Bathtub assembly

A bathtub assembly between two opposed walls of a room where the bathtub assembly contains a bathtub having a support portion. Positioned against each of the opposed walls is a framing assembly where the framing assembly has a support surface. The bathtub is positioned on the framing assembly so that the support portion of the bathtub is in engagement with the support surface of the framing assembly to provide vertical support for the bathtub. A movably mounted securement means is further included in the framing assembly and the securement means is moved into pressed relation against the bathtub to hold the bathtub in position between the opposed walls.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a bathtub assembly that is positioned 
between two opposed walls of the room. The bathtub used in this assembly 
has a support portion located at each end of the bathtub. A framing 
assembly having a support surface in a position against each of the 
opposed walls of the room. The bathtub is then positioned on the framing 
assembly so that the support portion of the bathtub rest upon the support 
surface of the framing assembly. When the bathtub is in position on the 
framing assembly a movably mounted securement means is used to maintain 
the bathtub in the proper position. 
To date most bathtubs have been installed so that they become a part of the 
room in which the bathtub is installed. To accomplish this most bathtubs 
are installed right after the studding or structural members are put in 
place to form the room. In such an installation the ends of the bathtub 
normally are against the studding and are securely attached to the 
studding. The rough plumbing such as the drain and water lines for the 
bath unit are connected while the bathtub is being positioned against the 
studding. After the bathtub is put in position and the rough plumbing 
hooked up, the interior walls in the room are then put in place. The 
interior walls are usually positioned so that they come down into contact 
with an upper lip or ledge that extends around the top of the bathtub. A 
suitable caulking is then used to provide an adequate water seal between 
the walls and the upper lip of the bathtub. Once the interior walls are in 
position then the finished plumbing, such as the faucet and drain 
connections, is completed to provide a complete bath unit. 
There are many disadvantages in this type of bathtub installation. Since 
the bathtub is positioned by having it in contact with the studding in the 
room the bath unit must be installed after the rough carpentry has been 
completed on the room. Then after the plumber has installed the bath unit 
and connected the rough plumbing he must wait until the finished 
carpenters can come in and construct the interior walls of the room. Then 
the plumber must return and install the finished plumbing so that a 
complete bathtub exists. This type of an installation schedule makes it 
very difficult to coordinate the work that is done by the carpenters and 
the work that is done by the plumbers. It becomes very expensive if either 
the plumbers or the carpenters must stand by and wait until the other 
finishes its work so that they can resume or start the work that falls 
into their specialty area. Thus, it is very important that the work of the 
carpenters and the plumbers be all scheduled and coordinated to keep the 
carpenters and plumbers working in a smooth and efficient manner. If a 
good schedule is not established it will result in costly wasted or 
unproductive time for the carpenters and plumbers in addition to delaying 
the completion of the project. These problems are compounded further when 
a large number of bath units are being installed in one large building. 
Under these circumstances there are so many units being installed, it is 
almost impossible to properly schedule the work. And, as a result the bath 
units are not installed in an efficient and economical manner. 
An additional problem with this type of installation for bathtubs is that 
the bathtub becomes in effect an integral part of the room in which it is 
installed. Thus, if the bathtub must be replaced a large portion of the 
area where the bath unit is located must be removed and then replaced 
after a new bathtub has been installed. To remove the bathtub a portion of 
the interior walls that butt up against the bath unit must also be 
removed. It may also be necessary to remove part of the finished floor 
that butts up against the front of the bathtub. Then the bathtub must be 
freed from the support that tie the bathtub into the structural studding. 
Usually this means that the supports will have to be removed and then 
probably be replaced before a new bathtub can be installed. Once the old 
bathtub has been removed and a new bathtub installed then the interior 
walls of the room that butt up against the bathtub and the finished floor 
that butts up against the front of the bath unit can be repaired or 
replaced. This is a very expensive and time consuming replacement process. 
An additional problem with this traditional style of bathtub installation 
is that usually the plumbing from the bathtub is not directly accessible. 
