Appeal No. 97-2116
Application 07/789,802
film to containers. The portion of Hoffman relied upon by the
examiner in the rejection is found in the background
discussion at column 1, lines 21-34 and reads:
Heretofore apparatus and a method have been
provided for applying heat shrink film to
cylindrical containers by a series of steps as
follows:
1. Heat shrink film is formed into a tube slightly
larger in diameter than the container to which
it is to be applied.
2. The container is preheated or, if the film
application is carried on in conjunction with
the manufacture of glass containers, the glass
containers can be taken from the glass
manufacturing operation while they are still hot
or warm.
3. The cylindrical sleeve is placed over the
container.
4. The sleeve is then heated to shrink it onto the
container.
We are in agreement with the examiner that the practice
of this method, especially as it relates to applying a heat
shrink film to glass containers taken from a glass
manufacturing operation, anticipates claim 20. In particular,
we believe the steps of placing a cylindrical tube of heat
shrink material on a container and then heating it to shrink
the tube onto the container would inherently apply compressive
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