Appeal No. 97-2904
Application 08/565,457
that the normal force due to the vacuum is
changed as the sheet advances with the belt
from the first plenum to the second plenum.
This patent does not teach that it is
desirable to have relative movement between
the sheet and the transport in one mode of
operation and no relative movement between
the sheet and transport in another mode of
operation. [brief, page 11.]
Contrary to appellant’s arguments as quoted supra,
Dragstedt expressly teaches in column 6, lines 39-44, that
when the sheet strikes and is held against registration member
34 in the second operating mode (in which the sheet is
retained against belts 70 and 72 only by the relatively low
vacuum level in chamber 84), slippage of the sheet relative to
belts 70 and 72 will occur because “belts 70, 72 preferably
continue to move after the leading edge of the sheet strikes
member 34 . . .” Because Dragstedt expressly allows such
slippage, it follows that the frictional force between the
sheet and the transport belts will be reduced in the second
operating mode.
As for appellant’s argument regarding the sensing means
as quoted supra, Dragstedt implicitly discloses the provision
10
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