Appeal No. 2004-0046 Page 5
Application No. 10/001,313
As shown, the cuspidor 10 has an internal cavity 11 defined by an inverted V-shaped
enclosing rim or wall 12-13 and a connecting portion 14 constituting the cavity bottom.
The outer portion 13 of the rim or wall 12-13 terminates in a generally horizontally
extending rim extension 15. This preferably although not necessarily is of channel
cross-section as indicated at 16 and terminates in an outwardly extending horizontal
edge 17, the whole providing a combination stabilizing and reinforcing annulus.
Preferably, the cavity bottom is flat as best shown in Figure 2, so as to rest squarely on
the floor or other supporting surface S on which the receptacle is placed.
Emery's rim extension 15-16-17 is disposed in a plane generally parallel to that
of the supporting surface S so as to enable the cuspidor 10 when accidentally struck,
kicked, or otherwise contacted, to slide in an upright condition along the surface S
rather than to tilt or tip over. To this extent such extension acts as a runner or extended
slide bearing which stabilizes the cuspidor 10 as a whole by its steady, flat bearing on
the surface S. Apart from its function as a stabilizer, such rim extension acts as an
annular truss or reinforcement at the base of the rim portion 13 where the article is
ordinarily weakest. It also affords an annular gutter or trap about the base of the
receptacle effective to catch and retain any overflow from the central cavity. Emery
teaches (column 3, lines 14-19) that: "The rim extension may be of any practical width
and cross-section. In effect, it constitutes a continuation of the cavity bottom 14, being
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Last modified: November 3, 2007