U.S. patent number RE32,540 [Application Number 06/839,957] was granted by the patent office on 1987-11-10 for terminal positioning method and construction.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Advanced Interconnections, Inc.. Invention is credited to James V. Murphy.
United States Patent |
RE32,540 |
Murphy |
November 10, 1987 |
Terminal positioning method and construction
Abstract
An improved method and construction for positioning a plurality
of socket terminals on an electrical circuit board in a
predetermined configuration prior to the solder connection thereto.
A sheet of electrically insulative, flexible, resinous plastic
material is provided with a plurality of holes in an array
conforming to the desired positioning of the sockets on the circuit
boards. The socket terminals are provided with an enlarged
generally cylindrical head including an intermediate groove such
that the heads extend into the holes and are adapted for frictional
snap engagement with the sheet. The sheet with the array of sockets
temporarily held thereby is positioned on the circuit board which
is then conventionally soldered so as to electrically and
mechanically fix the sockets to the board. Thereafter, the sheet
may be removed. The enlarged head of the circuit terminal is
provided with leading edge sheet contacting surface to enable the
terminals to be push positioned into the holes without injuring the
sheet.
Inventors: |
Murphy; James V. (Warwick,
RI) |
Assignee: |
Advanced Interconnections, Inc.
(West Warwick, RI)
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Family
ID: |
27045618 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/839,957 |
Filed: |
March 17, 1986 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
Reissue of: |
477622 |
Mar 22, 1983 |
04442938 |
Apr 17, 1984 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/716; 206/347;
206/443; 206/713; 206/728; 29/845; 439/83 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
73/0042 (20130101); H05K 3/306 (20130101); H01R
12/58 (20130101); H01R 4/02 (20130101); H01R
43/205 (20130101); H05K 2201/10424 (20130101); H05K
2203/0195 (20130101); Y10T 29/49153 (20150115); H05K
2201/10333 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
73/00 (20060101); H05K 3/30 (20060101); H01R
43/20 (20060101); H01R 4/02 (20060101); B65D
073/02 (); B65D 085/20 () |
Field of
Search: |
;206/328,329,347,443,489,490,820 ;29/739,842,845
;339/17C,17CF,258R,276SF |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Other References
Pin Grid Socket Catalog, Augat Corp. 1976, selected pages..
|
Primary Examiner: Lowrance; George E.
Assistant Examiner: Ehrhardt; Brenda J.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Hieken; Charles
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A construction for temporarily positioning a plurality of
.[.socket.]. terminals on an electrical circuit board in a
predetermined configuration prior to solder connection thereto,
comprising a sheet of relatively thin, flexible, electrically
insulative, resinous plastic material having a plurality of holes
extending therethrough, said holes arranged in a planar
configuration about said sheet to correspond with said
predetermined positioning of said .[.socket.]. terminals in said
circuit board, a plurality of .[.socket.]. terminals each having a
pin adapted for insertion into an opening in said board at their
lower end and an enlarged generally cylindrical head at their upper
end, said enlarged head having upper and lower .Iadd.head
.Iaddend.sections defined by an inwardly extending .[.perimetal.].
.Iadd.perimetrical .Iaddend.groove intermediate the height thereof
and of a lateral extent less .Iadd.than that of .Iaddend.said upper
and lower sections, said holes of a .[.perimetal.].
.Iadd.perimetrical .Iaddend.extent less than .Iadd.that of
.Iaddend.said head sections but generally corresponding to or
slightly greater than that of said groove, said terminals adapted
for positioning upon said sheet with the heads thereof extending
through said holes and the sheet extending into said grooves and
wherein the leading edge of at least one of said upper and lower
head sections is provided with a longitudinally oriented, sheet
contacting surface to enable said terminals to be push positioned
into said grooves.
2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the geometric configuration of
said holes corresponds with that of said grooves.
3. The invention of claim 2, said holes being circular.
4. The invention of claim 1, said head section sheet contacting
surface being a curcumferential .[.chamfer.]. .Iadd.chamfered
surface. .Iaddend.
