阅读说明：本技术 安全梯 (Safety ladder ) 是由 詹雅菁 于 2021-05-18 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种安全梯,适用于安装于支撑面与地面之间。所述安全梯包含两个支撑组,及数个平行设置且枢接于所述支撑组之间的踏板件。每一个支撑组包括第一支撑杆与第二支撑杆。每一个所述第一支撑杆与所述第二支撑杆具有顶端、底端及枢接部。所述顶端可枢转地连接于所述支撑面。所述安全梯能在使用状态与收纳状态间移动。在所述使用状态时,所述支撑组的第一支撑杆与第二支撑杆的底端适用于同时接触所述地面,且所述第一支撑杆与所述第二支撑杆彼此平行且间隔设置,借此能增加安全梯的稳定性。在所述收纳状态时,所述第一支撑杆与所述第二支撑杆实质上垂直所述地面站立,借此能缩小收纳体积。(A safety ladder is suitable for being installed between a supporting surface and the ground. The safety ladder comprises two support groups and a plurality of pedal parts which are arranged in parallel and pivoted between the support groups. Each support group comprises a first support rod and a second support rod. Each of the first support bar and the second support bar has a top end, a bottom end and a pivot joint part. The top end is pivotally connected to the support surface. The safety ladder can move between a use state and a storage state. When the safety ladder is in the use state, the bottom ends of the first supporting rod and the second supporting rod of the supporting group are suitable for being simultaneously contacted with the ground, and the first supporting rod and the second supporting rod are parallel to each other and arranged at intervals, so that the stability of the safety ladder can be improved. When the storage state is realized, the first support rod and the second support rod stand substantially perpendicular to the ground, so that the storage volume can be reduced.)

1. The utility model provides a safety ladder is applicable to and installs between holding surface and ground, safety ladder contains two support groups, and several step spare, its characterized in that:

the support groups are arranged at intervals along the left-right axial direction, each support group comprises a first support rod and a second support rod which are arranged at intervals along the front-back axial direction perpendicular to the left-right axial direction, the first support rod and the second support rod are respectively provided with a top end, a bottom end opposite to the top end, and a plurality of pivoting parts arranged between the top end and the bottom end at intervals; and

the pedal pieces are arranged in parallel and are pivoted between the support groups;

wherein the top end of the first support bar of the support group is configured to be pivotally connected to the support surface so as to be movable upwardly and downwardly relative to the support surface;

the safety ladder can move between a use state and a storage state;

when the safety ladder is in the use state, the first support rod and the second support rod of the support group are inclined relative to the support surface and the ground, the bottom end of the first support rod and the bottom end of the second support rod of the support group are suitable for simultaneously contacting the ground, and the first support rod and the second support rod are parallel to each other and arranged at intervals;

when the safety ladder is in the storage state, the first supporting rod and the second supporting rod of the supporting group stand substantially perpendicular to the ground and are parallel to each other and arranged at intervals;

wherein, when the safety ladder is in the use state, the first support rod and the second support rod of the support group are configured to form an included angle with the ground, and the pedal part is configured to be substantially parallel to the ground even if the included angle is changed.

2. The safety ladder of claim 1, wherein: each pedal piece has two rear connecting ends and two front connecting ends, the rear connecting ends are respectively pivoted with one of the pivoting parts of the first supporting rod of one of the supporting groups and the corresponding pivoting part of the first supporting rod of the other supporting group, and the front connecting ends are respectively pivoted with one of the pivoting parts of the second supporting rod of the one of the supporting groups and the corresponding pivoting part of the second supporting rod of the other supporting group.

3. The safety ladder of claim 1, wherein: the safety ladder further comprises two positioning seats which are configured to be fixed on the supporting surface and respectively have long guide holes, and two guide shafts which respectively extend through the long guide holes of the positioning seats, wherein the guide shafts are respectively connected to the top ends of the first supporting rods of the supporting groups so as to respectively connect the top ends of the first supporting rods of the supporting groups to the positioning seats.

