Closet storage arrangement

A closet storage arrangement for increasing closet storage capacity includes a shoe case having two vertical side walls with a plurality of vertically spaced tiers for shoe storage provided in the case. Each tier has three horizontal shoe support members on which a shoe is rested. A clothes hang bar for supporting clothing may also be provided with the hang bar secured on each end in a vertical support member. Each vertical support member is stabilized against the back wall of the closet by a stabilizing arrangement. A shelf may be supported by the vertical support members. A peg bar, having selectively removable pegs, for hanging articles may also be provided in the closet.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to a closet storage arrangement. 
More particularly, it concerns an upright shoe rack in a closet having at 
least one clothes hanging bar. 
Conventional closet storage arrangements, in even the costliest new 
housing, serve the builder rather than the occupant. Wooden cleats are 
fastened to side walls and a back wall of the closet so that a wooden 
clothes pole, which is laterally suspended across the closet, will be 
approximately sixty-five inches above the closet floor thereby 
accommodating the longest garments conventionally made. A wooden shelf is 
rested on the cleats above the pole. Since wood will sag under any kind of 
load in approximately a thirty inch span, a bracket is attached to the 
rear wall at intervals to support both the pole and the shelf. The whole 
arrangement is relatively inexpensive to install but results in a large 
amount of wasted space in a closet at a time when the size of many 
persons' wardrobes has greatly expanded. 
More and more people are finding that the storage space in a conventional 
closet is inadequate for their needs since more garment hanging space and 
more shoe storage space is desired to hold larger wardrobes. In a 
conventional closet, the many pairs of shoes that most people now own are 
just jumbled in a pile. Thus a convenient shoe storage structure in a 
closet would be desirable for the large variety of shoes ranging from 
sneakers to hiking boots that many people own. 
Many people also find that it would be useful to have more garment hanging 
space than a conventional closet provides. Also, it is sometimes difficult 
to slide the garment hangers on a wooden clothes pole because the garment 
hangers bind on the pole. Thus a closet with more garment hanging space 
and a clothes pole or hang bar with a smoother surface would be desirable. 
To make a more effective use of existing closet space the garment hanging 
space may be expanded through the use of more clothes poles or bars. A kit 
having a plurality of supportive bars, intersection connectors holding 
together two mutually perpendicular supportive bars and end connectors 
which may be mounted to a vertical or horizontal surface is known to the 
prior art. Each of the supporting bars includes an inner cylindrical tube 
which is telescopically received in an outer cylindrical tube. A plurality 
of horizontal clothes bars are connected at one end to a side wall of the 
closet and are expanded until the other ends of the bars either meet the 
other end of the closet or a vertically aligned bar. The vertical bar, 
which is secured between a floor of the closet and a closet shelf by end 
connectors is attached to these horizontal bars by the intersection 
connectors. It would be desirable, however, to have a closet arrangement 
that does not need a complex assortments of intersection connectors, end 
connectors and telescoping bars. It would also be desirable to have a 
closet arrangement providing for vertical storage of a plurality of pairs 
of shoes. 
A closet arrangement provided with a plurality of U-shaped brackets 
providing garment support and support for horizontal shelves is also known 
to the prior art. Each U-shaped bracket has an upper and a lower hollow 
tubular leg which may be telescopically adjustable. The ends of the 
bracket are fixed to a side wall of the closet. Each of the brackets is 
supported by a vertical post which is secured to the floor of the closet. 
Interposed between the two brackets may be a plurality of spacers which 
can serve as supports for a plurality of shelves with the spacers being 
secured at each end to a respective bracket. It would be desirable, 
however, to have a closet arrangement that does not need a complex 
assortment of brackets, spacers, vertical supports, shelving and 
connectors in a closet arrangement. It would also be useful to provide a 
closet arrangement that substantially increases the lateral hangbar space 
available for hanging clothes over that available in a conventional 
closet. 
