Appeal No. 97-1493
Application 08/429,806
rods which rise automatically from the floor of the carrier at
locations adjacent the cargo” (specification, page 1). Claim 12
is illustrative and reads as follows:
12. A system for restraining the movement of cargo exerting
a gravitational force on a floor of a carrier during transport,
the system comprising:
(a) a source of fluid;
(b) a means for changing the pressure of the fluid from a
first pressure when the carrier is stationary to a second
pressure, which second pressure is greater than the first
pressure but less than the gravitational force exerted upon the
floor by the cargo, when the carrier is transported;
(c) a plurality of vertically-movable rods communicating
with the fluid source and distributed throughout the floor, each
rod positioned so that it is flush with the topside of the floor
when the fluid source is at the first pressure and so that it is
risen above the topside of the floor when the fluid source is at
the second pressure, provided the rising of the rod is not
prevented by the presence of the cargo on top of the rod;
such that, when the carrier is stationary and the fluid source is
at the first pressure, cargo is loaded without contact with the
rods, and such that, when the carrier is transported and the
fluid source is at the second pressure, the cargo is restrained
by the adjacent raised rods.
The references relied upon by the examiner as evidence of
anticipation and obviousness are:
Blackburn 3,520,433 Jul. 14, 1970
Halliar 5,092,250 Mar. 3, 1992
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