Appeal No. 96-1602
Application 08/168,669
reference relied upon by the examiner for a teaching of means for cooperating with a
bearing insert tool for removing and inserting a bearing insert is Miyazawa, which
discloses a bearing puller groove 221a provided on the outer circumference of the outer
bearing race for this purpose. In our opinion, the examiner’s position to the effect that it
would have been within the realm of skill in the art to provide the bearing puller groove of
Miyazawa on the inner circumference of the inner bearing race of Skorka is speculative,
based on hindsight, and not fairly suggested by the reference teachings themselves.
We have also reviewed the Parrish, Muck and Marsh references applied by the
examiner against the appealed claims in rejection (a), but find nothing therein which makes
up for the deficiencies of Skorka and Miyazawa noted above. Accordingly, we cannot
sustain the examiner’s rejection of the appealed claims under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being
unpatentable over Skorka in view of Parrish, Muck, Marsh and Miyazawa.
Turning to rejection (c), this rejection is likewise founded in part on the proposition
that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide a groove on the
inner circumference of the inner race of Skorka’s bearing insert in view of Miyazawa. For
the reasons discussed above, the examiner’s position in this regard is not well taken.
Further, the Hoerle, and Marsh references additionally relied on do not make up for the
deficiencies of Skorke ad Miyazawa. It follows that this rejection also cannot be sustained.
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