The plumbing is usually built into one of the end walls of the room in the 
region where the end of the tub is located so that the wall and the front 
of the tub block the access to the plumbing. To remedy this situation 
usually a passageway is cut entirely through the wall so that the plumbing 
will be excessible from the room that borders the room where the bathtub 
is located. Usually the passageway in the wall is covered with some type 
of a removable panel to cover the passageway and the exposed pipes. These 
panels are not normally very attractive and they cause a decoration 
problem in the room that is adjacent to the room where the bathtub is 
located. In addition the access passageway provides, at best, only 
marginal access to the plumbing. Therefore all maintenance and repair work 
on the plumbing is usually very difficult to accomplish the access 
opening. 
The installation problems, the maintenance problems and the replacement 
problems discussed may not seem that significant when only one bathtub is 
being considered. However, in commercial applications such as hotels and 
motels, where a number of bathtubs are involved, the difficulties can be a 
significant problem. Also in commercial applications the use of 
maintenance and replacement become more important as the fixtures receive 
more wear and tear and new looking and operating fixtures are a necessity 
for a successful hotel or motel. Therefore, the bathtubs in these 
installations will probably receive more maintenance and have a greater 
chance of being replaced than an ordinary household bathtub. Thus, it is 
an important step, in at least commercial application, to develop a 
bathtub assembly that allows for easy repair and replacement of the 
bathtub assembly. 
In recent years some new bath units having side walls as well as a bathtub 
have come on the market place, and these units have reduced some of the 
problems and disadvantages previously mentioned. These units usually come 
either with the sides already attached to the bathtub or with a bathtub 
and a number of side wall panels that are then attached to the bathtub 
after the bathtub has been intalled. However, these new units are also 
attached directly to the studding or framing members of the room. Then the 
interior walls of the room are put in position so that they butt up 
against the top and the side walls that are attached to the tub. In 
addition the plumbing is usually not accessible on these new models and an 
access passageway must also be used. The method of installation for these 
units is similar to the method of installation previously described for a 
traditional style of bathtub although the new units may not require as 
much time to install. However, the work scheduling problems still exist 
and the replacement problems previously discussed still exist. Therefore, 
these new bath units do not offer a complete solution to a problem. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An object of the invention is an improved bathtub assembly. 
Another object of the invention is an improved system for mounting a 
bathtub in a room. 
Yet another object of the invention is a bathtub assembly that is easier to 
install and remove. 
An additional object of the invention is a bathtub assembly that is quicker 
to install in a room. 
Still another object of the invention is a bathtub assembly that provides 
direct access to the plumbing for the bathtub assembly. 
In a broad sense these and other objects of the invention are attained by a 
bathtub assembly that is positioned between two opposing walls of a room 
having a bathtub with a support portion. Positioned against each of the 
opposing walls of the room is a framing assembly that includes a support 
surface. The support portion of the bathtub is positioned on the support 
surface of the framing assembly to provide vertical support for the 
bathtub. To secure the bathtub in position on the framing assembly a 
movably mounted securement means is moved into pressed relation against 
the bathtub to hold the bathtub in position between the two opposed walls. 
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the 
invention is described hereinafter in more detail with reference made to 
the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The bath assembly of this invention is particularly useful where it is 
desired to reduce the time and expense required to install a bath unit. 
These advantages are particularly important where the bath unit is being 
installed in a commercial application such as a hotel, apartment or motel 
where a large number of bath assemblies will be installed at one time. 
These advantages are accomplished by having a bathtub assembly that can be 
mounted upon a framing assembly where the framing assembly is positioned 
between two opposing walls in the room where the bathtub is to be 
positioned. The bathtub unit is supported and positioned by the framing 
unit instead of being positioned by the walls and floor of the room. Since 
the bathtub no longer has to be tied into the walls and floor of the room 
it is not as difficult to complete the installation of the bathtub 
assembly. 
The features of this invention will be better understood by referring to 
the detached drawings. FIGS. 1 and 2 show the bath assembly 1 as it is 
positioned between opposing walls 4 in the room. The opposing walls 4 are 
normally positioned so that they are spaced apart a distance that is a 
little bit greater than the length of the bath tub 3. It should be noted 
that the walls 4 are the finished interior walls of the room, so that the 
bathtub 3 will fit between the finished opposed walls. The framing 
assembly is positioned against each of the opposing walls 4 so that the 
framing assembly can act as the support and positioning means for the 
bathtub 3. The framing assembly contains a support or leg means 7 and a 
support surface 5 connected to the leg 7. The support surface 5 of the 
framing assembly is used to engage the support portion 6 located at each 
end of the bathtub 3. The support surface 5 provides the vertical support 
that holds the bathtub 3 in position between the opposed walls 4. The 
support members or legs 7 keep the support surface 5 at the proper 
elevation and therefore also keeps the bathtub 3 at the proper elevation. 