4. The safety ladder of claim 3, wherein: the long guide hole of each positioning seat is provided with an upper hole end, a lower hole end opposite to the upper hole end, and a middle section located at the upper hole end and the lower hole end, the upper hole end is configured to be closer to the supporting surface than the lower hole end, the middle section extends from the upper hole end towards the lower hole end and obliquely towards the direction far away from the supporting surface, and the guide shafts respectively extend through the long guide holes of the positioning seats to respectively pivot the top ends of the first support rods of the support groups to the positioning seats.

5. The safety ladder of claim 2, wherein: each pedal piece comprises a pedal body, a rear pivot shaft and a front pivot shaft, wherein the rear pivot shaft and the front pivot shaft extend into the pedal body, the rear pivot shaft is provided with a rear connecting end, the front pivot shaft is provided with a front connecting end, and each pedal piece further comprises a plurality of fastening screw caps which are jointed with the rear connecting end of the rear pivot shaft and the front connecting end of the front pivot shaft so as to pivot each pedal piece to the first supporting rod and the second supporting rod of the supporting group.

6. The safety ladder of claim 1, wherein: the safety ladder further comprises a safety limiting unit, wherein the safety limiting unit comprises a limiting rod fixedly arranged on one of the first supporting rod and the second supporting rod of one of the supporting groups and a stopping piece fixedly arranged on the other of the first supporting rod and the second supporting rod of one of the supporting groups, when the first supporting rod and the second supporting rod of each supporting group are arranged at intervals, the stopping piece is contacted with and stops the limiting rod, so that a fixed distance is maintained between the first supporting rod and the second supporting rod of each supporting group, and when the first supporting rod and the second supporting rod of each supporting group approach to each other, the stopping piece is far away from the limiting rod.

7. The safety ladder of claim 6, wherein: the limiting rod is L-shaped and is provided with a fixed section fixedly arranged on the second supporting rod of one of the supporting groups and an abutting section transversely extending from one end of the fixed section to the first supporting rod of one of the supporting groups, the limiting rod approaches the bottom end of the second supporting rod of one of the supporting groups, and the stopping piece approaches the bottom end of the first supporting rod of one of the supporting groups.

8. The safety ladder of claim 6, wherein: the limiting rod is in an inverted L shape and is provided with a fixing section fixedly arranged on the first supporting rod of one of the supporting groups and an abutting section transversely extending from one end of the fixing section to the second supporting rod of one of the supporting groups, the limiting rod approaches to the top end of the first supporting rod of one of the supporting groups, and the stop piece approaches to the top end of the second supporting rod of one of the supporting groups.

9. The safety ladder of claim 1, wherein: the safety ladder also comprises a hook component, wherein the hook component comprises an engaging hook which is pivoted to the second supporting rod of one of the supporting groups and is provided with an engaging groove, and an engaging pin which is fixedly arranged on the first supporting rod of one of the supporting groups and is used for engaging the engaging groove so as to enable the safety ladder to be positioned in the receiving state.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a climbing device, in particular to a safety ladder.

Background

A common building is provided with a sun visor, a skylight plate and the like, and an access door is installed on the sun visor and the skylight plate. A ladder stand is arranged between the ground and the access door so that a person can reach the access door and can reach the upper part of the sun shield or the skylight plate after the access door is opened.

An existing ladder is directly fixed to a vertical wall and includes a pair of long rods and a plurality of round tube step members welded between the long rods. When stepping on the ladder, the round tube step piece is easy to slip, and when climbing to a high place, the gravity center can be bent backwards, so that the ladder is not in accordance with the human engineering, and the use of the existing ladder is quite dangerous. Furthermore, the need to open the access door while climbing high increases the risk of using the existing ladder.

In order to solve the above problem, if the ladder stand is installed in an inclined state, a large space is occupied.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide a safety ladder which can improve the safety when in use and save the space when not in use.

The safety ladder is suitable for being installed between a supporting surface and the ground. The safety ladder comprises two support groups and a plurality of pedal parts.

The support groups are arranged at intervals along the left-right axial direction. Each support group comprises a first support rod and a second support rod which are arranged at intervals along the front-back axial direction perpendicular to the left-right axial direction. The first support rod and the second support rod are respectively provided with a top end, a bottom end opposite to the top end, and a plurality of pivoting parts arranged between the top end and the bottom end at intervals. The pedal pieces are arranged in parallel and are pivoted between the support groups.

