Appeal No. 1998-2082
Application 08/521,626
wheel such that the claimed ‘up ratio’ exists such that the
pins enter between the walls of the guide lugs without
contacting them . . .” (answer, pages 4-5). The examiner
finds, however, that Nagorcka teaches this principle. In this
regard, the examiner finds that:
The tension adjusting wheel 32 of Nagorcka includes
lugs 11 with angled wall sides (see Figure 5) which
are spaced and sloped, relative to the diameter of
the wheel and the placement of the pins ‘to allow
positioning of the cross drive member 7 before being
fully engaged with the drive lug 11’ (column 6 lines
47 and 48). Nagorcka goes on to explain that the
angle [of the lug wall] is the same as the ‘entry’
and ‘exit’ angle 63 of the cross drive member 7.
[Answer, page 5.]
Based on this finding, the examiner considers that:
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the
art at the time of the invention to have modified
Muramatsu et al to utilize a tension wheel such as
that taught by Nagorcka in order [to] tension the
drive track and have it run more efficiently. In
keeping with Nagorcka, the taught wheel would
include drive lugs with sloped and spaced walls
dimensioned relative to the spacing of the drive
pins such that the drive would enter, or be
positioned between the lugs, without contacting the
lug walls. Furthermore, one skilled in the art
would have been aware of typical formulas to
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