Appeal No. 97-1143
Application 08/115,881
Claim 1 calls for a ladder stand comprising, inter alia,
a base having a front and rear, a plurality of stair treads
supported on and extending upward from the base, a first wheel
set mounted at the front of the base, and a second wheel set
mounted approximately midway between the front and rear of the
base.
According to the examiner:
Rice shows the claimed stand with the exception of the
location of the second wheel set, and the swivel front
set of wheels, and the rear wheels as set forth in claim
2. Covert at (b') shows a second wheel set located as
claimed which enables a turning radius of approximately
half the length of his base. Borgman shows a stand with
a front set of swivel wheels to facilitate steering, and
a rear support
wheel set to facilitate transporting. It would have been
obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify
Rice for his front wheels to be rotatable as claimed to
facili-tate steering, to comprise wheels at his rear
support to facilitate transporting, and to locate his
second wheel set as claimed to decrease his turning
radius. [answer, pages 2 and 3]
It is appellants' position that Covert not only fails to
suggest or provide any motivation for modifying Rice to
include a second wheel set mounted on the base approximately
midway between the front and rear thereof as called for in
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