Ex parte DOMINGUEZ - Page 6




          Appeal No. 95-4860                                                          
          Application No. 08/044,923                                                  


          threaded hub 24 of the anchor 13 has the capability of being                
          threaded on and off the outer shaft 11 as desired and, thus,                
          the anchor 13 is inherently “removably supported” (independent              
          claim 12) or “removably coupled” (independent claim 15) on the              
          outer shaft 11.  This being the case, there is adequate                     
          descriptive support for these limitations and we will not                   
          sustain the rejection of claims 12-22 under 35 U.S.C. § 112,                
          first paragraph.                                                            
               Turning now to the rejection of claim 12 under 35 U.S.C.               
          § 102(b) and the rejection of claims 13 and 14 under 35 U.S.C.              
          § 103 as being unpatentable over Grunsky, each of these                     
          rejections is based on the examiner’s view that the anchor 29               
          of Grunsky can be considered to be “removably supported” as                 
          set forth in independent claim 12 because the “anchor 29 is                 
          removable when the end 15, the seal 19 and collar 25 are                    
          removed” (see answer, page 4).  We must point out, however,                 
          that independent claim 12 expressly requires that the                       
          intermediate support                                                        
               form a support for said elongated support shaft to                     
               maintain alignment of said support shaft and [sic,                     
               with respect to] said major axis of said pipeline                      


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