Abstract:
A modular surgical prep sponge holder is provided for improving the cleaning of hands and arms prior to medical procedures. The device includes a tubular member containing a flexible cable and a flexible water line that extend through the tube. A rotating head is attached to the end of the tube, which moves 180 degrees in any direction. The disposable part of the device, being encased in a plastic housing, is connected to the rotating head. The housing includes a main gear, and a movement-plate with end clasps. Once the housing is inserted onto the end of the flexible cable, and a motor is turned on, the flexible cable will rotate. The rotational motion of the flexible cable will be transferred to the main gear and will be converted to lateral motion, causing the movement-plate to move in a lateral direction. Depending upon the setting of the motor, the system may deliver several hundred more strokes per minute than could manually be performed by an individual. Prior to turning on the system, the swivel head will receive a packaged sterile unit. After unwrapping the unit and attaching it to the swivel, the unit will receive a sterile surgical sponge. The rapid back and forth motion of the device will improve efficiency, reduce the chance for cross contamination, and allow for a hands-free, tireless surgical prep while maintaining the integrity of the current practice of cleaning the hands and arms prior to surgery.

Description:
PRIORITY 
     This application relies for priority upon United States Provisional Application No. 60/153,640, filed on Aug. 31, 1999, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a hand cleaning process and related unit that can easily be adapted to existing sinks, using existing cleansing materials, such as soap and sponges. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hand cleaning process for use in an operating room or medical setting that effectively improves the effectiveness of hand cleaning, which is performed by physicians and by other operating room or medical personnel prior to a surgery or medical procedure. 
     In general, a surgical prep sponge is used to clean the hands and arm area of a doctor or other medical professional prior to them participating in surgery. Although called a sponge, a surgical prep sponge is actually a combination of a sponge and a brush. The sponge portion can hold water and soap, and the brush can be used for scrubbing the user&#39;s hands and arms. 
     Cleanliness of the hands, arms and fingernails is extremely critical in the operating room or in any medical setting where the hands enter a body cavity of another individual. In this type of cleaning process, a surgical prep sponge is generally held in one hand and used to brush against the other hand and arm in a back and forth cleaning motion. Recently, a sponge embedded with a cleaning agent has come into common use. After being wetted, a sudsing action occurs on the surface of the sponge, creating a germicidal reaction that cleans the hands. 
     It is known in the art that a good surgical prep is largely responsible for preventing the spread of bacteria entering through an open cavity or wound in a body during a surgical or medical procedure. It is also well known that increasing the time, agitation, and number of strokes involved in the scrubbing motion of a surgical prep, will directly reduce the number of bacteria present after the scrubbing. 
     Previously, a surgical prep sponge has been held in one hand to scrub the other hand and then transferred to the second hand to scrub the first, once the second hand is clean. 
     However, this process leaves open the possibility of cross contamination since the person scrubbing their hands must take hold of the non-sterile sponge with their just-cleaned hand before they can clean their other hand. Any bacteria that may have been deposited on the sponge by the user&#39;s second hand could then be transferred to the user&#39;s first hand, undermining the entire cleaning process. 
     Then, when the cleaning process is complete, the medical professional must use one hand to throw away the used sponge, meaning that at least one of the user&#39;s hands will have touched the non-sterile sponge after the cleaning process, leaving open the possibility of cross contamination. 
     Although the chance of such cross contamination resulting from this is small, it does remain as a potential source of infection for the patient, and so should be avoided if possible. 
     In addition, since the scrubbing action is performed by hand, it may be non-uniform, or shorter than a desired duration. If the person cleaning their hands is tired, or dislikes the repetitive back and forth motion, they may use fewer or less vigorous strokes than would be preferable for an effective cleaning process. 
     Furthermore, although surgical preparation is a situation in which the concern with cleanliness is great, it is by no means the only venue that could benefit by an improved hand washing system. Any hospital or other medical or dental facilities has a need to minimize the spread of infectious bacteria and will be concerned with cleanliness, particularly with regards to the hands of the medical staff. 
