[0001] This application is based upon and claims priority from my Provisional Application Serial Number 61/398,241 filed June 22, 2010 and my Provisional Application Serial Number

61/404,229 filed September 29, 2010.

Field of Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to water control barriers especially adapted to controlling sea water, storm surges, and wave intrusion into rivers, adjoining cities, marinas, estuaries, and lowlands. Sea water intrusion contaminates sources of fresh water and may occur as a result of tidal action, storm surges, large waves, density gradients, pumping of fresh

water from rivers and also as a result of pumping fresh water from aquifers adjacent to rivers and estuaries, for example. Storm surges flood cities, agricultural lands and civil infrastructure and may cause general widespread flood damage and fatalities, as in the case of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, USA in 2005 and during the North Sea Flood in Holland in 1953. Large waves may damage docked boats, and may over top flood walls. Permanent and immovable flood walls sufficiently large to arrest large waves may obstruct otherwise desirable waterfront views and pedestrian access. The water-inflation actuated gates disclosed herein may have many other applications where high tailwater may cause unstable position control of a similar gate actuated by air inflation.

Description of Related Art

[0003] Air actuated dam spillway gates provide stable level and flow control as well as an inherently uniform gate crest height in conjunction with a dam spillway or a weir across a river, for example. The stable crest is the result of restoring moments inherent in the design. The most important relationship is that the air bladder contact area quickly reduces as the gate panel rises and the gate raising moment imparted by the air bladder is roughly proportional to the square of the air bladder-to-gate panel contact area. Under conditions of high tailwater, however, control instability may occur. There are several contributing factors to this phenomenon. One factor is that the gate lowering moment associated with the weight of the gate is roughly proportional to the cosine of the gate angle which causes a rise in gate elevation to result in a reduction of gate lowering moment associated with gate Weight. A second factor is that air in an inflatable actuator

(bladder) beneath the gate increases in volume and buoyancy as the gate rises and also causes the air bladder to float upward where it imparts a rising moment to the gate panel far from the hinge line, resulting in an ever greater gate raising moment as the gate rises. Under such conditions, an air actuated gate may be raised and lowered, but not held statically at intermediate positions, except by use of locking means or active feedback control.

[0004] Ordinary inflatable dams (without hinged rigid panels) may be used as sea water and storm surge barriers using either air inflation, water inflation or a combination thereof.

Such dams have limited crest height stability and may be difficult to transport, install and maintain due to the size and weight of the inherently monolithic inflatable membrane. The Ramspol Rubber Dam is an example of a water-and-air inflated sea water storm surge barrier. Mechanically operated sea water barrier gates have been built in a variety of forms, each with certain disadvantages in comparison with the present invention. Examples include the Oosterscheldekering (Vertically actuated bulkheads), the Maeslantkering (vertical axes floating radial gates), the Hartelkering (vertically actuated bulkheads), and the Thames Barrier

(horizontal axis rotating sector gates). The Except for the Maeslantkering, which requires a very large and heavy structure and which requires additional shore space equal to its span, all of these gate systems require access piers and bridges that are not required in accordance with the present invention.

[0005] Air actuated water control gates are an established art and are disclosed in US7422392, US7114879, US 5713699, US5709502, 5642963, US5538360, US5092707, and

US4780024, herein incorporated by reference. Air actuated bottom hinged gates may

exhibit bi-stable behavior when fully submerged or under high tailwater conditions.

Projects for the primary purpose of preventing sea level storm surges from

damaging inland waterways and adjoining lowlands include for example the Haringvliet Sluices, the Oosterscheldekering, the Maeslantkering, the Hartelkering, and the Ramspol Storm Surge Barrier, all in the Netherlands, and the Thames Barrier in the United

Kingdom. The Saint Petersburg Flood Defense in the Russian Federation is 0

presently (during 2010) under construction. The Venice Tide Barrier Project, comprised of hollow concrete panels with controlled buoyancy, is also presently (during 2010)

under construction. [0006] An example of a sea water intrusion barrier serving to prevent upstream saltwater contamination is the Singapore Marina Barrage comprised of a series of hydraulically operated hinged steel gates.