5. The invention of claim 4, said chamfered surface provided on the
lower portion of said lower head section.
6. The invention of claim 4, said chamfered surface provided on the
upper portion of said upper head section.
7. The invention of claim 4, said chamfered surface provided on
both the lower portion of said lower head section and the upper
portion of said upper head section.
8. The invention of claim 1, said head section sheet contacting
surface being provided on the leading edges of both said upper and
lower head sections.
9. The invention of claim 1, said groove being of substantially
V-shaped configuration.
10. The invention of claim 1, said sheet including downwardly
extending edge flanges having terminal edge surfaces adapted to
contact the upper surface of said circuit board so as to hold
portions of said socket terminal pins above said board during
soldering of said pins thereto.
11. The invention of claim 1, said sheet being substantially clear
Mylar.
12. The method of group positioning a plurality of .[.socket.].
terminals on an electrical circuit board in a predetermined
configuration prior to solder connections thereto, comprising
forming a plurality of holes in a sheet of relatively thin,
flexible, electrically insulative, resinous plastic material in an
array at least including said predetermined configuration, each of
said .[.socket.]. terminals having a head of enlarged, generally
cylindrical configuration and having an inwardly extending
.[.perimetal.]. .Iadd.perimetrical .Iaddend.groove intermediate the
height thereof so as to define upper and lower sections of said
head, said holes of a .[.perimetal.]. .Iadd.perimetrical
.Iaddend.extent less than .Iadd.that of .Iaddend.said head sections
but generally corresponding to or slightly smaller than .Iadd.that
of .Iaddend.said intermediate groove, the leading edge of at least
one of said head sections provided with a longitudinally oriented
sheet contacting surface, supporting one surface of said sheet and
thereafter inserting the .[.the.]. heads of a plurality of
.[.socket.]. terminals from the opposite surface of said sheet into
said holes in said predetermined configuration such that said
longitudinally oriented surface initially contacts peripheral edge
portions of said sheet defining said holes so as to slightly deform
said edge portions in the direction of head insertion until said
sheet edge portions snap into said groove.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein said .[.socket.].
.Iadd.terminals .Iaddend.are inserted into said holes head
first.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein said .[.sockets.].
.Iadd.terminals .Iaddend.are inserted into said holes head last.
.Iadd.15. The invention of claim 1 wherein the thickness of said
sheet is less than the height of said groove. .Iaddend. .Iadd.16.
The invention of claim 1 wherein said sheet is Kapton. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.17. The method of claim 12 and further including the steps
of,
thereafter positioning said terminals while held by said sheet on
said circuit board,
and thereafter group soldering said terminals to said board while
said sheet holds said terminals. .Iaddend. .Iadd.18. The method of
claim 17 and further including the step of removing said sheet from
said terminals after the terminals are soldered to said board by
progressively pealing said sheet beginning at one end thereof, from
said terminals. .Iaddend. .Iadd.19. A construction for temporarily
positioning a plurality of terminals on an electrical circuit board
in a predetermined configuration prior to solder connection
thereto, comprising a sheet of relatively thin flexible material
having a plurality of holes extending therethrough, said holes
arranged in a planar configuration about said sheet to correspond
with said predetermined positioning of said terminals in said
circuit board, a plurality of terminals each having a pin adapted
for insertion in said board at their lower end and an enlarged head
at their upper end, said enlarged head having upper and lower head
sections defined by an inwardly extending perimetrical groove
intermediate the height thereof and of a lateral extent less than
that of said upper and lower sections, said holes of a perimetrical
extent less than that of said head sections but generally
corresponding to or slightly greater than that of said groove, said
terminals adapted for positioning upon said sheet with the heads
thereof extending through said holes and the sheet extending into
said grooves. .Iaddend. .Iadd.20. The method of group positioning a
plurality of terminals on an electrical circuit board in a
predetermined configuration prior to solder connections thereto,
comprising forming a plurality of holes in a sheet of relatively
thin flexible material in an array at least including said
predetermined configuration, each of said terminals having a head
of enlarged configuration and having an inwardly extending
perimetrical groove intermediate the height thereof so as to define
upper and lower sections of said head, said holes of a perimetrical
extent less than that of said head sections but generally
corresponding to or slightly smaller than that of said intermediate
groove, supporting one surface of said sheet and thereafter
inserting the heads of a plurality of terminals from the opposite
surface of said sheet into said holes in said predetermined
configuration to establish contact with peripheral edge portions of
said sheet defining said holes so as to slightly deform said edge
portions in the direction of head insertion until said sheet edge
portions snap into said groove. .Iaddend.
