Appeal No. 97-2904
Application 08/565,457
is well established patent law that for a reference to be
properly anticipatory, each and every element of the rejected
claim must be found either expressly described or under the
principles of inherency in the applied reference. See RCA
Corp. v. Applied Digital Data Systems, Inc., 730 F.2d 1440,
1444, 221 USPQ 385, 388 (Fed. Cir. 1984). It follows that the
absence from the reference of any element of the claim negates
anticipation of that claim by the reference. Kloster
Speedsteel AB v. Crucible, Inc., 793 F.2d 1565, 1571, 230 USPQ
81, 84 (Fed. Cir. 1986).
In the present case, Horikawa discloses a sheet-
advancing apparatus having a transport 92, a controller 123
and means in the form of at least one sensor 127 for sensing a
sheet advancing on the transport. Like appellant’s disclosed
transport, Horikawa’s transport comprises a perforated
transport belt 96 extending over at least one suction chamber
108 which is connected through a solenoid operated valve 134
to a vacuum pump 130. Similar to appellant’s apparatus,
Horikawa’s controller is responsive to sensor 127 to open and
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