U.S. patent application number 17/173687 was filed with the patent office on 2021-06-10 for flavouring component, and apparatus and method for manufacturing a flavouring component.
The applicant listed for this patent is British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited. Invention is credited to Gary FALLON, Kie Seon PARK.
Application Number | 20210169134 17/173687 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005417471 |
Filed Date | 2021-06-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210169134 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
FALLON; Gary ; et
al. |
June 10, 2021 |
FLAVOURING COMPONENT, AND APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A
FLAVOURING COMPONENT
Abstract
A flavouring component for a smoking article comprising a rod of
flavouring material. The flavouring material comprises a carrier
material and flavouring particles adhered to to the carrier
material by means of a binder. The flavouring material is formed by
passing the carrier material through a mixture comprising the
binder and the flavouring particles. Also disclosed is a smoking
article including such a flavouring component, and an apparatus and
method for manufacturing such a flavouring component.
Inventors: |
FALLON; Gary; (London,
GB) ; PARK; Kie Seon; (London, GB) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited |
London |
|
GB |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005417471 |
Appl. No.: |
17/173687 |
Filed: |
February 11, 2021 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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15570459 |
Oct 30, 2017 |
10966453 |
|
|
PCT/GB2016/051176 |
Apr 26, 2016 |
|
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17173687 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A24D 3/048 20130101;
A24C 5/1892 20130101; A24B 3/12 20130101; A24D 3/0225 20130101;
A24D 1/002 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A24D 3/02 20060101
A24D003/02; A24C 5/18 20060101 A24C005/18; A24D 1/00 20060101
A24D001/00; A24D 3/04 20060101 A24D003/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 29, 2015 |
GB |
1507269.7 |
Claims
1. A flavouring component for a smoking article, the flavouring
component comprising a rod of flavouring material, the flavouring
material comprising a carrier material and flavouring particles
adhered to the carrier material by means of a binder, wherein the
flavouring material is formed by passing the carrier material
through a mixture comprising the binder and the flavouring
particles.
2. A flavouring component according to claim 2, wherein the carrier
material is a fibrous web and wherein the flavouring particles
adhere to the fibres of the web.
3. A flavouring component according to claim 1, wherein the carrier
material is made from one of the following materials: aluminium,
tobacco, ceramic, cotton.
4. A flavouring component according to claim 1, wherein the mixture
through which the carrier material is passed to form the flavouring
material has a doughy consistency.
5. A flavouring component according to claim 1, wherein the
flavouring component comprises a discrete rod of flavouring
material cut from a continuous rod of flavouring material.
6. A flavouring component according to claim 1, wherein the
flavouring component comprises an outer wrap around the rod of
flavouring material.
7. A smoking article comprising: a rod of smokeable material, a
filter rod, and a flavouring component according to claim 1.
8. A smoking article according to claim 7, wherein the flavouring
component is disposed between the filter rod and the rod of
smokeable material.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 15/570,459 filed on Oct. 30, 2017, which was
filed under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 371 as the national stage of
International Patent Application No. PCT/GB2016/051176 filed on
Apr. 26, 2016, which claims priority to British Patent Application
No. 1507269.7 filed on Apr. 29, 2015, all of which said
applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their
entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method
for manufacture of flavouring components and, in particular, an
apparatus and method for manufacture of flavouring components for
use in smoking articles.
BACKGROUND
[0003] It is known to incorporate smoke-modifying agents in the
body of smoking articles to provide flavouring or other smoke or
aerosol modification to smoking articles. Flavourant granules may
be incorporated into the filter rod or the wrapping paper of a
cigarette or other type of smoking article in order to enhance the
flavour of the inhaled smoke or other aerosol.
[0004] It is desirable to provide an alternative flavouring
component, and apparatus and process for manufacturing a flavouring
component for use in a smoking article.
SUMMARY
[0005] In this specification there are described embodiments of a
flavouring component for a smoking article, the flavouring
component comprising a rod of flavouring material, the flavouring
material comprising a carrier material and flavouring particles
adhered to the carrier material by means of a binder, wherein the
flavouring material is formed by passing the carrier material
through a mixture comprising the binder and the flavouring
particles.