Description
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
This invention deals with an improved construction and method of
positioning a plurality of socket terminals on an electrical
circuit board such as a printed circuit board having a plurality of
openings into which the pin portions of the socket terminals can be
hand assembled upon the circuit board in the desired position, such
involves undue time consumption; and, accordingly, it is generally
accepted practice to utilize socket terminal carrier assemblies for
group insertion into the printed circuit board.
Such carrier assemblies are conventionally in the form of an
aluminum plate having a plurlity of downwardly extending thin
fingers for entrance into the open sleeve portion of the socket
terminals such that the terminals are held thereby and inserted
into the PC board as a group in the desired array. Such system has
found wide acceptance for socket terminals destined for single
in-line and dual in-line positioning on circuit boards but are not
particularly adapted with the recently introduced more complex pin
grid arrays associated with electronic circuitry, i.e., integrated
circuits. Thus it would be unwieldy to produce a conventional
aluminum carrier having downwardly extending fingers in the desired
number and geometric configuration necessary to group insert the
number of socket terminals associated with such integrated circuit
pin grid arrays. Accordingly, it would be desirable to be able to
simply and effectively group position socket terminals in both
simple and complex pin arrays by the same means.
Another problem associated with the use of presently utilized
conventional socket terminal carrier assemblies such as the
above-described aluminum plates is that there is both considerable
tooling cost and lead time required to produce such carriers.
Accordingly, a further desirable feature would be the provision of
a means by which both lead time and tooling cost could be
substantially reduced.
Still another problem associated with the use of aluminum carriers
as above-described is that the slender fingers which are inserted
into the lead socket can sometimes undesirably alter the electrical
conductive properties of the sleeve portion of such sockets as by
scratching or otherwise damaging the internal surface thereof. Such
sleeves are very often provided with a very thin gold plate for
contact of the pins of the active electrical or electronic circuit
element and, accordingly, can be fragile and unnecessary contact
therewith should be avoided. Also as when such aluminum carriers
are carelessly removed, it is possible to actually pull out the
contact sleeve of one or more sockets thus rendering the device
useless. Accordingly, a further object of the present invention is
the provision of a system and means whereby internal portions of
the lead sockets are not contacted during the group insertion
thereof into the printed circuit board.
It is also important that inspection of the soldered connections,
particularly the connections between the upper portion of the
printed board and the downwardly extending lead socket pin, not be
obscured or otherwise hindered from proper inspection prior to the
removal of the carrier element. Accordingly, a further object of
the present invention is the provision of an improved system and
means for group insertion of lead sockets which do not hinder
solder inspection.
The above objectives as well as other objectives as will
hereinafter be more apparent are achieved in the present invention
by the provision of a construction for temporarily positioning a
plurality of .[.socket.]. terminals on an electrical circuit board
in a predetermined configuration prior to solder connection
thereto, comprising a sheet of relatively thin, flexible,
electrically insulative, resinous plastic material having a
plurality of holes extending therethrough, said holes arranged in a
planar configuration about said sheet to correspond with said
predetermined positioning of said .[.socket.]. terminals in said
circuit board, a plurality of .[.socket.]. terminals each having a
pin adapted for insertion into an opening in said board at their
lower end and an enlarged generally cylindrical head at their upper
end, said enlarged head having upper and lower .Iadd.head
.Iaddend.sections defined by an inwardly extending .[.perimetal.].