To keep the bathtub 3 from sliding back and forth on the support surface 5 
there is a notch 9 constructed in the support portion 6 of the bathtub. 
The notch 9 is constructed so that it is approximately the same width as 
the support surface 5. Therefore, the bathtub 3 is positioned on the 
support surface 5 so that the notch 9, and the support portion 6, fits 
snuggly over the support surface 5. The notch 9 then fits against the 
edges of the support surface 5 and keeps the bathtub 3 from sliding back 
and forth on the support surface 5. There is also the problem of the 
bathtub 3 moving in a longitudinal direction on the support surface 5 
since the bathtub does not extend all the way between the opposing walls 
4. In an acceptable bath unit this longitudinal movement of the bathtub 3 
must be eliminated. Therefore, a movably mounted securement means or bolt 
11 has been positioned on each leg 7 of the framing assembly. The 
securement means 11 are then moved into pressed relationship against the 
bathtub. This prevents the bathtub 3 from moving in a longitudinal 
direction on the support surface 5 and holds the bathtub in position 
between the opposed walls 4. Thus, the notch 9 and the movably mounted 
securement means 11 act to locate the bathtub 3 in position between the 
end walls. 
In this bathtub assembly the framing assembly normally supports the bathtub 
so that the bathtub does not rest upon the floor 10. To accomplish this it 
is very important that the support portion 6 of the bathtub be strong 
enough to support the bathtub under normal usage. Since the bathtub does 
not rest upon the floor 10 it is very important that the bathtub be 
properly located by the framing assembly so that the bathtub is properly 
positioned between the opposing walls 4. To aid in positioning the bathtub 
at the proper location on the leg 7 of the framing assembly have movably 
mounted based portions 13 that can be moved to vary the length of the leg 
members. In practice it has been found that a threaded bolt having a foot 
portion can be used very effectively as the movably mounted based portion 
of the leg member 7. Thus the base portion 13 of the leg member 7 can be 
moved to adjust the length of the leg member 7. The variable length of the 
members 7 allows the support surface 5 of the framing assembly to be 
positioned at the proper elevation so that it can properly support the 
bathtub 3. In addition the movably mounted based portions 13 of the legs 7 
allow the support surface 5 to be kept in a generally horizontal plane. By 
keeping the support surface 5 in a generally horizontal plane a generally 
level surface is provided for the support portion 6, and the bathtub 3 to 
rest upon. When the support portions 6 of the bathtub is resting on a 
generally horizontal or level plane the bathtub 3 is being supported in 
the proper position by the framing assembly. 
The framing assembly is normally attached to the opposing walls 4 so that a 
steady secure surface will be provided for the bathtub to be mounted upon. 
In addition by securing the framing assembly to the opposing walls this 
helps to ensure that the framing assembly will not move while the bathtub 
is being positioned on the framing assembly. To attach the framing 
assembly to the side walls a slot 15 has been provided in the support 
surface 5. Usually, a nail, screw or other suitable fastening means is 
driven through the slot 15, into the walls 4 but it is not intended to 
provide the support for the framing assembly. Instead the leg members 7 
had been provided to give the vertical support required in the framing 
assembly. The slot 15 has been chosen because it gives some allowance for 
movement after the framing assembly has been positioned. Thus, if the 
framing assembly has been improperly aligned when initially secured to the 
wall 4 the nail or screw in slot 15 can be loosened and the framing 
assembly repositioned into the proper alignment and then the nail or screw 
can be redriven into the slot 15 to again secure the framing assembly to 
the wall. It should be noted that the amount of adjustment that the slot 
15 can accommodate is rather small. The slot 15 is only shown as an 
example of the way that the framing assembly can be secured to the walls 
and that a number of other methods could be used to secure the framing 
assembly to the walls. In practice the bathtub 3 will normally be 
positioned in a room so that the rear of the tub is near or adjacent the 
rear wall 17 of the room in which the bathtub is located. Therefore, it is 
very critical that the framing assembly be positioned the proper distance 
away from the rear wall 17 so that the bathtub 3 will be at the desired 
location with respect to the rear wall 17 after it has been mounted upon 
the framing assembly. 