     Similarly, with the threat of such communicable diseases as hepatitis A, the food preparation and production industry has a similar need to secure a better means to improve their cleanliness in order to reduce the risk that any disease will be spread. And any job that requires cleanliness, either before or after work, whether it be at a tissue bank, in a clean room environment, in a factory environment, or the like, could benefit from an improved hand washing technique. 
     Furthermore, there are some people who are handicapped, whether temporarily or permanently, and have lost all or part of the use of their hands. For these people it would be desirable to have a method by which they could quickly and effectively wash their hands, whether it be at home, at work, or while traveling. 
     These problems can be solved by using a cleaning device disclosed in the present invention, improvements in function are immediately obvious. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to improve or eliminate the aforementioned problems accompanied with the conventional method of scrubbing for a surgical or medical procedures, in which a surgical scrub sponge is used, without causing major changes in the current methods for preparing for a medical procedure. 
     According to the invention, a modular surgical prep sponge holder is provided, This modular surgical prep sponge holder comprises a movement-plate, a surgical sponge connected to the movement-plate, a lateral motion generator for moving the movement-plate and the surgical sponge in a lateral direction, and a water line for supplying water to the surgical sponge. 
     The lateral motion generator may comprise a wheel, a rotational motion generator for moving the wheel in a rotational direction, a motion transfer device to convert rotational movement of the wheel into lateral movement of the movement-plate. 
     The transfer device preferably comprises a drive shaft pin connected to the wheel; the movement-plate preferably contains a drive-pin slot; and the drive shaft pin is preferably placed within the drive-pin slot to convert the rotational movement of the wheel into the lateral movement of the movement-plate. 
     The rotational motion generator can be controlled by a device operable by a foot or leg. The rotational motion generator may comprise a flexible shaft connected to the wheel, the flexible shaft being rotated to provide the rotational movement of the wheel. The rotational motion generator may also comprise a stream of high-pressure water that pushes against the wheel, causing the wheel to move in the rotational direction. 
     The wheel is preferably a main gear. In this case, the rotational motion generator may comprise a pinion gear connected in an interlocking fashion with the main gear, and a flexible shaft connected to the pinion gear, wherein the flexible shaft is rotated to provide rotational movement to the pinion gear, and the rotational movement of the pinion gear is transferred into the rotational movement of the main gear. 
     The movement-plate and the lateral motion generator are preferably placed within an outer housing. The flexible shaft and the water line are both preferably contained within a tube housing. The amount of water supplied to the surgical sponge can be controlled by a device operable by a foot or leg. And the modular surgical prep sponge holder may further comprise a soap dispenser for dispensing cleansing agents. 
     The modular surgical prep sponge holder may further comprise a swivel head connected to the movement-plate, the swivel head allowing the movement-plate to move along 180 degrees of motion. The sponge is preferably attached to the movement-plate through the use of spring tension end clasps. 
     In addition, a cleaning device is provided in accordance with this invention. The cleaning device comprises a movement-plate; a sponge connected to the movement-plate; a lateral motion generator for moving the movement-plate and the sponge in a lateral direction; and a water line for supplying water to the sponge. 
     The lateral motion generator may itself comprise a wheel; a rotational motion generator for moving the wheel in a rotational direction; and a motion transfer device to convert rotational movement of the wheel into lateral movement of the movement-plate. 
     The cleaning device may further comprise a housing cover to protect the movement plate; and a swivel head connected to the housing cover, the swivel head allowing the housing cover to move along 180 degrees of motion. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the description that follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a modular surgical prep sponge holder according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the modular surgical prep sponge holder of FIG. 1 in operation; 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of the unit housing cover and gears from FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a side view of a modular surgical prep sponge holder according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a plan view of the unit housing cover and gears from FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 5A is a view like FIG. 5 showing a modification for water drive; 
     FIGS. 6A to  6 D show underside views of the movement-plate of FIGS. 2 and 4 in operation. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for hand cleaning before an invasive surgical procedure. This method and apparatus can significantly improve the quality of surgical hand preparation prior to surgery in a medical or dental procedure. 
     The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to a first preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3. FIG.  1 . is an exploded view of a modular surgical prep sponge holder according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a side view of the modular surgical prep sponge holder of FIG. 1; and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the unit housing cover and gears from FIG.  1 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the modular surgical prep sponge holder  100  includes a permanent portion  10  and a removable portion  20 . The permanent portion  10  includes a tubular member  11 , a water line  13 , a flexible shaft  15 , a flexible shaft attachment  17 , and a swivel head  19 . 
     The tubular member  11  contains both the water line  13  and the flexible shaft  15 . It preferably comprises a stainless steel tube, either telescopic or standard, having an inner diameter of about 20 mm. However, it is primarily required that the structure of the tubular member  11  be sufficient to support both the flexible shaft  15  and the water line  13 , which each run inside the length of the tubular member  11 . As a result, any design that allows for such support would be acceptable. The water line may be made of plastic or any other suitable material. 
     The amount of water flowing through the line  13  may be controlled by the user by any conventional means. In addition, liquid soap from a reservoir  18  may be fed into line  13  and to the prep sponge holder. An electric motor  14  drives the flexible shaft  15  to drive the sponge holder. As is conventional, the motor speed may be controlled by the user. 
     The swivel head  19  is attached to the end of the tubular member  11 , and acts to secure the removable portion  20  to the permanent portion  10 . The swivel head  19  also allows the removable portion  20  to be moved into a variety of positions to allow for improved cleaning process. Preferably, the swivel head  19  is able to move in any direction along 180 degrees of motion, allowing the removable portion  20  an equal freedom of motion. 
     The flexible shaft  15  ends in the flexible shaft attachment  17 , which sticks out of the end of the tubular member  11  and through the swivel head  19 . Both the flexible shaft  15  and the flexible shaft attachment  17  can be rotated by a motor  14  or the like. The flexible shaft attachment  17  attaches to the removable portion  20 . 
     The removable portion  20  includes a unit housing cover  21 , a main gear  23 , a movement-plate  27 , an end clip  33 , a unit housing bottom  35 , and a surgical prep sponge  39 . The main gear  23  has a drive shaft pin  25  attached to it along its circumference, at a given radius. The movement-plate  27  includes a plurality of positioning holes  29  and a movement-plate drive-pin slot  31 . The unit housing bottom  35  includes a plurality of fixing mechanisms  37 . 
     When this application refers to a surgical prep sponge, it can mean a sponge, a brush, or a combination sponge/brush used for cleaning hands and arms. Furthermore, the present invention should not be limited to the use of surgical prep sponges. Any kind of sponge or brush used for cleaning is intended to fall within the scope of this invention. 
     To further limit the possibility of contamination, the removable portion  20  can be disposed of and replaced periodically, or can be removed and sterilized using another process. 
     The unit housing cover  21 , which serves as a top to the removable portion  20 , is secured to the swivel head  19 , and is preferably attached to the flexible shaft attachment  17  in an interlocking relationship. Preferably the unit housing cover is made of a disposable plastic. 
     As shown specifically in FIG. 3, in the first preferred embodiment the unit housing cover  21  contains two gears, a main gear  23  and a pinion gear  24 . The drive shaft pin  25  is connected to the main gear  23  somewhere along the circumference of the main gear  23 . The pinion gear  24  has its shaft connected to the flexible shaft attachment  17 , and is rotated by the flexible shaft attachment  17 . 
     In this embodiment, the main gear  23  is preferably a PIC molded 24-pitch spur gear, although any suitable gear may be used. The pinion gear  24  is preferably a smaller gear that drives the larger main gear  23 . 
     In the first preferred embodiment, one end of the flexible shaft attachment  17  will include a square-shaped piece of material that is inserted through the unit housing cover  21  and be attached snugly and into a square opening on the pinion gear  24 . Thus, as the flexible shaft attachment  17  turns, so too will the pinion gear  24  turn. And as the pinion gear  24  moves, so too will the main gear  23 . 
     FIGS. 4 and 5 show a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a side view of a modular surgical prep sponge holder according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a plan view of the unit housing cover and gears from FIG.  4 . 