Wherein the top end of the first support bar of the support group is configured to be pivotally connected to the support surface to be movable upwardly and downwardly relative to the support surface.

Wherein, the emergency ladder can remove between user state and the state of accomodating. When the safety ladder is in the use state, the first support rod and the second support rod of the support group are inclined relative to the support surface and the ground, the bottom ends of the first support rod and the second support rod of the support group are suitable for simultaneously contacting the ground, and the first support rod and the second support rod are parallel to each other and arranged at intervals. When the safety ladder is in the storage state, the first supporting rod and the second supporting rod of the supporting group stand substantially perpendicular to the ground and are parallel to each other and arranged at intervals.

Wherein, when the safety ladder is in the use state, the first support rod and the second support rod of the support group are configured to form an included angle with the ground, and the pedal part is configured to be substantially parallel to the ground even if the included angle is changed.

According to the safety ladder, each pedal part is provided with two rear connecting ends and two front connecting ends. The rear connecting ends are respectively pivoted on one pivoting part of the first supporting rod of one of the supporting groups and the corresponding pivoting part of the first supporting rod of the other supporting group. The front connecting ends are respectively pivoted with one pivoting part of the second supporting rod of one of the supporting groups and the corresponding pivoting part of the second supporting rod of the other supporting group.

The safety ladder further comprises two positioning seats which are fixed on the supporting surface and respectively provided with long guide holes, and two guide shafts which respectively extend through the long guide holes of the positioning seats. The guide shafts are respectively connected to the top ends of the first supporting rods of the supporting groups so as to respectively connect the top ends of the first supporting rods of the supporting groups to the positioning seat.

According to the safety ladder, the long guide hole of each positioning seat is provided with an upper hole end, a lower hole end opposite to the upper hole end, and a middle section located between the upper hole end and the lower hole end. The upper orifice end is configured to be closer to the support surface than the lower orifice end. The middle section extends from the upper hole end towards the lower hole end and slantways towards the direction far away from the supporting surface. The guide shafts respectively extend through the long guide holes of the positioning seat to respectively pivot the top ends of the first support rods of the support groups to the positioning seat.

According to the safety ladder, each pedal part comprises the pedal body, and the rear pivot and the front pivot which extend into the pedal body. The rear pivot has the rear connection end and the front pivot has the front connection end. Each treadle assembly also includes a plurality of fastening nuts. The fastening nut is jointed with the rear connecting end of the rear pivot and the front connecting end of the front pivot so as to pivotally connect each pedal piece to the first supporting rod and the second supporting rod of the supporting group.

The safety ladder further comprises a safety limiting unit. The safety limiting unit comprises a limiting rod fixedly arranged on one of the first supporting rod and the second supporting rod of one of the supporting groups and a stopping piece fixedly arranged on the other one of the first supporting rod and the second supporting rod of one of the supporting groups. When the first support rod and the second support rod of each support group are arranged at intervals, the stop piece is contacted with and stops the limiting rod, so that a fixed distance is maintained between the first support rod and the second support rod of each support group. When the first support rod and the second support rod of each support group approach each other, the stop piece is far away from the limiting rod.

According to the safety ladder, the limiting rod is L-shaped and is provided with a fixing section fixedly arranged on the second supporting rod of one of the supporting groups and an abutting section transversely extending from one end of the fixing section to the first supporting rod of one of the supporting groups. The limiting rod approaches to the bottom end of the second supporting rod of one of the supporting groups. The stopper approaches a bottom end of the first support bar of the one of the support groups.

According to the safety ladder, the limiting rod is in an inverted L shape and is provided with a fixing section fixedly arranged on the first supporting rod of one of the supporting groups and an abutting section transversely extending from one end of the fixing section to the second supporting rod of one of the supporting groups. The limiting rod approaches to the top end of the first supporting rod of one of the supporting groups. The stop member approaches the top end of the second support bar of the one of the support sets.