Accordingly, a closet storage arrangement according to the present 
invention includes a shoe case having two substantially vertical plane 
side walls in spaced parallel relation resting on a closet floor. A 
plurality of support members connect the two side walls and define a 
plurality of tiers for storing shoes between the side walls. Each tier 
includes a rear support member, and two forward support members both 
spaced vertically below the rear support member, the two forward support 
members being horizontally spaced. At least one bar for supporting clothes 
on hangers may also be provided with the bar extending between and secured 
at each end to a stilt member which rests on the closet floor and is 
braced against a back wall of the closet. A top shelf is normally 
supported above the stilt members. A peg rack may also be provided for 
hanging articles with the peg rack being secured to either a closet wall 
or a closet door. The peg rack includes a plurality of individually 
removable peg members with each peg member fitting into an aperture in a 
substantially horizontally extending board. Each peg is selectively 
removable to allow more room for an item hung from a remaining peg.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of a closet storage 
arrangement according to the present invention includes a closet having a 
floor 2, two side walls 3a, 3b, a rear wall 4 and two doors 5 with a shoe 
rack 10 disposed therein. Of course, the closet may have any number of 
doors 5 or no doors at all. The shoe rack 10 has a front side wall 11 and 
a rear side wall 12 with a plurality of tiers 13 for storing shoes 
extending therebetween. With the present arrangement, a person is able to 
store a large number of shoes in neat vertically spaced rows in the shoe 
rack 10 rather than in a pile on the floor as in a conventional closet. 
Two substantially horizontal bars 20 from which clothes hangers (not 
illustrated) may be suspended may also be disposed in the closet instead 
of a conventional closet hang bar. Of the two bars 20, a top bar 20a 
extends the width of the closet and a bottom bar 20b extends approximately 
half the width of the closet. One is thus able to store a substantially 
greater number of clothes on the two bars 20 than would be possible in a 
conventional closet. A top shelf 60 is normally disposed above the two 
bars 20. 
Each tier 13 of the plurality of tiers of the shoe rack 10 is defined by a 
plurality of support members 15. The support members 15 which may be rods, 
dowels, pins or pegs are fitted into the side walls 11, 12 of the shoe 
rack 10 with a tight fit. In this way the entire shoe rack 10 is held 
together by the snug fit of the support members 15 in the side walls of 
the shoe rack. For the sake of convenience, the support members 15 will be 
termed dowels since the support members are preferably round in 
cross-section and fit tightly, e.g. by a press-fit, into corresponding 
holes in the two shoe case side walls 11, 12 to align and fasten the two 
side walls with respect to each other. The dowels 15 may also be glued in 
place or similarly fastened between the side walls 11, 12 of the closet. 
Of course the dowels 15 may be square or have another type of 
cross-section if so desired. Since a snug fit holds together the entire 
shoe case 10, there is no need for a top wall or member (not illustrated) 
connecting the two side walls 11, 12. Of course, a top wall could be 
provided if desired. The shoe case side walls 11, 12 and dowels 13 are 
preferably made from wood because wood is inexpensive but may be made from 
any other suitable material. 
Because there are only dowels 15 extending between the side walls 11, 12 
instead of shelves, the entire shoe case 10 is open permitting all the 
shoes to be visible from the top tier to the bottom tier. Since the shoe 
case 10 is open, the hang bars 20 can also extend through the case. 
Therefore, the shoe rack 10 may be installed towards the doors 5 of the 
closet, towards the back wall 4, next to either side wall 3a, 3b of the 
closet or in the middle of the closet (as illustrated in FIG. 1). The 
location of the shoe rack 10 is normally dictated by the available space 
in the closet and the wishes of the user of the closet. 
With a forward facing shoe rack, in order to accommodate thirty pairs of 
shoes approximately twenty-one inches of lateral inner space is required 
thus necessitating a shoe rack of approximately twenty-three inches of 
overall width in a shoe case approximately seventy-six to eighty one 
inches high, if three pairs of shoes are placed side by side on each of 
ten levels or tiers. By the use of the present shoe rack 10 placed 
sideways in the closet, however, the same number of shoes can be stored in 
only approximately nine inches of lateral space, if the shoes are ten 
inches long as would be the case for most women's shoes. For men's shoes, 
only approximately eleven inches of lateral space would be required if the 
shoes were twelve inches long. 
Of course more than one shoe case 10 may be installed in a closet as 
dictated by the particular size of the closet and the requirements of the 
person or persons using the closet. For example in a very long closet, 
such as would be used in a master bedroom, two shoe cases 10 may be 
installed side by side (not illustrated), one for the husband and one for 
the wife, with each case holding approximately thirty pairs of shoes. 
Normally, to hold sixty pairs of shoes would require over forty inches of 
lateral space. Such lateral space is then, of course, not available for 
hanging clothes. With a side by side placement of the shoe cases 10 of the 
present invention, however, the same storage of sixty pairs of shoes can 
be achieved in only approximately twenty inches of lateral space thus 
leaving more lateral space for hanging clothing. 
Since most clothing hung on a hang bar does not extend the full depth of a 
conventional closet, normally twenty three inches, a front pair of shoes 
in every one of the ten tiers 13 may be reachable without touching any 
clothing at all. Most clothing will fall within the plane of a standard 
hanger (not illustrated) which is approximately sixteen inches wide and 
some garments, such as folded slacks, may be even narrower. Other 
garments, however, such as suit jackets, quilted housecoats, down filled 
jackets, etc. do need the full twenty three inches of closet depth. But 
because the ten tiers 13 are open dowel work and not closed shelving, all 
the shoes stored are visible down through the rack. 
With reference now to FIG. 2 each tier 13 of the shoe rack or case 10 has 
three dowels 15. A back dowel member 15a is disposed rearwardly, 
preferably by approximately three to five inches, and upwardly, preferably 
by approximately two and one-half inches on center, of two front dowels, a 
front first dowel member 15b and a front second dowel member 15c. These 
latter two dowel members 15b, 15c are parallel to each other and are 
horizontally spaced from each other, preferably by approximately one and 
one-half inches. Of course, any other dowel spacing arrangement will 
suffice as long as the three dowel members 15a, 15b, 15c are so spaced 
from each other that they cooperate to hold a shoe well balanced on the 
tier 13. 
Previously, tennis shoes 100 could not be stored in a closet shoe case 
having a dowel arrangement for holding shoes at an angle because the 
tennis shoe, having no distinct or "built up" heel for hooking on a back 
dowel, would slide off the dowels. In the present invention, on the other 
hand, the rear dowel 15a can be used to support a front sole portion of 
the tennis shoe 100 and the front second dowel member 15b supports a heel 
bottom portion of the tennis shoe so that the tennis shoe is held at an 
angle in the shoe case 10. The front first dowel member 15c supports a 
heel back portion of the tennis shoe and prevents it from sliding off the 
other dowels. The gap between the two front dowel members 15b, 15c is 
generous enough to catch low or no heel shoes without being so wide that 
slippers fall through or heels catch or snag. Gravity thus holds the 
tennis shoe 100 securely in position in the shoe case 10. Also, the 
lateral shape required to store shoes is reduced by holding the shoes at 
an angle. For example, a twelve inch long pair of tennis shoes may be 
accommodated in only approximately eleven inches of lateral space in the 
closet thereby allowing more storage space for clothing. 
In the instance of a woman's high-heeled shoe 110, a heel portion of the 
shoe can be hooked over the rear dowel member 15a while the sole of the 
shoe may rest on both of the front dowel members 15b, 15c. The present 
arrangement permits high heeled shoes 110 to be held securely, graspable 
from the toe. But it also permits low heeled shoes and shoes with no 
distinct heel, including wedgies, slippers and sneakers to be securely 
held and be graspable from the heel. 
Of course, the shoe case or rack 10 of the present invention will 
accommodate both mens and womens shoes as desired. Normally, the overall 
width of the shoe case 10 would be approximately twenty three inches but 
it may be less as required and may also be as great as forty eight inches, 
if closet depth permits, since the shoe case normally needs no glueing to 
be stable. Since a pair of shoes is generally about seven inches wide, 
three pairs of shoes may easily be stored on the twenty three inch wide 
shoe case. The width of the shoe case side walls 11, 12 may range between 
approximately six inches, for women's shoes, to approximately nine inches, 
for men's shoes. The back or rear dowel 15a needs to be placed so as to 
support a sole of a low heeled shoe at approximately its midpoint rather 
than at its toe. Therefore the side walls of the shoe case for women's 
shoes, which are generally about ten inches long, may be considerably 
shorter than ten inches, i.e., approximately six inches. 
