Appeal No. 96-2640
Application No. 08/068,273
and lower dies together and then compressing the preform using
a separate compression device (see, e.g., page 13, line 22, to
page 14, line 6). It is clear from appellant’s description of
the prior art that in the prior art, the dies are clamped and
the preform is compressed by moving one die relative to the
other (i.e., from the Fig. 1 position to the Fig.2 position),
and no separate means for clamping the dies and compressing
the preform are described or suggested. As we read page 2,
lines 11 to 15 (quoted above), appellant there discloses that
in the prior art apparatus, the dies are moved together a
certain distance to "clamp" them together, and then are moved
further together in order to compress the preform. We find no
suggestion therein that any additional means (not shown in
"prior art" Figs. 1 to 5) should be provided to compress the
preform, nor would we expect to, since that is what appellant
discloses as being at least a major aspect of his invention.
The examiner alternatively argues that if one were not to
interpret the PAT as disclosing independently operable
clamping and compression means,
then it can be considered that it would have
been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art
at the time the invention was made to make the
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