Appeal No. 97-0520
Application 08/248,307
Here, the examiner proposes to modify the sign of Carmack
in view of the teachings of either Bevan (rejection (1)) or Nahon
(rejection (2)). The primary reference to Carmack does not teach
a direction-indicating holder for an informational sign. Instead,
Carmack teaches a highway sign per se that has two converging
side edges which indicates a direction. In an attempt to over-
come this deficiency the examiner has relied on the teachings of
Bevan and Nahon and, while these two references teach holders for
signs, neither teach a holder that has a shape which indicates a
direction as expressly required by independent claims 1, 7, 15
and 22. That is, Bevan teaches a rectangular holder for a sign
that is intended to be mounted on the door of an automobile and
Nahon teaches a rectangular holder for memos.
In essence, what the examiner is proposing to do is to
single out the concept of a holder for a sign from the teachings
of Bevan and Nahon and incorporate it into the primary reference
Carmack in such a manner that these rectangular holders are
reshaped to included converging side edges that indicates a
direction, even though all that Carmack teaches is a highway sign
per se that has two converging side edges which indicates a
direction. There is simply nothing in the combined teachings of
Carmack and either Bevan or Nahon which would suggest such a
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