[0007] Thousands of rubber dams and pneumatically operated spillway gates have been installed in inland waterways and on dam spillways. These systems are generally not well suited as sea water barriers because, in cases where systems are submerged below sea level, floatation of the air filled bladders or dams can result in unstable operation, i.e., elements of or portions of the system tend to sink to the bottom or float to the top without being able to be held at intermediate positions. Hollow concrete panels, such as in the case of the Venice Tidal Barrier, that may be partially filled with air for raising and re-filled with water for lowering are not able to be controlled at intermediate positions. As soon as there is enough air to lift a gate panel off of its foundation, the air and its associated center of buoyancy moves further from the hinge axis and causes the gate to fully rise to the surface - and all the more quickly because buoyancy of the compressed air increases as the gate rises through the water (assuming internal and external water pressures are allowed to equalize in order to reduce pressure induced stresses on the hollow concrete structure). Conversely, during lowering of a gate panel, once there is no longer enough moment about the hinge due to buoyancy of the remaining air, the panel begins to sink.

This causes the center of (remaining) buoyancy to move closer to the hinge axis, resulting in an ever accelerating rate of lowering, with no opportunity to stop, hold, or control the gate at intermediate positions. Although a series of such gates may be raised and lowered in sequence in order to incrementally control overall flow, any one gate will tend to be either fully raised or fully lowered. This greatly compromises the ability of usefulness of such a gate system as a whole to segregate sea (saline) water from river (fresh) water except under near zero flow conditions.

[0008] Water filled rubber dams have been used in inland waterways and on dam spillways as well. Water filling in the case of rubber dams prevents the "V-notch effect" that occurs when air filled rubber dams are partially inflated. When fully submerged, such systems are often hydrodynamically unstable because the rubber membrane, which typically has a specific gravity of approximately 1.15, tends to float and flap around in the current like a flag in the breeze. Tensioning of the membrane by pressurized inflation with water creates a circular (in upstream-downstream sectional elevation) profile that may be subject to Von Karman vortex Water inflated rubber dams are not suitable for control of flow or level control when pafiially inflated and deeply submerged because of hydrodynamic instability. One mode of such instability is Von Karman vortex shedding in a vertical upstream-downstream plane. Such instability may cause destructive loads and stresses as was the case with a series of water filled rubber dams in Bay City Texas that were later replaced with pneumatically operated spillway gates. The Ramspol storm surge barrier is comprised of three spans each 75 meters long and 8.35 meters high. These rubber dams are inflated with a combination of air and water selected to minimize loads on the inflatable membrane. Although functional as a sea water barrier and not required to pass flows except while deflated or during relatively shoit periods of inflation and deflation , systems such as the Ramspol rubber dams require very large rubber membranes (75 meters long x 13 meters wide) that are expensive to transport and difficult to repair. Any significant membrane penetration preceding or during a storm event would likely result in complete collapse of a 75 meter rubber dam span, rendering the project as a whole ineffective.

[0009] The barrier technology used in each of the projects

described in Section 1 Field of Invention above have certain disadvantages compared to the present invention as follows:

[0010] The rubber dam configuration of Ramspol is extremely heavy and is difficult to manufacture, transport, and repair. The required complex membrane folding mechanism that lies submerged beneath the membrane may be troublesome and is extremely difficult to service or modify. Furthermore, any substantial penetration to the membrane by floating debris, a ship propeller, or acts of war or vandalism, would likely cause complete collapse and cessation of function of the entire span. Yet a further disadvantage of the Ramspol rubber dam configuration is the complexity of geometry required in the clamping system in order to keep stress concentration factors in the rubber membrane withion acceptable limits. In summary, the inflatable membrane of the Ramspol rubber dam is attractive in its conceptual simplicity but cumbersome in practice.

The Haringvliet sluices utilize radial gates supported by concrete piers. Such a system is exceedingly complex and expensive compared to the present invention.

[001 1] Various air inflated Water control gates have been disclosed by this Inventor. Accordingly, the following patents and pending patents applications are hereby incorporated by reference:

US7,422,392 Water Control Structure

US7,1 14,879 Water Control Gate and Actuator Therefore

US6, 196,763 Connection System for Hoses, Expansion Joints and Actuators

US5,713,699 Spiliway Crest Gate System and Inflatable Bladder Therefor

US5,709,502 Connection System for Reinforced Composite Structures

US5,642,963 Spiliway Gate System

US5,538,360 Crest Gate Operating System

US5,092,707 Crest Gate Operating System

US4,780,024 Crest Gate

20090180835 Water Control Apparatus

20060072969 Water Control Apparatus

[0012] Additionally, certain rubber dam related patents assigned to Bridgestone are hereby incorporated by reference and are listed on attached sheets.

Air inflation is effective for controlling gates in the absence of buoyancy effects

and with upstream water levels no lower than approximately the gate tip elevation

corresponding to a 45 degree gate angle. Although hydrostatic moment on gate panels may decrease as a gate is raised and the moment due to the weight of a gate panel may also decrease as a agate panel is raised, the air bladder contact area diminishes as gate panels are raised and the centroid of the gate panel contact area moves closer to the hinge line as the gate panels are raised. The combination of these simultaneous effects causes multiple gate panel/air bladder assemblies on a common manifold to seek equilibrium at a uniform gate panel crest elevation. The tendency for the gate panels to inherently seek a uniform crest elevation is augmented by the use of bladders of lesser width (as measured across the spillway) and is superior with single chambered air bladders compared to multi-chambered air bladders. As the gate system as a whole becomes submerged, and in the absence of significant differential head, air inflated systems loose there otherwise inherent uniformity of crest elevation between adjoining gate panels operated on a common manifold. Panels that are relatively high tend to rise. Panels that are relatively low tend to lower further. This results in an uneven crest height and can cause high loads on and deformation or tearing of inter-panel seals. As gate panels are raised a greater proportion of their weight is taken by the hinge. Gate panels supported by air bladders on a common manifold transfer a greater proportion of their weight to the hinge and air moves from more deeply submerged air bladders that are subject to higher external hydrostatic pressure to in the air bladders that are subject to lesser external hydrostatic pressure. This undesirable effect is exacerbated by the increase in air volume and buoyancy associated with the pressure decrease.

Summary of Invention

[0013] In accordance with the present invention, erstwhile "air bladders" are inflated and controlled with water (or other liquid) instead of air (or other gas). A complete gate control system based upon liquid inflation is herein described.

[0014] It is an object of this invention to provide a modular alternative to present day actuatable sea water barriers. In particular, an object of this invention may be to provide a gate system that may be stably operated over its full range of motion, from fully lowered to fully raised.

[0015] It is an object of this invention to provide a low-cost alternative to prior art sea water and storm surge barriers that requires neither bridges nor piers. It is a further object of this invention to provide, in one type of embodiment, a movable service caisson for the purpose of stopping flow, and optionally dewatering any portion of the gate system that might require inspection, service, repair, or replacement [0016] In accordance with a further object of this invention, an adjustable submerged barrier may be provided for the purpose of excluding sediment from a water intake at a hydro electric plant, water pumping station, irrigation diversion, or the like. In this case the denser fluid to be excluded is not saltwater but rather a

sediment-water mixture.

[0017] In accordance with a further aspect of this invention, an adjustable submerged barrier may be provided for the purpose of skimming oil from the surface of

water. In this case the denser fluid is water.

[0018] In accordance with a further object of this invention, saltwater is used for system inflation in order to reduce the risk of freezing of the inflating fluid.

In accordance with a further aspect of this invention, additional salt may be added to the solution used to inflate the bladders in order to further depress the freezing point.

[0019] In accordance with a further aspect of this invention, at least two connections are provided to each bladder in order to facilitate circulation of heated water or other liquid through the bladders while keeping them inflated to a desired set point.

In accordance with a further aspect of this invention, gate panels may be

comprised of 2 sheets of corrosion resistant metal such as 316 stainless steel, separated by tensile reinforcing members with the space between the sheets filled with less expensive material, such as concrete or polymer concrete, of adequate shear strength and compression strength.

[0020] In accordance with a further aspect of this invention, the pivot edge of the two corrosion resistant sheets are welded to a solid bar, preferably circular in cross section that serves as an anchoring structure for the hinge flap and also serves as a load distribution surface in contact with the hinge flap on its upper side and in contact with the air bladder on its lower side.

[0021] In accordance with a further aspect of this invention, the gate panel above described incorporates a generally circular cross section on its upper surface in conjunction with a generally flat cross section on its lower surface. [0022] In accordance with a further aspect of this invention, the top (when raised) edge of the gate panel incorporates an extension of the upstream face that is bent in a

generally horizontal direction relative to the raised gate. This increase the

thickness, strength and damage resistance of the top edge of the gate panel that is

subject to debris impact and forces imparted to the gate by large floating debris

and ice.

