Appeal No. 97-0742
Application 08/427,775
When the steam is drawn by the suction of the
nozzle 42 through the web 2, a certain amount of steam
condensation takes place on and in the web, which tends
to thin the printing ink or paste, thus facilitating a
drawing-in of the thinned ink into the body of the web
2, and also improving the penetration of the ink into
the individual fibers of the web 2.
A further advantage of this construction is the
fact that the web 2 itself becomes warmed as the steam
is drawn through it; this is advantageous because the
web passes from the printing machine into a steaming
device (not shown) wherein it is subjected to a
steaming operation. Since the web is already prewarmed
by the steam that is drawn out of the hood 7 and
through the web by the suction nozzle 42, it will enter
the steaming device at a temperature that is
sufficiently high to prevent significant condensation
of the steam in the steaming device on the web 2
[column 4, line 29 through column 5, line 8].
As implicitly conceded by the examiner (see page 3 in the
answer, Paper No. 13), the Mitter apparatus does not meet the
limitations in independent claim 1 relating to the “at least one
surface in contact with and surrounded by ambient air” and the
“heating element” associated therewith to increase the
temperature of the surface and reduce the temperature difference
between the surface and the ambient air. In this regard,
although the inner wall 72 of Mitter’s hood 7 is associated with
heating rods 71 to increase its temperature, no surface of this
wall is in contact with and surrounded by ambient air during the
operation of the apparatus.
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Last modified: November 3, 2007