutter dumping assembly constructed in accordance with this invention could be used with custom-made gutters. 
     Referring initially to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a gutter dumping assembly  10  for selectively dumping a standard gutter  12  and returning the gutter  12  to its initial position is coupled to a gutter  12  on the roof  14  of a dwelling. The gutter dumping assembly  10  includes a plurality of spaced bracket assemblies  16  that support a rigid support tube  18 . The gutter dumping assembly  10  also includes at least one roof-mounted actuator assembly  20 . The bracket assemblies  16  are set at a spacing of twenty feet in this embodiment, but considerably smaller or larger spacings are envisioned. Preferably, one gutter dumping assembly  10  is required for each 20-foot section of gutter  12 . As such, the gutter dumping assembly  10  of the present invention may comprise a plurality of rigid support tubes  18  and a corresponding number of actuator assemblies  20  for gutters  12  that are longer than twenty feet. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , each bracket assembly  16  preferably comprises an L-bracket  22  rigidly mounted to a fascia  24  or similar structure on the roof  14  by way of one or more fastener  17  such as a bolt or screw. A C-bracket  26  is hingedly coupled to L-bracket  22  and configured to be movable from a first position wherein the C-bracket pulls the gutter  12  upright to a dumped position on which the C-bracket  26  swings downwardly as much as 180 degrees. The C-bracket  26  includes an upper leg  28  that is preferably angled downwardly such that the rigid support tube  18  is hidden in gutter  12 . The inclination of the upper leg  28  also directs water on the bracket  26  into the gutter so that it does not run off the front or back of the gutter. C-bracket  26  additionally includes a central leg  27  and a lower leg  29 . The central leg  27  is generally flush with a vertical leg  21  of the L-bracket  22  when the C-bracket  26  is in its normal upright position illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The lower leg  29  extends beneath the bottom surface of the gutter  12  and extends horizontally so as to be generally flush with a horizontal leg  23  of the L-bracket  22  when the C-bracket is in its normal upright position illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The outer end of the lower leg  29  is pivotally attached the outer end of the horizontal leg  23  of the L-Bracket  22  by a hinge  31 . 
     Still referring to  FIG. 4 , upper leg  28  of C-bracket  26  further includes a fastener  30  coupled thereto for retaining a portion of support tube  18 . Fastener  30  may comprise a U-shape having two ends  32  and  34  configured to be received by holes in upper leg  28 . Preferably, each of ends  32  and  34  includes a threaded portion,  36  and  38  respectively, for receiving nuts  40  and  42  thereon. Nuts  40  and  42  are provided to secure U-bolt  30  such that support tube  18  is securely retained therein. Upper leg  28  further comprises a retainer  44  for receiving an upper flange  46  of gutter  12 . Preferably, upper flange  46  of gutter  12  simply snaps in under retainer  44  for securing gutter  12  therein. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  7 , actuator assembly  20  is configured to selectively dump the gutter  12  by driving the C-brackets  26  to pivot about their hinges  31 . Unlike prior actuators that were mounted beneath the level of the roof and that were coupled to the gutters by complex chain drives, the actuator assembly  20  is preferably mounted on the roof  14  so as to be inconspicuous and is coupled to one or more of the brackets in a simple, robust, and flexible manner. Actuator assembly  20  is preferably linearly extendible rather than having a rotary output. In the illustrated embodiment, it preferably comprises an electric actuator, more preferably a screw jack mounted on the roof  14  of the dwelling and is configured to operably engage one or more of C-brackets  26 . Preferably, actuator assembly  20  includes a base  48 , a stationary outer tube  50  and an inner tube  52  telescopically housed within outer tube  50 . The inner tube  52  is telescopically extendible from outer tube  50  during operation of the actuator assembly  20 . The base  48  is mounted to the roof  14  of the dwelling screws or the like extending through a bracket  49  or similar such fastener. The outer tube  50  is hinged or otherwise pivotally attached to the bracket  49  so that the actuator assembly  20  can pivot as the inner tube  52  extends. This permits the outer end of the tube  52  to follow the motion of the kicker bracket, described in more detail below. 
     Actuator assembly  20  additionally includes a motor  51  configured to drive the actuator assembly  20 . Preferably, actuator assembly  20  comprises a screw jack  53  housed in the inner tube  52 . Screw jack  53  is preferably in communication with motor  51  such that motor  51  drives screw jack  53  to effectuate the telescopic movement of inner tube  52  from outer tube  50 . 
     The gutter, or the attached actuator assembly  20 , is coupled to the bracket  16  by a flexible structure such as a rope or a strap  54  fixed to the bottom of the inner tube  52  and coupled to a kicker bracket  56  by way of a bolt  63  or other such fastener. Kicker bracket  56  is bolted or otherwise fastened to upper leg  28  of C-bracket  26 . Preferably, kicker bracket  56  is coupled to one of ends  36  and  38  of U-bolt  30  by way of a coupling bracket  65  disposed between the kicker bracket  56  and C-bracket  26  and retained by a nut  58  or similar such fastener. Kicker bracket  56  includes a vertical leg  60  and a generally forwardly extending horizontal leg  62  at an inward end of vertical leg  60 . Vertical leg  60  serves as an abutment surface for engagement with inner tube  52  of actuator assembly  20 . The forwardly extending horizontal leg  62  acts as a stop to prevent the inner tube  52  from pivoting upwardly and out of contact with the kicker bracket  56  upon actuation thereof. This permits the actuator assembly  20  to be used with widely varying roof pitches. In addition, a cover may be provided for the actuator assembly  20  so as to make the assembly more aesthetically pleasing. 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 3A and 3B , and initially to  FIG. 3A , the gutter dumping assembly  10  of the present invention is shown just prior to actuation thereof. Accordingly, inner tube  52  and flexible strap  54  are shown in substantially non-extended positions. Referring now to  FIG. 3B , the gutter dumping assembly is shown at a position just before reaching an over-center position wherein the gutter dumping assembly  10  and gutter  12  freely fall to a dumped position under the force of gravity. As shown in  FIG. 3B , inner tube  52  and flexible strap  54  of actuator assembly  20  are shown partially extended from outer tube  50 . The driving of the inner tube  52  from the outer tube  50  causes the strap  54  to flex, and the inner tube  52  continues to move outwardly until it engages the vertical leg  60  of kicker bracket  56 . Continued motion of the inner tube  52  forces the kicker bracket  56  forward. The driving of the kicker bracket  56  serves to likewise drive the C-bracket  26  of bracket assembly  16  to pivot or otherwise hinge about a horizontal axis. As such, the gutter, which is retained by C-bracket  26  is likewise rotated about a horizontal axis. 
     The driving of the actuator assembly  20  causes the bracket assembly  16  to pivot the gutter  12  about an angle, θ, wherein the assembly and gutter reaches an over-center position. Preferably θ is about fifteen degrees. Once reaching the over-center position, the gutter  12  is free to fully rotate to a downwardly-facing position wherein the contents therein may be dumped or more easily manually removed by an operator. The rate at which the gutter  12  falls is controlled by the flexible strap  54  to the rate of extension of the inner tube  52 . 
     Further, if the gutter  12  engages an obstruction such as a downspout during rotation, it simply rests against the obstruction. Further extension of the inner tube  52  simply results in imposing slack in the flexible strap  54 . This is particularly advantageous over other actuators for gutter dumping systems that positively drive the gutter to its dump position. 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , and initially to  FIG. 4 , gutter dumping assembly  10  is shown having rotated the gutter  12  and C-bracket  26  to the over-center position wherein the assembly  10  and gutter  12  freely fall to a dumped position under gravitation force. The downwardly-facing dumped position is shown in shadow in  FIG. 4  wherein the gutter  12  is facing directly down at the ground.  FIG. 5  shows the gutter  12  and gutter dumping assembly  10  of  FIG. 4  in the downwardly-facing dumped position. 
     The gutter  12  can be returned to its upright position simply by reversing the direction of the motor  51  of actuator assembly  20  to retract the inner tube of the actuator assembly  20  into the outer tube  50 , hence causing the strap  54  to retract and pivot the c-bracket  26  counterclockwise about hinge  31  until the gutter  12  returns to its normal position of  FIGS. 1 and 2A . In addition, the gutter  12  may be kept in the downwardly-facing dumped position during the winter months in colder climates to prevent the build-up of ice dams. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , an alternative embodiment of the present invention includes a support member  118  having a generally rectangular cross-section. Support member  118  is retained by a pair of threaded bolts  132  and  134 . Bolts  132  and  134  are inserted through a pair of holes in upper leg  128  as in the prior embodiment. A pair of nuts  140  and  142  or similar such fasteners are provided to secure the bolts  132  and  134  in the holes in upper leg  128 . Support member  118  is restrained from lateral movement by bolts  132  and  134 . Upper leg  128  prevents support member  118  from slipping upwardly (when at rest) or downwardly (when in dumped position). In addition, a retaining bar  164  is provided for supporting the support member  118  when the gutter dumping assembly  10  is in the initial, upright position. Retaining bar  164  preferably includes a pair of holes for receiving the threaded ends of bolts  132  and  134 . The alternative embodiment of the present invention is advantageous in that support member  118  is not capable of being overtightened by twisting thereof. Accordingly, support member  118  is not crimped or otherwise damaged during installation. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, the roof mounted actuator  16  may be operated manually rather than by a motor. For example, it may be operably coupled with a manual crank assembly (not shown) for driving actuation thereof. In this embodiment, the crank assembly is positioned in communication with the roof-mounted actuator such that a user can use a hook or other such device to grasp the crank assembly to turn the crank in a first direction to selectively extend the roof mounted actuator and in a second direction to retract the roof mounted actuator. The operation of the present embodiment remains the same as the roof-mounted actuator  16  of the first embodiment. That is, it is configured to operably engage the C-bracket  26  to drive rotation of the assembly  10  to dump the gutter  12 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 8-13 , an alternative embodiment of the motorized rotating gutter assembly  210  is illustrated. It is mounted on a building  200  having roof  214  and a soffit  224  underlying an overhang  225  of the roof  214 . The present embodiment replaces the roof-mounted actuator assembly  20  of the first embodiment with a rack and pinion assembly  220  and further includes an electric motor assembly at least partially mounted within the gutter  212 , thereby providing a less intrusive, aesthetically pleasing, and relatively simple design. The electric motor assembly of this embodiment includes a vertical bracket  274  and an electric motor mounted to the vertical bracket  274 . The gutter  212  is moved to its over-center position by the rack and pinion assembly  220 , which is driven by the motor  251 . 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the present embodiment of the rotating gutter assembly  210  includes a plurality of spaced bracket assemblies  216  for securing the gutter  212  to the building. As in the first embodiment, the bracket assemblies may be coupled to one another by a rigid support tube  218  running the length of the assembly  220 . Each bracket assembly  216  is substantially similar to that of the first embodiment of the present invention, and it includes a fixed L-bracket  222  mounted to the soffit  224  and a C-bracket  226  hingedly mounted to the L-bracket  222 . The C-bracket  226  includes a central leg  227 , a downwardly-angled upper leg positioned  228  for cooperating with the rack and pinion assembly  220  as will be described in detail below, and a lower leg  229  hingedly connected to the outer end of the horizontal leg of the L-bracket  222 . The upper leg  228  terminates in a retainer  230  configured for securing the gutter  212  to the bracket assembly  216 . 
     The rack and pinion assembly  220  is operably coupled to one of the bracket assemblies  216  by way of a first bracket  270 , which is attached to the upper leg  228  of the C-bracket  226  by a pair of fasteners  272  as best seen in  FIG. 10 . First bracket  270  extends lengthwise of the gutter  212  from the C-bracket upper leg  228  to a front end that supports a second, vertical bracket  274  by a pair of fasteners  276 . Motor  251  is retained in a groove  275  cut into the top of the second bracket and bolted to the top of the second bracket  274 , hence obtaining a low profile wholly or partially within the gutter and remaining inconspicuous. Motor  251  comprises a reversible electric motor that may be activated from the ground using a remote switch and/or a transmitter. Motor  251  includes an output shaft  278  operably coupled to the pinion  280  of the rack and pinion assembly  220 . The output shaft  278  is configured to drive the pinion  280  along a rack  282  of the rack and pinion assembly  220 . 
     The rack  282  takes the form of a cantilevered bar that extends outwardly from an upper end of the soffit  224  in a shallow arc that generally matches the arc that the pinion  280  follows as the gutter dumps. The rack  282  has slots  284  formed through it that are engaged by teeth  286  on the periphery of the pinion  280 . The cantilevered nature of the rack  282  allows it to flex somewhat so as allow considerable tolerance of pinion positioning while still ensuring a meshing relationship of the teeth  286  and slots  284 . Still additional tolerance may, if desired by connecting pinion  282  to the underlying support by a hinge  288  that allows a limited degree of rack motion of, e.g., 5° to 15°. This additional tolerance ensures that the pinion will engage the outermost slot  284  in the rack  282  during the return stroke of the gutter assembly from its dumped position. In this embodiment, the hinge  288  is located between the bottom of a short vertical leg of the pinion  282  and an upper end of the L-bracket  222 . 
     As in the previous embodiment, an extendible flexible structure such as a rope or, more preferably, a strap  254  is provided that controls the rate of fall after the gutter  212  moves past its over-center position and that can be retracted upon the return stroke to return a dumped gutter to its upwardly facing position. The  254  strap has an outer end  292  fixed to the soffit  224  or other portion of the structure by a fastener  296  an inner end  298  ( FIG. 9 ) wound onto the shaft  278  adjacent the motor  251 . 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 11-13 , the operation of the present embodiment of the invention is illustrated. Referring initially to  FIG. 11 , the gutter  212  is shown in the initial, upwardly facing position. When it is desired to dump the contents of the gutter  212 , the user engages the motor  251  to begin the driving of the gutter  212  from its upright position to a dumped position. As the motor  251  drives the output shaft  278 , the pinion  280  is driven along the rack  282  thereby rotating the C-bracket  226  with respect to L-bracket  222 . Referring now to  FIG. 12 , the gutter  212  is shown in an over-center position as the pinion  280  has reached the end of the rack  282 . As in the previous embodiment, the over-center position is approximately 15 degrees. Turning now to  FIG. 13 , once the gutter  212  obtains the over-center position, the gutter  212  freely falls under gravity to a dumped position wherein the contents of the gutter  212  are dumped or may be easily removed by a user. The rate of the gutter&#39;s  212  fall is restrained by the flexible strap  254  to the rate of motor rotation. As in the previous embodiment, if the gutter  212  engages an obstruction such as a downspout as it falls, the gutter  212  simply rests against the obstruction. 
     To return the gutter  212  to its initial, upright position, the motor rotates in the opposite direction to wind the strap  254  back onto the shaft  278  until the gutter  212  again moves past its over-center position, whereupon the pinion  280  again engages the rack  282 . Continued rotation of the motor  251  drives the pinion  280  along the rack  282  toward the soffit  224  of the building  200 , thereby pivoting the C-bracket  226  back to its upwardly facing position of  FIG. 11  in which the gutter assembly rests securely on the L-brackets  222 . 
     Although the best mode contemplated by the inventors of carrying out the present invention is disclosed above, practice of the present invention is not limited thereto. It will be manifest that various additions, modifications and rearrangements of the aspects and features of the present invention may be made in addition to those described above without deviating from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept. The scope of some of these changes is discussed above. The scope of other changes to the described embodiments that fall within the present invention but that are not specifically discussed above will become apparent from the appended claims and other attachments.