     The second preferred embodiment is substantially similar to the first preferred embodiment, except that it uses only a main gear  23 , and does not employ a pinion gear. As shown in FIG. 4, the drive shaft pin  25  is connected to the main gear  23  somewhere along the circumference of the main gear  23 . The main gear  23  has its shaft connected to a flexible shaft attachment  17   a , which is identical to the flexible shaft attachment  17  of the first preferred embodiment, except for its position. The main gear is then directly rotated by the flexible shaft attachment  17   a.    
     The unit housing cover  21   a  in the second preferred embodiment is substantially similar to the unit housing cover  21  in the first preferred embodiment. However, it is secured to the swivel head  19  above the main gear  23 , and may be of a slightly different size or shape to account for there being no need to accommodate a pinion gear. As in the first preferred embodiment, the unit housing cover  21   a  is preferably attached to the flexible shaft attachment  17   a  in an interlocking relationship. 
     Although the first preferred embodiment disclosed in FIGS. 1-3 uses two gears, a main gear  23  and a pinion gear  24 , and the second preferred embodiment uses a single gear, a main gear  23 , alternate embodiments may also be used. For example, the unit could also use multiple pinion gears to drive a single main gear. 
     In both the first and second preferred embodiments, the movement-plate  27  includes a plurality of positioning holes  29  and a single drive-pin slot  31 . The positioning holes  29  are used to hold the movement-plate  27  in position during operation. The movement-plate  27  is positioned such that the drive-pin slot  31  is located below the drive shaft pin  25 , and contains the drive shaft pin  25  when the removable portion is fully assembled. 
     As the main gear  23  rotates, so too does the drive shaft pin  25  connected to the main gear  23 . The rotational movement of the drive shaft pin  25  is translated into lateral movement for the movement-plate  27  by the movement of the drive shaft pin  25  in the drive-pin slot  31 . The ratio of strokes per minute for the movement-plate  27  is thus directly related to the length of the drive pin slot  31 , the position of the drive shaft pin  25  on the main gear  23 , and the rotational speed of the main gear  23 . In particular, the farther out on the main gear  23  that the drive shaft pin  25  is located, the faster the movement-plate  27  will move in a lateral direction. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the movement plate  27  preferably comprises a polymer plastic plate about 9 cm long, 4.5-6 cm thick, and 3 thick. The length of the drive-pin slot  31  is preferably about 10 mm. The drive shaft pin  25  preferably extends vertically into the drive-pin slot  31  from the gear a total of about 10 mm. The drive shaft-pin  25  is preferably 2 in diameter. 
     The unit housing bottom  35  is attached to the unit housing cover  21  by means of the plurality of fixing mechanisms  37 . These fixing mechanisms preferably pass through the positioning holes  29  in the movement-plate  27  and serve to keep the movement plate  27  in position. In the preferred embodiment the fixing mechanisms  37  are plastic screws or plastic dowels fitted into the housing, although any other suitable means for securing the unit housing bottom  35  to the unit housing top  21  may be used. 
     The movement-plate  27  is preferably integrally constructed with end clips  33 , or clasps, to receive and secure the surgical prep sponge  39 . These end clips  33  can be of molded plastic or any other suitable material and shape that will adequately hold the sponge  39  during operation. In the preferred embodiment, the end clips  33  are spring tension end clasps, although any suitable device for fixing the sponge  39  to the movement-plate  27  can be used. 
     Because the sponge  39  is attached to the movement-plate  27  by means of the end clips  33 , the sponge  39  will be held in place and will have the same lateral movement as the movement-plate  27 . 
     The operation of the modular surgical prep sponge holder  100  will now be described with reference to FIGS. 2,  4  and  6 A to  6 D. FIGS. 6A to  6 D show underside views of the movement-plate of FIGS. 2 and 4 in operation. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, when power is applied in the first preferred embodiment, the flexible shaft  15  and the flexible shaft attachment  17  rotate, causing the pinion gear  24  to rotate, which in turn causes the main gear  23 , including the driving shaft pin  25 , to rotate. 
     Similarly, as shown in FIG. 4, when power is applied in the second preferred  15  embodiment, the flexible shaft  15  and the flexible shaft attachment  17   a  rotate, causing the main gear  23 , including the driving shaft pin  25 , to rotate. 
