Appeal No. 98-2126 Page 10
Application No. 08/490,180
hardness greater than the shot material and (b) blasting shot
material against a body having a hardness at least equal to
that of the shot material are art-recognized alternatives for
improving the properties of shot material. This being the
case, we are of the opinion that a combined consideration of
Keiji and Straub would have fairly suggested to the artisan to
blast the non-ferrous shot material of Keiji against a metal
body having a hardness at least equal to that of the shot
material in view of the teachings of Straub.
The appellant argues that "Keiji fails to disclose or
suggest a non-ferrous metal shot material" (reply brief, page
12). We are at a complete loss to understand such a contention
since Keiji expressly teaches that the alloy powder consists of
(a) green compacts of high hardness "WC" (i.e., tungsten
carbide) and (b) a green compact binder of "Co" (i.e., cobalt),
both of which are non-ferrous.
It is also the appellant's contention that Keiji teaches a
method of utilizing impact forces for smoothing and increasing
the density of green compacts rather than making surface-
hardened metal shot. While Keiji does mention that the surface
of the green compact (i.e., binder of cobalt) is smoothed by
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