[0023] In accordance with a further object of the invention, an air bubbler pipe for de-icing purposes is incorporated under the clamping' system where it is protected from

damage by debris, rocks, and sediment.

[0024] In accordance with yet another embodiment of this invention, a second panel may be hinged to the top of the gate panel and slidably supported by the gate foundation

at its downstream side.

[0025] In accordance with a further aspect of this invention, the gate control system is provided with position measurements of individual gate panels. Such position

measurement may be by means of hard wired inclinometers attached to each

individual gate panel, inductively coupled sealed inclinometers attached to each

individual gate panel, or sonar detection of gate panel positions, for example.

Measurements of individual gate panel positions may be used, for example and

most commonly, to synchronize the positions and movements of entire spans of

panels, even in cases where such synchronization would not be inherent or possible by simply controlling common inflation pressure through a common manifold.

[0026] It is a further object of this invention to provide a gate system that inherently maintains a stable level crest elevation that is self equalizing with respect to multiple gate segments operated each by separate inflatable actuators connected to a common inflation manifold.

[0027] It is a further object of this invention to provide freeze-up protection by means of induced water circulation adjacent to the gate (upstream, downstream, or both) . Such water circulation may be induced by compressed air bubbles, motorized propellers, water jets, or the like.

[0028] It is a further object of this invention to provide protection against freezing of the inflation water (or other fluid) by means of a circulating inflation system that circulates heated fluid through each bladder by way of one or more bladder connection inlet ports in conjunction with one or more bladder connection outlet ports.

[0029] It is a further object of one embodiment of this invention to use an inclinometer on one or more gate panels in order to obtain gate panel angular position feedback. 1 In accordance one aspect of this invention, an inflatable bladder is provided which is secured at its upstream edge by clamps that grip an enlarged wedge shaped molded profile of the inflatable bladder.

[0030] In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, a water inflation system is provided.

[0031] In accordance with one embodiment of this invention an inflation system is provided that may utilize either air, water, both air and water, or an alternative fluid such as a water/propylene glycol mixture.

[0032] In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention, water inflated bladders may be used to actuate bottom hinged lock gates. In this instance the stable raising and lowering are advantageous compared to the less stable action of air inflated bladders in conjunction with the actuation of lock gates which are necessarily submerged to allow flotation of watercraft over the sills of the lowered gates.

[0033] In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention, bottom hinged gates actuated by water filled bladders may be used as a storm water barrier. In this application the precise control provided by water inflation may be advantageously used to control water quality.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0034] Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds taken in conjunction with the following drawings in which:

[0035] Figure la shows a sectional elevation through the Thames Barrier Gate Mechanism, in accordance with prior art.

|[0036] Figure lb shows the Thames Barrier Gate of Fig la in its various operating positions.

[0037] Figure lc shows a perspective view of the prior art Thames Barrier.

[0038] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the prior art Maeslantkering.

[0039] Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the prior art Hartelkering. [0040] Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the prior art Ramspol Rubber Dams.

[0041] Figure 5a shows a detailed perspective view of the St. Petersburg Storm Surge Barrier.

[0042] Figure 5b shows an exterior view of the St. Petersburg Storm Surge Barrier.

[0043] Figure 6 shows a perspective cut-away view of the Venice Tide Barrier Project.

[0044] Figure 7 shows a perspective view of the prior art Singapore Marina Barrage.

[0045] Figure 8a shows a prior art air inflated gate in its buoyant and raised position.

[0046] Figure 8b shows the prior art gate of Figure 8a in its lowered and deflated position.

[0047] Figure 8c shows the prior art gate of Figures 8a and 8b in its unstable partially inflated configuration.

[0048] Figure 9 shows the prior art Haringsvlietkering.

[0049] Figure 10 shows the prior art Oosterscheldekering.

[0050] Figure 11a shows a sectional elevation of a gate in accordance with the present invention in its raised position.

[0051] Figure 1 lb shows a sectional elevation of the gate of Figure 1 la in its fully lowered position.

[0052] Figures 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d show a water inflation system control schematic for a gate system in accordance with the present invention, a plan view of the corresponding control room, and sectional elevation views of the corresponding control room, respectively.

[0053] Figures 13, 14,15, and 16 are tables of operating conditions comparing air inflation (prior art) and water inflation (in accordance with the present invention. [0054] Figure 17 shows the unstable relationship between bladder volume and gate tip elevation under submerged conditions with air inflation in accordance with prior art.

[0055] Figure 18 shows the stable relationship between bladder volume and gate tip elevation under submerged condtions with water inflation in accordance with the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

[0056] Referring to Figure 11a (sectional elevation view of a raised gate) and Figure l ib

(sectional elevation view of lowered gate), gate panel 1 is comprised of upstream skin plate la, downstream skin plate lb, bent portion of upstream skin plate Id, pivot bar Id and concrete filler le. Restraining strap 7 limits height of gate panel 1. Fitting 2 feeds water to and from inflatable bladder 3. Clamp 17 secures air bladder 3 and hinge flap 34 to foundation 18. Abutment seal assembly 5 seals to abutment plate 6. Aprons 18a and 18b are slightly below the gate to facilitate dewatering during installation and maintenance activities. Tailwater elevation 4 is above bladder 3 and would cause floatation of bladder 3 were it inflated with air instead of water.

[057] Referring to Figures 12a, 12b, 12c and 12d, , pumps 26a and 26b are driven by motors 27a and 27b and provide water to sand filters 28a and 28b and in turn to inflation manifold 19.

Valves 22 allow filling of individual bladders 3 in response to measurements of the positions of gate panels 1. Control system 31 detects and acts upon gate position control signals and in turn controls inflate valves 22 and deflate valves 21. Ejector control valve 33 may be opened in conjunction with selected deflation valves 20 to expedite deflation of one or more bladders 3. Blower 32 provides air to bubbler pipe 37 to create bubbles

38 to minimize ice formation upstream of gate panel 1. Such bubbler arrangements may be used on either or both sides of the gate system. Screen 29 keeps debris from pumps

26a and 26b. The pump pit 25 may be dewatered with the aid of stop log slot 30 and accessed by ladder 39.

[0058] Referring to Figure 13, a tabulation of operating conditions for an air inflated gate of prior art in conjunction with Figure 17, a graph of air bladder volume versus gate tip elevation, it can be seen that a given air bladder volume may result in either of two gate tip elevations, i.e., the control of the gates is unstable and unpredictable under certain conditions.

[0059] Referring to Figure 14, a tabulation of operating conditions for a water inflated gate in accordance with the present invention in conjunction with Figure 18, a graph of water bladder volume versus gate tip elevation, it can be seen that a given water bladder volume positively results in a certain, unambiguous, and stable gate tip elevation, i.e., the control of the gates is stable and predictable over a full range of gate heights.

[0060] Referring to Figures 15 and 16, as a point of reference, at high differential heads, the behavior of homologous gate systems with water inflation and air inflation can be seen to be similar. [0061] As can be easily understood from the foregoing, the basic concepts of the present invention may be embodied in a variety of ways. It involves both water control gates as well as inflatable conduit closures or other devices to accomplish the appropriate method. In this application, the inflatable actuation methods are disclosed as part of the results shown to be achieved by the various devices described and as steps which are inherent to utilization. They are simply the natural result of utilizing the devices as intended and described. In addition, while some devices are disclosed, it should be understood that these not only accomplish certain methods but also can be varied in a number of ways. Importantly, as to all of the foregoing, all of these facets should be understood to be

encompassed by this disclosure.

[0062] The discussion included in this application is intended to serve as a basic description. The reader should be aware that the specific discussion may not explicitly describe all embodiments possible; many alternatives are implicit. It also may not fully explain the generic nature of the invention and may not explicitly show how each feature or element can actually be

representative of a broader function or of a great variety of alternative or equivalent elements. Again, these are implicitly included in this disclosure. Where the invention is described in device-oriented terminology, each element of the device implicitly performs a function.

Apparatus claims may not only be included for the device described, but also method or process claims may be included to address the functions the invention and each element performs.

Neither the description nor the terminology is intended to limit the scope of the claims which are included in this patent application.

[0063] It should also be understood that a variety of changes may be made without departing from the essence of the invention. Such changes are also implicitly included in the description. They still fall within the scope of this invention. A broad disclosure encompassing both the explicit embodiment(s) shown, the great variety of implicit alternative embodiments, and the broad methods or processes and the like are encompassed by this disclosure and may be relied upon when drafting the claims for the full patent application.

[0064] This patent application seeks examination of as broad a base of claims as deemed within the applicant's right and is designed to yield a patent covering numerous aspects of the invention both independently and as an overall system.

