Appeal No. 97-1439 Page 16
Application No. 08/417,981
Claim 15 recites a system for adjusting the height of a
rotatable post. The system comprises, inter alia, an upright
tubular bottom post, an upright top post having a plurality of
outer grooves, an expandable stop ring, and a keeper. The
expandable stop ring and the keeper are arranged and constructed
of materials having sufficiently low coefficients of friction so
as to facilitate relative rotation of the top post and stop ring
with the bottom post.
The examiner determined (answer, pp. 4-5) that the tubes 1
and 3 of Namur can be rotated using the proper amount of torque
and that the material of Namur's locking ring 7 and keeper ring
13 do have a low enough coefficient of friction to allow rotation
at a proper torque level.
We agree with the appellants' argument (brief, p. 8) that
the materials used in Namur's locking ring 7 and keeper ring 13
do not have a coefficient of friction so as to facilitate
relative rotation of the tubes 1 and 3. In our opinion, the
coefficient of friction between Namur's locking ring 7 and the
keeper ring 13 would restrain, not facilitate relative rotation
of the tubes 1 and 3 due to the firm watertight contact between
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