Method and apparatus for preventing crawling insects or other crawling pests from gaining access to plants

An insect or pest preventer for preventing crawling insects or pests from reaching plants, trees or attractant supporting structures such as plant tables, picnic tables, etc. A combination of -tactic, ultraviolet light and other barriers are positioned with respect to the path of travel of the insect.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for preventing access to 
plants, trees, or tables or susceptible sections of plants or trees by 
crawling insects or other crawling pests. More particularly, this 
invention relates to a method and apparatus for preventing crawling 
insects or other crawling pests from crawling to attractant supporting 
sections of structures such as a table or a flower pot support by imposing 
a barrier which will disrupt the pests' navigation and orientation 
mechanisms. The invention further relates to a method and apparatus for 
preventing crawling insects or other crawling pests from gaining access to 
susceptible sections of plants, trees or tables. 
At the present time, the most common method for preventing crawling insects 
or other crawling pests from damaging plants or trees is to apply 
chemicals which may be poisonous to or around the plants or trees. Such 
chemicals may have adverse environmental impacts and may not be suitable 
for use with plants or tree products which will eventually become 
foodstuffs. Additionally, the effective period of such chemicals is 
usually limited necessitating repeated application of chemicals. 
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a physical 
barrier to crawling insects or other crawling pests. This barrier has 
members arranged in a particular manner which prevent crawling insects and 
other crawling pests from reaching the table, the plant, the food stuff 
growing on a tree, a plant, the attractant support mechanism or the 
susceptible area of a plant or tree in the case of an accessible plant or 
tree. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide unobtrusive 
devices that are relatively inexpensive, easy to install, easy to include 
in the manufacture of a plant support, quick to maintain, and 
environmentally safe, while having physical and other barriers for 
preventing crawling insects and other crawling pests from reaching a 
table, a plant, a tree or a susceptible section of a plant or tree. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide an assembly which may be 
added to an attractant support mechanism either when manufactured or as a 
subsequent addition to the support or as an integral portion of a support 
mechanism at the time the support is manufactured. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus 
which prevents crawling insects and other crawling pests from access to a 
plant, tree, table, or a susceptible section of a plant or tree which has 
minimal effect on the plant or tree. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
These and other objects of the invention are achieved by an assembly which 
may be manufactured as an integral part of or securely bonded to an 
attractant support structure, or may be secured to a plant or tree between 
a susceptible area of the plant or tree and a section of the plant or tree 
to which crawling insects or other crawling pests may have access. Several 
embodiments of the invention may be applied to different attractant 
support structures or plants. The assembly includes an inner wall which 
provides a pathway leading from the lower part of the support and/or plant 
toward an upper edge of the inner wall. A physical obstacle wall extends 
downward from the upper edge and cooperates with the inner wall to provide 
multiple -tactic, stereokinetic, elevation topographic, electrical impulse 
sensing, heat sensing, olfactory sensing and ultraviolet light barriers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIG. 1, a preclusion barrier 10 surrounds the trunk of a tree 
for preventing insects or other crawling pests from reaching the trunk, 
leaves, fruit bearing, and/or nut bearing canopy of the tree. The barrier 
is of a size to closely conform to the outer surface of the tree trunk and 
to prevent passage of insects or other crawling pests between barrier 10 
and the tree. The barrier is secured to the tree by conventional means 
fixing the barrier at a distance above the ground sufficient to prevent 
circumvention of the barrier through debris which may be deposited at the 
base of the tree. A filler or bonding agent may be applied between the 
barrier 10 and the tree to prevent crawling insects from traveling between 
the barrier inner wall and the tree. 
As shown in FIG. 2, an attractant supporting structure, such as a plant 
table 16, includes a flat top surface for supporting flower pots, potted 
plants or edible material. Such a structure may be used in greenhouses, in 
plant shops, picnic tables, etc. Leg guard barriers 12 are secured to each 
of legs 14, for preventing crawling pests from reaching the top surface of 
structure 16. Leg barriers 12 are affixed to legs 14 at a distance above 
the floor or ground to prevent circumvention of the barrier by articles 
which may be placed against the legs 14 of structure 16. A filler or 
bonding agent may be applied between barriers 12 and legs 14 if necessary 
to prevent insects from crawling between the inner wall of the barrier and 
the leg. 