The shoe case 10 may be easily disassembled and the dowels trimmed for use 
in a closet less deep than the standard closet if desired. Such a 
situation may be encountered for example, if an irregular space not 
originally intended for closet use is used as a closet. Finally, the shoe 
case 10 of the present invention may be made very economically because 
even the finest hardwood dowels cost less than the most inexpensive 
particle board shelving heretofore used for shoe cases. 
With reference again to FIG. 1, the hangbars 20 are fitted into respective 
vertical support members 30, 31, 35 in a snug manner by the use of a thin 
and flexible end cap (not illustrated) on each end of each hangbar 20. The 
end caps are preferably made from a plastic or a similar material and 
serve the additional function of sealing the cut ends of the hangbars 20. 
The hangbars 20 are preferably made from a strong lightweight material 
having a smooth surface. In one preferred embodiment, the hangbars 20 are 
made from a one and one-sixteenth inch O.D. polished chrome-plated steel 
tube. Clothes hangers slide more easily on the hang bar 20 of the present 
invention than on the wooden clothes pole of the conventional closet thus 
making it easier to select a particular article of clothing. Since clothes 
hangers slide so easily on the smooth surface of the hang bar 20 of the 
present invention, the shoes in a rear portion of the shoe rack 10 are 
also easily reached. In order to further improve the sliding action of the 
clothes hangers, a thin layer of paste wax may be applied to the surface 
of the hang bar 20. 
For the sake of convenience, the vertical support members 30, 31, 35, which 
may be termed poles, posts or stilts, will be termed stilts because they 
are elongated preferably rectangular members used for support. Of course 
the support members or stilts 30, 31, 35 could also be round or have any 
other desired cross-section. The top hang bar 20a is fitted at its ends 
into respective apertures 39 in the first and second end stilts 30, 31 
which may in turn be secured to respective side walls 3a, 3b of the 
closet. Preferably, the apertures 39 are located approximately two inches 
below the top of the stilts 30, 31, 35 so that ample clearance is provided 
to lift a clothes hanger off the upper hangbar 20a even if the top shelf 
60 is placed above the stilts. The lower hang bar 20b is fitted on a first 
end into the second end stilt 31 but is fitted on its second end into an 
intermediate stilt 35 which rests on the floor of the closet and through 
which the upper hang bar 20a also passes. Of course, if the closet is 
narrow enough and no lower hang bar 20b is desired, the intermediate stilt 
35 may not be necessary. 
A stabilizing arrangement is provided for each end stilt 30, 31. Since both 
end stilts 30, 31 are identical except for their mirror-image position in 
the closet and the support of the lower hang bar 20b by the second end 
stilt 31 but not the first end stilt 30, only the first end stilt 30 will 
be discussed in detail. With reference now to FIG. 3, the stabilizing 
arrangement or tee-arm includes a cross piece 32 and a rear piece 33. The 
stilt 30, the cross-piece 32 and the end piece 33 may be made from any 
suitable material but are preferably made of a strip of wood which may be 
one and one half to two inches wide by three-quarter inches thick. These 
members are preferably made of wood because wood is an inexpensive 
material which may be drilled and cut without special tools. Normally, the 
intermediate stilt 35 is also provided with a stabilizing arrangement. The 
stabilizing arrangement for the center stilt 35, is not crucial to the 
functioning of the closet storage arrangement, but is useful to help 
stabilize the center stilt and, perhaps more importantly, to help support 
the top shelf. 
The length of the stilt 30 would depend upon the length of the garments to 
be hung, the height of the closet space and the height of the hang bars 20 
from the floor 2 of the closet. A fastener (not illustrated) would 
normally attach the stilt 30 to an existing wall cleat 37 (See FIG. 1) in 
the closet. Normally, the stilt 30 is attached to the cleat 37 of the 
closet so that a central line of the hang bar or hang bars 20 supported by 
the stilt is a proper distance from the back wall 4. Approximately eleven 
or twelve inches from the back wall 4 is the normal distance but the 
distance is capable of variation as required in a particular closet. 
Preferably, the cross piece 32 is approximately twelve to fifteen inches 
long, the width of the existing top shelf. The stilt 30 is fastened to the 
cross piece 32 in any conventional fashion such as by a screw (not 
illustrated). If the closet does not have an existing cleat 37 or if 
additional support for the stilt 30 is desired, the cross piece 32 may 
also be fastened to the left side wall 3a of the closet by any 
conventional fasteners. 
