阅读说明：本技术 一种高效冶炼转炉用吊装快速连接装置及其使用方法 (Hoisting quick connecting device for efficient smelting converter and using method thereof ) 是由 牟小海 肖建华 王东 陈刚 王刚 李志丹 杨和乾 于 2021-09-17 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明公开了一种高效冶炼转炉用吊装快速连接装置及其使用方法,所述的种高效冶炼转炉用吊装快速连接装置,包括吊装扁担梁和连接块,所述连接块对称设于吊装扁担梁的顶部,且所述连接块的顶部与外部起重机的钢索相连接；本发明的有益效果是：通过在吊装扁担梁的顶部对称设置快接机构,并在外部起重机的钢索下方对称设置与快接机构相配合的连接块,从而达到快速对吊装扁担梁快速连接快速拆卸的效果,提升了实际使用过程中安装的效率和安全性,使的钢索不易脱落,降低挂钩磨损的风险,同时通过设置可移动调节的挂接机构便于更好的与不同尺寸的转炉配合使用,通过调节钢索挂接的位置对转炉吊装的安全性进行提升。(The invention discloses a hoisting quick connecting device for an efficient smelting converter and a using method thereof, wherein the hoisting quick connecting device for the efficient smelting converter comprises a hoisting carrying pole beam and connecting blocks, the connecting blocks are symmetrically arranged at the top of the hoisting carrying pole beam, and the top of the connecting blocks is connected with a steel cable of an external crane; the invention has the beneficial effects that: set up the mechanism of connecing soon through the top symmetry at hoist and mount shoulder pole roof beam, and the cable wire below symmetry of external hoist sets up and constructs matched with connecting block soon, thereby reach the effect of dismantling fast hoist and mount shoulder pole roof beam high-speed joint fast, the efficiency and the security of installation in the in-service use process have been promoted, the cable wire that makes is difficult for droing, reduce the risk of couple wearing and tearing, simultaneously through setting up portable regulation's the mechanism that articulates be convenient for better with not unidimensional converter cooperation use, promote the security of converter hoist and mount through the position of adjusting the cable wire and articulate.)

1. A hoisting quick connecting device for a high-efficiency smelting converter is characterized by comprising a hoisting carrying pole beam (1) and connecting blocks (2), wherein the connecting blocks (2) are symmetrically arranged at the top of the hoisting carrying pole beam (1), and the top of the connecting blocks (2) is connected with a steel cable of an external crane;

the top of the hoisting carrying pole beam (1) is symmetrically provided with quick connection mechanisms (3), the bottom of the connecting block (2) is provided with a plug (4), and the quick connection mechanisms (3) are used for being quickly connected with the plug (4) at the bottom of the connecting block (2);

the bottom of the hoisting carrying pole beam (1) is provided with a hanging mechanism (5), and the hanging mechanism (5) is used for hanging steel cables outside the converters with different sizes.

2. The hoisting quick-connecting device for the high-efficiency smelting converter according to claim 1, characterized in that the quick-connecting mechanism (3) comprises a lower connecting block (31), a socket (32) is formed in the top of the lower connecting block (31), an inner groove (33) with a concave structure is formed in the lower connecting block (31), sliding plates (34) are symmetrically arranged in the inner groove (33), sliding rods (36) are symmetrically arranged at two ends of the inner groove (33), the sliding plates (34) are slidably connected with the outer sides of the sliding rods (36), a spring (37) is sleeved on the outer side of each sliding rod (36) and on the side far away from the sliding plate (34), and an unlocking assembly (38) is arranged at the bottom of the inner groove (33).

3. The hoisting quick connecting device for the high-efficiency smelting converter according to claim 2 is characterized in that pin holes (41) are symmetrically formed in the outer side of the plug (4), the bottom of the plug (4) is of a circular truncated cone structure, pin blocks (35) are fixedly connected to the tops of the two sliding plates (34) close to one side, oblique angles are symmetrically formed in the tops of the two pin blocks (35), the size of each pin block (35) is matched with the corresponding pin hole (41), and the plug (4) is connected with the quick-connection mechanism (3) in a clamping mode through the corresponding pin hole (41).

4. The hoisting quick-connecting device for the high-efficiency smelting converter according to claim 2, characterized in that the unlocking assembly (38) comprises a transmission rod (381) and a drop block (382), the transmission rod (381) is rotatably connected to the bottoms of the two sliding plates (34), the two transmission rods (381) are not in the same vertical plane, and the bottoms of the two transmission rods (381) are rotatably connected to the drop block (382);

the bottom of the inner wall of the inner groove (33) is connected with a push block (383) in a sliding mode, the push block (383) is of a right-angled triangle structure, one side of the push block (383) is connected with a shift lever (384) in a rotating mode, one end, far away from the push block (383), of the shift lever (384) extends to the outer side of the lower connecting block (31) and is fixedly connected with a shift block (385);

an external thread (386) is formed in one end, close to the push block (383), of the driving lever (384), a threaded sleeve (387) is fixedly connected to one side of the inner wall of the inner groove (33) and located on the outer side of the driving lever (384), and the threaded sleeve (387) is in threaded connection with the external thread (386).

5. The hoisting quick connecting device for the efficient smelting converter according to claim 4, wherein both ends of the top of the drop block (382) are fixedly connected with limit rods (388), the cross-sectional view of the limit rods (388) is of a semicircular structure, and the rotating shafts of the limit rods (388) and the drop block (382) are not in the same water plane.

6. The hoisting quick connecting device for the high-efficiency smelting converter according to claim 1, characterized in that the hanging mechanism (5) comprises a chute (51), the chute (51) is arranged on the outer side of the hoisting carrying pole beam (1), one side of the hoisting carrying pole beam (1) is symmetrically and slidably connected with a connecting plate (52) through the chute (51), and teeth (53) are arranged at the bottom of the hoisting carrying pole beam (1) and at one end close to the connecting plate (52) at equal intervals;

one side that connecting plate (52) are close to tooth (53) is rotated and is connected with gear (54), gear (54) and tooth (53) meshing are connected, one side fixedly connected with side piece (55) of connecting plate (52), the middle part threaded connection of side piece (55) has screw (56), just screw (56) and gear (54) are located same vertical plane, just rotate after side piece (55) and be connected with fixture block (57) near the one end of gear (54) run through in screw (56).

7. The hoisting quick-connecting device for the high-efficiency smelting converter according to the claim 6, characterized in that the size of the fixture block (57) is matched with that of the gear (54);

the bottom of the connecting plate (52) is provided with a hanging port (58), and the hanging port (58) is used for hanging the steel cable.

8. The use method of the hoisting quick-connection device for the high-efficiency smelting converter according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is characterized by comprising the following steps:

firstly, connecting a connecting block (2) with a hoisting steel cable below a crane, then placing the two connecting blocks (2) above two quick-connection mechanisms (3) for hoisting a shoulder pole beam (1), and aligning a plug (4) with the quick-connection mechanisms (3) for access;

step two, when the plug (4) is inserted into the socket (32) at the top of the lower connecting block (31), the bottom of the plug (4) pushes the two pin blocks (35) open, the two sliding plates (34) slide towards two sides, and when the plug (4) is completely inserted into the lower connecting block (31), the elastic force of the spring (37) pushes the sliding plates (34) to reset so that the pin blocks (35) are inserted into the pin holes (41), and the quick connection of the quick-connection mechanism (3) and the connecting block (2) is completed;

thirdly, the hoisting carrying pole beam (1) can be lifted up through the traction of a crane, at the moment, a steel cable for the converter is hung at a hanging port (58) through a hook, the converter can be hoisted, meanwhile, when the size of the converter is not the same, the position of a connecting plate (52) is adjusted before the converter is hung, when the connecting plate (52) is pulled, a gear (54) is meshed with teeth (53) and rotates, when the connecting plate (52) moves to a specified position, a screw (56) is rotated, the clamping block (57) can be pushed to be clamped between the teeth (53) of the gear (54) by rotating the screw (56), the gear (54) is limited, and therefore, the connecting plate (52) is positioned according to the size of the converter;

and fourthly, when the hoisting carrying pole beam (1) needs to be taken down for maintenance after being used, the hoisting carrying pole beam (1) is put down by a crane at the moment, then the steel cable hung at the hanging port (58) is taken down, then the connecting block (2) is separated from the quick-connection mechanism (3), when the connecting block (2) is separated from the quick-connection mechanism (3), firstly, the poking block (385) is pushed to drive the poking rod (384) to slide inwards, meanwhile, the pushing block (383) is pushed to slide towards the middle part of the inner groove (33), the pushing block (383) jacks the falling block (382) to move upwards, and then the two sliding plates (34) slide towards the direction away from each other through the transmission of the transmission rod (381), so that the pin block (35) is driven to be separated from the inside of the pin hole (41), and the connecting block (2) can be separated from the quick-connection mechanism (3).

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of connecting devices, in particular to a hoisting quick connecting device for a high-efficiency smelting converter and a using method thereof.

Background

The converter needs to be lifted by a crane to move and be installed in an auxiliary manner when being installed in a steelmaking room, but the existing lifting method is single when the converter is lifted, basically, the existing lifting method is that the existing lifting method is matched with a shoulder pole beam, a steel cable and a hook to hang the existing lifting method, the existing lifting method needs the matching of a plurality of steel cables to keep the existing lifting method stable, the general connection is time-consuming, the position of the steel cable on the shoulder pole beam is inconvenient to adjust, and when the existing lifting method needs to be matched with converters with different sizes, the existing lifting method needs to replace the shoulder pole beam in order to keep the lifting stability.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide a hoisting quick connecting device for a high-efficiency smelting converter and a using method thereof, and aims to solve the problems in the background technology.

In order to achieve the purpose, the invention provides the following technical scheme: a hoisting quick connecting device for an efficient smelting converter comprises a hoisting carrying pole beam and connecting blocks, wherein the connecting blocks are symmetrically arranged at the top of the hoisting carrying pole beam, and the top of the connecting blocks is connected with a steel cable of an external crane;

the top of the hoisting shoulder pole beam is symmetrically provided with quick connection mechanisms, the bottom of the connecting block is provided with a plug, and the quick connection mechanisms are used for being quickly connected with the plug at the bottom of the connecting block;

and the bottom of the hoisting carrying pole beam is provided with a hanging mechanism which is used for hanging steel cables outside the converters of different sizes.

In the implementation process, the quick-connection mechanisms are symmetrically arranged at the tops of the hoisting carrying pole beams, and the connecting blocks matched with the quick-connection mechanisms are symmetrically arranged below the steel cable of the external crane, so that the effect of quickly and quickly disassembling the quick connection of the hoisting carrying pole beams is achieved, the efficiency and the safety of installation in the actual use process are improved, the steel cable is not easy to drop, and the risk of hook abrasion is reduced.

Preferably, the quick-connecting mechanism comprises a lower connecting block, a socket is formed in the top of the lower connecting block, an inner groove of a concave structure is formed in the lower connecting block, sliding plates are symmetrically arranged in the inner groove, sliding rods are symmetrically arranged at two ends of the inner groove, the sliding plates are slidably connected with the outer sides of the sliding rods, a spring is sleeved on one side, far away from the sliding plates, of the outer sides of the sliding rods, and an unlocking assembly is arranged at the bottom of the inner part of the inner groove.

Preferably, the pinhole has been seted up to the outside symmetry of plug, just the bottom of plug is round platform type structure, two the equal fixedly connected with round pin piece in top that the sliding plate is close to one side, and two the oblique angle has been seted up to the top symmetry of round pin piece, the size and the pinhole phase-match of round pin piece, the plug passes through the pinhole and is connected with the block of mechanism that connects soon.

Preferably, the unlocking assembly comprises a transmission rod and a drop block, the bottoms of the two sliding plates are both rotatably connected with the transmission rod, the two transmission rods are not in the same vertical plane, and the bottoms of the two transmission rods are both rotatably connected with the drop block;

the bottom of the inner wall of the inner groove is connected with a push block in a sliding mode, the push block is of a right-angled triangle structure, one side of the push block is connected with a shift lever in a rotating mode, one end, far away from the push block, of the shift lever extends to the outer side of the lower connecting block, and the shift lever is fixedly connected with the lower connecting block;

the driving rod is provided with an external thread at one end close to the pushing block, a threaded sleeve is fixedly connected to one side of the inner wall of the inner groove and located on the outer side of the driving rod, and the threaded sleeve is in threaded connection with the external thread.