The safety ladder also comprises a hook component. The hook component comprises an engaging hook which is pivoted to the second supporting rod of one of the supporting groups and is provided with an engaging groove, and an engaging pin which is fixedly arranged on the first supporting rod of one of the supporting groups and is used for engaging the engaging groove so as to enable the safety ladder to be positioned in the accommodating state.

The invention has the beneficial effects that: since the bottom ends of the first support bar and the second support bar simultaneously contact the ground and are inclined with respect to the supporting surface and the ground when the safety ladder is in the use state, the pedal member is configured to be substantially parallel to the ground even when the included angle is changed, thereby increasing the stability of the safety ladder. When the safety ladder is in the storage state, the first supporting rod and the second supporting rod are substantially vertical to the ground to stand, so that the storage volume can be reduced.

Drawings

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the ladder of the invention in use;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the first embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the first embodiment;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 4;

fig. 7 is a perspective view of the first embodiment in a first storage state;

fig. 8 is a perspective view of the first embodiment in a second stowed state;

FIG. 9 is a side schematic view of FIG. 8;

figure 10 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the ladder of the invention in use;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the second embodiment;

fig. 12 is a perspective view of the second embodiment in a second storage state.

Detailed Description

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples.

Before the present invention is described in detail, it should be noted that in the following description, similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals.

Referring to fig. 1 to 6, the first embodiment of the safety ladder 100 of the present invention is adapted to be installed between a supporting surface 1 and a ground 2, and includes two positioning bases 10, two supporting sets 20, 20', a plurality of parallel step members 30, and a hook assembly 60. The support surface 1 may be, for example, a side wall or a ceiling of a building. In this embodiment, the support surface 1 is a side wall of a building.

Each positioning seat 10 is L-shaped in cross-sectional area perpendicular to the supporting surface 1, and includes a fixing plate 11 fixedly disposed on the supporting surface 1, a connecting plate 12 transversely connected to one end of the fixing plate 11, and a long guide hole 13 formed in the connecting plate 12. In the present embodiment, the elongated guiding hole 13 has an upper hole end 131, a lower hole end 132 opposite to the upper hole end 131, and a middle section 133 between the upper hole end 131 and the lower hole end 132. The upper bore end 131 is closer to the support surface 1 than the lower bore end 132. The upper and lower bore ends 131, 132 are straight and parallel to the support surface 1. The intermediate section 133 extends obliquely from the upper bore end 131 towards the lower bore end 132 and away from the support surface 1. In other embodiments, the elongated guide hole 13 may be a straight hole extending from the upper hole end 131 toward the lower hole end 132.

The support groups 20, 20' are spaced apart from each other in the left-right axial direction X. Each support group 20, 20' includes a first support bar 21 and a second support bar 22 spaced from each other along a front-rear axis Y perpendicular to the left-right axis X. Each of the first support bar 21 and the second support bar 22 is hollow and has a top end 211,221, a bottom end 212,222 opposite to the top end 211,221, and a plurality of spaced apart pivot portions 213,223 pivotally connected between the top end 211,221 and the bottom end 212, 222. In this embodiment, the pivot portion 213 of the first support bar 21 of each support set 20, 20' is a pair of through holes passing through the first support bar 21, and the pivot portion 223 of each second support bar 22 is a pair of through holes passing through the second support bar 22.

The pedal member 30 is pivotally connected between the support sets 20, 20'. In the present embodiment, each pedal member 30 is rectangular and includes a pedal body 31, a rear pivot 32 and a front pivot 32' respectively inserted into two long sides of the pedal body 31, and a plurality of fastening nuts 322. The rear pivot 32 has two rear connecting ends 321 extending from two short sides of the pedal body 31, and the rear connecting ends 321 are respectively inserted into one of the pivoting parts 213 of the first supporting rod 21 of the supporting set 20 and the corresponding pivoting part 213 of the first supporting rod 21 of the supporting set 20'. The front pivot 32 'has two front connecting ends 321' extending from two short sides of the pedal body 31, and the front connecting ends 321 'are respectively inserted into one of the pivoting parts 223 of the second support rods 22 of the support set 20 and the corresponding pivoting parts 223 of the second support rods 22 of the support set 20'. The fastening nut 322 is coupled to the rear connecting end 321 of the rear pivot 32 and the front connecting end 321 'of the front pivot 32'. Thereby, each pedal member 30 is pivotally connected to the first support rod 21 and the second support rod 22 of the support set 20, 20'.

