Appeal No. 1999-0231
Application No. 08/472,354
pressure region.2
In construing the language “means extending axially
across a length of the blanket cylinder circumferential
surface,” we note that the “means” may comprise, for example,
a groove 50 as shown in Figure 3. The groove 50 is described
in the specification (pp. 7, 8) as “extending straight across
the circumferential surface of the blanket cylinder” and as
connecting the interface of the blanket cylinder 40 and a
printing blanket mounted thereon to an air canal 60.
We also note the appellants’ argument on page 5 of the
brief that the circumferential grooves 10b in the embodiment
illustrated in Figure 1 of Fellows do not meet the claimed
means limitation because the grooves 10b in Fellows would only
allow air trapped between the blanket and cylinder at the
circumferential grooves to escape. In fact, Fellows teaches
that the grooves 10b in Figure 1 are 6 mm wide (col. 2, l. 67)
and “typically located 25 mms from the ends of the tube 10 and
at about 30 cms spacing along the length of the tube 10" (col.
According to the appellants’ specification (p. 8), the ”low pressure2
region” may be the atmosphere.
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