Appeal No. 1997-0906
Application 08/292,666
Darlow 3,183,320 May 11, 1965
Adamson 4,906,958 March 6, 1990
Kakisako 4,980,525 December 25, 1990
Adamson discloses a snap-on thermoplastic handle tie for
connecting together the handles of circuit breakers. The
handles extend all the way through openings in the handle tie
so that the handle tie does not extend beyond the end of the
handle to prevent interference with the circuit breaker
enclosure. "The handle tie is slidably received about the
handles so that it is free to float along at least a portion
of a length of the handles." (Abstract.) The "float" allows
the handle tie to slide backward down the handle if there is
an interference between the handle tie and the surrounding
structure (col. 3, lines 28-39). The handle tie has
protrusions 40, 42 (figure 9) that are loosely received in
recesses 38 (figure 3) in the handle to permit the float 34
(figure 3) of the handle tie. As shown in figures 9 and 11,
the handle tie has opposing side walls 44, 46 (called main
beams), opposing end walls 48, 50 (called cross beams), and
inner walls 62, 64 (called cross beams) which form openings
24, 26.
- 3 -
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007