Appeal No. 1998-1240
Application 08/198,443
Johnson discloses “a sign body [6] bearing original
display matter [18] of a more or less permanent character and
a flexible covering [19] bearing new display matter [20] of a
special or seasonal import which is adapted to fit upon the
sign body to superpose the new display matter upon the
original display matter” (page 1, column 1, lines 3 through
8).
The examiner has concluded that it would have been
obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the
teachings of Zaruba, Wetzel and Johnson to “provide Hirsch
with a removable cover carrying indicia and means to removably
secure it to the backboard to permit changing the cover and
indicia from time to time” (answer, page 5). Given the
disparate natures of the Hirsch, Zaruba, Wetzel and Johnson
disclosures, however, it is apparent that the examiner has
engaged in an impermissible hindsight reconstruction of the
appellant’s invention by using the claims as a blueprint to
pick and choose from among isolated disclosures in the prior
art, a flaw which is not cured by the additional application
of Puste, Anglin, Bardin, Mosgoffian and Henrich.
8
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