The back member or back brace 33 may be of any suitable length to provide a 
good bracing surface against the back wall 4 and is in a preferred 
embodiment four inches long. To provide a strong connection, the back 
brace 33 is butted to an inside end of the cross piece 32 and may be 
secured in position by any conventional fastener, for example, resin 
coated nails. Any normally used fastener, for example a screw (not 
illustrated), attaches the back member 33 to the back wall 4. 
Unlike conventional closet arrangements which transfer the load imposed on 
a hang bar to a side wall of the closet, the stilt 30 of the present 
invention transfers the load from the hang bars 20 vertically to the floor 
2 of the closet. Attaching the stilt 30 to the cleat 37 and hence to the a 
side wall 3a, 3b, by a fastener through the stilt, or to the back wall 4 
through the cross piece 32 and back member 33 is done mainly to prevent 
the stilt from swaying sideways and is not done to force the side wall or 
back wall to bear the load imposed on the hangbars 20 by the clothing 
supported therefrom. Since the hang bars 20 have a snug fit in their 
respective apertures 39 in the stilts 30, 31, 35, the vertical loading of 
the weight suspended from the hang bars 20 provides that the entire stilt 
arrangement 30, 31, 32, 33, 35 is self stabilizing. That is, the heavier 
the garment load on the hang bars 20, the sturdier becomes the structure. 
The stilt stabilizing arrangement of the present invention also makes the 
closet storage arrangement portable. That is, the stilt structure of the 
present invention may be moved to a larger closet without having to 
lengthen the hang bars 20 to extend the stilts 30, 31 to the sidewalls of 
the larger closet because the stilt stabilizing arrangement may be 
fastened anywhere along a closet rear wall. Thus both stilts 30, 31 do not 
have to be attached to a respective side wall of the closet. 
Conventionally, one stilt would be fastened to a closet side wall but the 
other stilt would only be fastened to the closet rear wall by the stilt 
stabilizing arrangement. The closet storage arrangement of the present 
invention may also be installed in a smaller closet but only when the 
overall length of the longer hang bar 20a is decreased. This may be done 
by utilizing a pipe cutter (not illustrated) to trim the length of the 
upper hang bar 20a. 
Normally, a closet is high enough to retain the top shelf 60 from the 
conventional closet arrangement. After the shoe rack 10 and stilt 
arrangement are installed, the top shelf 60 can be re-installed in the 
closet. If re-installation is desired, the top shelf 60 is placed above 
and may be secured to the cross pieces 32 and back braces 33 of the 
stilt-stabilizing arrangements to provide even more storage space. The 
stabilizing arrangements or tee-arms serve as support base for the top 
shelf 60. Also, if the middle stilt 35 or its stabilizing arrangement is 
attached to the top shelf 60, the middle stilt can serve to support the 
tap shelf so that it doesn't sag. At the same time, the top shelf 60 can 
further brace the middle stilt 35, as well as both end stilts 30, 31. 
With reference again to FIG. 1, the closet arrangement of the present 
invention may also include a horizontal peg support or peg bar 50 
fastened, for example, to the doors 5 of the closet. With reference now to 
FIG. 4 the peg bar 50 of the present invention may be made from any 
suitable conventional material such as, for example, a two inch wide 
rectangular wood board into which a plurality of angled apertures 51 are 
drilled (see FIG. 5). A peg or pin 52 may be inserted in each one of the 
apertures 51. Ideally, the peg bar 50 may be mounted on an inside surface 
of a closet door (see FIG. 1). But, the peg bar 50 can also be mounted on 
exterior walls of the closet, on bathroom doors or walls or any other 
vertical surface. Since the peg bars 50 are preferably made of wood, they 
may be cut to any desired length. 
With regard to the apertures 51, these may be drilled into the peg bar 50 
with any desired spacing and at any suitable angle. In one preferred 
embodiment, one aperture occurs every one and one-half inches on center at 
an approximately thirty degree angle. These apertures 51 are designed to 
hold pins 52 of approximately three-eights or five sixteenths of an inch 
in diameter and approximately two and one-half inches in length. Such pins 
52, which are preferably round and made of wood so that they are 
inexpensive, are useful for hanging ties, belts, scarves, small handbags, 
umbrellas, etc. from the peg bar 50. Of course the peg bars 50 may be used 
to hold clothing as well and the pins could have any desired 
cross-section. 