As shown in FIG. 3, an attractant supporting structure 22 includes a top 
guard barrier 24 located at the peripheral edge of the top of structure 
22. Top guard barrier 24 may be manufactured as an integral part of the 
top of structure 22 or may be manufactured as a separate item which is 
affixed to the peripheral edge of the structure top. Structure top barrier 
24 forms a continuous loop following the entire periphery of the top of 
structure 22. 
As shown in FIG. 4, a flower pot 26 includes a holder or guard 28 which 
carries a barrier 38 located at the periphery of the guard. As shown in 
FIG. 5, flower pot guard 28 includes a base support 42 which supports 
flower pot 26. Flower pot guard 28 has a physical barrier 38 formed at the 
periphery of the flower pot guard. Flower pot guard 28 has ridges 32 
extending from support base 42 of flower pot guard 28. A water hole 44 is 
formed in the bottom of the flower pot allowing water to run through the 
pot and collect in guard 28. A plurality of circular ridges 32 are formed 
on base support 42 and serve to support flower pot 26. Pot 26 may merely 
rest on ridges 32 and need not be fixed thereto. FIGS. 1 through 5 
illustrate embodiments of a crawling pest preclusion barrier adapted to 
prevent damage or infestation to plants, trees, or edible items by 
crawling pests. The present invention may be understood from a description 
of the structure and function common to all embodiments of the invention. 
Referring to FIG. 6, a barrier 15 is shown which may be used as barriers 
10, 12, 24, 38. Barrier 15 includes an outer obstacle wall 39, which 
cooperates with a side wall 20 to form a partially enclosed barrier area 
45, which prevents crawling insects and other crawling pests from gaining 
access to outer surface 41 of obstacle wall 39. A plate member 18 extends 
from side wall 20 generally in the direction of obstacle wall 39. Plate 
member 18 approaches obstacle wall 39 to a distance not less than X. 
Barrier 15 is positioned such that crawling pests must first encounter 
barrier 15 at plate member 18. Distance X is of sufficient magnitude to 
prevent the crawling pests from physically reaching obstacle wall 39 from 
plate member 18. Surfaces 18A, 18B, 17A and 17 provide a first pathway 
which is the sole pathway for crawling pests to reach the protected plant, 
plant section, tree, or attractant. The first pathway leads to a second 
pathway formed by surfaces 35a, 47, 42 and 41. The first and second 
pathways connect in tandem and form a pathway which must be used by the 
crawling pest to reach the ridge 35 and subsequently, the attractant 
supporting section of the structure or the susceptible region of the 
plant, tree, or attractant supporting structure. 
The spacing between inside surface 47 of the outer obstacle wall 39 and the 
outer surface 17 of side wall 20, must not be too small. As shown in FIG. 
6, surface 47 is spaced from surface 17 by a maximum distance Z, and a 
minimum distance Y. Distance Z must be as large or larger than X, so that 
the crawling pest will be required to travel between the two surfaces 47 
and 17 as it makes its upward climb along surface 17. 
As the insect reaches point 113 on surface 17, it is at a point 
approximately X distance from obstacle wall 39. The crawling pest must 
travel at least between top surface 17A and point 113 before it can reach 
over to surface 47 of outer obstacle wall 39. This distance from top 
surface 17A to point 113 must be sufficient to draw the crawling pest into 
the barrier area 45 between walls 20 and 39 so that one or more of the 
following conditions occur: 1) the crawling pests' -tactic responses will 
be confused, 2) the insect elevation topographic sensing capabilities 
become disoriented, 3) the insect electrical impulse sensing (seeking) 
capabilities become less effective, 4) the insect heat sensing (seeking) 
capabilities become less effective 5) the intensity of the ultraviolet 
light becomes insufficient for navigation and orientation purposes by the 
crawling pest, and 6) the insect olfactory sensing capabilities will 
become confused. For example, with the distance X equal to three-eighths 
inches, point 113 should be approximately one and one-half inches from top 
surface 17A of plate member 18 if the barrier is installed with plate 
member 18 in a horizontal position. However, this distance will vary with 
the angle of the installation with respect to the horizontal as well as 
the distance the device is mounted above ground. 