Preferably, both ends of the top of the pendant block are fixedly connected with limiting rods, the cross-sectional view of each limiting rod is of a semicircular structure, and the limiting rods and the rotating shafts of the pendant block are not in the same water plane.

Preferably, the hanging mechanism comprises a sliding chute, the outer side of the hoisting carrying pole beam is provided with the sliding chute, one side of the hoisting carrying pole beam is symmetrically and slidably connected with a connecting plate through the sliding chute, and teeth are arranged at the bottom of the hoisting carrying pole beam and at one end close to the connecting plate at equal intervals;

one side of connecting plate near the tooth rotates and is connected with the gear, the gear is connected with the tooth meshing, one side fixedly connected with side piece of connecting plate, the middle part threaded connection of side piece has the screw, just screw and gear are located same vertical plane, just the one end that the screw is close to the gear runs through behind the side piece and rotates and be connected with the fixture block.

Preferably, the size of the fixture block is matched with that of the gear;

and a hanging port is formed at the bottom of the connecting plate and is used for hanging the steel cable.

The invention also provides a using method of the hoisting quick connecting device for the efficient smelting converter, which is characterized by comprising the following steps of:

firstly, connecting blocks with a hoisting steel cable below a crane, then placing the two connecting blocks above two quick-connection mechanisms for hoisting a shoulder pole beam, and aligning a plug with the quick-connection mechanisms for access;

when the plug is inserted into the socket at the top of the lower connecting block, the bottom of the plug is pushed open by the two pin blocks, the two sliding plates slide towards two sides, and when the plug is completely inserted into the lower connecting block, the elastic force of the spring pushes the sliding plates to reset so that the pin blocks are inserted into the pin holes, and the quick connection of the quick connecting mechanism and the connecting block is completed;

step three, the hoisting carrying pole beam can be lifted up through the traction of a crane, at the moment, a steel cable for the converter is hung at a hanging interface through a hook, the converter can be hoisted, meanwhile, when the size of the converter is not uniform, the position of a connecting plate is adjusted before the converter is hung, when the connecting plate is shifted, a gear is meshed with teeth and rotates, when the connecting plate moves to a specified position, a screw is rotated to push a fixture block to be clamped between the teeth of the gear, the gear is limited, and therefore the connecting plate is positioned according to the size of the converter;

and step four, when the hoisting carrying pole beam needs to be taken down for maintenance after being used, the hoisting carrying pole beam is put down by a crane at the moment, then the steel cable hung at the hanging port is taken down, then the connecting block is separated from the quick-connection mechanism, when the connecting block is separated from the quick-connection mechanism, the shifting rod is driven to slide inwards by pushing the shifting block, meanwhile, the pushing block is pushed to slide towards the middle part of the inner groove, the pushing block jacks up the falling block to move upwards, and then the two sliding plates slide towards the direction far away from each other by the transmission of the transmission rod, so that the pin block is driven to be separated from the inside of the pin hole, and the connecting block can be separated from the quick-connection mechanism.

Compared with the prior art, the invention has the beneficial effects that: set up the mechanism of connecing soon through the top symmetry at hoist and mount shoulder pole roof beam, and the cable wire below symmetry of external hoist sets up and constructs matched with connecting block soon, thereby reach the effect of dismantling fast hoist and mount shoulder pole roof beam high-speed joint fast, the efficiency and the security of installation in the in-service use process have been promoted, the cable wire that makes is difficult for droing, reduce the risk of couple wearing and tearing, simultaneously through setting up portable regulation's the mechanism that articulates be convenient for better with not unidimensional converter cooperation use, promote the security of converter hoist and mount through the position of adjusting the cable wire and articulate.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural view of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic structural view of the connecting block and the quick-connect mechanism of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the invention at A;

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural view of the drop block of the present invention;

fig. 5 is a schematic structural view of the hitch mechanism of the present invention.

In the figure: 1. hoisting the shoulder pole beam; 2. connecting blocks; 3. a quick-connection mechanism; 31. a lower connecting block; 32. a socket; 33. an inner tank; 34. a sliding plate; 35. a pin block; 36. a slide bar; 37. a spring; 38. an unlocking assembly; 381. a transmission rod; 382. a pendant block; 383. a push block; 384. a deflector rod; 385. shifting blocks; 386. an external thread; 387. a threaded sleeve; 388. a limiting rod; 4. a plug; 41. a pin hole; 5. a hanging mechanism; 51. a chute; 52. a connecting plate; 53. teeth; 54. a gear; 55. a side block; 56. a screw; 57. a clamping block; 58. and hanging the interface.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 1-5, the present invention provides a technical solution: a hoisting quick connecting device for a high-efficiency smelting converter comprises a hoisting carrying pole beam 1 and connecting blocks 2, wherein the connecting blocks 2 are symmetrically arranged at the top of the hoisting carrying pole beam 1, and the top of the connecting blocks 2 is connected with a steel cable of an external crane; the top of the hoisting carrying pole beam 1 is symmetrically provided with quick connection mechanisms 3, the bottom of the connecting block 2 is provided with a plug 4, and the quick connection mechanisms 3 are used for being quickly connected with the plug 4 at the bottom of the connecting block 2; the bottom of the hoisting carrying pole beam 1 is provided with a hanging mechanism 5, and the hanging mechanism 5 is used for hanging steel cables outside the converters with different sizes.

The hoisting carrying pole beam 1 is formed by replacing a lifting lug with a quick-connection mechanism on the basis of the traditional hoisting carrying pole beam, so that the connection efficiency and safety are improved.

Further, the quick connection mechanism 3 comprises a lower connection block 31, a socket 32 is formed in the top of the lower connection block 31, an inner groove 33 of a concave structure is formed in the lower connection block 31, sliding plates 34 are symmetrically arranged in the inner groove 33, sliding rods 36 are symmetrically arranged at two ends of the inner groove 33, the sliding plates 34 are slidably connected with the outer sides of the sliding rods 36, a spring 37 is sleeved on one side, away from the sliding plates 34, of the outer side of each sliding rod 36, and an unlocking assembly 38 is arranged at the bottom of the inner part of the inner groove 33.

Wherein, the inner wall bottom of socket 32 is equipped with the cushion rubber, just the top of cushion rubber is spherical structure

Further, the outside symmetry of plug 4 has seted up pinhole 41, just the bottom of plug 4 is round platform type structure, two equal fixedly connected with round pin piece 35 in the top that sliding plate 34 is close to one side mutually, and two the oblique angle has been seted up to the top symmetry of round pin piece 35, the size and the pinhole 41 phase-match of round pin piece 35, plug 4 is connected with quick-connect mechanism 3 block through pinhole 41.

It will be appreciated that when the spigot 4 is inserted into the socket 32, it is pushed open by the bevelled engagement of the bottom of the spigot 4 with the top of the pin block 35, after which the pin block 35 is returned to its original position for insertion into the pin hole 41 to retain the spigot 4.

Further, the unlocking assembly 38 comprises a transmission rod 381 and a falling block 382, the transmission rod 381 is rotatably connected to the bottoms of the two sliding plates 34, the two transmission rods 381 are not in the same vertical plane, and the bottoms of the two transmission rods 381 are rotatably connected to the falling block 382;

a push block 383 is connected to the bottom of the inner wall of the inner groove 33 in a sliding manner, the push block 383 is in a right-angled triangle structure, a shift lever 384 is connected to one side of the push block 383 in a rotating manner, one end, far away from the push block 383, of the shift lever 384 extends to the outer side of the lower connecting block 31, and a shift block 385 is fixedly connected to one end of the shift lever 385;

an external thread 386 is arranged at one end of the driving lever 384 close to the push block 383, a thread sleeve 387 is fixedly connected to one side of the inner wall of the inner groove 33 and located on the outer side of the driving lever 384, and the thread sleeve 387 is in threaded connection with the external thread 386.

It can be understood that, after the plug 4 is inserted into the socket 32, the dial block 385 is pulled outwards and the external thread 386 is inserted into the thread sleeve 387, and then the dial block 385 is rotated to drive the shift rod 384 to rotate, so that the external thread 386 is screwed into the thread sleeve 387 to limit the push block 383, and the connecting block 2 is prevented from being unlocked by mistake.

Furthermore, both ends of the top of the pendant block 382 are fixedly connected with limit rods 388, the cross-sectional view of the limit rods 388 is of a semicircular structure, and the limit rods 388 and the rotating shafts of the pendant block 382 are not in the same water plane.

Understandably, when the pendant 382 starts to rotate, the pendant 382 is always positioned below the transmission rod 381 through the limit of the limit rod 388, so that the cambered surface at the bottom of the pendant 382 is ensured to be in contact with the inclined surface of the push block 383.

Further, the hanging mechanism 5 comprises a sliding groove 51, the sliding groove 51 is formed in the outer side of the hoisting carrying pole beam 1, one side of the hoisting carrying pole beam 1 is symmetrically and slidably connected with a connecting plate 52 through the sliding groove 51, and teeth 53 are arranged at the bottom of the hoisting carrying pole beam 1 and at one end close to the connecting plate 52 at equal intervals;

one side of the connecting plate 52 close to the teeth 53 is rotatably connected with a gear 54, the gear 54 is meshed with the teeth 53, one side of the connecting plate 52 is fixedly connected with a side block 55, the middle part of the side block 55 is in threaded connection with a screw 56, the screw 56 and the gear 54 are located in the same vertical plane, and one end of the screw 56 close to the gear 54 penetrates through the side block 55 and is rotatably connected with a clamping block 57.

Further, the size of the latch 57 matches with that of the gear 54;

the bottom of the connecting plate 52 is provided with a hanging port 58, and the hanging port 58 is used for hanging the steel cable

Understandably, a sliding block is arranged at the top of one side of the connecting plate 52, and the connecting plate 52 is connected with the sliding groove 51 in a sliding manner through the sliding block.

The invention also provides a using method of the hoisting quick connecting device for the efficient smelting converter, which is characterized by comprising the following steps of:

firstly, connecting a connecting block 2 with a hoisting steel cable below a crane, then placing the two connecting blocks 2 above two quick-connection mechanisms 3 for hoisting a shoulder pole beam 1, and aligning a plug 4 with the quick-connection mechanisms 3 for access;

step two, when the plug 4 is inserted into the socket 32 at the top of the lower connecting block 31, the two pin blocks 35 are ejected from the bottom of the plug 4, and simultaneously the two sliding plates 34 slide towards two sides, when the plug 4 is completely inserted into the lower connecting block 31, the sliding plates 34 are pushed to reset by the elasticity of the springs 37, so that the pin blocks 35 are inserted into the pin holes 41, and the quick connection of the quick-connection mechanism 3 and the connecting block 2 is completed;

thirdly, the hoisting carrying pole beam 1 can be lifted up through the traction of a crane, at the moment, a steel cable for the converter is hung at a hanging port 58 through a hook, the converter can be hoisted, meanwhile, when the size of the converter is not the same, the position of the connecting plate 52 is adjusted before the converter is hung, when the connecting plate 52 is pulled, the gear 54 is meshed with the teeth 53 and rotates, when the connecting plate 52 moves to a specified position, the screw 56 is rotated, the fixture block 57 can be pushed to be clamped between the teeth 53 of the gear 54, the gear 54 is limited, and therefore the connecting plate 52 is positioned according to the size of the converter;

and step four, when the hoisting carrying pole beam 1 needs to be taken down for maintenance after being used, the hoisting carrying pole beam 1 is put down by a crane at the moment, then the steel cable hung at the hanging port 58 is taken down, then the connecting block 2 is separated from the quick-connection mechanism 3, when the connecting block 2 is separated from the quick-connection mechanism 3, firstly, the poking block 385 is pushed to drive the poking rod 384 to slide inwards, meanwhile, the pushing block 383 is pushed to slide towards the middle part of the inner groove 33, the pushing block 383 jacks up the falling block 382 to move upwards, and then the two sliding plates 34 are driven to slide towards the far-away direction through the transmission of the transmission rod 381, so that the pin block 35 is driven to be separated from the inner part of the pin hole 41, and the connecting block 2 can be separated from the quick-connection mechanism 3.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.