[0006] The carrier material may be a fibrous web and the flavouring
particles may adhere to the fibres of the web. The carrier material
may be made from one of the following materials: aluminium,
tobacco, ceramic, cotton.
[0007] The mixture through which the carrier material is passed to
form the flavouring material may have a doughy consistency.
[0008] The flavouring component may comprise a discrete rod of
flavouring material cut from a continuous rod of flavouring
material.
[0009] The flavouring component may comprise an outer wrap around
the rod of flavouring material.
[0010] In the present specification there are also described
embodiments of a smoking article comprising a rod of smokeable
material, a filter rod, and a flavouring component as described
above.
[0011] The flavouring component may be disposed between the filter
rod and the rod of smokeable material.
[0012] In the present specification there are also described
embodiments of an apparatus for manufacturing a flavouring
component for a smoking article, the flavouring component
comprising a rod of flavouring material, the flavouring material
comprising a carrier material and flavouring particles adhered to
the carrier material by means of a binder, the apparatus comprising
a container containing a mixture of the binder and the flavouring
particles, the container comprising an outlet, and a supply of
carrier material, wherein the apparatus is configured to convey a
length of carrier material through the mixture within the container
so that the flavouring particles adhere to the length of carrier
material by means of the binder to form a length of flavouring
material, and is configured to convey the length of carrier
material out of the outlet extrude the length of flavouring
material to form the rod of flavouring material.
[0013] The length of carrier material may be a continuous length of
carrier material, and the apparatus may be configured to convey the
continuous length of carrier material through the mixture so that
the flavouring particles adhere to the continuous length of carrier
material by means of the binder to form a continuous length of
flavouring material, and may be configured to extrude the
continuous length of flavouring material to form a continuous rod
of flavouring material.
[0014] The mixture may have a doughy consistency.
[0015] The apparatus may comprise means for conveying the mixture
towards the outlet of the container. The conveying means may
comprise a screw conveyor located in the container and facing the
outlet of the container. Alternatively, or in addition, the
conveying means may comprise means for pressurising the mixture in
the container.
[0016] The apparatus may comprise means for pulling the length of
flavouring material out of the container through the outlet.
[0017] The outlet may comprise a die and the die may be configured
to shape the extruded length of flavouring material as the length
of flavouring material is expelled through the outlet to form the
rod of flavouring material.
[0018] The die may be configured to provide a helical profile to
the rod of flavouring material.
[0019] The apparatus may comprise means for twisting the length of
carrier material as it is conveyed through the mixture.
[0020] The apparatus may comprise an injection nozzle configured to
inject an amount of binder in the container.
[0021] The apparatus may comprise a wrapping station configured to
provide an outer wrap around the rod of flavouring material.
[0022] The wrapping station may be configured to pull the length of
flavouring material out of the container through the outlet.
[0023] The apparatus may comprise a cutting station configured to
cut the rod of flavouring material into discrete rods of flavouring
material.
[0024] In the present specification there are also described
embodiments of a method of manufacturing a flavouring component for
a smoking article, the flavouring component comprising a rod of
flavouring material, the flavouring material comprising a carrier
material and flavouring particles adhered to the carrier material
by means of a binder, the method comprising filling a container
with a mixture comprising the binder and the flavouring particles,
the container having an outlet, supplying a length of carrier
material, conveying the length of carrier material through the
mixture within the container towards the outlet so that the
flavouring particles adhere to the length of carrier material by
means of the binder to form a length of flavouring material, and
conveying the length of the carrier material out of the outlet to
extrude the length of flavouring material to form the rod of
flavouring material.
[0025] The length of carrier material may be a continuous length of
carrier material, and the method may comprise conveying the
continuous length of carrier material through the mixture so that
the flavouring particles adhere to the continuous length of carrier
material by means of the binder to form a continuous length of
flavouring material, and extruding the continuous length of
flavouring material to form a continuous rod of flavouring
material.
