Appeal No. 95-0575
Application No. 07/921,645
requirement is to provide those who would endeavor, in future
enterprise, to approach the area circumscribed by the claims of a
patent with the adequate notice demanded by due process of law,
so that they may more readily and accurately determine the
boundaries of protection involved and evaluate the possibility of
infringement and dominance. In re Hammack, 427 F.2d 1378, 1382,
166 USPQ 204, 208 (CCPA 1970).
The appealed claims fail to set out and circumscribe a
particular area with a reasonable degree of precision and
particularity for the following reasons.
In claim 1, the term “said one link” lacks a proper
antecedent basis, and it is not clear whether the subsequent
recitation of “one of said links” refers to “said one link.”
In claims 2, 4 and 10, the term “said one link” lacks a
proper antecedent basis.
In claims 3, 4, 16, 20, 22 and 23 the term “said forces”
lacks a proper antecedent basis.
In claim 14, it is unclear whether the backboard and support
member are intended to be part of the claimed combination.
Although the preamble of claim 14 indicates that these elements
are not part of the claimed combination, the body of claim 14
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