Ex Parte Ryan et al - Page 8

                Appeal  2007-1799                                                                            
                Application 10/036,991                                                                       
                § 102(e) as being anticipated by Call.  Claims 2 and 3 fall together with                    
                claim 1.                                                                                     

                Obviousness:                                                                                 
                      Claims 4-15 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as unpatentable                    
                over the combination of Call and Stirling.  Appellants identify two claim                    
                groupings (1) claims 4-12 and (2) claims 13-15.  Accordingly, we limit our                   
                discussion to representative claims 4 and 13.  Claims 5-12 will stand or fall                
                with claim 4.  Claims 14 and 15 will stand or fall with claim 13.  37 C.F.R.                 
                § 41.37(c)(1)(vii).                                                                          

                Claim 4:                                                                                     
                      Claim 4 depends from and further limits the sanitizer module element                   
                in the system of claim 1.  Specifically, claim 4 requires that the sanitizer                 
                module comprises:                                                                            
                      1.  A first set of guide walls, wherein each guide wall is positioned                  
                parallel to the feed path and the guide walls face each other to form an alley               
                along the feed path;                                                                         
                      2.  A second set of guide walls that are positioned along the feed path                
                but downstream of the first set of guide walls to form a gap along the feed                  
                path between the first set of guide walls and the second set of guide walls.                 
                Claim 4 requires that each guide wall in the second set of guide walls is                    
                positioned parallel to the feed path and the guide walls face each other to                  
                form an alley along the feed path; and                                                       
                      3.  A sanitization apparatus positioned along the feed path in the area                
                of the gap created by the first set and second set of guide walls.  In addition,             

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