[0026] The method may comprise conveying the mixture towards the
outlet of the container.
[0027] The method may comprise using a screw conveyor to convey the
mixture towards the outlet of the container.
[0028] The method may comprise pulling the length of flavouring
material out of the container through the outlet.
[0029] The method may comprise using a die to shape the extruded
length of flavouring material as the length of flavouring material
is expelled through the outlet.
[0030] The method may comprise using the die to provide a helical
profile to the length of flavouring material as the length of
flavouring material passes through the die.
[0031] The method may comprise twisting the length of carrier
material as it is conveyed through the mixture.
[0032] The method may comprise using an injection nozzle to inject
an amount of binder in the container.
[0033] The method may comprise using a wrapping station to provide
an outer wrap around the rod of flavouring material.
[0034] The method may comprise using the wrapping station to pull
the length of flavouring material out of the container through the
outlet.
[0035] The method may comprise cutting the rod of flavouring
material into discrete rods of flavouring material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0036] Embodiments of the disclosure will now be described, by way
of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0037] FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a first
embodiment of an apparatus of the disclosure;
[0038] FIG. 2 shows a flavouring component manufactured using the
apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
[0039] FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an
embodiment of a smoking article including a flavouring component of
the disclosure;
[0040] FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a second
embodiment of an apparatus of the disclosure; and
[0041] FIG. 5 shows a flavouring component manufactured using a
variant of the apparatus of FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0042] FIG. 1 shows an apparatus to of a first embodiment of the
disclosure for the manufacture of flavouring components for smoking
articles.
[0043] The apparatus to comprises a container or bath 11 filled
with a mixture 12 comprising a binder 13 and flavouring particles
14. The apparatus to also comprises a supply of carrier material 15
in the form of a carrier material spool 16. The apparatus to is
configured to convey a continuous length of carrier material 15
from the carrier material spool 16 through the mixture 12 so that
the flavouring particles 14 adhere to the carrier material 15 by
means of the binder 13, to form a continuous length of flavouring
material 17.
[0044] The carrier material 15 is the form of a continuous fibrous
web so that the flavouring particles 14 adhere to the fibres of the
web and/or get embedded between the fibres of the web by means of
the binder 13. In a variant (not shown), the carrier material 15 is
in the form of a continuous strand having an external surface to
which the flavouring particles 14 may adhere by means of the binder
13. The carrier material 15 is made from a heat conductive material
such as aluminium. Alternatively, the carrier material 15 may be
made from another material such as tobacco, ceramic or cotton.
[0045] The binder 13 is configured to provide adhesive properties
to the mixture 12 so that the mixture 12 can adhere to the carrier
material 15. The binder 13 provides a doughy consistency to the
mixture 12. The doughy consistency of the mixture prevents the
mixture 12 from flowing out of the container by itself. In the
present embodiment, the binder 13 is made with glue diluted in
water. However, it will be noted that any other kind of binder
suitable for providing sticky properties to the mixture 12 can be
used. For example, the binder may be made with flour diluted in
water.
[0046] The flavouring particles 14 are in the form of beads coated
with one or more flavouring ingredients, such as menthol, vanillin,
benzaldehyde, cinamaldehyde, furaneol, herb oils, spice oils or
citrus oils. The flavouring particles 14 also include a binder
which is, for example, similar to the binder 13 of the mixture 12.
In the present embodiment, the flavouring particles 14 have a
substantially spherical shape and have a diameter comprised between
0.2 mm and 3 mm.
[0047] The container 11 comprises a base portion 18, a sidewall 19
extending from the base portion 18, an upper aperture 20 located
opposed to the base portion 18, and an outlet 21. The outlet 21 is
formed in the sidewall 19 and is located proximate to the base
portion 18. The outlet 21 is in the form of duct 22 extending
outwardly from the sidewall 19 of the container 11.
