Appeal No. 1999-1779
Application No. 08/480,561
of elements 112 and 14', and therefore the direction
transverse to the drive direction is parallel to the planes of
the aforementioned facing surfaces.
Bardocz is directed to a system which allows precision
alignment of a linearly translatable element (Z) with respect
to a platform element (R). Bardocz discloses a lower element
(V) and an upper element (Z). Each element has a surface
that faces the other, and interposed between the two elements
are a plurality of balls mounted in grooves in the opposed
surfaces. The elements are held together by magnetic force.
By means of inputs applied by a coarse adjustment drive (T)
and a fine adjustment drive (M), the upper element is
positionable transversely with respect to the lower element.
Considering that the “drive direction” in the appellant’s
claim 1 is perpendicular to the facing surfaces, the Bardocz
mechanism causes the elements to move relative to one another
along a “direction transverse to the drive direction,” in the
language of claim 1.
However, Bardocz fails to disclose some of the other
features of claim 1. Looking to the specific language of
claim 1, Bardocz is not disclosed as a “bearing,” much less a
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