     Although in the above preferred embodiments, the rotation of the main gear  23  is obtained by the rotation of the flexible shaft attachment, alternate methods may be used. For example, the flow of water through the device could be used to cause the main gear to rotate. In addition, other methods of rotating the main gear  23  could be used. 
     FIG. 5A illustrates a modification of the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5 to enable the main gear  23   b  to be driven by water pushing against the wheel. Gear or wheel  23   b  is formed with surfaces  26  that function as turbine blades that rotate the gear when water contacts them. The amount of water flowing through the line  13  and to the surfaces  26  and thus the speed of the drive may be controlled by the user by any conventional means. 
     In both the first and second preferred embodiments, as the driving shaft pin  25  rotates, it moves back and forth in the drive-pin slot  31 , causing the movement-plate  27  to move back and forth in a lateral direction, as shown by the arrows marked “A” in FIGS. 2 and 4. The movement of the movement-plate  27  is transferred to the end clips  33  and then to the surgical prep sponge  39 , since all three are attached together. 
     FIGS. 6A to  6 D specifically show the position of the movement-plate  27  as the main gear  23  rotates in the direction “R.” For the sake of description, the position in FIG. 6A will be considered a starting point and the position in FIG. 6D will be considered an ending point. However, these points may occur in the middle of operation and need not designate actual starting and ending points. 
     As shown in FIG. 6A, the main gear  23  starts in a position where the drive shaft pin  25  is in the lower portion of the drive-pin slot  31 . When the main gear rotates in the direction “R,” the drive shaft pin  25  pushes the movement-plate  27  in the direction “A” and moves upward in the drive-pin slot. 
     As shown in FIG. 6B, when the main gear  23  has rotated 90 degrees, the drive shaft pin  25  will have reached its maximum lateral position in the direction “A,” and so will have pushed the movement-plate  27  as far to the direction “A” as possible. At this point, the drive shaft pin  25  will have reached the center of the drive-pin slot  31 . 
     As shown in FIG. 6C, the rotation of the main gear  23  in the direction “R” now causes the drive shaft pin  25  to push the movement-plate in the direction “B” and continues to move upward in the drive-pin slot  31 . By the time the main gear has rotated another 90 degrees, the drive shaft pin  25  will have reached the uppermost position in the drive-pin slot  31 . 
     As shown in FIG. 6D, when the main gear  23  has rotated yet another 90 degrees, the drive shaft pin  25  will have reached its maximum lateral position in the direction “B,” and so will have pushed the movement-plate  27  as far to the direction “B” as possible. At this point, the drive shaft pin  25  will have again reached the center of the drive-pin slot  31 . 
     As the main gear continues to rotate in the direction “R,” the drive shaft pin will return to the position shown in FIG. 6A, and will continue as described above. As a result of this, the movement-plate and the surgical sponge  39  attached to it move back and forth as shown by the arrows marked “A” and “B” in FIG.  3 . The speed of lateral movement of the sponge  39  can be regulated by the speed of rotation of the main gear  23 , the size and position of the drive-pin slot  31 , and the location of the driving shaft pin  25  on the main gear. 
     In addition, although the use of a main gear  23  with a driving shaft pin  25  is disclosed in both the first and second preferred embodiments, alternate embodiments may be used to provide lateral movement to the movement-plate  27 . 
     While the sponge  39  is moving back and forth, water is supplied via the water line  13 . The water passes over the sponge  39  and provides a continuous source of water for sterilizing the users hands. Soap, disinfectant, or antibacterial agents can be provided on the sponge, or by any other desirable means, such as a soap dispenser included in the modular surgical prep sponge holder. 
     The removable portion  20  can be moved via the swivel head  19  to position the sponge  39  to a wide variety of desirable positions, allowing the sponge  39  adequate access to the entirety of the users arms and hands, improving the chances that they will be adequately cleaned for a surgical procedure. 