[0048] A screw conveyor 23 is provided in the container 11. The
screw conveyor 23 is disposed along the base portion 18. The screw
conveyor 23 comprises a conveying chamber 24 and a conveying screw
25 extending in the conveying chamber 24. The conveying chamber 24
comprises an entrance opening 26 and an exit opening 27. The exit
opening 27 faces the outlet 21 of the container 11. The conveying
screw 25 has a longitudinal axis A-A' extending substantially
parallel to the base portion 18. The conveying screw 25 is
configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis A-A' in the
conveying chamber 24 to convey the mixture 12 from the entrance
opening 26 towards the exit opening 27 and towards the outlet 21. A
passageway 28 is provided between the outlet end of the conveying
chamber 24 and the adjacent sidewall 19 of the container 11 through
which the length of carrier material 15 may be conveyed towards the
outlet 21, along with the entrained mixture 12 fed from the
conveying chamber 24 via the exit opening 27.
[0049] A spray nozzle 29 is provided at the upper aperture 20 of
the container 11. The spray to nozzle 29 is in fluid communication
with a reservoir 30 where the binder 13 is stored. The spray nozzle
29 is configured to inject an amount of binder 13 in the container
11. For example, the spray nozzle 29 is configured to fill the
container 11 with additional binder 13 when the quantity of mixture
12 in the container 11 is getting low. Alternatively, the reservoir
3o stores the mixture 12 comprising the binder 13 and the
flavouring particles 14, and the spray nozzle 29 is configured to
inject an amount of the mixture 12 in the container 11.
[0050] The apparatus 10 may be configured to twist the length of
carrier material 15 as it is conveyed through the container 11. For
example, the outlet duct 22 may have projections helically formed
on the inside surface of the duct 22. Twisting the carrier material
15 as it is conveyed through the mixture 12 allows a significant
quantity of flavouring particles 14 to adhere to the carrier
material 15.
[0051] A wrapping station 32 is provided downstream of the
container outlet 21. The wrapping station 32 is configured to wrap
the extruded length of flavouring material 17 formed in the
container 11 to form a wrapped extruded rod 33 of flavouring
material 17. The wrapping station 32 comprises a `garniture` 34 in
the form of a tube, having a wide entrance aperture 35 and a narrow
exit aperture 36, as substantially known in the art. The garniture
34 narrows between the wide entrance aperture 25 and the narrow
exit aperture 36 at a tapered guide portion 37. The garniture 34 is
generally circular in cross-section. A continuous `garniture belt`
38 extends through the garniture 34 and over a plurality of guide
rollers 39. The garniture belt 38 is driven to be conveyed around
the rollers 39 in the direction shown by arrows `G`. The garniture
belt 38 is configured to pull the length of flavouring material 17
out of the container outlet 21, and to convey the length of
flavouring material 17 through the garniture 34. As the length of
flavouring material 17 is conveyed through the garniture 34, the
length of flavouring material 17 goes from being loose when it
enters the wide entrance aperture 35 to a more compressed rod 33 of
flavouring material 17 as it leaves the narrow exit aperture 36. A
wrapping paper `P`, also known as outer wrap or plug wrap, may be
fed from a wrapping paper spool 40 onto the upper surface of the
garniture belt 38 and is conveyed through the garniture 34 by the
moving garniture belt 38. As the wrapping paper P travels though
the garniture 34, the shape of the tapered guide portion 37 deforms
the garniture belt 38 and the wrapping paper P thereon such that,
in cross-section, the wrapping paper P goes from being flat (as it
is on the spool) when it enters the wide entrance aperture 35 of
the garniture 34, to a closed circle as it leaves the to narrow
exit aperture 36 of the garniture 34, completely surrounding the
rod 33 of flavouring material. As the wrapping paper P is wrapped
around the flavouring material 17, the edges meet to form a seam at
an upper portion of the garniture 34. This seam may then be glued
(or the wrapping paper may be pre-glued where the seam is to be
formed). A section of the upper portion of the garniture 34 may
comprise a heating bar (not shown) to heat and activate the glue at
the seam of the wrapping to adhere the wrapping in place around the
rod of flavouring material.