In use, the crawling pest preclusion barrier is installed in one or more of 
the support structure, plant, or tree regions shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4 
and 5. The barrier 15 1) creates a mechanical barrier or maze which 
disturbs or disorients the crawling pests foraging activity; 2) increases 
the crawling pests Area Restricted Search (ARS) time making homing 
orientation more time consuming for a forager that may have reached the 
barrier; 3) disrupts communication among crawling pests during the 
organization phase of the cooperative search and foraging; 4) creates an 
open space (X) that exceeds the combined body and leg length of the 
crawling pest to be precluded which a) prevents the pest from "pulling 
itself up" from plate 18 onto wall 39, and b) prevent circumventing the 
barrier by the building of a structure by the crawling pest; 5) disrupts 
the trail pheromones of various crawling pests that may have reached the 
attractant supporting structure region of a structure or susceptible 
region of a plant or tree which is protected by the barrier, and may have 
jumped from obstacle wall 39 to plate member 18; and 6) attenuates the 
ultraviolet light used for navigation and orientation by crawling pests. 
Crawling insects or other crawling pests search for food, shelter or other 
desired objects in several modes: Area Restricted Search, olfaction, heat 
sensing (seeking) capabilities, electrical impulse sensing (seeking) 
capabilities, trail pheromones, visual cues and numerous sensorial 
modalities. Crawling insects or other crawling pests may initially locate 
food or other some other objective by some combination of Area Restricted 
Search, vision, odor, heat sensing and/or electrical sensing modes in 
combination with the highly developed internal topographic map developed 
using multiple sensorial modalities and polarized or unpolarized 
ultraviolet light from natural or artificial sources. Once the food or 
other desired objective is discovered, a trail pheromone may be deposited 
by the successful forager as it returns to home (nest). Some portion of an 
insect's colony may follow the trail pheromone to the source of the food 
or other objective. The mechanical barriers of the present invention 
disrupt and/or disorient the crawling pests' foraging activities. 
The mechanical barrier disrupts or disorients foraging activity in a 
multiplicity of ways. Crawling insects may have -tactic responses. A taxis 
is a reflexive or orientation movement by insects in relation to a source 
of stimulation. Example taxes are photo (light), thigmo (contact, 
especially with a solid object), geo (gravity), etc. Taxes may be used 
individually (one at a time), concurrently (more than one at a time), 
serially (one after another), and most taxes may be either positive or 
negative. Insects may switch taxes rapidly and they may switch from 
positive to negative or vice versa, rapidly. The use of taxes by insects 
may vary with either or both the environmental states and/or current 
states of the insect. Given this, obstacle wall 39 shades the outer 
surface 17 of the pest preclusion device side wall 20 and barrier area 45 
from light rays, as represented by light rays 51 and 53 in FIG. 6. As 
shown in FIG. 6, a shadow 55 appears on member 18, 20 and pathway 17a 
beneath obstacle wall 39. The intensity of light within barrier area 45 is 
typically lower than the intensity of light outside the barrier due to the 
shading of light by wall 39. 
If the insect is currently utilizing only its positive phototactic response 
mode, that is, it prefers to move toward light rather than away from 
light, as the insect moves along pathway 17A of plate member 18, it moves 
into the shadow 55 (FIG. 6) cast by obstacle wall 39. The shadow deters 
the insect from entering the barrier area 45 between the obstacle wall and 
side walls 20. However, if the insect begins to climb the outer surface or 
pathway 17 of outer wall 20 to enter the barrier area 45, the insect 
approaches a progressively darker area within the barrier area 45. The 
insects' response tendency may be to make a positive phototactic choice 
and exit barrier area 45 back towards the light. 