In this embodiment, the safety ladder further comprises a safety limiting unit 40, wherein the safety limiting unit 40 comprises a limiting rod 41 and a stop piece 42. The limiting rod 41 is L-shaped and approaches the bottom end 222 of the second supporting rod 22 of the supporting set 20. The limiting rod 41 has a fixing section 411 fixedly disposed on the second supporting rod 22 of the supporting set 20, and an abutting section 412 extending from one end of the fixing section 411 to the first supporting rod 21 of the supporting set 20. In this embodiment, the stop member 42 is actually one of the tightening nuts 322 that is closest to the bottom end 212 of the first support bar 21 of the support group 20.

In this embodiment, the safety ladder further comprises guide shafts 50, the guide shafts 50 being connected to the top ends 211 of the first support bars 21 of the support groups 20, 20', respectively. Specifically, the guiding shafts 50 extend through the long guiding holes 13 of the connecting plate 12 of the respective positioning bases 10 to the pivot parts 213 of the topmost ends of the first supporting rods 21 of the respective supporting groups 20, 20', and are fixed by using a plurality of fastening nuts 51. Thereby, the top ends 211 of the first supporting rods 21 of the supporting sets 20, 21' are respectively pivoted to the positioning bases 10 through the guiding shafts 50, and can move upwards and downwards along the long guiding holes 13 through the guiding shafts 50.

In this embodiment, the hook assembly 60 includes an engaging hook 61 pivotally connected to the second support bar 22 of the support set 20 and having an engaging groove 611 (see fig. 4 and 5), and an engaging pin 62 fixedly mounted to the first support bar 21 of the support set 20 and engaging the engaging groove 611.

The safety ladder 100 is movable between a use state and a storage state. Referring to fig. 1 and 4, when the safety ladder 100 is in the use state, the first support bar 21 and the second support bar 22 of the support set 20, 20' are inclined with respect to the support surface 1 and the ground 2. Specifically, the top end 211 of the first support rod 21 of the support set 20,20 ' is positioned on the lower hole end 132 of the long guide hole 13 of the connecting plate 12 through the guide shaft 50, the bottom ends 212,222 of the first support rod 21 and the second support rod 22 of the support set 20,20 ' simultaneously contact the ground 2, and the first support rod 21 and the second support rod 22 of the support set 20,20 ' are arranged in parallel and spaced apart from each other. In addition, the first support rod 21 and the second support rod 22 of the support set 20, 20' form an included angle with the ground, the included angle is an acute angle, and the pedal body 31 of the pedal member is substantially parallel to the ground 2. At this time, a user can stably step on the step member 30 and stably and safely climb the ladder 100. It is noted that the pedal body 31 of the pedal member 30 is parallel to the ground 2 even when the angle is changed.

In addition, when the first support rod 21 and the second support rod 22 are spaced apart from each other, the stopper 42 contacts and prevents a free end of the abutting section 412 of the stopper rod 41, which is away from the fixing section 411, from moving downward, so that a fixed distance is maintained between the first support rod 21 and the second support rod 22, thereby further enhancing the stability of the support set 20, 20' and the safety of stepping on the pedal member 30. In this state, the engagement hook 61 is separated from the engagement pin 62.

In the above-mentioned usage state, when the first support bar 21 and the second support bar 22 form an acute angle with the ground 2, the first support bar 21 and the second support bar 22 can be controlled to maintain a fixed angle with the ground 2 each time they are used by previously measuring and precisely controlling the installation position of the limiting rod 41 with respect to the stopper 42. That is, the stopper 42 can contact and prevent the free end of the abutting section 412 of the stopper rod 41 from moving to fix the distance between the first support rod 21 and the second support rod 22 every time the support set 20,21 'is used, thereby ensuring the stability of the support set 20, 20' and the safety of stepping on the pedal member 30.

When the safety ladder 100 is not required to be used, the safety ladder 100 may be moved to the stowed state. In the present embodiment, the storage states include a first storage state (see fig. 7) and a second storage state (see fig. 8 and 9).