[0065] Further, each of the various elements of the invention and claims may also be achieved in a variety of manners. This disclosure should be understood to encompass each such variation, be it a variation of an embodiment of any apparatus embodiment, a method or process embodiment, or even merely a variation of any element of these.

[0066] Particularly, it should be understood that as the disclosure relates to elements of the invention, the words for each element may be expressed by equivalent apparatus terms or method terms— even if only the function or result is the same. Such equivalent, broader, or even more generic terms should be considered to be encompassed in the description of each element or action. Such terms can be substituted where desired to make explicit the implicitly broad coverage to which this invention is entitled. As but one example, it should be understood that all actions may be expressed as a means for taking that action or as an element which causes that action. Similarly, each physical element disclosed should be understood to encompass a disclosure of the action which that physical element facilitates. Regarding this last aspect, as but one example, the disclosure of a "means for detecting" or a "detector" should be understood to encompass disclosure of the act of "detecting" ~ whether explicitly discussed or not— and, conversely, were there effectively disclosure of the act of "detecting", such a disclosure should be understood to encompass disclosure of a "detector" and even a "means for detecting". Such changes and alternative terms are to be understood to be explicitly included in the description. Patents, publications, or other references mentioned in this application for patent are hereby incorporated by reference. In addition, as to each term used it should be understood that unless its utilization in this application is inconsistent with such interpretation, both traditional and common dictionary definitions should be understood as incorporated for each term and all definitions, alternative terms, and synonyms such as contained in the Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, second edition are hereby incorporated by reference. Finally, all references listed in the list of References To Be Incorporated By Reference In Accordance With The Provisional Patent

Application or other information statement filed with the application are hereby appended and hereby incorporated by reference, however, as to each of the above, to the extent that such information or statements incorporated by reference might be considered

inconsistent with the patenting of this/these invention(s) such statements are expressly not to be considered as made by the applicant(s).

[0067] Thus, the applicant(s) should be understood to claim at least: i) each of the input devices as herein disclosed and described, ii) the related methods disclosed and described, iii) similar, equivalent, and even implicit variations of each of these devices and methods, iv) those alternative designs which accomplish each of the functions shown as are disclosed and described, v) those alternative designs and methods which accomplish each of the functions shown as are implicit to accomplish that which is disclosed and described, vi) each feature, component, and step shown as separate and independent inventions, vii) the applications enhanced by the various systems or components disclosed, viii) the resulting products produced by such systems or components, ix) methods and apparatuses substantially as described hereinbefore and with reference to any of the accompanying examples, x) the various combinations and permutations of each of the elements disclosed, xi) each potentially dependent claim or concept as a dependency on each and every one of the independent claims or concepts presented, xii) processes performed with the aid of or on a computer as described throughout the above discussion, xiii) a programmable apparatus as described throughout the above discussion, xiv) a computer readable memory encoded with data to direct a computer comprising means or elements which function as described throughout the above discussion, xv) a computer configured as herein disclosed and described, xvi) individual or combined subroutines and programs as herein disclosed and described, xvii) the related methods disclosed and described, xviii) similar, equivalent, and even implicit variations of each of these systems and methods, xix) those alternative designs which accomplish each of the functions shown as are disclosed and described, xx) those

alternative designs and methods which accomplish each of the functions shown as are implicit to accomplish that which is disclosed and described, xxi) each feature,

component, and step shown as separate and independent inventions, and xxii) the various combinations and permutations of each of the above.

[0068] It should also be understood that for practical reasons and so as to avoid adding potentially hundreds of claims, the applicant may eventually present claims with initial dependencies only. Support should be understood to exist to the degree required under new matter laws ~ including but not limited to European Patent Convention Article 123(2) and United States Patent Law 35 USC 132 or other such laws— to permit the addition of any of the various dependencies or other elements presented under one independent claim or concept as dependencies or elements under any other independent claim or concept. Further, if or when used, the use of the transitional phrase "comprising" is and will be used to maintain the "open- end" claims herein, according to traditional claim interpretation. Thus, unless the context requires otherwise, it should be understood that the term "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", are intended to imply the inclusion of a stated element or step or group of elements or steps but not the exclusion of any other element or step or group of elements or steps. Such terms should be interpreted in their most expansive form so as to afford the applicant the broadest coverage legally permissible.