Appeal No. 97-2644
Application 08/381,531
that the length of each of the core elements "is greater than
the distance between at least two adjacent ones of the cou-
pling eyelets." Given the guidance of appellant's specifica-
tion referred to above and the requirements of the recitations
found in the second clause of claim 1 on appeal, we understand
that the length of each of the core elements is such as to
allow each core element to extend through more than two adja-
cent ones of the coupling eyelets. In the language of the
specification, the core elements are each long enough to
extend through "a minimum of more than two coupling eyelets"
(page 1) or each have a length so that they "always extend
through more than two adjacent ones of the coupling eyelets"
(page 3).
The examiner contends (answer, pages 5-6 and 8-9)
that the subject matter of appellant's independent claim 1 is
anticipated under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) by the connecting pin
seen in Figure 10 of Schick, wherein each of the rigid core
elements
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