Appeal 2006-2634
Application 10/294,537
Rasero US 4,174,739 Nov. 20, 1979
McGee US 5,616,090 Apr. 1, 1997
Westhoff US 5,645,504 Jul. 8, 1997
Tomiyama US 5,714,024 Feb. 3, 1998
Appellant’s claimed invention is directed to a method of making a power
transmission belt, comprising, inter alia, radially stretching a seamless tubular
textile material over the building drum for the belt. Using the seamless tubular
textile material in the transmission belt, rather than a textile material formed with
an overlapping seam, minimizes noise generation and lends lateral stability to the
belt when the belt is running against a pulley or tensioner.
Appealed claims 18-24 and 26 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as
being unpatentable over Tomiyama in view of Rasero and Westhoff. Claim 22
stands rejected under 35 U. S.C. § 103(a) as being unpatentable over the stated
combination of references further in view of McGee.
We have thoroughly reviewed each of Appellant’s arguments for
patentability. However, we are in complete agreement with the Examiner that the
claimed method of making a power transmission belt would have been obvious to
one of ordinary skill in the art within the meaning of Section 103 in view of the
applied prior art. Accordingly, we will sustain the Examiner’s rejections for the
reasons set forth in the Answer, which we incorporate herein, and we add the
following primarily for emphasis.
There is no dispute that Tomiyama, like Appellant, discloses a method for
making a power transmission belt comprising wrapping a first rubber layer about
the building drum, helically winding a strain-resisting tensile cord about the first
rubber layer, wrapping a second rubber (adhesive) layer over the helically wound
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