Since the bathtub 3 is positioned so that it is mounted off the floor 10 
and since the bathtub has a framing assembly upon which it rest at each 
end the front end of the bathtub must be covered so that the space beneath 
the bathtub and the framing assembly will be hidden. This can be 
accomplished by attaching a cover plate 19 to the front of the bathtub 3. 
The front cover or kick plate 19 extends from the front edge of the tub 20 
down to the finished floor 8. The front kick plate 19 is held in position 
by a bar or member 21 that extends from the kick plate to the bathtub. The 
member 21 is securely attached to the bottom of the bathtub 3 and once the 
kick plate is in position against the member 21 and securely fastened 
thereto the kick plate 19 is securely held in place so that it covers the 
front surface of the bathtub. In practice it is usually found that a 
member 21 will be located at each end of the kick plate 19 so that the 
kick plate will be held more securely in position along the front of the 
bathtub. In the drawings the kick plate 19 is only shown as covering a 
portion of the front surface of the bathtub. However, it should be 
recognized that the kick plate could be larger so that it extends from one 
opposing wall to the other and therefore would completely cover the front 
of the bathtub and the framing assembly. However, it is also possible to 
use a kick plate 19 of the size shown in the attached drawings and add 
additional cover plates at each end of the bathtub to cover the ends of 
the bathtub and also the framing assembly. These additional cover panels 
would be attached to the bathtub in a manner similar to the way that kick 
plate 19 has been attached to the bathtub. The addition of the kick plate 
19 and any additional cover panels that may be necessary to completely 
cover the front of the bathtub provides a bath unit that is aesthetically 
pleasing and suitable for installation in almost any type of application. 
In practice it has been found that it is best to secure the kick plate 19 
and any other additional covering panels on the front of the bathtub to 
the securement member or bracket 21 by the use of screws or other 
removable securement means. By removing these removable securement means 
the kick plate 19 can be removed from the front of the bathtub by merely 
removing the screws and then removing the kick plate. By using a removable 
kick plate 19, an access opening is created in the front of the bath unit 
that can be used to repair or maintain the plumbing that is connected to 
the bathtub. The access opening is created by removing the front kick 
plate 19 or any other additional cover panels that happen to be attached 
to the front of the bathtub. This provides an ideal way to gain direct 
access to the plumbing connected to the bathtub and should do away with 
the need for access passageways, through the walls of the room, that are 
used to gain access to the plumbing for the bathtub. To best utilize the 
access opening provided by the removable kick plate 19, it is desirable to 
locate the plumbing for the bathtub near the front of the bathtub as this 
makes it much easier to gain access to this plumbing. This can best be 
accomplished by placing the water supply plumbing in one of the front 
corners of the bathtub. Thus, the faucet that supply water to the bathtub 
will be located so that the plumbing connected to the faucets will be 
accessible through the access opening on the front of the bathtub. In 
addition, the drain for the bathtub and the hardware that goes along with 
the drain could be located at the front of the bathtub to provide improved 
access to the plumbing associated with the drain. In practice it has been 
found that a drain located in the front of the bathtub in position 
approximately in the center of the length of the bathtub will work very 
acceptably. This type of drain arrangement provides very good access to 
the drain plumbing. Although a couple of examples have been given to show 
possible locations for the plumbing for the bathtub it should be 
understood that almost any location for the plumbing will be acceptable if 
it provides access to the plumbing to the access opening on the front of 
the bathtub. 
FIGS. 3 and 4 show the bathtub separated from the framing assembly. Here it 
can be seen how the bathtub is constructed so that it can be mounted upon 
the framing assembly. The support portion 6 of the bathtub extends across 
the entire width of the bathtub and provides the surface upon which the 
bathtub is supported. In the support portion 6 of the bathtub 3 there is a 
notch 9 located in the support portion, and the surface of the notch 9 is 
what actually rest upon the framing assembly and therefore it is the 
portion of the bathtub that receives the vertical support for the rest of 
the bathtub. Since the bathtub is supported off the floor by the support 
portion 6 it is very important that this part of the support portion is 
strong enough to support the bathtub during its intended use. In addition 
it also very important that the bathtub is strong enough so that it does 
not flex or bend while it is being used. This problem is again made more 
critical because the bathtub does not receive any support from the floor. 