.Iadd.perimetrical .Iaddend.groove intermediate the height thereof
and of a lateral .[.extend.]. .Iadd.extent .Iaddend.less .Iadd.than
that of .Iaddend.said upper and lower sections, said holes of a
.[.perimetal.]. .Iadd.perimetrical .Iaddend.extent less than
.Iadd.that of .Iaddend.said head sections but generally
corresponding to or slightly greater than that of said groove, said
terminals adapted for positioning upon said sheet with the heads
thereof extending through said holes and the sheet extending into
said grooves and therein the leading edge of at least one of said
upper and lower head sections is provided with a longitudinally
oriented, sheet contacting surface to enable said terminals to be
.[.pushed.]. .Iadd.push .Iaddend.positioned into said grooves.
Other objects, features and advantages of .[.thhe.]. .Iadd.the
.Iaddend.invention shall become apparent as the description thereof
proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying
illustrative drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently
contemplated for carrying out the present invention:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional aluminum lead socket
carrier;
FIG. 2 is an elevational view partially in section showing the
manner in which the carrier shown in FIG. 1 may be utilized to
position lead sockets on a printed socket board;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing one form of the carrier sheet
utilized in the present invention;
FIG. 3A is a perspective view similar to FIG. 3 showing another
form (a pin grid array) of the carrier of the present
invention;
FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of either of the carrier forms
shown in FIGS. 3 or 3A;
FIG. 5 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the
manner in which the carrier sheet of the present invention may be
utilized;
FIG. 5A is an elevational view similar to FIG. 5 but showing an
alternate constructional form of socket which may be positioned on
a PC board by the carrier sheet of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 5 but showing the
manner in which the active circuit component, i.e., a pin grid
array of an integrated circuit, is assembled to the circuit
board/lead socket carrier assembly;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view showing the manner in which an
individual lead socket pin is held by the carrier of the present
invention;
FIG. 7A is an enlarged partial sectional view showing an alternate
manner by which the carrier may hold an individual lead socket
pin;
FIG. 8 is a modified form in which the carrier of the present
invention may take; and
FIG. 9 is an elevational view partially in section showing the
manner in which the carrier form shown in FIG. 8 is utilized.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to the drawings and particularly FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof,
the conventional prior art manner of positioning lead sockets onto
a printed circuit board prior to the soldering thereto is depicted.
Therein an aluminum carrier 10 having a generally planar body 12
with downwardly extending flanges 14 is shown. Such configuration
is known as dual in-line. The carrier also is formed in a single
line configuration as well. The flanges terminate in a plurality of
thin fingers 16 which are adapted to extend internally and engage a
contact sleeve 18 of a lead socket 20. The construction of such
lead socket 20 may be as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,776, the
disclosure of which is herewith incorporated into the present
specification by specific reference thereto. In addition, the
aluminum carrier may be that described in Augat, Inc.'s catalog.
Page No. DS28, copyright 1973, and a copy of which is attached to
the specification and incorporated therein by specific reference
thereto.
With the various lead sockets 20 carried by the fingers 16, the
assembly as a group is positioned upon a printed circuit board 22
such that the downwardly extending terminal pin portions 24 of the
sockets 20 extend into openings 26 in the printed circuit board.
Such configuration is standard and shown not only by the above
referred to Augat catalog page but also in U.S. Pat. No. 4,175,810,
the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated into the present
specification by specific reference thereto. Thereafter, the
resultant assembly is wave soldered by conventional techniques so
as to result in a solder fillet 28 bridging the openings 26 and
both electrically and preferably mechanically attaching the
plurality of lead sockets 20 to the printed circuit board 22 in the
desired array. After inspecting the solder connections, the holder
10 is removed and, accordingly, the receiving sleeve contact
portions of the lead sockets 20 available to receive an active
electrical or electronic circuit in the intended manner.
As previously explained in the objects of the invention, such
procedure is satisfactory for a single or a dual in-line
configuration but does not lend itself to the more complex group
lead socket configurations which are required for pin grid arrays
such as required by active integrated circuit components.