If the insect does not retreat back down outer surface 17, it will climb 
outer surface 17 of side wall 20 towards ridge 35. When the insect reaches 
surface 35A, it places itself in a position where all choices of further 
movement are positively phototactic. If the insect is in either a negative 
phototactic response mode, or alternating between positive and negative 
phototactic response modes, barrier area 45 would disorient or disrupt 
foraging and search activity. If the insect is currently or serially 
utilizing other tactic response modes, the disorientation/disruption would 
become more severe. For example, if the objective was initially located 
through olfactory senses, the insect would utilize, among other, the 
geotactic response mode to establish an elevation topographic reference 
point. If the insect was concurrently operating in a negative thigmotactic 
response mode, it would not climb surface 17 of side wall 20 when it was 
encountered. If it switched to a positive thigmotactic response mode, it 
would climb surface 17 of side wall 20. As it climbed surface 17, the 
olfactory responses would diminish as it entered barrier area 45. Since it 
was previously operating either concurrently or serially in a geotactic 
response mode, it would receive conflicting stimuli. That is, the 
olfactory modality indicated the presence of a food supply or other 
objective. As the insect climbs surface 17 to approach the area which the 
olfactory sense identified, the geotactic response mode would provide 
positive reinforcement while the olfactory modality would provide negative 
reinforcement. The result would be disorientation of the insect. The 
insect would then switch -tactic responses to provide clarification. For 
example, it could switch to positive and/or negative phototactic response 
modes. If it were positive, and switched to a negative phototactic 
response, it would again become disoriented when it reached surface 35A. 
When all choices of movement would be phototactically positive. If it 
switched to a positive phototactic response mode, at that point, it would 
most likely return from its original direction back down surface 17. 
Barrier area 45 effectively disorients the insects' combined sensorial 
modalities, and -tactic responses. The insects' heat sensing (seeking) 
responses and the electrical impulse sensing (seeking) responses would be 
affected similarly to the olfactory responses. 
Referring to FIG. 7, insects utilize the ultraviolet portion of the light 
spectrum for navigation and orientation with respect to food, water, 
shelter and other objectives of importance. Ultraviolet light sources may 
be natural or artificial and are used by insects twenty-four hours a day 
in any type of weather, unless the insects are under a barrier that 
effectively blocks ultraviolet light, such as metal. Barrier area 45 
attenuates the intensity of the ultraviolet spectrum by absorption, 
reflection and light scattering. The ultraviolet spectrum loses its 
ability to provide navigation and orientation cues when it drops below a 
specified intensity level. Barrier area 45 effectively attenuates the 
ultraviolet light so that insects become disoriented when it is no longer 
effective for orientation or navigation. When disorientation occurs, the 
insect attempts to remove itself from barrier area 45 in order to regain 
the ultraviolet navigation and orientation spectrum. The point at which 
the insect loses its ability to navigate by ultraviolet light is variable, 
depending on: 1) the intensity of the ultraviolet light source (e.g., 
sun's ultraviolet is more intense than moon's ultraviolet source), 2) the 
color and composition of plate member 18, pathway 17 and 17A, 3) the 
coarseness or smoothness of pathway 17 and pathway 17A and plate member 18 
and 4) the color, composition and material of the insect preclusion 
barrier. Each of these four factors affect the degree of absorption, 
reflection and light scattering of ultraviolet light. Therefore, point 113 
in FIG. 7 should be located at a point where the ultraviolet light has 
attenuated to a level sufficient to confuse the insects' navigation and 
orientation systems. 
Referring to FIG. 7, ray 121 representative of ultraviolet light of a 
certain intensity radiates as shown by arrows into barrier area 45. The 
intensity of ray 121 is represented by its thickness. At points A, B, C, 
and D, the intensity of the ultraviolet light ray 121 is attenuated due 
to: 1) absorption; 2) light scattering; and 3) reflection. Point D is the 
location of point 113 in FIG. 6. 
Stereokinesis is an undirected movement which occurs when a crawling insect 
encounters an orthogonal surface such as sidewall 20 or the interior ridge 
surface 35A. Specifically the response mode of the insect when it 
encounters a circular or straight surface which is orthogonal to its 
direction of movement is that it chooses to follow the new surface 
structure rather than climb the route of the vertical wall. The 
stereokinetic response mode effect in conjunction with the disruption of 
the -tactic response modes and disruption and attenuation of the 
ultraviolet light sources used for navigation produce disorientation in 
the insect. 
The preceding illustration may be expanded to the extent of the statistical 
permutations of the combined sensorial modalities, -tactic responses, 
stereokinetic movements of the insect, and the degree of attenuation of 
the ultraviolet light used by the insects to navigate and to orient 
itself. 