[0052] A cutting station 41 is provided downstream of the wrapping
station 32. The cutting station 41 includes a cutting blade 42. The
cutting station 41 is configured to cut the wrapped rod 33 of
flavouring material 17 into individual lengths of discrete rods of
flavouring material 17 or flavouring components 43.
[0053] In use, the container 11 is filled with the mixture 12
containing the binder 13 and the flavouring particles 14. The
garniture belt 38 is driven over the rollers 29 in the direction
shown by the arrows `G`. A length of carrier material 15 is
conveyed from the carrier material spool 16, into the container 11
through the upper aperture 20, out of the container 11 through the
outlet 21 and into the garniture 34, by means of the garniture belt
38. The screw conveyor 23 rotates about the axis A-A' and conveys
the mixture 12 towards the outlet 21 of the container 11.
[0054] As the carrier material 15 is conveyed in the container 11,
the carrier material 15 passes through the mixture 12 and the
binder 13 along with the flavouring particles 14 adhere to the
carrier material 15 and thereby form a length of flavouring
material 17.
[0055] The carrier material 15 is twisted by the twisting means as
it passes through the mixture 12 in the container 11 thereby
promoting an increased quantity of flavouring particles 14 to
adhere to the carrier material 15.
[0056] After passing through the outlet 21 of the container ii, the
length of flavouring material 17 is conveyed in the wrapping
station 32. The length of flavouring material 17 passes through the
wide entrance aperture 35 of the garniture 34, as shown by arrow
`F`, and is guided into the tapered guide portion 37 of the
garniture 34 by the garniture belt 38. The garniture belt 38 serves
to guide the length of flavouring material 17 into the wide
entrance aperture 35. The flavouring material 17 is conveyed
through the tapered guide portion 37 so that the flavouring
material 17 is extruded and formed into a compacted rod as it
emerges from the narrow exit aperture 36. As the length of
flavouring material 17 travels through the garniture 34 and is
compressed, the wrapping paper P is folded around the outside of
the compressed rod and glue is applied to the seam and heated to
activate the glue, such that when the flavouring material 17 exits
though the narrow exit aperture 36 of the garniture 34, the
flavouring material 17 is formed into a compressed cylindrical rod
33 of flavouring material 17 enveloped by the wrapping paper P.
[0057] After the wrapped rod 33 of flavouring material 17 exits the
wrapping station 32, it passes to the cutting station 41 where the
cutting blade 42 cuts the wrapped rod 33 of flavouring material 17
into individual lengths of discrete rods of flavouring material 17
or flavouring components 43.
[0058] After the flavouring component 43 exits the cutting station
41, the flavouring component 43 is combined with a tobacco rod and
a filter rod to form a smoking article.
[0059] A flavouring component 43 of the disclosure manufactured
using the above-described apparatus and method is shown in FIG. 2.
The flavouring component 43 is shown in FIG. 2 without the wrapping
paper P. The flavouring component 43 is substantially cylindrical
and is continuous in cross-section along its length. It comprises a
rod of flavouring material 17 comprising the fibrous web of carrier
material 15 and the mixture 12 of binder 13 and flavouring
particles 14 adhered to the fibres of the web. The fibrous web of
flavouring material 17, although extruded, comprises spaces between
the fibres so that air can flow through the fibres. In an
alternative arrangement (not shown), the flavouring component 43
could be disposed within a tube.
[0060] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary configuration of a smoking article
5o incorporating a flavouring component 43 of the disclosure. The
smoking article 5o comprises a tobacco rod 51, a filter rod 52, and
the flavouring component 43 formed by a discrete wrapped rod 33 of
flavouring material 17. The flavouring component 43 is located
between the tobacco rod 51 and the filter rod 52. A tobacco rod
wrap 53 is disposed about the tobacco rod 51. Likewise, a filter
plug wrap 54 is disposed about the filter rod 52. The filter rod 52
and the flavouring component 43 are held together by means of an
outer plug wrap 55. A tipping wrap 56 is disposed about the outer
plug wrap 55 and the tobacco rod wrap 53 to hold the tobacco rod 51
along with the flavouring component 43 io and the filter rod 52
together.