Accordingly and by reference to the remaining portions of the
drawings, the carrier element 30 of the present invention may take
the form of a dual in-line configuration such as shown in FIG. 3 of
a more complex configuration suitable for an I.C. circuit pin grid
array such as shown in FIG. 3A. Accordingly, the configuration
shown in FIG. 3A involves the use of a far greater number of holes
32 disposed therethrough and adapted for the receipt of a lead
socket 34 as will hereinafter be more fully brought out.
A preferred material for the carrier sheet 30 is 0.01 inch thick
Mylar approximately 2.1 inches in length and 1.8 inches in width
although any appropriate size, thickness, and material may be
utilized so long as it exhibits the necessary flexibility, heat
resistance at soldering temperatures, and electrical insulative
properties. It is also preferable that the material be a resinous
plastic for ease in forming, at least translucent and preferably
clear such that the solder connections ultimately made in utilizing
this sheet may be inspected with ease and printable such that
instructions, directions, and the like may be applied to the upper
surfce thereof. Such sheet 30 is provided with a number of holes
32, preferably circular in configuration and each generally of the
same diameter.
Such holes 32 are formed by conventional punching or drilling
techniques and, accordingly, the use of such sheet in the intended
manner as will hereinafter be brought out lends itself to short run
or one-of-a-kind projects wherein it would not be generally
economical to produce hard tooling that would otherwise be
necessary for the construction of conventional aluminum carrier 10
such as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings. In addition to
the socket positioning holes 32, a number of other holes 36 of
varying diameter and position may be provided so as to orient the
carrier sheet 30 when loaded with an appropriate number of lead
sockets 34 over a printed circuit board in the intended manner. The
sheet shown in FIG. 3A is provided with any desired number of
preferably distant spaced holes, i.e., 100 (ten to a side) or 196
(fourteen to a side), although any number as appropriate for use
with pin grid arrays or conventional dual in-line configurations or
single in-line configurations may be utilized.
It should also be pointed out that the carrier sheet 30 may be of
more extensive planar dimension so as to enable, for example, an
entire circuit board to be group inserted. That is, the sheet may
be appropriately configured with holes and thus be loaded with the
lead sockets from any practical number of individual arrays, be
they single in-line dual in-line, complex pin grid arrays, or
combinations thereof.
The resultant sheet 30 is generally bottom supported in any desired
manner as by a suitable jig and thereafter by conventional
equipment or by hand and the appropriate number of lead sockets 34
snapped into place. Thereafter, the resultant carrier and socket
assemblies such as shown in FIG. 4 is utilized to group position
the sockets 34 into position on a printed circuit board 38 with the
terminal pins 40 thereof extending through openings (not shown) in
the circuit board 38. Thereafter, the resultant assembly shown in
FIG. 5 is soldered such that the pins 40 and, accordingly, the
sockets 34 are at least electrically and preferably mechanically as
well attached to the printed circuit board 38. Any conventional
soldering technique may be utilized so long as the temperature at
which it is carried out is not detrimental to the material from
which the carrier sheet 30 is made. Generally a wave soldering
process which does not adversely effect Mylar is the preferred
manner. In those cases where a different soldering technique is
desired, e.g., vapor phase soldering, then a carrier sheet material
with a higher temperature resistance may be utilized. Kapton, made
by Dupont is a suitable material for use in vapor phase
soldering.
Referring to FIG. 5A, it should be made clear that the carrier
sheet can be advantageously used to group position sockets of
varying constructions. For example, sockets 20a which are not pin
inserted into openings in a circuit board but which are positioned
above or in contact with the circuit board. An appropriate way to
orient such sockets is by providing blank sockets 20b which may be
glued to the board surface to orient the array. Suitable contact
glues are commercially available for this purpose. Also orientation
sockets with pins may be utilized in addition to or in combination
with the above-described mounting technique.
After inspection of the solder fillets such as solder fillets
similar to those shown in FIG. 2, which is facilitated by the
observation ease brought out by the preferably clear or at least
translucent nature of the carrier sheet 30, the sheet 30 may be
removed. Thereafter, the pin grid array of an active electrical or
electronic circuit is plugged into the resultant assembly in the
intended manner. It is not completely necessary to remove the
carrier sheet since such is not conductive and is otherwise
generally harmless to the resultant structure. It is, however,
normal that the sheet be progressively torn or peeled away from the
enlarged headed portions of the sockets 34 after soldering and
inspection.