Therefore, supporting ribs 26 have been incorporated into the bottom of 
the bathtub to provide additional strength and resistance to bending or 
flexing. Also ribs 24 have been incorporated into the end of the bathtub 
to add additional strength in this area and this additional strength is 
required to make the bathtub strong enough so that it can be supported at 
its ends. Thus, these reinforcing ribs provide the strength that allows 
the bathtub to be supported at its end when it is mounted between two 
opposing walls. 
FIGS. 5 and 6 show the framing assembly 14 in more detail. As can be seen 
in these figures the framing assembly, that is located at each end of the 
bathtub, is made up of approximately 3 main pieces. At the top of the 
framing assembly 14 there is the support surface 5 upon which the support 
of the bathtub rest. At each end of the support surface 5 there is a 
support member or leg 7 that provides the vertical support for the support 
surface 5. In addition to the three main components there are also footed 
bolts 13 located at the base of each of the leg member 7. The footed bolts 
13 can be turned to vary the length of the support leg 7 and thus to vary 
the vertical elevation at which the support surface 5 is positioned. In 
addition at the top of each of the leg members 7 there is located another 
footed bolt 11 that projects from the leg member 7 in a direction that is 
normal to the plane of the leg member. The footed bolts 11 can be moved so 
that they come into pressed relation against the surface of the bathtub so 
that the footed bolts will hold the bathtub in position on the framing 
assembly 14. The footed bolts 11 can also be used to center the bathtub so 
that the drain opening and other openings in the bathtub are aligned with 
the plumbing that is to be connected to these openings. the framing 
assembly 14 also has slots 15 that are located in the member that 
comprises the support surface 5. These slots 15 are used to secure the 
framing assembly 14 to the opposed walls. This can be accomplished by 
driving a screw or nail through the slot 15 into the opposing wall. When 
the screw or nail rest tightly against the framing assembly this will act 
to hold the framing assembly in position of the wall. 
In practice it has been found that a framing assembly 14 that is made from 
glass fiber reinforced plastic materials will work very suitably as a 
support for a bathtub. This type of reinforced plastic material would 
allow the main components of the framing assembly to be molded into one 
piece. Then the footed bolts at the base of the leg and also the footed 
bolts at the top of the leg members could be put into position on the 
framing assembly. This would make a very strong and rigid framing assembly 
that will work very well especially when it is used with a glass fiber 
reinforced bathtub. In addition to the glass fiber reinforced plastic 
material, steel, wood or other suitable materials could be used to form 
the framing assembly as long as they have the required strength and the 
ability to last as long as the life of the bathtub. 
In most normal installations it is usually desirable to have a support 
surface 5 of the framing assembly in a generally horizontal plane. When 
the support surface of this level is positioned it provides a very good 
surface upon which the bathtub can be mounted. Also in most normal 
installation the support portion of the bathtub must be kept in a 
generally horizontal plane so that the bathtub is mounted properly. Thus 
it is important that for the proper results to be achieved that the 
support surfaces 5 of the framing assembly be in the same horizontal plane 
to provide an adequate support surface for the bathtub. The footed bolts 
13 at the base of each of the leg members 7 provides the means by which 
the support surface 5 can be kept at the proper horizontal plane. It may 
be contemplated that in certain applications the support surface 5 of the 
framing assembly and the support portion 6 of the bathtub should not be in 
a generally horizontal plane and the framing assembly of this invention 
could be modified or varied to provide this non-horizontal supporting 
surface for the bathtub. However, it is believed that in most applications 
a generally horizontal support surface will provide the best and easiest 
to install support surface for the bathtub assembly. 
FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 show an additional embodiment of the bath assembly. In 
these figures the bathtub and framing assembly is the same as previously 
described in the earlier embodiments. However, in these figures two end 
walls, a back wall and a top enclosure have been added to the bathtub to 
form a bathing enclosure. The two end walls 25 and the back wall 27 are 
positioned so that they fit on the upper surface of the bathtub 3. The 
walls in the bathtub are joined together so that a substantially water 
tight seal is formed between the walls and the bathtub and between the 
joints in the walls. Then the top enclosure 29 is positioned on top of the 
upper surface of the two end walls 25 and the back wall 27. Again the top 
enclosure 29 forms a substantially water tight seal with the two end walls 
and the back wall. The back wall 27 is positioned on the bathtub 3 so that 
the back wall fits in the space that is left between the hub and the rear 
wall 17 of the room. The two end walls are positioned on the bathtub so 
that the end walls fit between the opposing walls 4. The walls can be 
secured to the tub in a number of ways as long as a substantially water 
tight seal is formed. However, in practice it has been found that metal 
clips or latches can be used very effectively to secure the walls to the 
bathtub and also to secure the walls together. It is very important that 
the walls of the bath assembly to be properly aligned and supported on the 
bathtub so that a water tight seal will be formed between the walls in the 
bathtub. To accomplish this footed bolts 31 have been installed in the 
upper region of the walls so that the bolts may be moved out into pressed 
relationship against the walls of the room, to ensure that the walls are 
positioned properly upon the bathtub 3. 
As can be seen from the drawings the end panels 25 can very easily have 
openings provided therein for receiving the faucets and other plumbing for 
the bathtub. In these, plumbing fixtures can be located near the front end 
of the bathtub so that they are accessible from the front of the bathtub. 
Thus very good access can be added to the plumbing for the bath unit when 
the fixtures are located in the front portion of the side walls 25. With 
this type of side wall and fixture arrangement it is necessary to provide 
an access panel 35 that covers the outer edge of the side panel 25 and 
also the fixtures. The access panel 35 can extend from a groove 33 that is 
located in the front edge of the side wall 25 and also in the front edge 
of the top enclosure 29 over to the wall 4 of the room. At the wall the 
access panel 35 can be mounted in a U shaped channel 39 that is secured to 
the side wall 4 and also to the stud 37. Thus the access panel extends 
across the exposed side area of the bath enclosure and completely covers 
or closes off this area It is important to know that the enclosure 35 can 
extend all the way from the floor 10 to the top of the top enclosure 29 to 
completely enclose the side of the bath enclosure. When the access panel 
35 is used to cover the entire side region of the bath enclosure it should 
be designed so that it fits in neatly with the kick plate 19 that is also 
positioned on the front of the bathtub. Also the access panel 35 can be 
made from a glass fiber reinforced plastic material. Or the access panel 
could be made from a dry wall or wall board material that would allow it 
to be easily matched with the side walls 4 of the room. It is only 
important that the material for the access panel be sturdy enough to 
properly cover the side of the bathtub assembly. In addition the U shaped 
channel 39 can be made from a glass fiber reinforced plastic material, an 
aluminum extrusion or other suitable material. 
From the details of the above described bath assembly it is clear that the 
bath assembly would be easy to install. Once the finished walls of the 
room are in place the framing assembly can then be positioned and attached 
to the two opposing walls. Then the bathtub can be slid into position on 
the framing assembly on the securement means moved into pressed 
relationship against the bathtub to hold it in the proper location. 
Finally the front access panel or panels can be positioned to finish the 
tub. Next the finished plumbing is connected and the bathtub assembly is 
ready for use. If the walls and top enclosure are to be used these are 
simply placed in position prior to installing the access panels. The easy 
procedure should greatly reduce the amount of time that is normally spent 
installing the bathtub. 
The bathtub assembly is also very easy to remove or replace as the 
installation procedure is simply reversed to remove the bathtub. The 
access panels also increase the accessibility of the plumbing for the 
bathtub and eliminate the need for an access passageway that connects to 
the room adjoining the room where the bathtub is located. Finally this 
bathtub assembly reduces the coordination and scheduling problems that can 
exist between the plumber and carpenters. The plumber installs the rough 
plumbing in the room and then lets the carpenters install the finished 
walls of the room. When the finished walls are in place then the plumber 
can return and install the bathtub assembly and connect the finished 
plumbing. Thus, the number of occasions when the work of the carpenters 
and plumbers must interface has been reduced and this should simplify the 
construction of the bathroom. 
Having described the invention in detail and with reference to particular 
materials, it should be understood that such specifications are given for 
the sake of explanation. Various modifications and substitutes other than 
those cited may be made without departing from the scope of the invention 
as described by the following claims.