POLYMER CAPSULE JACKETED PROJECTILES

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to the field of ammunition, and more specifically, to improved methods for forming polymer jacketed projectiles and the projectiles thereof.

Description of Related Art

Ammunition cartridges of the type commonly used in modern firearms typically include a cylindrical case that carries an internal payload, e.g., propellant powder, and has an open end for receiving a projectile. The size and shape of the cartridge and projectile will typically be dependent on the firearm used. The end opposite the projectile receiving end is typically closed about a means for igniting the internal payload, e.g., a primer disposed in the base end of the cartridge. When chambered in a firearm, the projectile faces the bore of the firearm and the base end faces a firing mechanism, e.g., a firing pin. When the primer is struck by the firing pin, a flash is produced which ignites the propellant powder within the case to propel the projectile down the bore and out the muzzle of the firearm.

Traditional ammunition projectiles, e.g., bullets, may include a core made from a soft metal such as lead and a jacket enclosing the core. The jacket has been conventionally formed from copper. In general, this type of jacketed bullet is formed by cutting a lead core from a lead bar stock and by stamping a copper cup from copper sheet material. The copper cup is stretched through a series of die presses. The lead core is then placed in the copper cup and the two materials advance through another series of die presses that progressively force the materials together and form the bullet shape. In other bullet making procedures, the jacket may be electroplated over the core. In some bullet types, there is no jacket present and the entire bullet is formed by cold forming bar stock into the bullet shape. Alternatively, some other solid metal bullets may be formed by machining metal bar stock or through casting of molten metal. While lead cores and copper jackets are preferred in conventional bullets, other metals such as steel have been used to form bullets according to these conventional manufacturing processes.

One drawback to these types of conventional bullets is that the outer metal surface causes wear and tear along the inner surface of the firearm bore, therefore limiting the service life of a firearm barrel. In addition, the metal surface of the conventional bullet transfers significant heat to the internal surface of the firearm barrel, which also reduces the serviceable life of the barrel and may increase the need for barrel maintenance. The heat transfer can also cause the barrel to initially contract and eventually expand during periods of prolonged shooting, which is particularly problematic for automatic machine guns that are designed to provide sustained rates of fire. The contraction and expansion of the barrel due to the kinetic heat transfer from fired bullets alters the performance of the weapon. While the barrel is contracting, bullets tend to hit high above the point of aim on a target, and while the barrel is expanding the bullets tend to hit low, below the point of aim on the target.

To address the above, there have been several attempts at injection molding bullets, whether by molding a solid polymer bullet or by molding a polymer jacket over a metal core. However, the upfront costs for setting up an injection molding facility are prohibitively expensive and the process per bullet can be time consuming. Furthermore, bullets are made in many different calibers, and in many different configurations for a given caliber. Thus, to produce a wide variety of bullets by injection molding, a manufacturer would require an extensive inventory of bullet molds, which raises the costs for such an operation considerably.

What is needed is a method for making bullets that avoids the aforesaid problems without compromising performance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above problems are overcome by the polymer capsule jacketed bullet herein disclosed and by methods for manufacturing the same. The disclosed polymer capsule jacketed bullets provide the benefits of a polymer jacket by insulating a metal core to reduce the kinetic heat transferred to the firearm barrel while also being lighter in weight when compared to a standard metal bullet of the same caliber, therefore allowing for higher maximum velocities using the same conventional powder charge. The capsule jacket utilized in the disclosed capsule jacketed bullet can be mass produced with minimal upfront costs required for making the jacket molds.

In one embodiment, a polymer jacketed projectile includes a preformed core having an ogive region that tapers into a nose. The rearward end of the preformed core defines the base which is connected to the nose by the bearing surface. A nose capsule substantially encloses the ogive region and extends to partially cover the bearing surface. A base capsule substantially encloses the base end and extends forward to engage the nose capsule around the bearing surface. In preferred embodiments, the forward end of the base capsule is in pressed engagement with a proximal end of the nose capsule to form a seamless polymer jacket enclosing the preformed core.

In some embodiments, the preformed core may include an annular groove formed around the bearing surface. The nose capsule and the base capsule are pressed together to engage the annular groove forming the polymer jacket. In some embodiments, a cannelure may be formed in the polymer jacket at the location of the annular groove formed in the core.

In alternative embodiments, the preformed core may include two or more vertical grooves defined around the bearing surface. The base capsule and the nose capsule are pressed together to engage the two or more vertical grooves. In preferred embodiments, the two or more vertical grooves are symmetrically positioned around the bearing surface. In some embodiments, the nose capsule and the base capsule form a seamless polymer jacket enclosing the preformed core.

The nose capsule may include a forward taper defining an outer ogive region that substantially matches the ogive region of the preformed core. In some embodiments, the preformed core may include a boattail forming the base. In such embodiments, the base capsule similarly includes a rearward taper into the base that substantially matches the boattail taper of the core. In some preferred embodiments, the preformed core is made from one or more compressed metal powders. The nose capsule and the base capsule are preferably formed from one or more polymer materials.

In further embodiments, a method for manufacturing capsule jacketed bullets is disclosed. The method first involves preforming the core to have an ogive region that tapers into a nose and a rearward end defining the base, the nose and the base being connected by the bearing surface. The nose capsule is dip molded to include a forward end tapering into a jacket nose and an open rearward end for receiving a part of the preformed core. Similarly, the base capsule is dip molded to have a closed rearward end defining the jacket base and an open forward end for receiving a part of the preformed core. The preformed core is pressed upwards into the nose capsule causing the nose to engage with the jacket nose. Thereafter, the preformed core engaged with the nose capsule is pressed into the base capsule causing the base to engage with the jacket base forming a loose capsule jacketed projectile. The loose capsule jacketed projectile is die pressed in an ogive sizing die to lock the nose capsule into engagement with the base capsule around the bearing surface. Preferably, the die pressing step forms a seamless capsule jacket enclosing the preformed core.

In some embodiments, the preforming of the core involves forming an annular groove around the bearing surface. The first pressing step causes the proximal edge of the open rearward end of the nose capsule to align with a proximal edge of the annular groove and the second pressing step causes the distal edge of the open forward end of the base capsule to align with the distal edge of the annular groove. Die pressing the projectile melds the open rearward end with the open forward end around the annular groove. In some embodiments, a cannelure may be formed at this location. In some embodiments, an optional trimming step may be implemented to trim the overall length of the capsule jacketed projectile to a length common among a group of bullets having the same caliber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the invention will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims. Component parts shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, and may be exaggerated to better illustrate the important features of the invention. Dimensions shown are exemplary only. In the drawings, like reference numerals may designate like parts throughout the different views, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a capsule jacketed bullet according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of an embodiment of the capsule jacketed projectile according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line A-A marked in FIG. 2, of an embodiment of the capsule jacketed projectile according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the capsule jacketed projectile, where the cross-section is similarly taken along line A-A marked in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a further alternative embodiment of a capsule jacketed projectile according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line B-B marked in FIG. 5, of an alternative embodiment of the capsule jacketed projectile.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart diagramming the salient steps for one embodiment of a method for manufacturing capsule jacketed projectiles according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an exemplary illustration of one of the dip molding steps according to the method diagrammed in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an exemplary illustration of a second dip molding step according to the method diagrammed in FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following disclosure presents exemplary embodiments of a polymer capsule jacketed projectile and methods for making the same. The polymer capsule jacketed projectile, or simply the capsule jacketed projectile or bullet, weighs less than a conventional bullet of the same caliber and shape and therefore can attain a higher velocity using the same powder charge. Further, the capsule jacketed bullets disclosed herein transfer less heat to the firearm barrel as the bullets are fired thereby prolonging barrel life and reducing barrel maintenance requirements. As a result of the reduced heat transfer to the barrel, the capsule jacketed bullets can be fired at sustained rates of fire without impacting the precision among the group of bullets fired. The capsule jacket acts as an insulator for the core, significantly reducing the kinetic heat transferred to the firearm barrel.

Additionally, methods for making the inventive capsule jacketed bullets are disclosed herein. The methods disclosed according to the present invention eliminate the need for expensive injection molding apparatus, in turn eliminating the need for unique molds for each bullet style and caliber. Once the polymer capsule jacket pieces are formed, traditional bullet presses can be used to assemble and form the final bullet, therefore further limiting manufacturing costs.

The capsule jacketed bullets according to the present invention can be made in virtually any caliber, including small, medium and large caliber projectiles. The inventive bullets can be designed for civilian, military, and law enforcement uses. Thus, the disclosed invention is not limited to any one caliber or style of projectiles or to any particular class of weapons.

Use of the term “polymer” throughout this disclosure shall be interpreted in a non-limiting fashion and given broad interpretation according to its plain and ordinary meaning. “Polymer” can mean a natural polymer or a synthetic polymer. Examples of polymers as used herein include but are not limited to acrylic, polyethylene, polyolefin, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinylchloride, synthetic rubber, phenol formaldehyde, neoprene, nylon, polyacrylonitrile, PVB, silicone, and any of the foregoing in powdered, micronized powdered, or resin form. The polymer can further be homogenously mixed with one or more conventional filler materials, such as glass fibers, ceramics, carbon fibers and other types of metallic fillers (e.g., copper, aluminum, nickel, iron, etc. in powdered or flake form).

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of a capsule jacketed bullet according to the present invention. The capsule jacketed bullet 10 includes a preformed core 12 enclosed by a nose capsule 14 and a base capsule 16. The preformed core 12 preferably includes an ogive region 18 tapering into a nose 20 at the forward end. The nose capsule 14 similarly includes a tapered forward end 22 ending in a jacket nose 24. In preferred embodiments, the taper of the tapered forward end 22 substantially matches the taper of the ogive region 18 to ensure the nose capsule 14 fully engages the preformed core 12 during the assembly process, as detailed further below.

The preformed core 12 may also include a boattail 26 tapering into the core base end 28. In such embodiments, the base capsule 16 may include an outer boattail 30 tapering to the base 32 at a similar degree of the boattail 26 on the preformed core 12. Boattail 26 on the preformed core 12 is connected to the nose 20 by the bearing surface 34, which is preferably cylindrical and defines the largest diameter section of the preformed core 12. The bearing surface 34 typically extends from a distal end of the boattail 26 to the proximal end of the ogive region 18. The bearing surface 34 is completely enclosed by the nose capsule 14 and the base capsule 16 when the capsule jacketed bullet 10 is assembled. In preferred embodiments, the distal end 17 of the base capsule 16 engages with the proximal end 15 of the nose capsule 14 when forming the capsule jacketed bullet 10, as detailed further below.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the first embodiment of the capsule jacketed bullet according to the present invention. In some preferred embodiments, the preformed core 12 includes an annular groove 36 formed at an intermediate position along the bearing surface 34. The annular groove 36 defines the location of a jacket joint 38 where the nose capsule 14 engages the base capsule 16 to form the capsule jacket 40. In some preferred embodiments, engagement of the nose capsule 14 with the base capsule 16 at the jacket joint 38 forms a seamless outer surface 42 forming the capsule jacket 40. As used herein, the word seamless should be understood to mean there are no sharp edges or protrusions so that the transition from one material (forward jacket capsule) into the other material (base jacket capsule) is imperceptible to the unaided eye. Thus, the material from each component is melded together such that there is complete engagement between the parts without any external protuberance that could disrupt the aerodynamic profile of the bullet. In alternative embodiments, the jacket joint 38 may form a cannelure, which is understood to be an annular groove formed in the outer surface of a bullet. In such embodiments, the outer surface 42 would no longer be considered seamless as there would be a visible indentation in the outer surface forming the cannelure.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken along lines A-A marked in FIG. 2, of a first embodiment of the capsule jacketed bullet according to the present invention. In some embodiments, the jacket joint 38 may be designed as a half-lap joint where substantially half of the material making the joint comes from the proximal end 15 of the nose capsule 14 and the remaining material comes from the distal end 17 of the base capsule 16.

In other embodiments, the jacket joint 38 is made up of overlapping material creating a modified half-lap joint. In one such embodiment, the distal end 17 may substantially fill the annular groove 36. The proximal end 15 overlaps the distal end 17 and is pressed into engagement, as detailed below, to form the capsule jacket 40. In some embodiments, such as the one depicted in FIG. 3, the capsule jacket 40 has a seamless outer surface 42. In alternative embodiments, the outer surface 42 may be formed with a cannelure 44 at the location of the jacket joint 38. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the capsule jacketed bullet 10 having a cannelure 44. FIG. 4 is similarly taken along section lines A-A marked in FIG. 2. The cannelure 44 may be machined or etched into the outer surface 42 as a final manufacturing step or may be formed during the pressing step as a byproduct of the formation of the jacket joint 38. Press forming the cannelure 44 may require the depth of the annular groove 36 to be increased to allow for the indentation to form. These aspects will be explained in further detail below with respect to the manufacturing methods described herein.

FIG. 5 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of a capsule jacketed bullet according to the present invention. The capsule jacketed bullet 50 similarly includes a preformed core 52 enclosed by a forward capsule 54 that is engaged with a rearward capsule 56. The external features of the capsule jacketed bullet 10 are substantially similar to the bullet 10 and will not be described in detail here. The capsule jacketed bullet 50 thus includes an ogive region 58 tapering into a nose 64. The rearward end may include a boattail 60 tapering into the base 62. As should be apparent to the skilled artisan based on the disclosure above, the preformed core 52 will similarly include a taper toward the nose defining an ogive region substantially matching the ogive 58 of the forward capsule 54. If there is a boattail 60 present, the preformed core 52 will also include a boattail tapering into the base end at the same angle as the rearward capsule 56. The preformed core 52 similarly includes a bearing surface connecting the nose to the base end, as described above. The primary difference between bullet 50 and bullet 10 previously described concerns the joint configuration. In preferred embodiments, the capsule jacketed bullet 50 includes a vertical joint 68 symmetrically disposed around the bearing surface.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view, taken along lines B-B marked in FIG. 5, of an embodiment of the capsule jacketed bullet 50 according to the present invention. The preformed core 52 includes two or more vertical grooves 70 formed in the outer surface thereof and symmetrically positioned around the bearing surface. The vertical joint 68 is preferably a modified half-lap joint, similar to the one described above. In preferred embodiments, the distal end 72 of the rearward capsule 56 extends into a vertical groove 70 filling a portion thereof. The proximal end 74 of the forward capsule 54 extends into the vertical groove, partially overlapping the distal end 72 to meld the materials together to form the vertical joint 68. Preferably, each vertical joint 68 formed around the diameter of the bearing surface maintains a seamless outer surface 76 so as to preserve the aerodynamic profile of the bullet.

In all embodiments thus described, it is preferred that the forward or nose capsule overlap the rearward or base capsule around the bearing surface of the core so that air flowing over the bullet during flight is not introduced into the joint causing the pieces to separate during flight. The direction of the joint is thus opposite the direction of flight. This ensures any imperfections that may be present in the outer surface of the joint will not have a significant impact on the aerodynamic profile of the bullet or cause disruptions during flight.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart diagramming the salient steps for a method for manufacturing capsule jacketed bullets according to the present invention. Method 100 can be used to manufacture both capsule jacketed bullet 10 and 50. Differences between manufacturing of bullet 10 and 50 will be explained in detail below but in general the method is the same for each embodiment described herein.

Method 100 begins with preforming the core 12. In preferred embodiments, the core 12 is formed by compressing one or more metal powders into the desired shape of the core 12. This includes preforming the ogive region 18 to taper into the nose 20. In embodiments where a boattail is required, the core 12 is preformed to include the boattail 26 tapering into the base 28. Depending on the embodiment, either the annular groove 36 or the vertical grooves 70 are defined in the bearing surface 34 during the preformation 102 of the core 12.

In alternative embodiments, the preforming step 102 may involve machining the core 12 into the required shape. A computer numerical control (CNC) lathe machine may be used to preform the core in such embodiments. The annular groove 36 or vertical grooves 70 may be machined into the core during this preforming step 102 when using a CNC lathe machine.

The next step involves molding the capsule pieces that are to be assembled into the polymer jacket. In preferred embodiments, the capsule pieces are formed according to conventional dip molding techniques. Dip molding, in general, involves dipping a heated mandrel into a liquified mixture of the polymer materials. Dip time, i.e., the amount of time the heated mandrel remains submerged in the liquid polymer mixture, is used to control the thickness of the molded part, where thickness increases with the amount of time the mandrel is submerged in the liquified mixture. Once the desired part thickness is achieved, the mandrel is removed from the liquid mixture and heated again to a set temperature for a set amount of time before being allowed to cool into the final solid molded piece. The dip molded part is removed from the mandrel using compressed air or light mechanical force to slide the molded piece off the mandrel. The dip molding process is then repeated. The number of pieces molded in a single cycle depends on the number of mandrels being utilized. Some dip molding operations can have hundreds of mandrels on a single moving plate capable of molding hundreds of parts at once.

The dip molding step in method 100 is split into two steps, 104A and 104B, because the molded parts are different. The actual dip molding process, as generally explained above, is the same for both molding steps 104A and 104B, with the difference found in the part being molded.

After the core 12 is preformed in step 102, the nose capsule 14 is dip molded 104A according to conventional dip molding techniques. FIG. 8 is an exemplary illustration of step 104A in method 100 according to the present invention. The mandrel 200 has a profile substantially mirroring that of the nose capsule 14 that is being molded. The mandrel 200 includes a body 202 that is lowered into the tank 204 of liquified polymer mixture. The body 202 tapers into the tip end 206. The taper of the body 202 substantially matches the taper of the ogive region 18 on the preformed core 12 so that the nose capsule 14 is molded to include the tapered forward end 22. Opposite the tip end 206, the body 202 has an annular reverse taper 208 flaring outwards. The reverse taper 208 forms the tapered proximal end 15 of the nose capsule 14 that will overlap and be melded with the distal end 17 of the base capsule 16, as explained further below. In embodiments utilizing vertical grooves 70 on the core 52, the reverse taper 208 is no longer annular but instead is positioned and sized to correspond to each vertical groove formed on the core. As discussed above, the thickness of the nose capsule 14 resulting from the dip molding step 104A is controlled by the amount of time the mandrel is submerged. The nose capsule 14 is removed from the mandrel 200 after the reheating and cooling periods, according to conventional dip molding techniques.

Similarly, the base capsule 16 is dip molded 104B according to conventional dip molding techniques. FIG. 9 is an exemplary illustration of step 104B in method 100 according to the present invention. The base capsule dip molding step 104B is substantially similar to the above described step 104A. The primary difference is found in the shape of the mandrel utilized to form the molded part. In step 104B, the mandrel 200 includes a substantially cylindrical body 210 having a notched top end 212 that forms the proximal end 17 of the base capsule 16. The proximal end 17 therefore is formed with an annular tab 19 extending inwards. As will be detailed further below, the annular tab 19 engages the annular groove 36 during the following pressing steps to form the jacket joint 38. Depending on the shape of the base end 28 of the preformed core 12, the forward end 214 of the mandrel body 210 may include a boattail tapering into the base end or may be substantially cylindrical to form a flat base.

In alternate core embodiments having two or more vertical grooves 70, the mandrel body 210 will include notched portions corresponding to the location and size of the vertical grooves on the core. In such embodiments, the tab 19 is no longer annular but instead is separated into individual tab elements corresponding to the vertical grooves. The remaining portion of the proximal end 17 is substantially cylindrical and capsule material at the proximal end 17 connects each individual tab with each adjacent tab to form the open forward end.

In preferred embodiments, the same liquified polymer mixture is utilized in both dip molding steps 104A and 104B. This allows the material to more easily meld together during the following pressing steps to form the jacket joint 38.

With the individual pieces of the bullet now formed, the method 100 advances into assembly of the bullet. The first step is to press 106 the preformed core 12 into the nose capsule 14. This first pressing step 106 requires enough force for the core nose 20 to substantially engage with the jacket nose 24. The first pressing step 106 does not use sufficient force to deform the nose capsule 14 or otherwise meld the materials of the capsule with the preformed core 12. The preformed core 12 is lightly engaged with the nose capsule 14 at this stage of method 100. In preferred embodiments, the nose capsule 14 is held in a die concentrically above the preformed core 12 and the preformed core 12 is thereafter pressed upwards into the nose capsule 14 using a mechanical press.

Once the preformed core 12 is pressed into the nose capsule 14 during the first pressing step 106, the partial bullet assembly is advanced to the second pressing step 108. During the second pressing step 108, the partial bullet assembly is concentrically aligned above the base capsule 16 and a mechanical press is used to force the core 12 into the base capsule 16, with sufficient force to overcome the annular tab 19 at the proximal end 17. This second pressing step 18 continues until the annular tab 19 is engaged with the annular groove 36 on the preformed core 12.

The second pressing step 108 forms a loose capsule jacketed bullet, meaning the nose capsule 14 and the base capsule 16 are properly positioned but not yet pressed to form the completed polymer capsule jacket 40. The loose capsule jacketed bullet is pressed a third time 110 to form the capsule jacket 40. The third pressing step 110 involves using a conventional ogive sizing die that has the profile desired for the final bullet. Depending on the requirements of the final bullet, a boattail punch or flat face punch may be used to press the loose capsule jacketed bullet into the ogive sizing die. If a boattail is desired or required for the final bullet, the boattail punch is used, which reforms the base end 32 to ensure the boattail 30 is maintained. Alternatively, if a flat cylindrical base is required, the flat face punch is used, which reforms the base 32 to ensure the substantially cylindrical profile is maintained.

The ogive sizing die utilized in this third pressing step 110 also reforms the ogive region 22 to ensure a uniform taper is provided from the distal end of the bearing surface to the nose 24. The ogive sizing die sets the outer diameter of the bearing surface. During this third pressing step 110, the annular tab 19 is locked into the annular groove 36 and the tapered proximal end 15 is pressed over the top of the distal end 17 to meld the materials together forming the jacket joint 38. Preferably, the third pressing step 110 utilizes sufficient mechanical force to ensure the formation of a seamless outer surface 42 in the capsule jacket 40. Excess material present in the capsule jacket 40 will be extruded forward into the nose 24 during this third pressing step. Depending on the requirements, the cannelure 44 may also be formed during this third pressing step 110 or may be machined into the bullets on an as needed basis.

Due to the forward extrusion of excess material that may occur during the third pressing step 110, the overall length for each capsule jacketed bullet 10 may vary slightly at the end of step 110. To account for this variation, the final step in method 100 requires the bullet 10 to be trimmed 112 to a set overall length. The set overall length for each bullet manufactured according to method 100 may varying depending on the caliber and profile of the bullets. The trimming step 112 ensures that bullets of a given caliber and profile manufactured according to method 100 have the same overall length with a consistent ogive taper into the nose. After the trimming step 112 is accomplished, the capsule jacketed bullet 10 is ready to be loaded into an ammunition cartridge and fired from a weapon.

Bullets manufactured according to method 100 will be lighter weight than a conventional metal bullet of the same caliber due to the capsule jacket 40 replacing the traditional metal jacket. The capsule jacket 40 acts as a lubricator for the core 12 as the bullet 10 passes through a firearm barrel, significantly reducing or eliminating wear and tear through the bore of the barrel. Further, the capsule jacketed bullet 10 results in better precision among bullets continuously fired over prolonged periods by significantly reducing or eliminating the heat transfer to the barrel. The reduction or elimination of heat transfer to the barrel eliminates the barrel contraction and expansion that occurs with sustained firing of metal bullets.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in an illustrative style. Accordingly, the terminology employed throughout should be read in a non-limiting manner. Although minor modifications to the teachings herein will occur to those well versed in the art, it shall be understood that what is intended to be circumscribed within the scope of the patent warranted hereon are all such embodiments that reasonably fall within the scope of the advancement to the art hereby contributed, and that that scope shall not be restricted, except in light of the appended claims and their equivalents.