In the first storage state, as shown in fig. 7, the tip end 21 of the first support rod 21 is moved upward from the lower hole end 132 to the upper hole end 131 of the elongated guide hole 13 by the guide shaft 50, and the first support rod 21 is moved closer to the support surface 1. In this position, the first support bar 21 and the second support bar 22 are parallel to each other, and the safety ladder 100 can be used as a display stand for placing a display (not shown) such as a pot, a book, etc. on the step member 30.

In the second storage state, as shown in fig. 8 and 9, the second support rod 22 is first pivoted upward toward the first support rod 21, and the pedal member 30 is driven to pivot along the rear pivot 32 thereof, so that the distance between the first support rod 21 and the second support rod 22 is reduced. Then, the whole support set 20, 20' is moved upward, the top end 211 of the first support bar 21 is moved from the lower hole end 132 to the upper hole end 131 of the long guide hole 13, and the bottom ends 212,222 of the first support bar 21 and the second support bar 22 are moved toward the support surface 1. At this time, the pedal body 31 of the pedal member 30 is inclined with respect to the ground 2, and the abutment section 412 of the stopper rod 41 is moved away from the stopper 42. Then, the engaging groove 611 of the engaging hook 61 is engaged with the engaging pin 62, so that the first support bar 21 and the second support bar 22 are positioned relative to each other. The overall volume of the escalator 100 can be reduced.

It is noted that, wherein the first support bar 21 and the second support bar 22 of the support group 20, 20' are substantially perpendicular to the ground 2, irrespective of whether the safety ladder 100 is in the first storage position or in the second storage position.

Therefore, by providing the safety stopper unit 40, when the first support bar 21 and the second support bar 22 are spaced apart from each other, the stopper 42 can contact and prevent the free end of the abutment section 412 of the stopper bar 41 from moving, so that the distance between the first support bar 21 and the second support bar 22 is maintained fixed, thereby ensuring the stability of the support set 20, 20' and the safety of stepping on the pedal member 30. When the second support bar 22 approaches the first support bar 21 and the bottom ends 212,222 of the first support bar 21 and the second support bar 22 of the support sets 20, 20' move toward the supporting surface 1, the overall volume of the safety ladder 100 can be reduced, so that the safety ladder 100 does not occupy a large space and is practical and safe to use.

It should be noted that when the safety ladder 100 is shifted from the use state shown in fig. 4 to the second storage state shown in fig. 8 and 9, the second support bar 22 is lifted up and then moved toward the first support bar 21, the bottom end 222 of the second support bar 22 is moved away from the ground 2, and then the engagement groove 611 of the engagement hook 61 is engaged with the engagement pin 62, so that only the bottom end 212 of the first support bar 21 has friction with the ground 2. Therefore, the accommodation of the safety ladder 100 can be easily completed.

Referring to fig. 10 to 12, a second embodiment of the safety ladder 100 ' of the present invention is different from the first embodiment in that the stopper rod 41 ' of the safety stopper unit 40 ' of the second embodiment has an inverted L shape. The fixing section 411 'of the limiting rod 41' is fixedly arranged on the first supporting rod 21 of the supporting set 20, and the abutting section 412 'transversely extends from one end of the fixing section 411' to the second supporting rod 22 of the supporting set 20. The stop rod 41' approaches the top end 211 of the first support rod 21 of the support group 20. The stop member 42' approaches the top end 221 of the second support rod 22 of the support set 20. The second embodiment can also achieve the same effects as the first embodiment.

In summary, the safety ladders 100, 100' are simple in construction and easy to manufacture and assemble.

Therefore, the object of the present invention can be achieved.

In the description above, for the purposes of explanation, numerous details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that one or more other embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. It should also be understood that "one embodiment" and "an embodiment" having a reference number throughout this specification is intended to refer to a disclosed implementation that includes a particular feature, structure, or characteristic. It should be further understood that various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of the same, and that the invention may be practiced, where appropriate, in the practice of the invention with one or more features or specific details of one embodiment combined with one or more other features or specific details of another embodiment.

While the invention has been described in connection with exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the scope of the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation.