Appeal No. 99-0257 Page 4
Application No. 08/728,909
substantially the entire length of the second ramp from the
first end to the second end thereof, and the support bars
attached to the bottom surface of the first ramp extend from
the first end beyond the second end thereof and partly under
the end of the second ramp, when the ramp ends are positioned
adjacent to one another. Each of the support bars is provided
with an aperture through which a pivot bar extends. The
apertures of the support bars attached to the first ramp are
“positioned directly adjacent” to the outwardly extending ends
of the bars, whilst the apertures in the support bars attached
to the second ramp are “positioned between said first end . . .
and said second end” of the bars.
It is the examiner’s view that all of the subject matter
recited in claim 10 is disclosed by Estevez, except for the
support bars extending along substantially the entire lengths
of the ramps. However, the examiner finds this to be taught by
Goeser, and takes the position that it would have been obvious
to one of ordinary skill in the art to add such a feature to
the Estevez ramps in order to increase their strength. We do
not agree, and our reasoning for arriving at this conclusion
follows.
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Last modified: November 3, 2007