Appeal No. 95-3237
Application 08/154,721
to the central axis so that the saddle may receive and hold a
conductor when the device is oriented either substantially
vertically or substantially horizontally." In addition,
Appellant's claim 1 recites a fixed position conductor clamp
"having a bolt extending through and being held by the body upon
which a keeper is movable along a track . . . said bolt defines
the angle of tilt for the saddle relative to the longitudinal
central axis." (Emphasis added.)
Hall does teach in column 2, lines 30-33, that
Figures 2 and 3 show a clamp body 10 being provided with an
upwardly opening conductor receiving groove 22 which extends
generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the insulator
11. However, we do not agree with the Examiner that this is a
teaching of a saddle that is to be offset at a downward tilting
angle. The passage merely indicates that the saddle of the clamp
is to extend generally perpendicular to the axis of the
insulator. Upon a closer inspection of Hall's specification and
Figures 2 and 3, we note that the bolt 36 as well as the saddle
is not downwardly titled but is parallel to the central axis.
The Federal Circuit states that "[t]he mere fact that
the prior art may be modified in the manner suggested by the
5
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007