Appeal 2007-0561
Application 10/689,465
1 longitudinal axis substantially perpendicularly, and that the trough defines a
2 ground wire axis parallel to the ground member axis.
3 11. Mooney discloses a trough integral with the top portion of its
4 grounding clamp, and a set screw extending into the space within the trough
5 through a top plate to secure the ground wire received within the trough. The
6 applicants do not dispute this fact.
7 12. Mooney’s integral trough structure, however, is oriented in such a
8 manner that the set screw enters the trough from a hole in a top plate rather than
9 from a hole on the side wall and that the axis of extension of the set screw, the
10 third longitudinal axis, is parallel rather than perpendicular to at least one of the
11 first and second longitudinal axis defined by the screw holes on the top and bottom
12 portions of the clamp as is recited in the applicants’ claims. (Mooney, Figs. 1 and
13 2).
14 13. Nonetheless, Mooney’s trough defines a ground wire axis parallel to
15 the ground member axis, as is recited in the applicants’ claims.
16 14. The Examiner determined that the only difference between the
17 claimed invention of the applicants’ independent claims 9 and 18 and the
18 grounding clamp disclosed in Mooney is that as noted above in FF. 12. The
19 applicants have not identified any other difference.
20 15. The Examiner has identified several prior art references each
21 disclosing a grounding clamp having a trough which defines an opening for
22 receiving a grounding wire and having a set screw extending either through a top
23 plate or through a side wall of the trough to secure the grounding wire. Those
24 references include Mooney, Reichman, Shemtov, and Meinhardt, Churla, and
25 Bondeson.
6
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