Turning now to FIGS. 7 and 7A of the drawings, the particular
configuration of the sockets 34 of the present invention will be
described. Such sockets may internally conform to those
conventional sockets described in the previous description of the
prior art and differ primarily therefrom in the construction and
inclusion of a generally cylindrical enlarged head 50. The external
part of the pin 34 includes a body portion 52, the enlarged
terminal upper head portion 50, and a lower terminal pin portion
54. The interior portion of the socket 34 includes an upper open
end 56 into which pins (58) from a pin grid array 60 or other
electrical or electronic unit may downwardly extend into contact
with a prepositioned sleeve 62.
Such socket 34 as well as the sleeve may be formed from any
appropriate material although it is common that the major portions
of such be brass and that the sleeve 62 be provided with a gold
coating to improve electrical contact. The leading lower surface 64
of the enlarged head 50 is provided with a generally longitudinally
oriented sheet contacting surface 66 as in the form of the chamfer
depicted. Preferably the upper leading edge 67 is also provided
with such chamfered surface 66. It should be brought out that the
chamfered surface 66 depicted may be otherwise configured such as
in the form of a curve or the like so long as the intended purpose
of gradually imparting frictional contact with those portions of
the sheet defining the holes 32 is brought about. Thus in those
cases where the sheet 32 is bottom supported and the pins inserted
from the top, the sheet will come in initial contact with the lower
chamfer 66.Iadd., .Iaddend.and in those cases where the top of the
sheet .Iadd.is .Iaddend.supported and the pins inserted from below,
then the sheet will contact the upper surface 66.
An inwardly extending groove 68 is positioned intermediate the
enlarged head 50 and is generally of V-shaped configuration brought
about by the convergence of an upper inwardly, downwardly extending
wall 70 and a lower, inwardly, upwardly extending wall 72. The
diameter of the openings 32 terminate in a circumferential edge
surface 74. As shown in FIG. 7, the movement of the lower head
section 76 towards and into the opening 32 will cause a slight
downward extension or bending of the edge 74, i.e., a sort of
slight wiping action such that the peripheral portions of the sheet
30 surrounding the hole 32 will be downwardly directed into contact
with the lower wall 72 within the groove 68. Conversely, if the
socket 34 is inserted in the opposite direction, the slight
deformation of the sheet surrounding the openings 32 will be in the
opposite direction and the terminal edge 74 thereof will abut the
upper slanted wall surface 70. .Iadd.The thickness of sheet 30 is
less than the height of groove 68. .Iaddend.
Alternatively and as shown in FIG. 7A, the dimensions of the groove
68 and the openings 32 may be such that a lesser deflection is
caused such that the terminal edge 74 merely extends into the
groove 68. The important aspect is that the relative dimensions are
such that the socket head 50 is securely grasped by the sheet 30 in
the various holes 32 thereof such that they cannot easily dislodge
therefrom during normal handling of the carrier and socket
subassembly prior to insertion on the PC board. It is also possible
to utilize groove and hole configurations which are non-circular so
long as they are appropriately matched to facilitate the necessary
firm connection between the two. It is, accordingly, anticipated
that some useful functions such as rotational orientation of a
socket in a particular manner with respect to the carrier sheet 30
and, accordingly, ultimately with respect to the circuit board can
be achieved by the use of triangular, square, oblong, rectangular,
etc. openings.
Turning now to FIGS. 8 and 9 of the invention, a modified form of
the carrier 30a is shown wherein the sides thereof include
downwardly extending flanges 82 of a length such that the terminal
surface or edges 84 thereof contact the upper surface of the PC
board in such a manner as to hold the pin portions of the sockets
slightly above the upper surface of the PC board so as to promote
desirable solder filleting therebetween.
While there is shown and described herein certain specific
structure embodying this invention, it will be manifest to those
skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of
the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope
of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not
limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except
insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *