Abstract:
A food breading machine includes a lowerable cage carrier grate of two grids between which the cutlet resides. The cage supports a meat, fish or vegetable cutlet thereon, which descends into a first basin having a bath of raw egg fluid. The egg saturated product is then lifted and horizontally rotated in a plane to an adjacent basin having bread crumbs. The device can have a manually rotatable knob at the top to control flipping, or it can be automated. A protective transparent domed hood is also included. The parts are disassembled so that they can be washed.

Description:
This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional application 60/436,801 filed Dec. 27, 2002. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to hygienic and ergonomic breading food breading machines. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Breaded food products such as meat cutlets or fish fillets are traditionally done manually by cutting the cutlets or fillets, then manually dipping them sequentially into separate pans of egg mixture and breaded granular particles. However, this is a tedious and arduous process. 
   On the other hand, in industry, complicated conveyor feed mechanisms introduce cutlets or fillets into dipping compartments on a scale that is impractical for household kitchen use. 
   Among related United States patents for industrial food breading machines include the following: 
   
     
       
             
           
             
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
             
             
               I U.S. Patents 
             
           
        
         
             
               U.S. Pat. Nos. 
               Date 
               Inventor 
               Class Sub Class 
             
             
                 
             
             
                 895,856 
               Aug. 11, 1908 
               Harton 
                 
             
             
               1,819,557 
               Aug. 18, 1931 
               H. T. Hunter 
             
             
               2,855,893 
               Oct. 14, 1958 
               F. W. Greer et al 
             
             
               3,547,075 
               Dec. 15, 1970 
               Johnson Sandusky 
               118/16  
             
             
               3,589,274 
               Jun. 29, 1971 
               Murray 
                99/349 
             
             
               3,735,726 
               May 29, 1973 
               Butler 
               118/24  
             
             
               3,739,743 
               Jun. 19, 1973 
               McKee Jr. 
               118/19  
             
             
               3,885,519 
               May 27, 1975 
               Orlowski 
               118/16  
             
             
               3,955,529 
               May 11, 1976 
               Reed 
               118/19  
             
             
               3,967,583 
               Jul. 06, 1976 
               Booth 
               118/16  
             
             
               4,385,420 
               May 31, 1983 
               Shelton 
               17/26 
             
             
               4,497,244 
               Feb. 05, 1985 
               Koppens 
                99/494 
             
             
               4,808,424 
               Feb. 28, 1989 
               Wadell 
               426/289 
             
             
               5,020,427 
               Jun. 04, 1991 
               Kennefick et al. 
                99/494 
             
             
               5,052,330 
               Oct. 01, 1991 
               Stacy 
               118/16  
             
             
               5,226,354 
               Jul. 13, 1993 
               Stewart 
                99/494 
             
             
               5,236,502 
               Aug. 17, 1993 
               Wadell 
               118/24  
             
             
               5,284,514 
               Feb. 08, 1994 
               Griffiths 
               118/23  
             
             
               5,463,938 
               Nov. 07, 1995 
               Sarukawa et al. 
                99/352 
             
             
               5,643,361 
               Jul. 01, 1997 
               Wadell 
               118/16  
             
             
               5,664,489 
               Sep. 09, 1997 
               Herrick, IV 
                99/494 
             
             
               5,924,356 
               Jul. 20, 1999 
               Harper et al. 
                99/494 
             
             
               5,939,116 
               Aug. 17, 1999 
               Ono 
               426/242 
             
             
               6,000,320 
               Dec. 14, 1999 
               Herrick, IV 
                99/494 
             
             
               6,214,403 B1 
               Apr. 10, 2001 
               Broberg et al. 
               426/549 
             
             
               6,238,281 B1 
               May 29, 2001 
               Gagliardi, Jr. 
               452/135 
             
             
               6,244,170 B1 
               Jun. 12, 2001 
               Whited et al. 
                99/494 
             
             
               6,269,739 B1 
               Aug. 07, 2001 
               Bettcher et al. 
                99/494 
             
             
               6,505,547 B1 
               Jan. 14, 2003 
               Burnett 
                99/494 
             
             
               6,513,450 B1 
               Feb. 04, 2003 
               Gore 
               118/13  
             
             
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   However, the aforementioned patents do not describe a domestic kitchen counter food breading machine for breading food products, such as cutlets, which includes a lowerable cage carrier grate of two grids, between which the cutlet resides, wherein the grate descends into a first basin having a bath of raw egg fluid, rotates and repeats that dipping process and wherein the egg saturated product is then lifted and horizontally rotated in a plane (parallel the plane of the table) to an adjacent basin having bread crumbs, wherein the food product within the grate is also dipped twice, to cover both sides of the cutlet with both egg product and breaded particulates. The prior art patents also do not describe a kitchen countertop food breading machine having a protective transparent domed hood. The prior art patents also do not describe a food breading machine wherein the parts are disassembled so that they can be individually washed and sanitized. 
   OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
   It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a breading machine which is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to use, and easy to clean effectively for domestic kitchen use. 
   Yet another object of the invention is to provide a breading machine which includes component parts which are efficient to ship, convenient to store, and sized to fit a sink and dishwasher. 
   Another object of the present invention is to eliminate the mess on a table or a countertop usually associated with the breading task. 
   Also an object of this invention is a breading machine which can be quickly assembled or knocked down into component parts. 
   A further object of this invention is to provide an ergonomic food breading machine. 
   Another object of this invention is to retard the growth of harmful bacteria such as salmonella in food breading operations in the domestic kitchen. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In keeping with these objects and others which may become apparent, the present invention is a table-top breading machine for coating a variety of food items with suitable breading granules which are adhered to a food item by an egg mixture or the like. 
   The breading machine coats a food product with a mixture of food particulate, such as bread or flour and a food liquid, such as egg fluid. 
   It includes a transparent cover, preferably a dome or other suitable geometric shape, enclosing a pair of trays mounted side by side. One of the trays contains the food liquid, such as eggs and one of said trays contains the food particulates, such as bread crumbs or flour particles. 
   A slidable and rotatable vertical middle armature member supports a carrier grate, which passes between the trays, between a resting position prior to use and a lowered position during use. 
   The carrier grate extends from, and is mounted on, one side of the vertical armature member. Before use, the carrier grate is located in a resting position above the two trays. The carrier grate is rotated axially in a horizontal plane, between a first position, where the carrier grate is above one of the trays, and a second position where the carrier grate is above the second of the trays. 
   The carrier grate supports a solid food product to be breaded with a mixture of the food liquid, such as eggs, and the food particulates, such as bread crumbs or flour particles. 
   The vertical member may be depressed and retracted, thereby causing the carrier grate, having the solid food product mounted therein, to dip the solid food product, such as a veal cutlet or fish fillet, into one of the trays to be coated by the food liquid tray. The vertical middle armature member rotates vertically in an axial direction, to place the carrier grate above the other of the trays. This allows the carrier grate to be lowered into the other bread crumb or flour tray, to coat the food product with the food particulates. 
   In addition, the vertical middle armature member has a sub-component to flip and rotate the carrier grate 180 degrees, about a horizontal axis, to allow another side of the food product to be coated in turn with the food liquid tray and the food particulate tray. 
   For example, the carrier grate may be rotated by a second member which is attached to the vertically rotatable member and which is in communication with a shaft to the carrier grate, whereby the rotation of the shaft by the second member causes rotation of the carrier grate about a horizontal axis. 
   While other configurations may apply, in one embodiment, the rotating vertical middle armature member may be an upstanding tube, which extends up out of the transparent cover through an opening, with a rotatable handle at an upper end also having a push button thereon, which is connected to a mechanism to convert linear movement to rotational movement, such as a gear rack. This causes the carrier grate (with the food product inside) to flip upside down, so that both sides of the food product can be coated in either tray. 
   The middle armature of the breading machine may have such a movable gear rack within the outer tube to rotate the grate. In such a case, an elongated slot is provided in the outer tube, with an edge of the slot being formed into the gear rack. An inner tube is slidable within the outer tube, and the inner tube has a shaft extending out through the slot of the outer tube. An end of the shaft outside of the middle armature is attached to the carrier grate and another end of the shaft is within the outer tube, and in one embodiment has a pinion engaged with the gear rack, so that sliding of the inner tube within the outer tube causes the shaft and grate to rotate 180 degrees. 
   In operation, a food product is coated and breaded with a mixture of the food liquid and the food particulates. First, the food liquid and the food particulates are placed separately into a pair of the trays, respectively, which are mounted side by side. The user engages the slidable and rotatable vertical member between the two trays. The grate extends from, and is mounted on, one side of the vertical member, and the carrier is located above one of the trays. Next, a food product is attached on the carrier grate, and coated with a mixture of the food liquid and the food particulates. The vertical middle armature member is pushed downwardly until the carrier grate and the food product therein contact either the food liquid such as eggs, or the food particulate such as bread crumbs or flour, within one of the two trays. 
   The carrier grate is first rotated about a horizontal axis to be dipped on both sides. 
   Then, the carrier grate is rotated about a vertical axis until the grate is above the other tray. 
   In one embodiment, the tubular vertical member is pushed downwardly until the carrier grate and the food product contacts the other tray with the food particulate. The vertical member is retracted up. 
   After the food product is both coated with eggs and with bread crumbs or flour, the food product is removed from the carrier grate and is replaced with another food product to be coated. 
   The food breading machine can be shipped, stored and cleaned with ease. Also, the use of the vertical member for both dipping and flipping the food product eliminates the need for complex mechanisms, and multiple complex hinged doors on covers. These features minimize bacteria-holding nooks and crannies for growth and reduce manufacturing cost. These knock-down features, which can be quickly reassembled, also differentiate the present invention from the prior art. 
   Concerning materials for the transparent domed cover, while other see-through configurations are foreseeable, in a preferred embodiment, the transparent dome shaped cover is preferably made of either a transparent polycarbonate or an acrylic molding. 
   For sanitary reasons, the manufacture of the breading machine is of several separate parts, which are easy to ship and to clean. The preferred method of manufacture of the base is by injection molding of a food-grade plastic resin. Judicious partitioning and knockdown interlocks easily and quickly accomplish these operations. 
   Once the cutlet or fillet is breaded, it can be unloaded from the carrier grate completely unencumbered by the transparent dome. The dome prevents any mess from the ingredients and offers protection from overhead contamination during preparation. The lower base section catches any drips or debris during unloading. 
   The carrier grate is attached in a swivel fashion to the middle vertical armature for both vertical dipping, 180 degree axial rotation for re-dipping on another side, and 360 degree planar rotation from one side of the dome to the other side. 
   For commercial use such as in a restaurant or catering kitchen, a somewhat larger version of the breading machine of this invention can be used. However, with extended use, the liquid egg mixture pan is removable for quick cleaning or replacement with a clean one. Eggs often harbor salmonella bacteria, and if kept at room temperature for an extended period could be a source of contamination. 
   In an alternate embodiment, the operation of flipping or turning over food holder grate is motorized to make the manual operation of the breading machine more streamlined and efficient. In this embodiment, a motorized rotator is provided. A rotator, such as an elastomeric timing belt, can be used to engage a carrier grate rotating gear. The motorized rotator is assembled on a molded chassis of a semi-resilient material, such as, for example, plastic resin, such as nylon, which is dishwasher safe. The drive mechanism may include a housing combining a switch activated motor, such as, for example, a permanent magnet DC gearmotor with a snap-action switch and two short gimbal shafts, which can snap into holes in gimbal brackets. A switch actuator arm turns the motor on when a force is exerted by contact with a pulley on a belt, which rides on smooth crowned drive and idler pulleys. The rotator rotates slightly on gimbal shafts to force a switch actuator. A belt is slipped over the pulleys and the motorized rotator has motor/switch modules prewired via a cable to a wall-mount AC to DC power supply. The rotator gear starts the motor, which moves the belt and flips the carrier grate. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention can best be understood in conjunction with the drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the breading machine of this invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of the breading machine of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the breading machine of  FIG. 1 ; and, 
       FIG. 4  is a side cross-sectional view of an operating mechanism of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 . 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a food breading machine; 
       FIG. 6  is a detailed exploded view of the invention according to the embodiment of  FIG. 5 ; and 
       FIG. 7  is a detail exploded view of a component of the current invention, according to the embodiment in  FIG. 5 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   One embodiment  100  of this breading machine is shown in the perspective view of  FIG. 1 , as well as the side view of  FIG. 2  and the top view of  FIG. 3 . Breading machine  100  includes molded base shell  2 , domed transparent cover  1  with doors, such as sliding doors  3  and  4 , egg mixture tray  5 , and bread crumb tray  6 . 
   Base shell  2  and domed cover  1 , which fits over it, can be molded of the same transparent resin such as acrylic or polycarbonate. 
   While cover  1  shows a dome with flat sliding doors  3  and  4 , it is known that access to the interior may be of other configurations, such as by one or more flat or hinged doors. In addition, the dome itself could be bifurcated in two split parts, such as semi-spherical cover portions  203  and  204 , shown in the embodiment of  FIGS. 5 and 6 . While semi-spherical parts  203  and  204  may be fixedly attached to a base shell, such as base shell  202  or other base shells, they can also be removably attached by other fasteners to a base shell. 
   Further with respect to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 , mechanism armature  7 , preferably tubular, extends vertically upward and is rigidly attached to the center of the base  2 . Trays  5  and  6  are attached to armature  7 . 
   A main operating armature  8  fits coaxially within the armature  7  and extends beyond doors  3  and  4 , which have semicircular holes at their contact center to accommodate such penetration. 
   A rigid food carrier grate  11  is pivotally attached to the main operating armature  8  such that it is able to be rotated or “flipped”. Knob  9  is used to rotate carrier grate  11  laterally, to align it with either the egg tray  5  or the crumb tray  6 . Knob  9  may additionally be used to control the dipping process. Grate  11  has an openable, preferably removable and flexible, grate cover section  12  which is of similar size to grate  11 , and which attaches to grate  11  via fasteners, such as, for example integral spring clips (not shown) to hold food items to be breaded of varying thicknesses. 
   A small knob  10  atop tube  25 , which is coaxially within the main operating armature  8 , is used for the grate flipping operation. 
   The operation involves the steps of first filling tray  5  with egg mixture and tray  6  with a bread or flour crumb mixture. Then, the flexible carrier grate cover  12  is opened from a rigid lower section of grate  11 , to permit the food to be breaded to be placed upon the carrier grate  11 , and then is locked in place by re-attaching the flexible grate  12  over it. The knob  9  is rotated in a direction  17  to place grate  11  squarely over tray  5 . Then knob  9  is pressed downward in the direction  16  to dip the grate  11  into the egg mixture. 
   Both trays  5  and  6  preferably have slots with self-sealing flexible lip seals (not shown) at the center of their proximal vertical sides to permit the grate pivot shaft to travel down beyond the edge of the trays, without spilling contents therefrom. 
   Upon release of the knob  9 , grate  11  rises by a force, such as a spring force from spring  28  within vertical armature  7 , and the knob  10  attached to tube  25  is pressed or pulled up in direction  18  a short distance, until grate  11  is flipped 180 degrees. 
   At this time knob  9  is pressed downward again to dunk the opposite side in the egg mixture. Upon release, the knob  9  is rotated either clockwise or counterclockwise until grate  11  is now over crumb tray  6 . Then the dunking and flipping motions as in the egg tray situation are repeated to coat both sides with crumbs. Thereafter the door  3  is slid open in the direction  15  to retrieve the breaded food items. Access to egg tray  5  is achieved by sliding door  4  open in a direction  14 . 
   The mechanism to achieve these operating steps is revealed in the side cross-section of  FIG. 4 . The up and down movement of the main operating armature  8  within base armature  7  is mediated by return spring  28  within base armature  7 , which impinges upon and supports the sealed bottom of main operating armature  8 . Tube  18  (within main operating armature  8 ) preferably has a cutout  29 , with gear rack  27  on one side. This engages pinion gear  26 , which is rigidly attached to the support shaft of grate  11 . Then as knob  10  is moved up or down relative to knob  9 , it is understood that gear  26  will rotate, thereby causing grate  11  to flip over. 
   In  FIG. 5 , a working perspective drawing illustrates the present invention according to an alternative embodiment of the current invention. Base shell  202  provides an enclosure for the operating mechanisms and prevents baking goods from splattering. A dome formed by domed cover portion  203  and domed cover portion  204  may be of a transparent material as described herein, enclosing the operating mechanisms as to prevent splattering and the possible spread of salmonella and other food related diseases. Domed cover portions  203  and  204  may slide closed, meeting at the centerline of the invention, such that the semi-spherical cutaways  201  allow for the protrusion of the tube  208 . The fastening mechanism may comprise hinges or other fasteners, which allow for the removal of the domed cover portions  203  and  204  from base shell  202  for the purpose of conventionally washing. 
   The domed cover portions  203  and  204  may be attached fixedly or removably to base shell  202 . Alternatively, the domed cover may be continuous, such shown as domed cover  2  in  FIGS. 1–3 , and thus be removable from base shell  2  by simply sliding upward in conjunction with a locking means. Other transparent geometric forms can be used to cover trays  205  and  206 . 
     FIG. 6  illustrates a detailed perspective drawing of the alternate embodiment of the current invention. Similar to the preferred embodiment of  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the alternate embodiment includes a molded base shell  202 , domed transparent cover  201  with domed cover portions  203  and  204  functioning as doors, providing access to egg mixture tray  205  and bread crumb tray  206 . 
   Base shell  202 , preferably round in geometry, and domed cover  201 , which fits over it, can be molded of the same transparent resin such as acrylic or polycarbonate. 
   Lower base armature  207 , preferably tubular, is rigidly attached to the center of the base shell  202 . Trays  205  and  206  may be part of base shell  202 , or may be attached to armature  207  by a removable means, such as a tongue and groove combination or simply by corresponding slots or keyholes. A spring  228  is placed in communication with the inside perimeter of the armature  207 . 
   A main operating mid armature tube  208  fits coaxially within the lower base armature  207 , and extends beyond dome cover portion doors  203  and  204 , which have semicircular cutaways at their contact center to accommodate such penetration. The main operating mid armature tube  208  is free to rotate axially and free to move upwards and downwards upon applied pressure, and against the effective pressure of the spring  228  being in a state of compression. A slit  240  extends horizontally from the side of the tube  208  to a point past the center point of the mid armature tube  208 . The slit  240  is tapered, forming a lock-in section for receipt of a horizontally-extending axle  244  supporting open walled food grate  212 . Two stops  271  may extend horizontally and opposing from two points on the armature tube  208  below slit  240 . The stops  271  act to prevent free rotation. Rigid food carrier support  212  may be removably attached to mid armature tube  208  by insertion of the axle  244  into the slit  240  of mid armature  208  such that the food carrier support  212  is locked in place as to prevent lateral movement, but free to rotate, thus being in rotational communication with mid armature tube  208 . 
     FIG. 6  also shows food carrier  212  and food carrier support axle  244  as in  FIG. 5 . The axle  244  comprises shaft  270  and a pinion  246  rigidly attached to the shaft  270 . The pinion  246  of axle  244  is also in communication with rack  272  of tube  225 , to permit rotation of food grate  212 . 
   Knob  209  is used to rotate food carrier  211  horizontally with respect to the mid armature tube  208 , to align it with either the egg tray  205  or the crumb tray  206 . Food carrier  212  has a removable flexible grate cover section  266  which is of similar size and attaches to food carrier  212  via fasteners  268 , such as, for example integral spring clips (not shown) to hold food items to be breaded of varying thickness&#39;. 
   A small knob  210  atop upper armature tube  225 , which is coaxially within mid armature tube  208 , is used for the food carrier  212  flipping operation. 
   The operation involves the steps of first filling egg tray  205  with egg mixture and crumb tray  206  with a bread or flour crumb particulate mixture. Then the flexible grate cover section  266  is detached from a rigid section of grate  212  to permit the food to be breaded to be placed upon the food carrier  212  and then is locked in place by re-attaching the grate section  266  over grate  212 . The knob  209  is rotated in a horizontal direction  217 , to place food carrier  211  squarely over food tray  205 . Then knob  209  is pressed downward, in the direction  218 , to dip the food carrier  211  into the egg mixture. The grate  212  may be rotated in the vertical plane by means of pinion  246  engaging rack  272  of upper armature  225 . Upper armature tube  225  (within mid armature tube  208 ) has a cutout, with gear rack  272  on one side. This engages pinion gear  246 , which is rigidly attached to the axle  244  of food support carrier  212 . Then as knob  210  is moved up or down relative to knob  209 , it is understood that pinion  246  will rotate, thereby causing food carrier  212  to flip over. 
   Both trays  205  and  206  may optionally have slots with self-sealing flexible lip seals (not shown) at the center of their proximal vertical sides to permit the grate pivot shaft  244  to travel down beyond the edge of the trays  205  and  206 , without spilling contents. 
   Upon release of the knob  209 , food carrier  211  rises by a force, such as a spring force of spring  228 . Then the small knob  210  is pressed or pulled up in directions  218  a short distance until food carrier  211  is flipped over 180 degrees. 
   Subsequently, knob  209  is pressed again to dunk the opposite side in the egg mixture. Upon release, knob  209  is rotated either clockwise or counterclockwise until food carrier  212  is now moved horizontally over crumb tray  206 . Then, the dunking and flipping motions as in the egg tray situation are repeated to coat both sides with crumbs. Thereafter, the semi-spherical door  203  is slid open to retrieve the breaded food items. Access to egg tray  205  is achieved by sliding door  204  open. 
     FIG. 7  shows an alternate embodiment for the operation of food carrier  300 , wherein rigid food carrier grate  313  is pivotally attached to the armature  308  such that it is able to be rotated or “flipped”. Carrier  300  has a pair of removable flexible grate sections  317 . Armature  308  preferably has a cutout  340 , for entry of pinion  346  of food carrier  300  therein, to engage a gear rack (not shown) within armature  308 . 
   Slit  340  extends horizontally from the side of the tube  308  to a point past the center point of the tube  308 . The slit  340  is tapered, forming a lock-in section for receipt of an axle  344  supporting food grate  212 . Two stops  310  may extend horizontally and opposing from two points on the armature tube  308  below slit  340 . The stops  310  act to prevent free rotation. Rigid food carrier support  313  may be removably attached to armature tube  308  by insertion of the axle  344  into the slit  340  such that the food carrier support  313  is locked in place as to prevent lateral movement, but free to rotate, thus in rotational communication with tube  308 . 
     FIG. 7  also shows axle  344  comprising a pinion  346 , rigidly attached to shaft  345 . The pinion  346  of axle  344  is also in communication with a rack, such as rack  272  of  FIG. 6 , to permit rotation of food grate  313 . Food is placed within carrier grate  313 . 
   Axle  344  is connected to supports  318  of grates  313 , which are opposite outer supports  319 , connected by side walls  314  to supports  318 . The side walls  314  and  315  of the food carrier  313  also have a first set of vertical slits  316  which align with the second set of vertical slits  317  of the food carrier support  313 . A pin  320  is inserted through both sets of slits, thereby movably connecting food carrier  313  to supports  318  and  319 . In this fashion, the food carrier is capable of sliding vertically relative to the supports  318 , 319  under the force of gravity. In so, the food carrier is biased to submerge into either the fluid tray or the particulate tray as opposed to remaining in a fixed position (relative to the supports) inhibiting the ability for the tray  300  to undergo a dipping process resulting in an effective coating of food matter. This pin and slit mechanism may also be incorporated into the food carrier embodiment of  FIG. 1  or  FIG. 5  without the loss of design characteristics previously mentioned or the addition of characteristics not mentioned. For example the supports  314 ,  315  as shown in  FIG. 7  may easily be reconstructed to fit the perimeter of the semi-circular food carrier  212  of  FIG. 6 . The axle  244  would then be in rigid connection with the supports in place of the food carrier  212  directly. The food carrier  212  would alternatively be in movable communication with the support system of the pin and slit mechanism mentioned herein. 
   In the foregoing description, certain terms and visual depictions are used to illustrate the preferred embodiment. However, no unnecessary limitations are to be construed by the terms used or illustrations depicted, beyond what is shown in the prior art, since the terms and illustrations are exemplary only, and are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention. 
   It is further known that other modifications may be made to the present invention, without departing the scope of the invention, as noted in the appended Claims.