     For ideal operation, two modular surgical prep sponge holders  100  are preferably mounted on the rear counter side of a single sink, or the rear wall of the sink on either sides of an existing faucet. Respective left and right side units will then clean each hand and forearm separately. By having two modular surgical prep sponge holders  100 , the effectiveness of the sterilization process is further improved. 
     By freeing up the user&#39;s hands, the modular surgical prep sponge holder of the present invention reduces the possibility for cross contamination. The modular surgical prep sponge holder eliminates the need for one hand to trade the same sponge to the other hand during the cleaning process, and eliminates any need to use one hand to throw away the used sponge. 
     Prior to the start of the sterile scrub procedure, a sterile removable portion  20  of the modular surgical prep sponge holder  100  is inserted and attached to the flexible shaft attachment  17  or  17   a . A sterile sponge  39  is then unwrapped and attached to the modular surgical prep sponge holder  100 . This sponge  39  need not be handled by the user except as is necessary for cleansing her hands. As a result, the operator never has to transfer or hold an object, i.e., the sponge, that may not be completely sterile. 
     In a hospital, each removable portion  20  of the modular surgical prep sponge holder  100  will preferably be individually packaged so that they remain sterile until ready for use. This way each time a surgeon or nurse scrubs, they can install two of these devices and insure that they will have a more effective scrubbing procedure. 
     In addition to avoiding contact with potentially contaminated sponges, the modular surgical prep sponge holder also improves the effectiveness of the scrubbing itself. The sponge or sponges are moved back and forth more rapidly than would be possible by hand. And since this not dependent upon the action of the user, it will be just as fast, with just as many strokes throughout the entire cleansing process. 
     The modular surgical prep sponge holder moves the sponges in a back and forth scrubbing motion by use of a flexible cable attached to a motor that is capable of delivering up to 10,000-RPMs or more. The flexible cable is attached to the movement apparatus of the device, which is in turn attached to the scrub sponge. By generating a greater number of strokes per minute in the cleaning process than can be generated by hand, the end result is a more uniform, effective, and tireless cleaning procedure. This makes for a more effective and efficient scrubbing method, particularly for cleaning hands, under the fingernails, on the finger tips, along the arms, and in the web spaces. Furthermore, since the user need not perform the back and forth action of the sponge, the duration of the cleansing can be improved without tiring the user. 
     The device in its preferred implementation appears to form two faucets placed on either side of an existing faucet, remaining in the middle of a typical sink. The units are preferably a little taller than the original sinks faucet. The device can also be mounted to a rear wall or the rear counter of the sink. The added height of the device is desirable to enable the user to perform the surgical prep without having to bend over very far. This makes the prep a comfortable and efficient method of quickly and effectively prepping for surgery. 
     Although the above embodiments have been described specifically as surgical prep sponge holders, for use in preparing for surgery, it should be clear that this invention can be used in any situation where cleanliness and both speed and ease of hand washing is desirable. 
     For example, the device disclosed above could be provided in restrooms or sinks in the food preparation and production industry to insure the cleanliness of the hands of people producing, preparing, or serving food. Likewise, anyone in a care-giving position, whether it be a dental office, a nursing home, an emergency room, an ICU, or the like, where cleanliness and the prevention of infection is a concern could benefit from the present invention. 
     In fact, any industry that requires the washing of hands either before or after work could benefit from this invention. By making hand washing easier, quicker, and more effective, this invention provides and increased incentive for an employee to wash their hands, and an increased effectiveness for such a hand washing. 
     Furthermore, any situation in which someone must wash their hands, but may be of limited dexterity could benefit from this invention. It would be particularly useful to allow someone with only one hand operative to effectively wash their hand. This could include anyone who has lost a hand, or who simply has one arm temporarily unavailable, e.g., in a cast. But this could also include the elderly, those recuperating from illness, or those with diseases that reduce or limit their manual dexterity. Such people could benefit from the device disclosed above in their own homes or in public restrooms. 
     The present invention has been described by way of a specific exemplary embodiment, and the many features and advantages of the present invention are apparent from the written description. Thus, it is intended that the appended claims cover all such features and advantages of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation ad illustrated and described. Hence, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to as falling within the scope of the invention.