The pins 52 are not secured to the peg bar 50 but may instead be removed 
when desired. For example, if the user wishes to hang a belt having a very 
large belt buckle (not illustrated) the pins 52 on either side of the 
dowel pin on which the belt is hung are removed (one dowel pin 52 has been 
removed in FIG. 4) so that no obstruction is provided to the belt buckle. 
Similarly, bulky garments, umbrellas with large handles, or other objects 
may be hung from one pin 52 while one or more other pins are removed. 
Although the pins 52 are not secured to the peg bar 50, they do not fall 
out because the apertures 51 are drilled at an angle and the force of 
gravity holds the pins in place. 
Any conventional fasteners, for example screws (not illustrated) may fasten 
the peg bar 50 to the door 5. Preferably, the peg bar 50 is positioned 
substantially horizontally on the door 5 but may be placed at an angle to 
the horizontal if desired. In such a case, the orientation of the 
apertures 51 may have to be changed so that the dowel pins 52 not fall out 
of the apertures. 
To design, construct and install the storage arrangement of the present 
invention only takes a few hours. The size of the existing closet, the 
lengths and amounts of clothing involved, and the height of the person 
using the closet are measured. After agreement on the version of the 
closet storage arrangement most appropriate, the various components are 
prepared. The stilts 30, 31, 35 of the present invention are cut to the 
desired length and apertures 39 are drilled in each of the stilts. The 
stilt stabilizing arrangement including the cross piece 32 and the back 
member 33 are then cut to the desired length and fastened to each other 
and to a respective end stilt 30, 31. 
The shoe rack 10 is prepared by selecting two side walls 11, 12 of 
approximately the same length as the stilts 30, 31, 35. Then a plurality 
of dowels 15 are fitted into apertures drilled in the shoe rack side walls 
11, 12 to provide as many tiers 13 as are desired. The maximum length of 
the dowels would depend on the depth of the closet. The hang bars 20 are 
cut to the desired length and are capped on each end. Subsequently, all 
the components are carried to the closet site and the conversion of the 
closet can take place, normally in less than an hour. 
The top shelf of a conventional closet is removed after which the existing 
clothes pole or clothing bar is also removed. Then one of the stilts, for 
example the second end stilt 31, is fastened to the closet wall cleat 37. 
One end of each of the upper and lower hang bars 20a, 20b are fitted in 
the stilt which has been fastened to the wall cleat 37. The shoe rack 10 
is then worked into place so that both hang bars 20a, 20b extend through 
the shoe rack between its side walls 11, 12. If a central stilt 35 is 
used, it is worked into the appropriate position. Then the first end stilt 
30 is worked into position against the wall cleat 37 so that the upper 
hang bar 20a is fitted into the first end stilt. Subsequently the first 
end stilt 30 is fastened to the wall cleat 37. Thereafter the end pieces 
33 are fastened to the rear wall 4 of the closet. If the first end stilt 
30 does not contact the wall cleat 37, as would be the case if the closet 
storage arrangement were moved from a smaller closet to a larger closet, 
then only the end piece 33 on that side of the closet would stabilize the 
first end stilt 31. Subsequently, one or more peg bars 50 may be fastened 
to the doors 5 of the closet. 
If a particular closet is high enough, the top shelf 60 from the 
conventional closet arrangement is re-installed. In such a situation, the 
top shelf is placed above and may be secured to the cross pieces 32 and 
back braces 33 of the present invention to provide even more storage 
space. Storing the top shelf 60 of a conventional closet arrangement is 
often difficult, although important if the closet is eventually to be 
restored to its original form, so it is advantageous to place the top 
shelf above the stilt arrangement of the present invention. Normally, the 
top shelf 60 will be located approximately nine to eighteen inches above 
its previous location in the closet depending on the height of the stilts 
30, 31, 35. 
The principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the present 
invention have been described in the foregoing specification. The 
invention which is intended to be protected herein, should not, however, 
be construed as limited to the particular forms disclosed, as these are to 
be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Variations and 
changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the 
spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, it is expressly intended 
that all such variations and changes which fall within the spirit and 
scope of the present invention as defined by the claims be embraced 
thereby.