Appeal No. 97-0752
Application 08/354,304
similar to that of a dog clutch (column 4, lines 9-10). Arms 20
of the male spider unit “are covered with a rubber layer 25 so as
to eliminate the shock load effect which would otherwise occur if
the metal arms 20 abutted directly with the metal abutments 24 of
the female spider unit 18” (column 3, lines 28-32).
A reading of Moore’s specification makes clear that buffer
unit 16 operates as a backup unit to prevent undue stain and
damage to the rubber sleeves when a certain degree of torsional
deflection is exceeded because of higher torque loadings (column
1, lines 50-58). In view of its stated purpose, the buffer unit
is essentially a rigid metal component, the arms of the male
spider unit being provided with a thin rubber layer 25 merely for
the purpose of eliminating shock loads that would result if
metal-to-metal contact occurred when the buffer unit first comes
into play (column 4, lines 10-14). Based on the above, it is
difficult to perceive how Moore’s buffer unit 16 could be
characterized as being “a particulate charge” and/or “designed
such that it comprises elastomeric material and acts as a
resilient coupling” (answer, page 3), as the examiner has done
here in an apparent attempt to analogize Moore’s buffer unit 16
to the claimed charge of silicon rubber in crumb form that may be
compressed to transmit torque. Because of the way Moore’s device
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Last modified: November 3, 2007