Appeal No. 95-2441 Application 07/987,211 choline for use as a feed additive. However, those products were not useful in the feed of ruminants, because they decomposed in the rumen. To solve the aforementioned problems and use choline as a feed additive, Iijima teaches persons skilled in the art to coat choline or one of its derivatives with a hydrophobic binder to prevent solubilization or decomposition by the rumen solution (Iijima, col. 5, l. 50- 53). The amount of choline in the granular choline composition prior to being coated with the hydrophobic binder preferably is 40 to 70% by weight, more preferably 40 to 55% by weight (Iijima, col. 2, l. 47-50). Even assuming persons having ordinary skill in the art would have been led by Iijima’s teaching to coat choline chloride on a cereal carrier with a hydrophobic binder, an assumption inconsistent with Sibbald’s recommendation of a density of 0.8 to 2.0, persons having ordinary skill in the art would have had to stretch Iijima’s teaching to find a reasonable suggestion to prepare a “core comprising approximately 70% by weight of choline chloride on a cereal” (Claim 26). Moreover, to stretch Iijima’s teaching to include about 70% choline chloride on a cereal carrier appears to be inconsistent with Iijima’s preferences and would appear to serve no purpose whatsoever. - 11 -Page: Previous 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 NextLast modified: November 3, 2007