A search mode used by crawling insects is Area Restricted Search (ARS). 
Several methods of foraging or search activity exists within ARS; however, 
the design of the various embodiments has the same affect on all forms of 
ARS. Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the affect is that it increases search 
time through the use of surfaces 17A, 17, 35A and surface 47 as opposed to 
a single exterior surface. The distance travelled in foraging activity is 
approximately three times further in the illustrated embodiment. The 
increased ARS time makes homing orientation for the crawling insect more 
time consuming which puts it at a comparative time disadvantage with 
competing foragers. 
In addition to the ARS time disadvantages created by the present invention, 
a forager that does reach the plant, susceptible section of the plant, or 
other attractant has a second disadvantage. When the insect's objective is 
discovered, it may deposit a trail pheromone which is volatile. Trail 
pheromones are specific scents used as a communication method to indicate 
the presence of a food or other objective that is desired by the rest of 
the colony. A portion of the colony subsequently follows the trail 
pheromone. Because of the increased time for homing due to surfaces 17A, 
17, 35A and 47, the volatile characteristic of the deposited trail 
pheromones will produce three affects: a weaker odor (trail pheromone) 
signifying an unimportant food or objective source; no odor (pheromone) 
indicating no food or objective source; and/or a trail pheromone that, 
when compared to the trail pheromones of other foragers which have 
discovered an objective at approximately the same time, is comparatively 
uninteresting with respect to locating the objective source. Disruption of 
the communication process described above during the organization phase of 
cooperative search and foraging is known to be very dysfunctional to 
successfully accessing an objective source by a colony of crawling 
insects. The organization phase refers to the recruiting of harvesters by 
the foragers. 
As described above distance X is greater than the combined length of the 
legs and body of a crawling pest. The crawling pest is prevented from 
pulling itself up from plate member 18 to obstacle wall 39. Should a 
crawling pest reach an area above ridge 35 in an attractant supporting 
region of a structure or a susceptible region of a plant, or tree, the 
insect may begin to deposit a trail pheromone on surface 41 of obstacle 
wall 39 as it leaves the desired objective. When the insect reaches the 
bottom of obstacle wall 39 (FIGS. 6 and 7); it may elect to "jump" to 
upper surface 17A of plate member 18. In that event, the trail pheromone 
will not be continuous. The forager will return to home and a portion of 
the colony will follow the trail pheromone to the point of discontinuity. 
The insects' access to the objective will be precluded because a 
continuous trail of pheromone does not exist. 
Since insects may use air borne scents to discover food, once the insect is 
within barrier area 45 between obstacle wall 39 and side wall 20, scent 
from the food is not as potent thereby creating confusion to this 
sensorial capability. The scent travels around obstacle wall 39 and enters 
the barrier area 45 from the plate member or outside. This directs the 
insect to return to pathway 17A and to exist barrier area 45 rather than 
continuing the food search within the barrier area. 
Referring to FIG. 7, to provide a further barrier, if desired, insect 
poison or repellant may be placed on either or both of the inside surfaces 
47 and 17 of the barrier area. Additional repellant may be placed in 
barrier area 45. The poison and/or repellant may be of several types: 
spray, liquid, gel, or adhesive. 
FIG. 8 represents another embodiment of the present invention which may be 
optimal for some applications. In particular those applications in which 
the barrier is positioned around a plant, tree or structure which is not 
in a protected structure and which may be subjected to blowing leaves, 
pine needles or other debris. When installed in the orientation 
illustrated in FIG. 8, the opening to barrier area 45 is sheltered by 
obstacle wall 39 diminishing the possibility of debris entering or 
becoming lodged within the entrance to barrier area 45. The dimension X 
and the functioning of this embodiment of the present invention is as 
described above. 
FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention including an 
offset or thickened portion 43, for making an insect preclusion device 
more durable. The distance X that the lower edge of the outer obstacle 
wall 39 is above upper surface 17A of plate member 18 is as described 
above. In addition, the distance should be sufficient to prevent 
deposition of foreign materials (such as leaves, pine needles, etc.) that 
would provide a bridge for insects to circumvent the barrier. For example, 
if the largest of the crawling insects to be precluded is expected to be 
approximately 1/2 of one inch in length, the bottom of the outer obstacle 
wall 39 should be established at approximately 3/4 of an inch above upper 
surface 17A, that is a height such that the insect cannot pull itself up 
on to wall 39. 
FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention which is adapted 
to retain poison or repellant within the barrier. Receptacles 81 and 83 on 
surfaces 17 and 47 respectively provide locations at which poison or 
repellant may be placed. A port 87 may be provided through outer obstacle 
wall 39 to provide a means for replenishing poison or repellant in 
receptacles 81 and 83. Additional repellant or poison may be placed in 
receptacle 85 formed at the lowest extent of surface 41. 
FIG. 11 illustrates another embodiment in which additional physical 
obstacles 59, 60 and 61 may be secured to obstacle wall 39. The additional 
obstacles 59, 60, 61 cooperate with obstacle wall 39 in order to provide 
additional barrier areas 63 and 65 for providing additional barriers 
operating in a similar manner to that previously described for barrier 
area 45. 
FIG. 12 is another modification. Upper device lip 37 is elongated in such a 
manner that obstacle wall 39 extends downwardly and inwardly toward 
support wall 20. Barrier area 45 operates in a previously described 
manner, however, the horizontal distance X occurs at the lowest point of 
obstacle wall 39. Upper device lip 37B may also be constructed in a 
nonlinear method as illustrated by the dotted line. This modification may 
be used if the device is to be installed in positions or locations in 
which there is a likelihood that foreign objects (such as leaves, weeds, 
grass, pine needles, etc.) may lodge between any portion of plate member 
18 and obstacle wall 39. The deposit of such foreign objects, as stated, 
would provide a "bridge" which would allow crawling insects or other 
crawling pests to bypass barrier area 45 and thereby gain access to the 
attractant supporting section of the structure or the susceptible area of 
the plant or tree. In the modification shown in FIG. 12, the maximum 
distance Z will determine the length which upper device lip 37 or 37B will 
be elongated and thereby establishing the distance between inner surface 
47 and outer surface 49. The purpose of the modification is to increase 
the difficulty with which the effectiveness of the invention may be 
reduced by fallen or windblown foreign objects. 
FIG. 13 illustrates another alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
Plate member 18 may be attached to support member 20 by attachment methods 
including friction, use of slotted grooves, use of bonding agents, any 
attachment method, or any combination of the preceding attachment methods. 
In some cases, plate 18 may be removed and the length of obstacle wall 39 
extended in such a manner as to provide an adequately dense shadow within 
the barrier area 45. This attenuates ultra-violet light sufficiently to 
disorient the insect and serves to disrupt the insect's phototactic, 
ultraviolet orientation, and other orientation-navigation systems. The 
extent to which obstacle wall 39 is lengthened depends upon the amount and 
the direction of light. For example, if obstacle member 39 is located 
where little light reaches barrier area 45, plate member 18 may be 
removed. However, where direct or indirect light comes from beneath area 
45 then disc member 18 is needed. 
Crawling insect or other crawling pest preclusion barriers as shown and 
described for FIGS. 6 through 13 may be used as barriers 10, 12, 24, 28, 
38, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 5. When used as a tree guard as 
illustrated in FIG. 1, sidewall 20 must conform to the trunk of the tree 
to preclude a crawling insect or other crawling pest from passing between 
side wall 20 and the tree. Plate member 18 and obstacle wall 39 would 
extend away from the trunk of the tree to which the barrier is applied. 
The barrier must be fabricated of a material sufficiently compliant to 
continuously conform to the trunk of the tree around the circumference of 
the trunk of the tree. A filler or bonding agent normally would be applied 
between the device and the tree so that no openings would exist between 
the tree and the barrier device. 
The barrier may be manufactured in 3 or 4 pieces, for example, which will 
snap or slide together to form the unit. Alternatively, the barrier may be 
formed of one molded piece. 
While only preferred embodiments of the invention have been described 
hereinabove, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the 
embodiments may be modified and altered without departing from the central 
spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the preferred embodiments 
described hereinabove are to be considered in all respects as illustrative 
and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the 
appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes 
which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are 
intended to be embraced herein.