[0061] An apparatus 70 of a second embodiment for the manufacture
of flavouring components of the disclosure is shown in FIG. 4 and
is similar to the apparatus 10 of the first embodiment. Like
features retain the same reference numerals and a detailed
description of such like features will not be repeated.
[0062] A difference with the apparatus 70 of the second embodiment
over the apparatus 10 of the first embodiment is that, in the
apparatus 70 of the second embodiment, the screw conveyor is
omitted. Rather, a piston is provided at the upper aperture 20 of
the container. The piston is in the form of a plate 71
substantially parallel to the base portion 18 of the container 11.
The plate 71 substantially closes the upper aperture 20 of the
container 11. The plate 71 comprises an orifice 72 for allowing the
carrier material 15 to be introduced within the container 11. The
plate 71 is configured to pressurise the mixture 12 and to
consequently urge the mixture 12 towards the outlet 21. As the
mixture 12 has a doughy consistency, the mixture 12 does not
overflow through the orifice 72 of the plate when the plate
pressurises the mixture 12.
[0063] An additional difference with the apparatus 70 of the second
embodiment over the apparatus 10 of the first embodiment is that,
in the apparatus of the second embodiment, the outlet 21 of the
container 11 comprises a die 73. The die 73 is configured to shape
the flavouring material 17 as it is expelled through the outlet 21,
to form the rod 33 of flavouring material 17. The die 73 is
configured to form a cylindrical rod 33 of flavouring material 17.
However, various different configurations of due are intended to
fall within the scope of this disclosure.
[0064] After passing through the die 73, the length of flavouring
material 17 is wrapped at a wrapping station 32 as per the first
embodiment of the apparatus 10 of the disclosure described
previously.
[0065] Following the wrapping station 32, the rod 33 of flavouring
material 17 is cut into discrete rods of flavouring material 17 at
a cutting station 41 as per the first embodiment of the apparatus
10 of the disclosure described previously.
[0066] In a variant, the die could have an internal profile
configured to provide a helical profile to the rod 33 of flavouring
material 17. A helical rod 75 of flavouring material 17 formed
using such a die is represented in FIG. 5. Providing a helical rod
75 of flavouring material 17 may allow the flavouring particles 14
to adhere more efficiently to the carrier material 15.
[0067] The apparatuses and the methods of the disclosure provide an
alternative and efficient way of manufacturing flavouring
components for smoking articles. In particular, the apparatuses and
the methods of the disclosure allow manufacturing flavouring
component in which the flavourant particles are embedded in a
fibrous carrier material. Therefore, the apparatuses and the
methods of the disclosure avoid having to implement a step of
filling the flavourant particles in tubes, which can be relatively
costly, time consuming and difficult to implement in a continuous
horizontal process.
[0068] As used herein, the term "smoking article" includes
smokeable products such as cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos
whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco,
reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes and also heat-not-burn
products and other nicotine delivery product such as aerosol
generation devices including e-cigarettes. The smoking article may
be provided with a filter for the gaseous flow drawn by the
smoker.
[0069] In order to address various issues and advance the art, the
entirety of this disclosure shows by way of illustration various
embodiments in which the claimed disclosure(s) may be practiced and
provide for superior flavouring component and apparatus and method
of manufacture a flavouring component for a smoking article. The
advantages and features of the disclosure are of a representative
sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or
exclusive. They are presented only to assist in understanding and
teach the claimed features. It is to be understood that advantages,
embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or
other aspects of the disclosure are not to be considered
limitations on the disclosure as defined by the claims or
limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other
embodiments may be utilised and modifications may be made without
departing from the scope and/or spirit of the disclosure. Various
embodiments may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist
essentially of, various combinations of the disclosed elements,
components, features, parts, steps, means, etc. In addition, the
disclosure includes other disclosures not presently claimed, but
which may be claimed in future.
* * * * *